2023 Gene Kelly Award Nominations Revealed

Pittsburgh CLO and The Michael J. Kara Family have announced the nominees for the 32nd Annual Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater. The awards show will take place on Saturday, May 27 at 7:30pm at the Benedum Center in downtown Pittsburgh.

"Since its beginning in 1991, the Gene Kelly Awards recognize the incredible talent of thousands of students across Allegheny County," said Executive Producer, Mark Fleischer. "The Awards recognize not only the artistic talent of these students, but also celebrate their dedication to their communities and schools, both on stage and behind-the-scenes. Pittsburgh CLO is honored to lead this 30-year long tradition, celebrating excellence in High School Musical Theater," said Fleischer.

The Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater were launched in 1991 to recognize and encourage student achievement and to focus the attention of the community and school districts on the importance of musical theater and arts education.

Patterned after Broadway's Tony Awards, this event celebrates the power of the Arts to significantly improve all areas of education! High school theater programs are the real winners as show business veterans and community celebrities help to spread the word about the achievements of high school students and their school's musical theater programs. Over the past 30 years, Gene Kelly Award winners have gone on to careers in film, TV, and on Broadway.

Over the past three months, a panel of judges have attended the performances by the following 32 Allegheny County high schools: Avonworth High School, Baldwin High School, Bishop Canevin High School, Carlynton Junior-High School, Chartiers Valley High School, Eden Christian Academy, Elizabeth Forward High School, Gateway High School, Hampton High School, Keystone Oaks High School, McKeesport Area High School, Montour High School, Moon Area High School, North Hills High School, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School, Penn Hills High School, Pine-Richland High School, Pittsburgh Allderdice High School, Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12, Plum Senior High, Quaker Valley High School, Redeemer Lutheran School, Riverview Jr./Sr. High School, Serra Catholic High School, Sewickley Academy, Shady Side Academy Senior School, Springdale Jr./Sr. High School, St. Joseph High School, Thomas Jefferson High School, West Allegheny High School, Westinghouse Arts Academy, and Woodland Hills Senior High School.
The judging panel was comprised of performing arts educators, arts administrators, entertainment professionals, and performers. On May 5 these judges met and reviewed highlights from each high school performance. The scoring was then tabulated by Deloitte LLP.

The Nominees for the 2023 Gene Kelly Awards are:

Best Scenic Design

Budget Level I
McKeesport Area High School
All Shook Up

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School
Big Fish

Serra Catholic High School
Little Shop of Horrors (Broadway Version)

Budget Level II
Carlynton Junior-High School
Disney's The Little Mermaid

Quaker Valley High School
Anything Goes (2022 Revision)

Westinghouse Arts Academy
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Budget Level III
Elizabeth Forward High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Moon Area High School
Something Rotten!

Riverview Jr./Sr. High School
Young Frankenstein

Budget Level IV
Hampton High School
Something Rotten!

Thomas Jefferson High School
Anything Goes (2022 Revision)

Woodland Hills Senior High School
Seussical

Best Costume Design

Budget Level I
McKeesport Area High School
All Shook Up

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Big Fish

Redeemer Lutheran School
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (Original)

Budget Level II
Avonworth High School
Grand Hotel: The Musical

Carlynton Junior-High School
Disney's The Little Mermaid

Westinghouse Arts Academy
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Budget Level III
Elizabeth Forward High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Moon Area High School
Something Rotten!

Riverview Jr./Sr. High School
Young Frankenstein

Budget Level IV
Hampton High School
Something Rotten!

Thomas Jefferson High School
Anything Goes (2022 Revision)

Woodland Hills Senior High School
Seussical

Best Lighting Design

Budget Level I
McKeesport Area High School
All Shook Up

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Big Fish

Serra Catholic High School
Little Shop of Horrors (Broadway Version)

Budget Level II
Avonworth High School
Grand Hotel: The Musical

Chartiers Valley High School
9 to 5 the Musical

Westinghouse Arts Academy
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Budget Level III
Elizabeth Forward High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Riverview Jr./Sr. High School
Young Frankenstein

Shady Side Academy Senior School
Chicago: Teen Edition

Budget Level IV
Hampton High School
Something Rotten!

Thomas Jefferson High School
Anything Goes (2022 Revision)

Woodland Hills Senior High School
Seussical

Best Vocal Ensemble

Budget Level I
McKeesport Area High School
All Shook Up

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Big Fish

Serra Catholic High School
Little Shop of Horrors (Broadway Version)

Budget Level II
Avonworth High School
Grand Hotel: The Musical

Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12
The Prom

Westinghouse Arts Academy
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Budget Level III
Elizabeth Forward High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Moon Area High School
Something Rotten!

Riverview Jr./Sr. High School
Young Frankenstein

Budget Level IV
Hampton High School
Something Rotten!

Plum Senior High
Fiddler on the Roof

Thomas Jefferson High School
Anything Goes (2022 Revision)

Best Dance Ensemble

Budget Level I
McKeesport Area High School
All Shook Up

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School
Big Fish

Sewickley Academy
Big Fish School Edition

Budget Level II
Pittsburgh CAPA 6 - 12
The Prom

Quaker Valley High School
Anything Goes (2022 Revision)

Westinghouse Arts Academy
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Budget Level III
Elizabeth Forward High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Moon Area High School
Something Rotten!

Riverview Jr./Sr. High School
Young Frankenstein

Budget Level IV
Hampton High School
Something Rotten!

Thomas Jefferson High School
Anything Goes (2022 Revision)

Woodland Hills Senior High School
Seussical

Best Crew/Technical Execution

Budget Level I
McKeesport Area High School
All Shook Up

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School
Big Fish

Sewickley Academy
Big Fish School Edition

Budget Level II
Avonworth High School
Grand Hotel: The Musical

Bishop Canevin High School
Freaky Friday

Westinghouse Arts Academy
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Budget Level III
Elizabeth Forward High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Moon Area High School
Something Rotten!

Shady Side Academy Senior School
Chicago: Teen Edition

Budget Level IV
Hampton High School
Something Rotten!

Thomas Jefferson High School
Anything Goes (2022 Revision)

Woodland Hills Senior High School
Seussical

Best Student Orchestra

Avonworth High School
Grand Hotel: The Musical

Moon Area High School
Something Rotten!

Pittsburgh CAPA 6 - 12
The Prom

Shady Side Academy Senior School
Chicago: Teen Edition

Thomas Jefferson High School
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 High School

Charlotte Kinslow
Understudy for Judy Bernly, Also cast as Roz Keith
Chartiers Valley High School

Linz Thomas
Technical Lighting Designer
Elizabeth Forward High School

David Poirier and Kulthoom Fatema Dinani
Documentarians
Hampton High School

Jack Cipriani
Advertisement Coordinator/Director
Moon Area High School

Alexa Custer
Assistant Music Director
Pittsburgh CAPA 6 - 12

Best Supporting Actor

Brooks Brady
Thomas Nostradamus
Something Rotten!
Hampton High School

Primo Brodt-Jenkins
Harry Bright
Mamma Mia!
Gateway High School

Avi Chetlin
Trent Oliver
The Prom
Pittsburgh CAPA 6 - 12

David Keller
Simeon
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Westinghouse Arts Academy

Hayden Krupp
Moonface Martin
Anything Goes (2022 Revision)
Thomas Jefferson High School

Eli Wynn
Thernardier
Les Misérables School Edition
Pittsburgh Allderdice High School

Best Supporting Actress

Ashley Caldwell
Erma
Anything Goes (2022 Revision)
Thomas Jefferson High School

Annelise Hanson
Mayzie Labird
Seussical
Woodland Hills Senior High School

Kenzie Heidenreich
Jan
Grease
West Allegheny High School

Lila Kelley
Zinnia Wormwood
Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical
Baldwin High School

Lucia Palmer
Portia
Something Rotten!
Moon Area High School

Natalie Whitfield
Rosie
Mamma Mia!
Gateway High School

Best Actor

Jack Cipriani
Nick Bottom
Something Rotten!
Moon Area High School

Amerik Cirota
Joseph
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Westinghouse Arts Academy

Tyler Guinto-Brody
Quasimodo
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Elizabeth Forward High School

Nathan Marks
Dom Claude Frollo
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Elizabeth Forward High School

Ben Stolarz
Jean Valjean
Les Misérables School Edition
Pittsburgh Allderdice High School

Kai Suyama
Nick Bottom
Something Rotten!
Hampton High School

Best Actress

Felicity Dicken
Judy Bernly
9 to 5 the Musical
North Hills High School

Isabella Gricar
Narrator
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Westinghouse Arts Academy

Brylee Hendry
Hodel
Fiddler on the Roof
Plum Senior High School

Kaitlyn Majewski
Natalie Heller/Ed
All Shook Up
McKeesport Area High School

Rachael Parsons
Hope Harcourt
Anything Goes (2022 Revision)
Thomas Jefferson High School

Ava Sandstrom
Eponine
Les Misérables School Edition
Pittsburgh Allderdice High School

Best Musical

Budget Level I
McKeesport Area High School
All Shook Up

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School
Big Fish

Budget Level II
Avonworth High School
Grand Hotel: The Musical

Westinghouse Arts Academy
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Budget Level III
Elizabeth Forward High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Riverview Jr./Sr. High School
Young Frankenstein

Budget Level IV
Hampton High School
Something Rotten!

Thomas Jefferson High School
Anything Goes (2022 Revision)