Pittsburgh CLO Announces Nominees For Gene Kelly Awards, Show Held 5/23
By: Gabrielle Sierra May. 06, 2009
Pittsburgh CLO and the University of Pittsburgh are proud to announce the nominees for the Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater. The awards show will take place on May 23, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. at the Benedum Center in downtown Pittsburgh.
Over the past three months, a panel of 32 judges have attended the performances by the following 28 Allegheny County high schools: Avonworth, Baldwin-Whitehall, Bishop Canevin, Brentwood, Central Catholic, Chartiers Valley, Deer Lakes, Hampton Township, Keystone Oaks, McKeesport, North Catholic, North Hills, Northgate, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Penn Hills, Pine-Richland, Pittsburgh Allderdice, Pittsburgh CAPA, Pittsburgh Perry, Pittsburgh Schenley, Plum, Riverview, Shady Side Academy, Springdale, Vincentian Academy,West Mifflin, Winchester Thurston and Woodland Hills.
The panel of judges was comprised of performing arts educators, arts administrators, entertainment professionals and performers. On May 1, these judges met for a final discussion and a review of highlights from each high school performance. The scoring was then tabulated by Deloitte Consulting, LLP.
The Nominees for the 2009 Gene Kelly Awards are:
Best Scenic Design
Baldwin-Whitehall The Wizard of Oz
Chartiers Valley The Wedding Singer
Hampton Anything Goes
McKeesport Once Upon A Mattress
West Mifflin Oklahoma!
Woodland Hills The Wizard of Oz
Best Costume Design
Bishop Canevin Anything Goes
Keystone Oaks Barnum
North Hills Oliver!
Pittsburgh CAPA Anna Karenina
Winchester Thurston The King and I
Woodland Hills The Wizard of Oz
Best Lighting Design
Avonworth Into the Woods
Baldwin-Whitehall The Wizard of Oz
Bishop Canevin Anything Goes
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Hello, Dolly!
Riverview Jesus Christ Superstar
Woodland Hills The Wizard of Oz
Best All-Student Orchestra
North Hills Oliver!
Pine-Richland Carousel
Pittsburgh CAPA Anna Karenina
Pittsburgh Schenley Return to the Forbidden Planet
Plum 42nd Street
West Mifflin Oklahoma!
Best Supporting Actor
Luke Halferty Central Catholic Kiss Me, Kate "General"
Teddy McKenna Pittsburgh CAPA Anna Karenina "Constantine"
Connor McRory Chartiers Valley The Wedding Singer "George"
Nick Ruffing West Mifflin Oklahoma! "Ali Hakim"
Francesco Salpietro Pine-Richland Carousel "Enoch Snow"
Justin Spittel Pittsburgh Allderdice Beauty and the Beast "Cogsworth"
Best Supporting Actress
Loni Ben-Zavi Pittsburgh Schenley Return to the Forbidden Planet"Ariel"
Arielle Katcher Pine-Richland Carousel "Carrie"
Christine Lamendola Pine-Richland Carousel "Cousin Nettie"
Rachel Miller Chartiers Valley The Wedding Singer "Holly"
Marie Popovich Baldwin-Whitehall The Wizard of Oz "Wicked Witch"
Chelsea Stewart Avonworth Into the Woods "Cinderella"
Best Ensemble
Baldwin-Whitehall The Wizard of Oz
North Hills Oliver!
Pine-Richland Carousel
Pittsburgh CAPA Anna Karenina
Pittsburgh Schenley Return to the Forbidden Planet
Woodland Hills The Wizard of Oz
Best Crew/Technical Execution
Baldwin-Whitehall The Wizard of Oz
Chartiers Valley The Wedding Singer
North Hills Oliver!
Penn Hills Oklahoma!
West Mifflin Oklahoma!
Woodland Hills The Wizard of Oz
Best Choreography
Baldwin-Whitehall The Wizard of Oz
Chartiers Valley The Wedding Singer
North Hills Oliver!
Pine-Richland Carousel
Pittsburgh Schenley Return to the Forbidden Planet
Woodland Hills The Wizard of Oz
Best Direction
Baldwin-Whitehall The Wizard of Oz
North Hills Oliver!
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Hello, Dolly!
Pittsburgh CAPA Anna Karenina
Pittsburgh Schenley Return to the Forbidden Planet
Woodland Hills The Wizard of Oz
Best Actor
Troy Beaudry North Hills Oliver! "Fagan"
Timothy DeVita Woodland Hills The Wizard of Oz "Tin man"
Michael Ellwood Pittsburgh Schenley Return to the Forbidden Planet "Cookie"
Kian McCollum Chartiers Valley The Wedding Singer "Robbie Hart"
Bobby Podolinski Vincentian Children of Eden "Father"
Shawn Russman Baldwin-Whitehall The Wizard of Oz "Scarecrow"
Best Actress
Elizabeth Bailey Pittsburgh CAPA Anna Karenina "Anna Karenina"
Kirsten Hoover North Hills Oliver! "Nancy"
Teressa LaGamba Pittsburgh Schenley Return to the Forbidden Planet "Miranda"
Caitlin O'Connor OLSH Hello, Dolly! "Dolly Levi"
Andrea Weinzierl Avonworth Into the Woods "Witch"
Erin Zarisnak Baldwin-Whitehall The Wizard of Oz "Dorothy"
The nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress will be competing for the opportunity to represent Pittsburgh CLO's Gene Kelly Awards in the first ever National High School Musical Theater Awards in New York City on Monday, June 29. For more information on the National High School Musical Theater Awards, please visit www.nhsmta.com.
Best Musical
Budget Category I
North Catholic Anything Goes
Pittsburgh CAPA Anna Karenina
Pittsburgh Schenley Return to the Forbidden Planet
Budget Category II
Avonworth Into the Woods
Chartiers Valley The Wedding Singer
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Hello, Dolly!
Budget Category III
Baldwin-Whitehall The Wizard of Oz
North Hills Oliver!
Woodland Hills The Wizard of Oz
Again this year, Pittsburgh CLO announced the Gene Kelly Scholarships. The CLO will award cash scholarships to high school seniors who have applied and been accepted to a school for the performing or technical arts. Each of the twenty-eight Gene Kelly schools were allowed to nominate one student who has excelled within his/her high school musical theater program for these merit-based scholarships. Each nominee auditioned before a panel of judges on May 1. The scholarships are made possible through the generous donations of Teresa and Bob Williams, Sandra and Seymour Baskin, Donald Arnheim, Paul Block and the CLO Ambassadors. Winners will be announced at the ceremony on May 23.
The Gene Kelly Awards are co-presented by the University of Pittsburgh with additional support provided by American Eagle Outfitters Foundation, National City Bank of Pennsylvania, 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.
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