SCHENECTADY — Winners of the third annual High School Musical Theatre Awards at Proctors were announced Saturday at a ceremony at the venue featuring performers from all 30 participating schools.
Hosted by Proctors Collaborative CEO Philip Morris and Times Union Senior Writer Steve Barnes, the evening was highlighted by production numbers as well as Best Actor and Best Actress medleys, and selections from each of the nine nominees in three tiers for Best Musical.
Administered by the School of the Performing Arts at Proctors, the program “focuses much-needed attention on the meaningful work being done on and off the stage by dedicated teachers and students within their high school theatre programs.”
This year’s total of 30 schools nearly doubled the 16 represented in 2017, and constitutes a significant growth from 23 in 2018. Each of the student theatrical productions was adjudicated on a variety of criteria in a dozen categories.
Best Actor and Best Actress winners—Michael Johnson (Hudson Falls High School) and Signe Naranjo (South Glens Falls High School)—will go on to represent the Capital Region at the 11th Annual National High School Musical Theatre Awards.
Nicknamed for legendary producer and theatre owner James Nederlander, the Jimmy Awards are at the Minskoff Theatre in New York, Monday, June 24, hosted for the second time by Tony Award-winner Ben Platt.
“As a Capital Region native, my own theatre experiences in high school were essential to my artistic education,” said Barnes,“and they in part inform my work today as a theatre critic. It is a pleasure to see the deep levels of theatre talent and dedication present in our high schools, and it is a privilege to be part of saluting them with these awards.”
2019 High School Musical Theatre Award Winners
Best Technical Execution
Voorheesville High School—”Mamma Mia!”
Best Set Construction
Hudson Falls High School — “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
Best Student Orchestra
Albany High School — “Sweet Charity”
Best Choreography Execution
Voorheesville High School — “Mamma Mia!”
Best Ensemble
Hudson Falls High School — “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
Best Supporting Actor
Queensbury High School — Tristan Gifford as Agwe, “Once on This Island”
Best Supporting Actress
Voorheesville High School — Morgan Galvin as Rosie, “Mamma Mia!”
Best Actor
Hudson Falls High School — Michael Johnson as Quasimodo, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
Best Actress
South Glens Falls High School — Signe Naranjo as Gertrude McFuzz, “Seussical the Musical”
Best Musical (Tier A)
Hudson Falls High School — “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
Best Musical (Tier B)
Columbia High School — “Big Fish”
Best Musical (Tier C)
South Glens Falls High School — “Seussical the Musical”
