Hampton, Pittsburgh Obama, Baldwin win best musical honors
Pine-Richland, North Allegheny students take top Kelly awards
Jake Pedersen of Pine-Richland and Chloe Rae Kehm of West Allegheny were named best actor and actress, while Hampton’s production of “Big Fish” and Baldwin’s “Zorro the Musical” were among the big overall winners Saturday at the Pittsburgh CLO’s 27th annual Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater.
The best actor and actress will represent the Kellys at the eighth annual National High School Musical Theater Awards, founded by Pittsburgh CLO and Nederlander Alliances LLC, in New York City on June 26.
Hampton earned six awards, including best musical in Budget Level II, while Baldwin’s three awards included best musical in Level III. Pittsburgh Obama Academy’s “Sister Act” won in Level I.
Thousands of dollars in cash and university scholarships were awarded throughout the night at the Benedum Center, Downtown, including a Point Park scholarship for Ms. Kehm, and Pittsburgh CLO scholarships totaling $36,000 to nine students. Mr. Pedersen was awarded $5,000 from the Gene Kelly Awards scholarships.
The winners received their trophies at the Benedum Center in a musical celebration patterned after Broadway’s Tony Awards. Van Kaplan, in his 20th year of leading Pittsburgh CLO, was once again the host, and Kiesha Lalama, a choreographer and Point Park University Conservatory of Dance Company faculty member, is in her 10th year of directing and choreographing the night of music, honors and school spirit.
Nominees and winners were chosen by a panel of 32 judges who attended the spring musicals presented by the following 27 Allegheny County high schools:
Avonworth, Baldwin, Bishop Canevin, Central Catholic, Chartiers Valley, Deer Lakes, Elizabeth Forward, Hampton, Keystone Oaks, North Hills, Northgate, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Pine-Richland, Pittsburgh Allderdice, Nominees and winners were chosen by a panel of 32 judges who attended the spring musicals presented by 27 Allegheny County high schools. Pittsburgh Obama Academy, Pittsburgh Brashear, Pittsburgh CAPA, Pittsburgh Perry, Plum, Quaker Valley, Riverview, Seton-La Salle, Springdale, St. Joseph, West Allegheny, West Mifflin and Woodland Hills. Scoring was then tabulated by Deloitte LLP. Obama, “Sister Act”
Budget Level II: Hampton, “Big Fish”
Budget Level III: Baldwin, “Zorro: The Musical”
Best Actor
Jake Pedersen, Pine-Richland, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” (Joseph)
Best Actress
Chloe Rae Kehm, West Allegheny, “Thoroughly Modern Millie” (Millie)
Best Supporting Actor
Robert Carr, Woodland Hills, “Monty Python’s Spamalot” (Sir Dennis Galahad)
Best Supporting Actress
Emma Sue Ewing, Pittsburgh CAPA, “Anything Goes” (Erma Latour)
Best Scenic Design
Budget Level I: Pittsburgh Perry, “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown”
Budget Level II: Hampton, “Big Fish”
Budget Level III: Woodland Hills, “Monty Python’s Spamalot”
Best Costume Design
Budget Level I: St. Joseph, “Hello, Dolly!”
Budget Level II: Hampton, “Big Fish”
Budget Level III: Woodland Hills, “Monty Python’s Spamalot”
Best Lighting Design
Budget Level I: Deer Lakes, “Little Shop of Horrors”
Budget Level II: Hampton, “Big Fish”
Budget Level III: Woodland Hills, “Monty Python’s Spamalot”
Best Ensemble
Central Catholic, “In the Heights”
All-Student Orchestra
Hampton, “Big Fish”
Crew/Technical Execution
Hampton, “Big Fish”
Execution of Choreography
West Allegheny, “Thoroughly Modern Millie”
Execution of Direction
Baldwin, “Zorro: The Musical”
Execution of Musical Direction
Baldwin, “Zorro: The Musical”
Charles Gray Award
Pittsburgh Urban Christian School
Alice T. Carter Special Judges Award
Thomas Houghton III, trumpeter, Pittsburgh CAPA
Christopher Rawson Kelly Critics Award
Molly Henschke, a junior from Quaker Valley. Runner-up: Dana Grover, a senior from Riverview.