Kevin Covert Named Court Ambassador to Queen Shenandoah XCIX

The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® is proud to announce that Kevin Covert, Director of Musical Theatre and Associate Professor of Theatre at the Shenandoah Conservatory, will serve as Court Ambassador to Queen Shenandoah XCIX during the 2026 festival.

The Musical Theatre program at Shenandoah University is widely recognized as one of the top programs in the nation, with Covert’s students regularly appearing on Broadway, national tours, television, and film. Covert himself brings an impressive professional background as a Broadway performer, having appeared in the original Broadway casts of Spamalot and Memphis—the latter earning a Fred Astaire Award nomination in 2010—as well as the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying alongside Daniel Radcliffe, Darren Criss, and Nick Jonas. He can also be heard on the original Broadway cast recordings of these productions.

Covert’s touring credits include South Pacific, Cats, Grand Hotel, and the 50th Anniversary production of Oklahoma!. Regionally, he has performed at renowned theaters across the country, including Goodspeed Musicals, Sacramento Music Circus, Houston TUTS, Kansas City Starlight, and North Shore Music Theatre.

In addition to his work as a performer and educator, Covert has collaborated extensively with Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Gattelli (Newsies, Death Becomes Her), serving as one of his associates. Their work together includes the Broadway revival of South Pacific and the world premiere of Emmet Otter, which has been staged at Goodspeed, Off-Broadway, and most recently in Chicago. Covert has also taught, directed, and choreographed productions across the United States and has studied under notable mentors including José Quintero, Craig Carnelia, and Fred Chappell.

As Court Ambassador, Covert will take part in several of the Festival’s most celebrated events, including the Coronation of Queen Shenandoah at John Handley High School on Friday, May 1, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. He will also ride in the Hang 10 Car Wash Firefighters’ Parade later that evening at 6:00 p.m., and the Glofiber Grand Feature Parade on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at 1:30 p.m.