High school musicals: Index 2004


	Tony Tye/Post-Gazette
	Daija Scaife looks back toward her mother, Leann Scaife, as they wait for Leann's brother, Antoine Betts of Langley High School, to appear onstage during the 14th annual Gene Kelly Awards for high school musicals, which were broadcast on a screen above Katz Plaza to accomodate an overflow crowd. Audio: Click photo to hear Leann Scaife talk about her brother.

Updated May 31, 2004

Awards, Awards

Thousands of ebullient fans converged on the Benedum Center Saturday night for the The Pittsburgh CLO and University of Pittsburgh's 14th Annual Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater. Patterned after Broadway's Tony Awards the event celebrates arts education with live performances by the nine schools with "best musical" nominations with Patricia Ward Kelly among the presenters. In a first for the Cultural District, the awards show was broadcast live on video screens overlooking Katz Square. View a winners list or listen to musical selections from the level one and level two best musical winners Winchester Thurston ("Pirates of Penzance")and Schenley ("Smokey Joe's Cafe").

The tenth annual Henry Mancini Musical Theatre Awards featured a very Pink Panther, special guest special guest Ginny Mancini, widow of Henry, a comic fireball from Rochester Area High School and a very long kiss between two Riverside High School students doing a love duet from "The Music Man." The Mancini awards are named after the noted composer who was a native of Aliquippa. The awards "recognize, nurture and encourage students who achieve excellence in presenting their high school musicals" in Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties.

On Stage

In his theater column, "On Stage," Post-Gazette drama critic Chris Rawson looks back on this year's musicals and the show that closed the season, "Ragtime," a musical by a Pittsburgher performed by Pittsburgh's High School for the Creative and Performing Arts.

Editorial page editor Tom Waseleski shares an appreciation for high school musicals with a hearty encore! encore!

Musicals list

A list of the 2004 high schools musicals.

Now appearing

A fifth review has been added by drama critic Christopher Rawson. The reviews include photo journals by staff photographers Bill Wade, John Heller and Robin Rombach. Plus, in collaboration with the CLO's Gene Kelly Awards, the PG sponsors the Kelly Critics program, in which students from 11 Allegheny County high schools critique each others' musicals. The resulting reviews, edited by PG staff, are listed here by the location of the show being reviewed. Multiple reviews may be contained in the same student review link:

North Catholic High School

"Footloose," April 30-May 2
Student review.