Nominees announced for 2023 High School Musical Theatre Awards

The Collaborative School of the Arts announces the 7th annual High School Musical Theatre Awards will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 13 at the MainStage at Proctors.

HSMTA is conducted in partnership with The Broadway League and presented by Guilderland Music Academy with media sponsor Times Union.

This program celebrates the achievements of the region’s theatre students, highlighting the importance of musical theatre and arts education in the greater Capital Region of New York State. Tickets are available to the public starting May 3 through the Box Office at Proctors, in person or via phone at (518) 346-6204 Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. or online at proctors.org.

During the spring musical season, schools are adjudicated by a panel of educators, theatre experts and industry professionals in 12 performance or technical categories. When all the evaluations have been completed, scores are tabulated and certified.  The highest score determines the winner in each category and winners are announced during the awards ceremony.

The HSMTA program culminates on the MainStage at Proctors with an awards ceremony, modeled after the Tony Awards®, to recognize outstanding musical theatre productions and students. Winners are announced for each category interspersed with lively production numbers from the shows nominated for Best Musical and finalists for Best Actor and Best Actress. Additionally, students selected from each participating school perform in the opening and closing numbers. A full orchestra accompanies all these performances, with music direction and choreography by local theatre professionals. Winners of the Best Actor and Best Actress categories travel to New York City to participate in the Jimmy Awards, a national competition for high school performers.

BEST TECHNICAL EXECUTION (SCHOOL – SHOW)

Ballston Spa High School – “Mean Girls”
Glens Falls High School – “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
Schuylerville High School – “Once Upon a Mattress”
Shenendehowa High School – “The Addams Family”
South Glens Falls High School – “Tuck Everlasting”

BEST SET CONSTRUCTION (SCHOOL – SHOW)

Amsterdam High School – “Into the Woods”
Colonie High School – “The Addams Family”
Glens Falls High School – “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
Queensbury High School – “Shrek the Musical”
South Glens Falls High School – “Tuck Everlasting”

BEST STUDENT ORCHESTRA (SCHOOL – SHOW)

Amsterdam High School – “Into the Woods”
Ballston Spa High School – “Mean Girls”
Niskayuna High School – “A Chorus Line”
Shenendehowa High School – “The Addams Family”

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY EXECUTION (SCHOOL – SHOW)

Glens Falls High School – “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
Mohonasen High School – “Bye Bye Birdie”
Queensbury High School – “Shrek the Musical”
Saratoga Springs High School – “Mamma Mia!”
South Glens Falls High School – “Tuck Everlasting”

BEST ENSEMBLE (SCHOOL – SHOW)

Ballston Spa High School – “Mean Girls”
Glens Falls High School – “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
Queensbury High School – “Shrek the Musical”
Saratoga Springs High School – “Mamma Mia!”
Troy High School – “The Addams Family”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Actor: Roman Mangino
Role: Kevin G
Show: “Mean Girls” 
School: Ballston Spa High School

Actor: Peter Hinckley
Role: Aaron Samuels
Show: “Mean Girls”
School: Ballston Spa High School

Actor: Cian Connolly
Role: Reuben
Show: “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”
School: Voorheesville High School 

Actor: Kaden Witte
Role: Fletcher Blake
Show: “Freaky Friday”
School: Columbia High School

Actor: Frederick Durocher 
Role: Orin
Show: “Little Shop of Horrors”
School: Schenectady High School

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Actress: Sarah Dworman
Role: Melpomene
Show: “Xanadu”
School: Gloversville High School

Actress: Taylor Shults
Role: Ursula Merkle
Show: “Bye Bye Birdie” 
School: Mohonasen High School

Actress: Delany Sano
Role: Gingy
Show: “Shrek the Musical”
School: Queensbury High School

Actress: Yael Woods
Role: Voice of Audrey II
Show: “Little Shop of Horrors”
School: Schenectady High School

Actress: Sadie Krogh
Role: Eulalie
Show: “The Music Man”
School: Scotia-Glenville High School

BEST ACTOR

Actor: Chris Buettner
Role: Jester
Show: “Once Upon a Mattress” 
School: Schuylerville High School

Actor: Logan Esposito
Role: Joseph
Show: “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”
School: Voorheesville High School

Actor: Aidan Halsey
Role: Adam
Show: “Freaky Friday”
School: Columbia High School – East Greenbush

Actor: John Malagrida
Role: Gomez Addams
Show: “The Addams Family”
School: Colonie High School

Actor: Carter Sano
Role: Shrek
Show: “Shrek the Musical”
School: Queensbury High School

BEST ACTRESS

Actress: Meeghan Darling
Role: Doloris Van Cartier
Show: “Sister Act” 
School: Catskill High School

Actress: Ashley Manocchi
Role: Marian Paroo
Show: “The Music Man”
School: Scotia-Glenville High School

Actress: Emma O’Kane
Role: Ellie Blake
Show: “Freaky Friday”
School: Columbia High School

Actress: Eva Reece
Role: Winnie Foster
Show: “Tuck Everlasting”
School: South Glens Falls High School

Actress: Julia Varga
Role: Rose Alvarez
Show: “Bye Bye Birdie”
School: Mohonasen High School

BEST MUSICAL TIER A (SCHOOL – SHOW)

Queensbury High School – “Shrek the Musical”
Schuylerville High School – “Once Upon a Mattress”
South Glens Falls High School – “Tuck Everlasting” 

BEST MUSICAL TIER B (SCHOOL – SHOW)

Colonie High School – “The Addams Family”
Glens Falls High School – “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
Saratoga High School – “Mamma Mia!”

BEST MUSICAL TIER C (SCHOOL – SHOW)

Amsterdam High School – “Into the Woods”
Ballston Spa High School – “Mean Girls”
Voorheesville High School – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat