Spotlight shines on student talent at ninth annual High School Musical Theatre Awards

Collaborative School of the Arts celebrates hard work, passion, and creativity

SCHENECTADY– A night of music, magic, and talented high school theatre students take over the MainStage at Proctors for the ninth annual High School Musical Theatre Awards Saturday, May 10. Celebrate and support the hard work these students put in throughout the year as they’re honored during this incredible event.

The opportunity to perform on the MainStage in front of family and friends is incredibly powerful for the students. HSMTA is a full display of the Collaborative School of Arts helping fulfill Proctors Collaborative mission to “be a catalyst for excellence in education” and “rich civic engagement to enhance the quality of life in the greater Capital Region.”

CSOA Director Christine Sheehan said, “What began as a celebration of student theatre has grown into a movement—one that uplifts voices, inspires futures, and proves year after year that the arts matter.”

More than 20 Capital Region high schools will showcase their incredible achievements in student theatre. The Tony Award-style ceremony will recognize outstanding musicals, choreography, ensemble performance, student orchestra, backstage work, and individual roles. Performances were judged throughout the spring by a panel of theatre professionals.

“By giving students exposure to live performances, arts education, and professional industry insights, we’re nurturing the next generation of theatergoers, artists, and creatives who will champion the arts for years to come,” Sheehan said.

The evening opens with a show-stopping medley featuring selections from “Pippin,” “Into the Woods,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “All Shook Up”, and “RENT,” performed by students from all participating schools. Throughout the night, schools hit the stage with numbers from their nominated productions, including:

• Albany High School’s “Bring It On”
• Colonie Central’s “Mary Poppins”
• Glens Falls’ “The Prom”
• Ballston Spa’s “Catch Me If You Can”
• Saratoga Springs’ “Legally Blonde”
• South Glens Falls and Amsterdam’s “Hadestown: Teen Edition”
• Cohoes High’s Disney’s “Descendants: The Musical”

The night closes on a high note with a powerful grand finale medley featuring music from “AIDA,” “Les Misérables,” “Into the Woods,” and “The Prom.” Don’t miss an incredible night highlighting the creativity, dedication, and heart of local student performers.

The winners of Outstanding Lead Performer continue their journey to the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (The Jimmy Awards) for a week of workshops and events.

The nominees for the 2025-26 HSMTA are:

Backstage Excellence

• Amsterdam High School – “Hadestown: Teen Edition”
• Glens Falls High School – “The Prom”
• Queensbury High School – “The Wizard of Oz”
• Shenendehowa High School – “Legally Blonde”
• South Glens Falls High School – “Hadestown: Teen Edition”

Outstanding Orchestra

• Albany High School – “Bring It On”
• Ballston Spa High School – “Catch Me If You Can”
• Columbia High School – “Into the Woods”
• Niskayuna High School – “Sunset Boulevard”
• Shenendehowa High School – “Legally Blonde”

Outstanding Choreography Execution

• Amsterdam High School – “Hadestown: Teen Edition”
• Colonie Central High School – “Mary Poppins”
• Niskayuna High School – “Sunset Boulevard”
• Saratoga Springs High School – “Legally Blonde”
• South Glens Falls High School – “Hadestown: Teen Edition”

Outstanding Ensemble

• Albany High School – “Bring It On”
• Amsterdam High School – “Hadestown: Teen Edition”
• Ballston Spa High School – “Catch Me If You Can”
• Schenectady High School – “School of Rock”
• South Glens Falls High School – “Hadestown: Teen Edition”

Outstanding Supporting Performers

• Mason Calarco at Michael Banks in “Mary Poppins,” Colonie Central High School
• Julia Davies as Wilbur Turnblad in “Hairspray,” Catskill High School
• Rae Philips as Jay in “Disney’s Descendants the Musical,” Cohoes High School
• Olivia Storms as Kevin G. in “Mean Girls,” Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School
• Carmen Tarlo as Carlos in “Disney’s Descendants the Musical,” Cohoes High School

Outstanding Supporting Performers

• Serenity Palmer as Tomika Spencer-Williams in “School of Rock,” Schenectady High School
• Sarah Pipino as Brooke Wyndham in “Legally Blonde,” Saratoga Springs High School
• Elizabeth Signoretti as Penny Pingleton in “Hairspray,” Catskill High School
• Lily Sinnott as Serena in “Legally Blonde,” Shenendehowa High School
• Holly Thorpe as Rapunzel in “Into the Woods,” Columbia High School

Outstanding Lead Performer

• Mea Cleary as The Baker’s Wife in “Into the Woods,” Hoosick Falls Jr./Sr. High School
• Abigail DeGregory as Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde,” Saratoga Springs High School
• Ileana Jackson as Dewey Finn in “School of Rock,” Schenectady High School
• Hannah Marsh as Eurydice in “Hadestown: Teen Edition,” South Glens Falls High School
• Lianelys Oviedo Roman as Eurydice in “Hadestown: Teen Edition,” Amsterdam High School
• Sophia Plante as DeeDee Allen in “The Prom,” Glens Falls High School

Outstanding Lead Performer

• Peter Hinckley as Carl Hanratty in “Catch Me If You Can,” Ballston Spa High School
• Shane LaBounty as Trent Oliver in “The Prom,” Glens Falls High School
• Roman Mangino as Frank Abagnale Jr. in “Catch Me If You Can,” Ballston Spa High School
• Macklin McGrath as Barry Glickman in “The Prom,” Glens Falls High School
• Brandon Reisner as Hermes in “Hadestown: Teen Edition,” South Glens Falls High School

Outstanding Musical Tier A

• Albany High School – “Bring It On”
• Colonie Central High School – “Mary Poppins”
• Glens Falls High School – “The Prom”

Outstanding Musical Tier B

• Ballston Spa High School – “Catch Me If You Can”
• Saratoga Springs High School – “Legally Blonde”
• South Glens Falls High School – “Hadestown: Teen Edition”

Outstanding Musical Tier C

• Amsterdam High School – “Hadestown: Teen Edition”
• Cohoes Central High School – “Disney’s Descendants the Musical”
• Schoharie High School – “Mamma Mia”

Tickets for the High School Musical Theatre Awards are available through the Box Office at Proctors in-person, via phone at (518) 346-6204 Tuesday-Saturday 12.-6 p.m., or online by visiting atproctors.org. Groups of 10 or more can get tickets by calling (518) 382-3884 x 139.

The High School Musical Theatre Awards are sponsored by Daily Gazette and the trip to the Jimmys is sponsored by M/E Engineering. For a complete list of nominees and more information, visit collaborativeschoolofthearts.org.