EF musical wins big at Gene Kelly Awards

By Kaylie Moore

kmoore@yourmvi.com

In a field overrun with duplicate musical productions, Elizabeth Forward High School’s “Mamma Mia!” came out on top at this year’s Gene Kelly Awards. 

Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards, the annual Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theatre are held at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh. The event was launched in 1991 to recognize and encourage student achievement and to focus the attention of the community and school districts on the importance of musical theater and arts education.

This year, a panel of 42 judges attended performances by 33 Allegheny County high schools before nominating the productions for a variety of award categories. 

Elizabeth Forward was nominated in nine categories and took home five awards: Best Musical, Best Scenic Design, Best Execution of Choreography, Best Execution of Direction and Best Execution of Music Direction. 

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