Pittsburgh CLO Announces Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater Nominees

Pittsburgh CLO and the University of Pittsburgh have announced the nominees for the Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater. The awards show will take place on Saturday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Benedum Center in downtown Pittsburgh.

Over the past three months, a panel of 35 judges have attended the performances by the following 32 Allegheny County high schools: Avonworth, Baldwin, Bishop Canevin, Central Catholic, Chartiers Valley, Deer Lakes, Elizabeth Forward, Hampton Township, Keystone Oaks, McKeesport, Moon Area, North Catholic, North Hills, Northgate, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Penn Hills, Pine-Richland, Pittsburgh Allderdice, Pittsburgh Barack Obama Academy of International Studies, Pittsburgh Brashear, Pittsburgh CAPA, Pittsburgh Perry, Plum, Quaker Valley, Riverview, Serra Catholic, Springdale, St. Joseph, West Allegheny, West Mifflin, Winchester Thurston and Woodland Hills.

The judging panel was comprised of performing arts educators, arts administrators, entertainment professionals and performers. On May 4 these judges met for a final discussion and a review of highlights from each high school performance. The scoring was then tabulated by Deloitte LLP.

The nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress will be competing for the opportunity to represent Pittsburgh CLO’s Gene Kelly Awards in the fourth-annual National High School Musical Theater Awards in New York City on Monday, June 25. For more information on the National High School Musical Theater Awards, please visit www.nhsmta.com.

In addition to the more than 20 Kelly Awards presented at the event, several cash and university scholarships will be awarded. These scholarships are made possible through the generous donations of Paul Block, Virginia Nicklas, the CLO Ambassadors, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, participating colleges and the Leslie Kerr and Drew Birns Creative Arts Scholarship. Winners will be announced at the ceremony on May 26. More information is available at pittsburghCLO.org.

The Gene Kelly Awards are co-presented by the University of Pittsburgh with additional support provided by American Eagle Outfitters Foundation, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, PNC Bank, Virginia S. Nicklas and the CLO Ambassadors. Deloitte Consulting, LLP is the official auditor for the Gene Kelly Awards.

Pittsburgh CLO is also pleased to announce that Gene Kelly’s widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, will once again participate in the awards show.

The 22nd Annual Gene Kelly Awards will take place at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale May 14 from 412-456-6666.

The Nominees for the 2012 Gene Kelly Awards are:

Best Scenic Design

Budget Level I

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
How to Succeed in Business…
Pittsburgh Perry
Little Shop of Horrors
Quaker Valley
Guys & Dolls

Budget Level II

Avonworth
Sweeney Todd
Bishop Canevin
Bye Bye Birdie
Hampton
Damn Yankees

Budget Level III

Baldwin
Curtains
North Hills
My Fair Lady
Woodland Hills
Curtains

Best Costume Design

Budget Level I

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
How to Succeed in Business…
Quaker Valley
Guys & Dolls
St. Joseph
Once Upon A Mattress

Budget Level II

Avonworth
Sweeney Todd
Bishop Canevin
Bye Bye Birdie
Hampton
Damn Yankees

Budget Level III

North Hills
My Fair Lady
Winchester Thurston
Avenue Q
Woodland Hills
Curtains

Best Lighting Design

Budget Level I

North Catholic
Little Shop of Horrors
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
How to Succeed in Business…
Quaker Valley
Guys & Dolls

Budget Level II

Avonworth
Sweeney Todd
Hampton
Damn Yankees
McKeesport
Beauty and the Beast

Budget Level III

Baldwin
Curtains
North Hills
My Fair Lady
Woodland Hills
Curtains

Best All-Student Orchestra

Hampton
Damn Yankees
Moon
Guys & Dolls
North Hills
My Fair Lady
Pittsburgh Brashear
Back to the 80’s
Pittsburgh CAPA
Oliver!
Pittsburgh Allderdice
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Best Supporting Actor

Jonathan Andrew
Plum
Sweet Charity
“Oscar”

Zach Houston
Moon
Guys & Dolls
“Nicely Nicely”

Adam Johnson
Central Catholic
Bye Bye Birdie
“Harry McAffee”

Fletcher Jones
Pittsburgh Barack Obama Academy
Footloose
“Willard”

Vinnie Smith
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
How to Succeed in Business…
“Bud Frump”

Ben Troisky
Quaker Valley
Guys & Dolls
“Nathan Detroit”

Best Supporting Actress

Emma Baker
Avonworth
Sweeney Todd
“Beggar Woman/Lucy Barker”

Maggie Brooks
Baldwin
Curtains
“Carmen”

Elena Falgione
Winchester Thurston
Avenue Q
“Lucy”

Adrianne Knapp
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
How to Succeed in Business…
“Smitty”

Katelyn Maurer
Bishop Canevin
Bye Bye Birdie
“Mae Peterson”

Jennifer Yeager
Hampton
Damn Yankees
“Gloria”

Best Ensemble

Avonworth
Sweeney Todd
Baldwin
Curtains
Central Catholic
Bye Bye Birdie
Hampton
Damn Yankees
Pittsburgh Perry
Little Shop of Horrors
Quaker Valley
Guys & Dolls

Best Crew/Technical Execution

Avonworth
Sweeney Todd
Baldwin
Curtains
North Hills
My Fair Lady
Penn Hills
Beauty and the Beast
Pittsburgh CAPA
Oliver!
Woodland Hills
Curtains

Best Choreography

Avonworth
Sweeney Todd
Baldwin
Curtains
Bishop Canevin
Bye Bye Birdie
Hampton
Damn Yankees
Quaker Valley
Guys & Dolls
Woodland Hills
Curtains

Best Direction

Avonworth
Sweeney Todd
Bishop Canevin
Bye Bye Birdie
Pine Richland
The Wedding Singer
Quaker Valley
Guys & Dolls
Winchester Thurston
Avenue Q
Woodland Hills
Curtains

Best Actor

Connor Doran
Baldwin
Curtains
“Cioffi”

Jonathan Hewitt
Hampton
Damn Yankees
“Applegate”

Tal Kroser
Pittsburgh CAPA
Oliver!
“Fagin”

Zander Lyons
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
How to Succeed in Business…
“J. Pierpont Finch”

Michael O’Brien
North Hills
My Fair Lady
“Henry Higgins”

Nathan Pool
Avonworth
Sweeney Todd
“Sweeney Todd”

Best Actress

Nia D’Emilio
Winchester Thurston
Avenue Q
“Kate Monster”

Abby Dionise
Pine Richland
The Wedding Singer
“Julia Sullivan”

Stephanie Higgins
North Hills
My Fair Lady
“Eliza Doolittle”

Rachael Houser
Quaker Valley
Guys & Dolls
“Sarah Brown”

Katie Rogers
Penn Hills
Beauty and the Beast
“Belle”

Brooke Tate
Avonworth
Sweeney Todd
“Mrs. Lovett”

Best Musical

Budget Level I

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
How to Succeed in Business…
Pittsburgh Barack Obama Academy
Footloose
Quaker Valley
Guys & Dolls

Budget Level II

Avonworth
Sweeney Todd
Bishop Canevin
Bye Bye Birdie
Hampton
Damn Yankees

Budget Level III

Baldwin
Curtains
North Hills
My Fair Lady
Woodland Hills
Curtains

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