(L-R) Representatives from Baldwin-Whitehall, Chartiers Valley, North Hills (2), Pine-Richland, Pittsburgh Schenley and Woodland Hills High Schools pose together on May 6 after accepting their Best Choreography nominations for the 19th-annual Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence In High School Musical Theater, presented by Pittsburgh CLO and the University of Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH, PA—Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and the University of Pittsburgh have announced the nominees for the Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater. Participants are 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 as well as Gene Kelly Scholarships for students accepted to a school for the performing or technical arts. Gene Kelly’s widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, will once again participate in the awards show. 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 comprised of performing arts educators, arts administrators, entertainment professionals and performers have attended the performances by 28 Allegheny County high schools. 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.

Again this year, Pittsburgh CLO will award 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 28 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.

Winners in the Best Actor and Best Actress competition will 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

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.

The 28 participating high schools are: 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 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”

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

For more information about the Gene Kelly Awards, please visit www.pittsburghclo.org/pages/gene-kelly-awards

For more information on the National High School Musical Theater Awards, please visit www.nhsmta.com

For more information about the Pittsburgh CLO, please visit www.pittsburghclo.org

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