Nominees for the 2023 Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater, representing 32 Allegheny County schools, were announced today. The annual awards ceremony and showcase will be Saturday, May 27, at the Benedum Center.
Presented by Pittsburgh CLO, the Kellys also are an opportunity for students to be awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships. This year, CLO and the Kellys have added the award of Outstanding Student Artist(s), given to individuals or groups who may not fit into the recognition given in previous categories.
The top actors from both the Kellys and the Henry Mancini Awards – recognizing student performances in Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties – have the opportunity to compete on the national level at the Jimmy Awards, hosted this year by Corbin Bleu at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre, home of The Lion King.
This year marks the third top actor nomination for two-time winner Tyler Guinto-Brody of Elizabeth Forward. His school experienced a devastating fire in its auditorium, but with the support of the community — including Kelly competitors — the show went on at
The Kellys ceremony features group performances by students from participating schools, and medleys from the nominees for Best Actor and Actress.
Participating schools are: Avonworth, Baldwin, Bishop Canevin, Carlynton, Chartiers Valley, Eden Christian Academy, Elizabeth Forward, Gateway Pittsburgh CAPA, Hampton, Keystone Oaks, McKeesport, 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, Springdale, St. Joseph, Thomas Jefferson, West Allegheny, Westinghouse Arts Academy and Woodland Hills.
The 2022 Gene Kelly Awards ceremony at the Benedum Center. (Archie Carpenter)
THE 2023 GENE KELLY AWARD NOMINEES ARE:
BEST MUSICAL
Budget Level I
McKeesport Area, All Shook Up
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart,, Big Fish
Budget Level II
Avonworth, Grand Hotel: The Musical
Westinghouse Arts Academy, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Budget Level III
Elizabeth Forward, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Riverview, Young Frankenstein
Budget Level IV
Hampton, Something Rotten!
Thomas Jefferson, Anything Goes (2022 Revision)
BEST SCENIC DESIGN
Budget Level I
McKeesport Area, All Shook Up
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Big Fish
Serra Catholic, Little Shop of Horrors (Broadway Version)
Budget Level II
Carlynton, Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Quaker Valley, Anything Goes (2022 Revision)
Westinghouse Arts Academy, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Budget Level III
Elizabeth Forward, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Moon Area, Something Rotten!
Riverview, Young Frankenstein
Budget Level IV
Hampton, Something Rotten!
Thomas Jefferson, Anything Goes (2022 Revision)
Woodland Hills, Seussical
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Budget Level I
McKeesport Area, All Shook Up
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Big Fish
Redeemer Lutheran, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Original)
Budget Level II
Avonworth, Grand Hotel: The Musical
Carlynton, Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Westinghouse Arts Academy, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Budget Level III
Elizabeth Forward, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Moon Area, Something Rotten!
Riverview, Young Frankenstein
Budget Level IV
Hampton, Something Rotten!
Thomas Jefferson, Anything Goes (2022 Revision)
Woodland Hills, Seussical
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Budget Level I
McKeesport Area, All Shook Up
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Big Fish
Serra Catholic, Little Shop of Horrors (Broadway Version)
Budget Level II
Avonworth, Grand Hotel: The Musical
Chartiers Valley, 9 to 5 the Musical
Westinghouse Arts Academy, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Budget Level III
Elizabeth Forward, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Riverview, Young Frankenstein
Shady Side Academy, Chicago: Teen Edition
Budget Level IV
Hampton, Something Rotten!
Thomas Jefferson, Anything Goes (2022 Revision)
Woodland Hills, Seussical
BEST VOCAL ENSEMBLE
Budget Level I
McKeesport Area, All Shook Up
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Big Fish
Serra Catholic, Little Shop of Horrors (Broadway Version)
Budget Level II
Avonworth, Grand Hotel: The Musical
Pittsburgh CAPA, The Prom
Westinghouse Arts Academy, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Budget Level III
Elizabeth Forward, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Moon Area, Something Rotten!
Riverview, Young Frankenstein
Budget Level IV
Hampton, Something Rotten!
Plum, Fiddler on the Roof
Thomas Jefferson, Anything Goes (2022 Revision)
BEST DANCE ENSEMBLE
Budget Level I
McKeesport Area, All Shook Up
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School, Big Fish
Sewickley Academy, Big Fish School Edition
Budget Level II
Pittsburgh CAPA, The Prom
Quaker Valley, Anything Goes (2022 Revision)
Westinghouse Arts Academy Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Budget Level III
Elizabeth Forward, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Moon Area, Something Rotten!
Riverview, Young Frankenstein
Budget Level IV
Hampton, Something Rotten!
Thomas Jefferson, Anything Goes (2022 Revision)
Woodland Hills, Seussical
BEST CREW/TECHNICAL EXECUTION
Budget Level I
McKeesport Area, All Shook Up
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Big Fish
Sewickley Academy, Big Fish School Edition
Budget Level II
Avonworth, Grand Hotel: The Musical
Bishop Canevin, Freaky Friday
Westinghouse Arts Academy, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Budget Level III
Elizabeth Forward, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Moon Area, Something Rotten!
Shady Side Academy, Chicago: Teen Edition
Budget Level IV
Hampton, Something Rotten!
Thomas Jefferson, Anything Goes (2022 Revision)
Woodland Hills, Seussical
BEST STUDENT ORCHESTRA
Avonworth, Grand Hotel: The Musical
Moon Area, Something Rotten!
Pittsburgh CAPA, The Prom
Shady Side Academy, Chicago: Teen Edition
Thomas Jefferson, Anything Goes (2022 Revision)
Westinghouse Arts Academy, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
OUTSTANDING STUDENT ARTIST
Anna Boothby (Student Lighting Op/On-stage Role Replacement), Avonworth
Charlotte Kinslow (Understudy and Cast), Chartiers Valley
Linz Thomas (Technical Lighting Designer), Elizabeth Forward
David Poirier and Kulthoom Fatema Dinani (Documentarians), Hampton
Jack Cipriani (Advertisement Coordinator/Director), Moon Area
Alexa Custer (Assistant Music Director), Pittsburgh CAPA,
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Brooks Brady (Thomas Nostradamus, Something Rotten!), Hampton
Primo Brodt-Jenkins (Harry Bright, Mamma Mia!), Gateway
Avi Chetlin (Trent Oliver, The Prom), Pittsburgh CAPA,
David Keller (Simeon, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Westinghouse Arts Academy
Hayden Krupp (Moonface Martin, Anything Goes), Thomas Jefferson
Eli Wynn (Thernardier, Les Misérables), Pittsburgh Allderdice
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Ashley Caldwell (Erma, Anything Goes), Thomas Jefferson
Annelise Hanson (Mayzie Labird, Seussical), Woodland Hills
Kenzie Heidenreich (Jan, Grease), West Allegheny
Lila Kelley (Zinnia Wormwood, Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical), Baldwin
Lucia Palmer (Portia, Something Rotten!), Moon Area
Natalie Whitfield (Rosie, Mamma Mia!), Gateway
BEST ACTOR
Jack Cipriani (Nick Bottom, Something Rotten!), Moon Area
Amerik Cirota (Joseph, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Westinghouse Arts Academy
Tyler Guinto-Brody (Quasimodo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Elizabeth Forward
Nathan Marks (Dom Claude Frollo,The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Elizabeth Forward
Ben Stolarz (Jean Valjean, Les Misérables), Pittsburgh Allderdice
Kai Suyama (Nick Bottom, Something Rotten!) Hampton
BEST ACTRESS
Felicity Dicken (Judy Bernly, 9 to 5 the Musical), North Hills
Isabella Gricar (Narrator, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Westinghouse Arts Academy
Brylee Hendry (Hodel, Fiddler on the Roof), Plum
Kaitlyn Majewski (Natalie Heller/Ed, All Shook Up) McKeesport Area
Rachael Parsons (Hope Harcourt, Anything Goes), Thomas Jefferson
Ava Sandstrom (Eponine, Les Misérables), Pittsburgh Allderdice
Tickets and details: https://www.pittsburghclo.org/education/gene-kelly-awards
Categories: Arts Education, Our Posts, Show Previews
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