Kelly Critics Program

In an attempt to reach as many students as possible through the Gene Kelly Awards, the Pittsburgh CLO, in partnership with Dr. Christopher Rawson, Senior Theater Critic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and long-time member of the University of Pittsburgh English Department, created the Kelly Critics program. Offered exclusively to participating Gene Kelly Awards Schools, the Kelly Critics program provides an opportunity for students not involved in the musical, but who are interested in pursuing literature, journalism or professional writing and enjoy musical theater.

• Students will be offered the exciting opportunity of a one-time preliminary seminar at the Post-Gazette, taught by Dr. Rawson, to introduce them to the program and to reviewing musical theater. A brief tour of the Post-Gazette is included. The date of the seminar is TBA.
• Each Kelly Critic will be assigned by the Gene Kelly Awards staff to review two musicals by other participating Gene Kelly schools. For each show, they will be given two tickets so that a friend or parent can accompany them. Each school that participates in the Kelly Critics program agrees to provide up to four pairs of tickets for Kelly Critics from other schools.
• Kelly Critics write their reviews and e-mail them to Dr. Rawson within a week of seeing the performance. Dr. Rawson will then provide light editing, a short student evaluation, and online posting of the reviews on the Post-Gazette’s special Kelly Critics section of its High School Musicals Website. You can see the last several years’ coverage at www.post-gazette.com, under the A&E Theater tab.

If you are interested in the Kelly Critics Program, please contact Seth Laidlaw and Laura O’Malley at gkawards@pittsburghclo.org.