Winners of Henry Mancini and Gene Kelly awards headed to Broadway
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John Michael Taormina of Quigley Catholic High School and Bethany Menjivar of Ambridge Area High School are headed to the National High School Musical Theater Awards in New York. -
Kirsten Hoover of North Hills High School was named best actress as Nanette in "No, No, Nanette" at the Kelly Awards. -
Luke Halferty of Central Catholic was named Best Actor for playing Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof" at the Kelly Awards. The two students also will attend the national awards.
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Less than a month after their high school graduations, four young actors are Broadway-bound for a national competition. Win or lose, each will have the experience of their young lives.
They'll be living in dorms at New York University in Manhattan for seven days starting Wednesday with 46 other high school students from around the country.
They'll rehearse and perform on a Broadway theater stage while competing in the National High School Musical Theater Awards.
John Michael Taormina of Quigley Catholic High School in Baden and Bethany Menjivar of Ambridge Area High School received trips to New York for winning best actor and best actress honors in the 17th annual Geneva College Henry Mancini Musical Theatre Awards.
Kirsten Hoover of North Hills High School and Luke Halferty of Central Catholic High School received their trips for winning best actor and best actress in the 21st annual Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theatre.
The awards are presented by Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and the University of Pittsburgh.
The national competition is in its third year, but this marks the first time that Mancini and Kelly winners will be competing.
Also making the trip is CLO education director Kiesha Lalama-White, who is also an instructor at Point Park University's Conservatory of Performing Arts.
She's doing the choreography for the competitors because she's national program director for the National High School Theater Awards.
"These are amazing kids," she said.
The four local winners will be learning new songs and dances, rehearsing for many hours each day in New York. They'll also be getting advice and coaching from NYU instructors, and will be meeting with "a top casting agency" and with staff at Nickelodeon Studios.
Three of the four local winners will be freshmen at Point Park next year, majoring in performing arts.
First Published June 16, 2011 5:27 am
