North Hills' 'My Fair Lady' Earns Eight Nominations for the Gene Kelly Awards

North Hills Senior High School earned eight nominations for the 22nd Annual Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater for its recent production of “My Fair Lady.”   

The show received nominations for the following:

• Best All-Student Orchestra   
• Best Costumes
• Best Crew / Technical Execution
• Best Lighting Design
• Best Scenic Design
• Best Musical
• Best Actress: Stephanie Higgins, senior, for the role of Eliza Doolittle
• Best Actor: Michael O’Brien, senior, for the role of Henry Higgins

“North Hills is fortunate to have a robust fine arts program,” Superintendent Patrick J. Mannarino said.

“Each year our director, Glen Richey, and his staff continue to showcase the wonderful talents of our students. We are honored and delighted that they have been recognized for their hard work on this year’s production of My Fair Lady.” 

This is the second Gene Kelly Award nomination for both Higgins and O'Brien.

Last year Higgins earned a Gene Kelly Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role of Lucille in “No, No, Nanette.”  In 2010, O'Brien was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Cogsworth in “Beauty and the Beast.”  

Thirty-two Allegheny County high schools competed in this year’s Gene Kelly Awards. Nominees were judged by a panel of judges comprised of performing arts educators, arts administrators, entertainment professionals and performers. 

The award winners will be announced at a 7:30 p.m. program on Saturday, May 26, at the Benedum Center.

The best actor and actress award winners will represent the Pittsburgh CLO Gene Kelly Awards at the National High School Musical Theater Awards in New York City on June 27.

The Pittsburgh CLO website lists the nominees as follows:

Best Scenic Design

Budget Category I

• Our Lady of the Sacred Heart - How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying
• Pittsburgh Perry - Little Shop of Horrors
• Quaker Valley - Guys and Dolls

Budget Category II

• Avonworth - Sweeney Todd
• Bishop Canevin - Bye Bye Birdie
• Hampton - Damn Yankees 

Budget Category III

• Baldwin - Curtains
• North Hills - My Fair Lady
• Woodland Hills - Curtains

Best Costume Design

Budget Category I

• Our Lady of the Sacred Heart - How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying
• Quaker Valley - Guys and Dolls
• St. Joseph - Once Upon a Mattress

Budget Category II

• Avonworth - Sweeney Todd
• Bishop Canevin - Bye Bye Birdie
• Hampton - Damn Yankees

Budget Category III

• North Hills - My Fair Lady
• Winchester Thurston - Avenue Q
• Woodland Hills - Curtains

Best Lighting Design

Budget Category I

• North Catholic - Little Shop of Horrors 
• Our Lady of the Sacred Heart - How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying
• Quaker Valley - Guys and Dolls

Budget Category II

• Avonworth - Sweeney Todd
• Hampton - Damn Yankees
• Mckeesport - Beauty and the Beast

Budget Category III

• Baldwin - Curtains
• North Hills - My Fair Lady
• Woodland Hills - Curtains

Best All-Student Orchestra

• Pittsburgh Allderdice - 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• Pittsburgh Brashear - Back to the 80's
• Pittsburgh CAPA - Oliver!
• Hampton - Damn Yankees
• Moon - Guys and Dolls
• North Hills - My Fair Lady

Best Supporting Actor

• Jonathan Andrew - Plum - Sweet Charity - "Oscar"
• Zach Houston - Moon - Guys and Dolls- "Nicely Nicely"
• Adam Johnson - Central Catholic - Bye Bye Birdie - "Harry MacAfee"
• Fletcher Jones - Pittsburgh Barack Obama - Footloose - "Willard Hewitt"
• Vinnie Smith - Our Lady of the Sacred Heart - How to Succeed in Business..- "Bud Frump"
• Ben Torisky - Quaker Valley - Guys and Dolls - "Nathan Detroit"

Best Supporting Actress

• Emma Baker - Avonworth - Sweeney Todd: School Edition - "Beggar Woman"
• Maggie Brooks - Baldwin - Curtains - "Carmen Bernstein"
• Elena Falgione - Winchester Thurston - Avenue Q - "Lucy"
• Adrianne Knapp - Our Lady of the Sacred Heart - How to Succeed in Business - "Smitty"
• Katelyn Maurer - Bishop Canevin - Bye Bye Birdie - "Mae"
• Jennifer Yeager - Hampton - Damn Yankees - "Gloria Thorpe"

Best Ensemble

• Avonworth - Sweeney Todd
• Baldwin - Curtains
• Central Catholic - Bye Bye Birdie
• Hampton - Damn Yankees
• Pittsburgh Perry - Little Shop of Horrors
• Quaker Valley - Guys and Dolls

Best Crew/Technical Execution

• Avonworth - Sweeney Todd
• Baldwin - Curtains
• North Hills - My Fair Lady
• Penn Hills - Beauty and the Beast
• Pittsburgh CAPA - Oliver!
• Woodland Hills - Curtains

Best Choreography

• Avonworth - Sweeney Todd
• Baldwin - Curtains
• Bishop Canevin - Bye Bye Birdie 
• Hampton- Damn Yankees
• Quaker Valley - Guys and Dolls
• Woodland Hills - Curtains

Best Direction

• Avonworth - Sweeney Todd
• Bishop Canevin - Curtains
• Pine-Richland - The Wedding Singer
• Quaker Valley - Guys and Dolls
• Winchester Thurston - Avenue Q
• Woodland Hills - Curtains

Best Actor

• Connor Doran - Baldwin - Curtains - "Lt. Frank Cioffi"
• Jonathan Hewitt -Hampton - Damn Yankees - "Mr. Applegate"
• Tal Kroser - Pittsburgh CAPA - Oliver! - "Fagin"
• Zander Lyons- Our Lady of the Sacred Heart - How to Succeed in Business... - "J. Pierrepont Finch"
• Michael O'Brien - North Hills - My Fair Lady - "Henry Higgins"
• Nathan Poole - Avonworth - Sweeney Todd - "Sweeney Todd" 

Best Actress

• Nia D'Emilio - Winchester Thurston - Avenue Q - "Kate Monster"
• Abby Dionise - Pine-Richland - The Wedding Singer - "Julia Sullivan"
• Stephanie Higgins - North Hills - My Fair Lady - "Eliza Doolittle"
• Rachael Houser - Quaker Valley - Guys and Dolls - "Sarah"
• Katie Rogers - Penn Halls - Beauty and the Beast - "Belle"
• Brooke Tate - Avonworth - Sweeney Todd - "Mrs. Lovett"

Best Musical

Budget Category I

• Pittsburgh Barack Obama - Footloose
• Our Lady of the Sacred Heart - How to Succeed in Business...
• Quaker Valley - Guys and Dolls

Budget Category II

• Avonworth - Sweeney Todd: School Edition
• Bishop Canevin - Bye Bye Birdie
• Hampton - Damn Yankees

Budget Category III

• Baldwin - Curtains
• North Hills - My Fair Lady
• Woodland Hills - Curtains

Are you surprised by any of the nominations? Who do you think will win?