Gene Kelly Award Winners Announced

A capacity crowd gathered at The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday night as Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and the University of Pittsburgh honored Allegheny County's finest high-school performers at the 21st Annual Gene Kelly Awards show for excellence in musical theater.

The recipients of the 2011 Gene Kelly Awards are:

Best Musical: Budget Level I, Pittsburgh Schenley High School for "Seussical;" Budget Level II, Hampton High School for "West Side Story;" and Budget Level III, Woodland Hills High School for "The Phantom of the Opera."

Best Scenic Design: Budget Level I, ; Budget Level II, ; and Budget Level III, Woodland Hills.

Best Costume Design: Budget Level I, Saint Joseph High School; Budget Level II, Central Catholic High School; and Budget Level III, Woodland Hills.

Best Lighting Design: Budget Level I, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart; Budget Level II, Chartiers Valley; Budget Level III, Woodland Hills.

Best All-Student Orchestra: Pine-Richland.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Matt Augustyniak of North Hills High School for "Billy Early" in "No, No, Nanette."

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Stephanie Higgins of North Hills for "Lucille Early" in "No, No, Nanette."

Best Ensemble: North Hills.

Best Crew/Technical Execution: Woodland Hills.

Best Choreography: North Hills.

Best Direction: Woodland Hills.

Best Actor: Luke Halferty of Central Catholic for "Tevye" in "Fiddler on the Roof."

Best Actress: Kirsten Hoover of North Hills for "Nanette" in "No, No, Nanette." 

This year, a special Judges Award was presented to Andre Rand-Mathis and TaJaya Thompson for their roles as "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" in Pittsburgh Schenley's production of "Seussical."