Pittsburgh CLO Announces 2013 Gene Kelly Awards Winners!

A sold-out crowd gathered at the Benedum Center as Pittsburgh CLO and the University of Pittsburgh honored Allegheny County's finest high school performers at the 23rd Annual Pittsburgh CLO Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater on Saturday, May 25, 2013.

Named for legendary performer and Pittsburgh native Gene Kelly, the annual celebration emphasizes the importance of arts education and recognizes the time, energy and dedication that local high schools devote to their musical productions each spring.

Patterned after the Tony Awards, the ceremony included live performances by the Best Musical nominees and Best Actor/Actress nominees. Each nominated school performed a five-minute selection from their respective shows. Special guest presenters included local television personalities: KDKA's Dennis Bowman & Bob Pompeani, WPXI's David Johnson and WQED's Nancy Polinsky.

Pittsburgh CLO congratulates the 2013 Gene Kelly Awards winners, nominees and the following 29 participating Allegheny County high schools:Avonworth, Baldwin, Bishop Canevin, Central Catholic, Chartiers Valley, Deer Lakes, Elizabeth Forward, Hampton Township, Keystone Oaks, McKeesport, North Catholic, North Hills, Northgate, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Penn Hills, Pine-Richland, Pittsburgh Barack Obama Academy, Pittsburgh Brashear, Pittsburgh CAPA, Pittsburgh Perry, Plum, Quaker Valley, Riverview, Shady Side Academy, St. Joseph, West Allegheny, West Mifflin, Winchester Thurston and Woodland Hills.

The Charles Gray Award for Special Achievement in Arts Education was also presented to Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, in recognition of its enduring commitment to arts education by establishing diverse creative arts modules within their curriculum. Together, technology and literacy coaches actively participate in developing their arts education plan.

Earlier in the evening, Pittsburgh CLO presented Distinguished Alumni Awards to two former participants in the Gene Kelly Awards. The alumni awards were presented to musical theater veteran and author, Tim Federle and Director of Government Relations for the Pittsburgh Penguins,Abass B. Kamara. The awards were presented at a special reception prior to the Gene Kelly Awards ceremony.

This year, Pittsburgh CLO awarded over $82,500 in scholarships to several college-bound seniors at the ceremony.

Joe McGoldrick, representing Point Park University's Musical Theater Department, presented Katherine Rogers and Dylan Baker with a $5,000 per year, four-year scholarship to attend Point Park University's Conservatory of Performing Arts for Musical Theater.

Pittsburgh CLO awarded Gene Kelly Cash Scholarships totaling $8,000 to three high school seniors who have applied and been accepted to a school for the performing or technical arts. This year's recipients are Jason Cohen, Rehima Jordan and Alexander Simakas. These merit-based scholarships are made possible through the generous donations of Paul E. Block, Virginia S. Nicklas and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield.

The Pittsburgh CLO Ambassadors awarded $6,000 in scholarships to four college-bound students who will be pursuing a major outside of the arts. The 2013 Ambassadors' Scholarship winners are Heather Catley, Andrew Graziano, Paul Steenkiste and Joseph Strednak.

The Pittsburgh CLO Guild awarded $4,000 scholarships to six students who are pursuing a college education in the theater arts. The Pittsburgh CLO Guild Scholarship winners are Dylan Baker, Todd Ahmer'e Blackman, Jason Cohen, Marika Countouris, Megan Howell andKatherine Rogers. The Guild also presented a $5,000 scholarship in the name of Constance T. Rockwell and the Charity Randall Foundation toMargaret Rohlf.

The Recipients of the 2013 Gene Kelly Awards are:

Best Scenic Design

Budget Level I: Pittsburgh CAPA for In The Heights

Budget Level II: West Mifflin for Willy Wonka

Budget Level III: Woodland Hills for Young Frankenstein

Best Costume Design
Budget Level I: St. Joseph for Seussical

Budget Level II: Keystone Oaks for The Drowsy Chaperone

Budget Level III: Plum for Seussical

Best Lighting Design

Budget Level I: Pittsburgh Barack Obama Academy for Once On This Island

Budget Level II: Chartiers Valley for 9 to 5: The Musical

Budget Level III: Woodland Hills for Young Frankenstein

Best All-Student Orchestra

Pittsburgh CAPA for In The Heights

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Justin McCord of Woodland Hills for Igor in Young Frankenstein

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Michala Williams of Pittsburgh CAPA for Abuela Claudia in In the Heights

Best Ensemble

Pittsburgh CAPA for In the Heights

Best Crew/Technical Execution

Woodland Hills for Young Frankenstein

Best Choreography

Penn Hills for All Shook Up

Best Direction

Pittsburgh CAPA for In The Heights

Best Actor
Angelo Ragghianti of Pittsburgh CAPA for Usnavi in In the Heights

Best Actress
Rachael Houser of Quaker Valley for Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes

The winners for Best Actor and Best Actress will represent Pittsburgh CLO's Gene Kelly Awards in the fifth-annual National High School Musical Theater Awards in New York City on Monday, July 1. The National High School Musical Theater Awards impacts more than 50,000 students annually who participate in high school musical theater competitions sponsored by top professional theaters throughout the US. A Best Actress and Best Actor winner from each of these competitions is sent to New York for a weeklong theater intensive of coaching and rehearsals with industry professionals in preparation for a one-night-only showcase at The Jimmy Awards on Broadway, where a panel of judges crowns the nation's top performers. Since its inception in 2009, the program has been the catalyst for more than $750,000 in educational scholarships awarded to its participants. For more information, visit www.nhsmta.com.

Best Musical

Budget Level I: Pittsburgh CAPA for In the Heights

Budget Level II: Avonworth for The Phantom of the Opera

Budget Level III: Baldwin for Hairspray

Now in its 12th year, The Kelly Critics program is a unique partnership between the Pittsburgh CLO and Dr. Christopher Rawson. Dr. Rawson presented the Kelly Critics Award. Luke Dowker from Baldwin was presented with the award for excellence in writing theatrical critiques.

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