By Sharon Ebderson

The nominees for the 31st Annual Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater, this year representing 32 schools in Allegheny County, were announced this morning.

The 2022 winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Saturday, May 28, at the Benedum Center.

Nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress will be competing for the opportunity to represent Pittsburgh CLO’s Gene Kelly Awards in the Jimmy Awards/National High School Musical Theatre Awards in New York City on June 27.

Over the past three months, a panel of judges has attended performances by the following schools: Avonworth, Baldwin, Bishop Canevin Central Catholic/Oakland Catholic, Chartiers Valley, Elizabeth Forward, Gateway, Hampton, Keystone Oaks, McKeesport Area, Montour, Moon Area, North Hills, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Penn Hills, Pine-Richland, Pittsburgh Allderdice, Pittsburgh CAPA, Plum, Quaker Valley, Redeemer Lutheran, Riverview, Serra Catholic, Sewickley Academy, Shady Side Academy, South Fayette, Springdale, St. Joseph, Thomas Jefferson, West Allegheny, Westinghouse Arts Academy and Woodland Hills.

On May 6, the judges met and reviewed highlights from each high school performance. The scoring was then tabulated by Deloitte LLP.

In addition to the more than 34 Kelly Awards presented at the event, including the Kelly Critics Award, administered by Post-Gazette senior theater critic Christopher Rawson in collaboration with the PG, several cash and university scholarships will be awarded. These scholarships are made possible through donations from the CLO Ambassadors, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, and participating colleges. More information: pittsburghCLO.org.

Nominees for the 2022 Gene Kelly Awards are:

Best Scenic Design
Budget Level I
Plum: The Addams Family
Serra Catholic: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Westinghouse Arts Academy: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Budget Level II
Elizabeth Forward: Little Shop of Horrors – Broadway Version
Hampton: Into The Woods
Pittsburgh CAPA: Hairspray
Budget Level III
Moon Area: The Addams Family
North Hills: Once Upon a Mattress
Thomas Jefferson: Legally Blonde The Musical
Budget Level IV
Baldwin: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Penn Hills: Little Women
Woodland Hills: Shrek The Musical

Best Costume Design
Budget Level I
Chartiers Valley: Mary Poppins
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart: Bye Bye Birdie
Westinghouse Arts Academy: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Budget Level II
Avonworth: The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Hampton: Into The Woods
Pittsburgh CAPA: Hairspray
Budget Level III
Moon Area: The Addams Family
Riverview.: Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Thomas Jefferson: Legally Blonde The Musical
Budget Level IV
Baldwin: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Pine-Richland: Shrek The Musical
Woodland Hills: Shrek The Musical
Budget Level III
Moon Area: The Addams Family
Riverview Jr./Sr.: Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Thomas Jefferson: Legally Blonde The Musical
Budget Level IV
Pine-Richland: Shrek The Musical
West Allegheny: Legally Blonde The Musical
Woodland Hills: Shrek The Musical

Best Crew/Technical Execution
Budget Level I
Chartiers Valley: Mary Poppins
Plum: The Addams Family
Serra Catholic: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Budget Level II
Elizabeth Forward: Little Shop of Horrors
Hampton: Into The Woods
Pittsburgh CAPA: Hairspray
Budget Level III
Moon Area: The Addams Family
North Hills: Once Upon a Mattress
Thomas Jefferson: Legally Blonde The Musical
Budget Level IV
Pine-Richland: Shrek The Musical
West Allegheny: Legally Blonde The Musical
Woodland Hills: Shrek The Musical

Best Student Orchestra
Hampton: Into the Woods
North Hills: Once Upon a Mattress
Pine-Richland: Shrek The Musical
Plum: The Addams Family
Sewickley Academy: Urinetown
Westinghouse Arts Academy: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Outstanding Student Artist
Maddie Casella: North Hills
Stella Christensen: Quaker Valley
Jack Cipriani: Moon Area
Olivia Holloway: Avonworth
Alexander Victoria: Pittsburgh CAPA
Dragon Puppeteers: Woodland Hills

Best Supporting Actor
Jack Cipriani, Moon Area
Andrew Kaehly, Hampton
Issac McCloy, Westinghouse Arts Academy
Max Peluso, Sewickley Academy
Max Pratley, Baldwin
Kai Sachon, Pittsburgh CAPA
Hairspray

Best Supporting Actress
Camryn Hall, Westinghouse Arts Academy
Mackenzie Heidenreich, West Allegheny
Lucia Lazzara-Goodrich, Pittsburgh CAPA
Teddy McClelland, Woodland Hills
Beth Satariano, North Hills
Molly Virtue, Pittsburgh Allderdice

Best Actor
Dominic Difuccia, Woodland Hills
Jack Exline, Pine-Richland
Tyler Guinto-Brody, Elizabeth Forward
Logan Krushinski, Pine-Richland
Quintin Michalski, Baldwin
Nicolas Sperandeo, Chartiers Valley

Best Actress
Kylie Edwards, Gateway
Isabella Gricar, Westinghouse Arts Academy
Trisha Holmes, Pine-Richland
Emma Hopf, North Hills
Kaitlyn Majewski, McKeesport Area
Ellie Tongel, Plum

Best Musical
Budget Level I
Chartiers Valley: Mary Poppins
Westinghouse Arts Academy: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Budget Level II
Elizabeth Forward: Little Shop of Horrors
Hampton: Into The Woods
Budget Level III
North Hills: Once Upon a Mattress
Thomas Jefferson: Legally Blonde The Musical
Budget Level IV
West Allegheny: Legally Blonde The Musical
Woodland Hills: Shrek The Musical

Categories: Arts and Ideas, Feature Stories