(Photo of Matthew Hydzik Provided with Release Courtesy of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Midland, PA) The Henry Mancini Awards will recognize outstanding student achievement in high school musical theater across Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, and Mercer counties during its annual ceremony May 17 at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center.
This year’s event will feature Pittsburgh native Matthew Hydzik as its keynote speaker.
Organizers said a record 21 schools will participate in the 2026 awards program, which honors excellence in musical theater performance and arts education. The program has been operated by Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center since 2014.
Under sponsorship from Pittsburgh CLO, the Mancini Awards are affiliated with the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as the Jimmy Awards.
Winners for Best Actor and Best Actress will advance to the national competition in New York City, where students from across the country participate in coaching sessions, master classes, rehearsals, and a final performance at Minskoff Theatre, home of Disney’s The Lion King, with a panel of industry experts selecting
exceptional students for The Jimmy for Best Performance by an Actress and Actor. Jimmy nominees receive opportunities for merit scholarships, professional advancement, and other prizes.
Hydzik, a graduate of Penn State University, has appeared in five Broadway productions: West Side Story, The Cher Show, Side Show, It Shoulda Been You and Grease.
He has also been in five national productions, portrayed John in the Off-Broadway and U.S. premiere of Tomorrow Morning and recently portrayed Young
Monet in A Mirrored Monet, which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
The Mancini Awards ceremony is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 17 and will feature performances by nominated schools and students.
A full list of participating schools and nominees is attached, according to a release from Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center:
Award, School, Show, Role, First Name, Last Name
Best Actor Slippery Rock High School Anastasia Gleb Vaganov Stefon Austin
Best Actor Slippery Rock High School Anastasia Vlad Popov Jon Barkley
Best Actor Western Beaver Jr./ Sr. High School Hadestown: Teen Edition Hades Marcello Bertucci
Best Actor Commodore Perry High School Singin’ in the Rain Don Lockwood Jeb Bowser
Best Actor Neshannock High School SpongeBob the Musical SpongeBob SquarePants Xavier Mastropietro
Best Actor Beaver Falls High School James and the Giant Peach James Henry Trotter Kash Stevenson
Best Actress Western Beaver Jr./ Sr. High School Hadestown: Teen Edition Eurydice Madison Beckman
Best Actress Mohawk High School Water for Elephants Marlena Millie Blum
Best Actress North Catholic High School Footloose Ariel Moore Abby Brown
Best Actress Freeport Area High School Tuck Everlasting Mae Tuck Jersey Diehl
Best Actress Hopewell High School Mean Girls: High School EditionRegina George Anne Claire Fueller
Best Actress Knoch High School Hadestown: Teen Edition Persephone Remmy Kovac
Best Supporting Actor Riverside High School Disney’s Frozen Olaf Chase Emerick
Best Supporting Actor Beaver Falls High School James and the Giant Peach Ladahlord Sam Haas
Best Supporting Actor Beaver Falls High School James and the Giant Peach Earthworm Jordan Jesseman
Best Supporting Actor Moniteau High School Mary Poppins Michael Banks Aaron Kay
Best Supporting Actor Beaver Area High School Matilda Bruce Alex Schoenberger
Best Supporting Actor Hopewell High School Mean Girls: High School EditionKevin G Carter Weber
Best Supporting Actress Ambridge Area High School Chicago: Teen Edition Matron “Mama” Morton Ariana Avolio-Mason
Best Supporting Actress Slippery Rock High School Anastasia Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna Viola Griffith
Best Supporting Actress Central Valley High School Freaky Friday Savannah Tarasa Householder
Best Supporting Actress Slippery Rock High School Anastasia Countess Lily Malevsky-MalevitchEllie Jedrzejewski
Best Supporting Actress Hopewell High School Mean Girls: High School EditionKaren Smith Bella Pashuta
Best Supporting Actress Beaver Falls High School James and the Giant Peach Spiker Aubri Wright
Best Choreography Execution Budget 1 Beaver Falls High School James and the Giant Peach
Best Choreography Execution Budget 1 Commodore Perry High School Singin’ in the Rain
Best Choreography Execution Budget 1 Mohawk High School Water for Elephants
Best Choreography Execution Budget 2 Freedom Area High School The Drowsy Chaperone
Best Choreography Execution Budget 2 Laurel High School The Addams Family
Best Choreography Execution Budget 2 Slippery Rock High School Anastasia
Best Choreography Execution Budget 3 Ambridge Area High School Chicago: Teen Edition
Best Choreography Execution Budget 3 Hopewell High School Mean Girls: High School Edition
Best Choreography Execution Budget 3 Moniteau High School Mary Poppins
Best Choreography Execution Budget 4 Knoch High School Hadestown: Teen Edition
Best Choreography Execution Budget 4 Mars Area High School The Wizard of Oz
Best Choreography Execution Budget 4 Neshannock High School SpongeBob the Musical
Best Costume Design Budget 1 Beaver Falls High School James and the Giant Peach
Best Costume Design Budget 1 Commodore Perry High School Singin’ in the Rain
Best Costume Design Budget 1 Mohawk High School Water for Elephants
Best Costume Design Budget 2 Freedom Area High School The Drowsy Chaperone
Best Costume Design Budget 2 Laurel High School The Addams Family
Award School Show Role First Name Last Name
Best Costume Design Budget 2 Slippery Rock High School Anastasia
Best Costume Design Budget 3 Beaver Area High School Matilda
Best Costume Design Budget 3 Moniteau High School Mary Poppins
Best Costume Design Budget 3 Western Beaver Jr./ Sr. High School Hadestown: Teen Edition
Best Costume Design Budget 4 Knoch High School Hadestown: Teen Edition
Best Costume Design Budget 4 Neshannock High School SpongeBob the Musical
Best Costume Design Budget 4 New Castle High School Disney’s Frozen
Best Crew/ Technical Execution Budget 1 Freeport Area High School Tuck Everlasting
Best Crew/ Technical Execution Budget 1 Mohawk High School Water for Elephants
Best Crew/ Technical Execution Budget 1 Rochester High School The Addams Family
Best Crew/ Technical Execution Budget 2 Karns City High School Bye, Bye Birdie
Best Crew/ Technical Execution Budget 2 North Catholic High School Footloose
Best Crew/ Technical Execution Budget 2 Slippery Rock High School Anastasia
Best Crew/ Technical Execution Budget 3 Beaver Area High School Matilda
Best Crew/ Technical Execution Budget 3 Hopewell High School Mean Girls: High School Edition
Best Crew/ Technical Execution Budget 3 Western Beaver Jr./ Sr. High School Hadestown: Teen Edition
Best Crew/ Technical Execution Budget 4 Knoch High School Hadestown: Teen Edition
Best Crew/ Technical Execution Budget 4 Neshannock High School SpongeBob the Musical
Best Crew/ Technical Execution Budget 4 New Castle High School Disney’s Frozen
Best Ensemble Budget 1 Beaver Falls High School James and the Giant Peach
Best Ensemble Budget 1 Freeport Area High School Tuck Everlasting
Best Ensemble Budget 1 Mohawk High School Water for Elephants
Best Ensemble Budget 2 Laurel High School The Addams Family
Best Ensemble Budget 2 North Catholic High School Footloose
Best Ensemble Budget 2 Slippery Rock High School Anastasia
Best Ensemble Budget 3 Ambrige Area High School Chicago: Teen Edition
Best Ensemble Budget 3 Hopewell High School Mean Girls: High School Edition
Best Ensemble Budget 3 Moniteau High School Mary Poppins
Best Ensemble Budget 4 Knoch High School Hadestown: Teen Edition
Best Ensemble Budget 4 Mars Area High School The Wizard of Oz
Best Ensemble Budget 4 Neshannock High School SpongeBob the Musical
Best Lighting Design Budget 1 Beaver Falls High School James and the Giant Peach
Best Lighting Design Budget 1 Commodore Perry High School Singin’ in the Rain
Best Lighting Design Budget 1 Freeport Area High School Tuck Everlasting
Best Lighting Design Budget 2 Laurel High School The Addams Family
Best Lighting Design Budget 2 North Catholic High School Footloose
Best Lighting Design Budget 2 Slippery Rock High School Anastasia
Best Lighting Design Budget 3 Ambrige Area High School Chicago: Teen Edition
Best Lighting Design Budget 3 Beaver Area High School Matilda
Best Lighting Design Budget 3 Western Beaver Jr./ Sr. High School Hadestown: Teen Edition
Best Lighting Design Budget 4 Knoch High School Hadestown: Teen Edition
Award School Show Role First Name Last Name
Best Lighting Design Budget 4 Mars Area High School The Wizard of Oz
Best Lighting Design Budget 4 New Castle High School Disney’s Frozen
Best Scenic Design Budget 1 Freeport Area High School Tuck Everlasting
Best Scenic Design Budget 1 Mohawk High School Water for Elephants
Best Scenic Design Budget 1 Rochester High School The Addams Family
Best Scenic Design Budget 2 Laurel High School The Addams Family
Best Scenic Design Budget 2 North Catholic High School Footloose
Best Scenic Design Budget 2 Slippery Rock High School Anastasia
Best Scenic Design Budget 3 Ambrige Area High School Chicago: Teen Edition
Best Scenic Design Budget 3 Beaver Area High School Matilda
Best Scenic Design Budget 3 Western Beaver Jr./ Sr. High School Hadestown: Teen Edition
Best Scenic Design Budget 4 Knoch High School Hadestown: Teen Edition
Best Scenic Design Budget 4 Neshannock High School SpongeBob the Musical
Best Scenic Design Budget 4 New Castle High School Disney’s Frozen
Best Student Orchestra Freeport Area High School Tuck Everlasting
Best Student Orchestra Knoch High School Hadestown: Teen Edition
Best Student Orchestra Mohawk High School Water for Elephants
Best Musical Budget 1 Beaver Falls High School James and the Giant Peach
Best Musical Budget 1 Freeport Area High School Tuck Everlasting
Best Musical Budget 1 Mohawk High School Water for Elephants
Best Musical Budget 2 Laurel High School The Addams Family
Best Musical Budget 2 North Catholic High School Footloose
Best Musical Budget 2 Slippery Rock High School Anastasia
Best Musical Budget 3 Hopewell High School Mean Girls: High School Edition
Best Musical Budget 3 Moniteau High School Mary Poppins
Best Musical Budget 3 Western Beaver Jr./ Sr. High School Hadestown: Teen Edition
Best Musical Budget 4 Knoch High School Hadestown: Teen Edition
Best Musical Budget 4 Neshannock High School SpongeBob the Musical
Best Musical Budget 4 New Castle High School Disney’s Frozen
Special Judge Award Freedom Area High School Brandon Yeager
Outstanding Student Artist Beaver Falls High School Sa’Miyah Thompkins
Student Reporter Freeport Area High School Abi Barlow
CLO Academy Scholarship Winner Mars Area High School Camden Kleba
CLO Academy Scholarship Winner Slippery Rock High School Stefon Austin
RMU Scholarship Winner Freedom Area High School