Meet the Winners of the 2023 Gene Kelly Awards

Presented by Pittsburgh CLO, the Kellys also are an opportunity for high school students to be awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships.

May 30, 2023

Sharon Eberson | onStage Pittsburgh,

THE 2023 GENE KELLY AWARD BEST ACTRESS NOMINEES, FROM LEFT: FELICITY DICKEN OF NORTH HILLS HIGH, AVA SANDSTROM OF PITTSBURGH ALLDERDICE, RACHAEL PARSONS OF THOMAS JEFFERSON (CENTER), WINNER KAITLYN MAJEWSKI OF MCKEESPORT, BRYLEE HENDRY OF PLUM AND ISABELLA GRICAR OF WESTINGHOUSE ARTS ACADEMY | PHOTOS BY SHARON EBERSON

The following list first appeared at onstagepittsburgh.com, a website dedicated to coverage of the performing arts in the Greater Pittsburgh region. Click here to find updates and to learn more about onStage Pittsburgh’s mission to connect the diverse community of theater-makers and theater-goers in Western Pennsylvania.

In a dazzling display of talent Saturday night, the big winners at the 2023 Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theatre were Our Lady of Sacred Heart, Westinghouse Arts Academy, Hampton and the comeback story of the year, Elizabeth Forward. Devastated in February by a fire in the school’s auditorium, EF moved forward with the help of Kelly competitors – particularly Thomas Jefferson High – and other school and community support to win eight Kellys in Budget Level III.

Those included Best Musical and, for the third time, a Best Actor victory for Tyler Quinto-Brody. Along with Best Actress Kaitlyn Majewski of McKeesport, Brody’s next stop is another trip to the national competition, the Jimmy Awards in New York City.

Gene Kelly’s widow, the always elegant Patricia Ward Kelly (above), returned to the awards ceremony at the Benedum Center and presented the best-of-the-best musical prize in four budget categories to Our Lady of Sacred Heart, Westinghouse Arts Academy, Elizabeth Forward and Hampton.

Pittsburgh CLO’s Kellys, named for the Pittsburgh native who defined onscreen musical excellence, represents participating schools in Allegheny County – 32 this year – and is the nation’s longest-running regional high school competition.

More than $50,000 in scholarships was awarded to college-bound seniors by Point Park (Phoenix Thomas and Nick D’Angelo), Robert Morris (Hayden Krupp) and Seton Hill universities (TJ Betzner), with thousands more presented by the Gene Kelly Cash Scholarships (Rachel Parsons, Lucia Lazzara-Goodrich, Kaitlyn Majewski and Miralhi Taylor-Martin) and CLO Ambassadors (Elaine Gombos and Leah McConnell).

The Christopher Rawson Kelly Critics Award, a joint program of Rawson, Pittsburgh CLO and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was awarded for the second consecutive year to Kevin Hutchinson of Baldwin.

THE VIEW FROM BACKSTAGE: ELIZABETH FORWARD HIGH SCHOOL IS FETED WHILE PERFORMING A SCENE FROM THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME AT THE 2023 GENE KELLY AWARDS.

THE 2023 GENE KELLY AWARD WINNERS & NOMINEES

BEST MUSICAL

Budget Level I
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Big Fish

Budget Level II
Westinghouse Arts Academy, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Budget Level III

Elizabeth Forward, The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Budget Level IV
Hampton, Something Rotten!

TYLER QUINTO-BRODY OF ELIZABETH FORWARD WINS HIS THIRD KELLY AWARD, BESIDE 2022 BEST ACTRESS KYLIE EDWARDS.

BEST ACTOR
Tyler Guinto-Brody (Quasimodo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Elizabeth Forward

BEST ACTRESS
Kaitlyn Majewski (Natalie Heller/Ed, All Shook Up) McKeesport Area

BEST SCENIC DESIGN
Budget Level I
Serra Catholic, Little Shop of Horrors (Broadway Version)

Budget Level II
Westinghouse Arts Academy, Joseph, and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat