High School Musical Theatre Award winner comes back to the MainStage with “Funny Girl” cast

Local talent, Annabelle Duffy, lands first professional gig

SCHENECTADY—The High School Musical Theatre Awards, hosted by the Collaborative School of the Arts, is a life-changing event. The experience leaves an impact on students that lasts forever. Best Actress winner in 2018, Annabelle Duffy used that experience to land her first professional casting in “Funny Girl.”

The Albany native has been traveling across the country as an understudy for Fanny Brice, Emma, and Mrs. Meeker. “This is my first ever big professional gig, and it has been such a gift to learn from all of these folks who I work with who are bountiful in experience, wisdom, and lessons,” Duffy said.

“Funny Girl” hits the MainStage at Proctors Tuesday, April 1 to Sunday, April 6. Tickets are on sale now for the sensational Broadway revival, featuring one of the most iconic musical scores in theatre history.

For Duffy, “Getting to sing this score is one of the biggest gifts. I think it’s one of the best scores in musical theatre. I truly feel so lucky to be a part of this production.”

Being a professional actress has always been Duffy’s dream. At 17 years old, Duffy won the HSMTA award for her stellar performance as Tracy Turnblad in “Hairspray” at Albany High School – a role that helped her realize she could be a leading star, “despite being somewhat unconventional.”

“Being in that production was one of the most fruitful experiences I’ve ever had. We all just loved what we were doing so much, and we were having so much fun together, but to be rewarded for that and be put on the map was such a gift and something I’ll never forget,” she said.

The High School Musical Theatre Awards is a regional ceremony that takes place each year in the spring. Students from across the Capital Region get to perform on the MainStage at Proctors, just like national Broadway tours, for their family and friends. Winners for Best Actress and Best Actor go on to the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (the Jimmy Awards), in New York City. The students spend a week taking learning from industry professionals, workshops, and in the past have even attended the Tony Awards.

“Going to the Jimmy’s was one of the most formative experiences for me. I learned so much. It was only a week, but it felt like one of the most compact weeks of my life,” Duffy remarked.

A year after graduating with a degree in musical theatre from Carnegie Mellon University in 2023, Duffy received a tape for Fannie Bryce of “Funny Girl.” After several callbacks, Duffy secured the swing understudy role for three characters in the musical. “I think I had gone into that audition process with the confidence of knowing that I could carry a show because of “Hairspray,” and because my fabulous drama teacher took a chance on me at a very young age, and all the theatre educators that poured into us at Proctors. I think on a personal basis, that absolutely had a huge influence on me getting to do this role,” Duffy said.

The first time Duffy played Fanny is something she’ll remember for a long time, if not forever. “I hate to sound cheesy, but it’s been the joy of my lifetime. I have learned so much, especially as an understudy. I really see what goes into doing an eight-show week and it has prepared me for, hopefully, when I get to do it one day,” she said.

This year’s High School Musical Theatre Awards takes place 7 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at Proctors. Celebrate the next generation of Broadway stars during an incredible display of theatre talent. See former HSMTA winner Duffy in “Funny Girl” the first week of April. Visit the Box Office at Proctors in-person or via phone at (518) 346-6204 Tuesday-Saturday 12-6 p.m. or visit online atproctors.org for tickets.