SCHENCTADY – Become a winner, we celebrate.
“This is one of my favorite days of the year every year,” said Phillip Morris, CEO of Proctors Collaborative. “What we just saw is the celebration of team effort. It is not a single person that shines here, but a team that works together. … We also celebrate the extraordinary commitment of the high school teachers, and I have to say that out loud: they often do this voluntarily, their technical support does it voluntarily and the parents help voluntarily.”
Ogre-sized comedy and spelling bees were the big WINNERS: Queensbury High School’s “Shrek the Musical” and Glens Falls High School’s “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” each won three awards, including Best Musical in Grades A and B, respectively .
“From the very beginning, our cast was thrilled to be working on this quirky show,” said Natalia Steves, who played adult Spelling Bee host Rona Lisa Peretti, in a teary-eyed acceptance speech. “You’ve evolved so much not only as actors, but as people.”
Ashley Manocchi won Best Actress at Scotia-Glenville High School for her portrayal of the skeptical yet romantic Marian the Librarian. Logan Esposito, who played titular Joseph in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at Voorheesville High School, won Best Actor. The two will compete next month in New York City at the Jimmy Awards, the national high school musical theater competition.
“Oh my god, I can’t believe it,” Esposito said, jumping up and down the podium with joy.
Ballston Spa High School also had a great night, winning two awards for their production of Mean Girls. Roman Mangino won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Kevin G, the rapping jock and wannabe womanizer, and the overall production won Best Musical in the C category.
“Oh man, I’m speechless,” Mangino said in his acceptance speech. “I’ll give one piece of advice, and then I’ll be done: work hard, follow your dreams, and never give up.”
Yael Woods, who portrayed the voice of the bloodthirsty alien plant Audrey II in Schenectady High School’s Little Shop of Horrors, took home the remaining Best Supporting Actress award.
The evening began with a rousing medley of Cole Porter’s “Another Op’nin’, Another Show” from “Kiss Me Kate” and Irving Berlin’s “There’s No Business Like Show Business” from “Annie Get Your Gun”. Between awards, the nominees for Best Musical performed numbers from their shows. The cast of Ballston Spa High School’s “Mean Girls” shone with “I See Stars.” Sofia Rice as William Morris Barfee led the company of Glens Fall High School’s “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” with “Magic Foot,” Barfee’s spelling dance. Queensbury High School waved its “Freak Flag” with the fairytale creatures’ anthem “Freak Flag.”
“As cliche as it may be, every one of these young people is a winner,” Morris said later that night. “It’s called ‘High School Musical Theater Awards,’ not ‘High School Musical Theater Competition.'” ”
After the break, the Best Actor and Best Actress nominees performed medleys from the big numbers of their characters. Last year’s winners Heather Hayes and Spencer Boyce announced the winners, then the evening ended with a spirited performance of “Brand New Day” by The Wiz with students from all participating schools.
Below is the full list of winners.
Best Musical (Level A): Queensbury High School: “Shrek the Musical”
Best Musical (Level B): Glen’s Falls High School: “25. annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
Best Musical (Level C): Ballston Spa High School: “Mean Girls”
Best Actress: Ashley Manocchi as Marian Paroo in The Music Man, Scotia-Glenville High School
Best actor: Logan Esposito as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Voorheesville High School
The best supporting actress: Yael Woods as the voice of Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors, Schenectady High School
Best supporting actor: Roman Mangino as Kevin G in Mean Girls, Ballston Spa High School
Best Ensemble: Glen’s Falls High School: “25. annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
Best Student Orchestra: Niskayuna High School: “A Chorus Line: Teen Edition”
Best Choreography Execution: Queensbury High School: “Shrek the Musical”
Best set construction: Queensbury High School: “Shrek the Musical”
Best technical execution: Glen’s Falls High School: “25. annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
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