ACT’s 2025 ISAACS will be presented Saturday and Sunday, May 24-25, in the Mishler Theatre.

This year is the 20th anniversary for the ISAACS, the popularity of which has grown so large that ACT has expanded the event to two nights to accommodate the number of schools wishing to participate. Each night has its independent winners, meaning there will be two equal winners announced for each category over the weekend.

Tickets to the event are sold to the participating schools for their entire group. Family and friends wishing to attend the ceremony should contact their school for a ticket as it is unlikely that there will be tickets for sale to the public.

Each year the ISAACS distributes more than $60,000 in college scholarships to students participating in their high school musicals, underwritten by title sponsor Reliance Bank and others, including Penn State Altoona, Mount Aloysius College, Juniata College and Saint Francis University. The Steven C. Helsel Legacy Scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior who has been actively involved in some capacity with ACT. In addition, Bill and Ann Benzel present each of the 18 schools in the ISAACS with $500 for their upcoming production budgets.

Central High School’s production of “Grease” was nominated for several ISAACS awards, including best ensemble for the Pink Ladies. Courtesy photo

The 2025 ISAACS will feature 18 schools from a six-county area — Blair, Bedford, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield and Huntingdon.

During the year, two panels of judges from ACT view the schools’ musicals and determine the nominations in a variety of production and individual categories, the winners of which will be announced onstage at the Mishler between musical numbers from each school’s entry.

More information about the ISAACS can be found at altoonacommunitytheatre.com/isaac-awards

The schools and individual students for this year’s ISAACS nominations are:

Saturday, May 24, ISAACS

Achievement in design nominees

Student Choreography:

Altoona Area High School — “The Little Mermaid,” Emily Pentland and Olivia Behe

Bishop Carroll High School — “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Mackenzie Rezk

Bishop Guilfoyle Academy — “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” Kaitlyn Link and Nina Gingrich

Cambria Heights High School — “The Addams Family,” Brianna Bailey and Solana Nastase

Forest Hills High School — “Anything Goes,” Julia Stombaugh

Hollidaysburg Area High School — “Les Miserables,” Alaina Stump

Huntingdon Area High School — “Seussical,” Jillian Tanner, Sara Simone and Liliana Scott

West Branch High School — “Freaky Friday,” Emily Shingledecker, Keagan Dobo and Samantha Stencil

Student design:

Altoona Area High School — “The Little Mermaid,” Owen Carmel for costume design for entire show

Bishop Carroll High School — “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Andrew Ostinowsky, Mackenzie Rezk and Ella Beiswenger for set painting & design

Bishop Guilfoyle Academy — “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” Julia Wesner for Mrs. Gloop costume design

Forest Hills High School — “Anything Goes,” Sarah Bodenschatz for lighting design and light board operation

Hollidaysburg Area High School — “Les Miserables,” Rachel Daras for graphic design of posters & programs

Huntingdon Area High School — “Seussical,” Hope Stubbs for proscenium and Cloverfield backdrop design

West Branch High School — “Freaky Friday,” Ella Slabon, Hilde Lautier, Juliette Hall and Codee Foster for set design & construction

Student crew:

Altoona Area High School — “The Little Mermaid,” Stage Crew and Fly Crew

Bishop Carroll High School — “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,”Stage Crew (Elaina Smith — Stage Manager)

Bishop Guilfoyle Academy — “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” Corinne Wesner (SM), Julia Wesner (ASM), Rylee Swander (ASM) and Leo Dangler (Student Tech Director)

Cambria Heights High School — “The Addams Family,” Riley Hall and Ace Johnston — Stage Managers

Forest Hills High School — “Anything Goes,” Stage Crew

Hollidaysburg Area High School — “Les Miserables,” Stage Crew

Huntingdon Area High School — “Seussical,” Stage Crew

West Branch High School — “Freaky Friday,” Stage Crew

Best lead actor in a male role:

Owen Carmel — Prince Eric — “The Little Mermaid” — Altoona Area High School

Jacob Caracciolo — Shrek — “Shrek” — Bellwood-Antis High School

Andrew Ostinowsky — Joseph — “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” — Bishop Carroll

Jack Peterson — Jean Valjean — “Les Miserables” — Hollidaysburg Area High School

Brogan Little — The Cat in the Hat — “Seussical” — Huntingdon Area High School

Best lead actor in a female role

Jillian Pierannunzio — Ariel — “The Little Mermaid” — Altoona Area High School

Gianna “Gigi” Juart — Fiona — “Shrek” — Bellwood-Antis High School

Kendra Karabinos — Morticia Addams — “The Addams Family” — Cambria Heights High School

Nora Stanek — Cosette (grown-up) — “Les Miserables” — Hollidaysburg Area High School

Ashleigha Grossi — Katherine Blake — “Freaky Friday” — West Branch Area High School

Best supporting actor in a male role

Trevor Wilson — Sebastian — “The Little Mermaid” — Altoona Area High School

Christian “Chug” Jennings — Donkey — “Shrek” — Bellwood-Antis High School

Derek Stivers — Lord Farquaad — “Shrek” — Bellwood-Antis High School

Benjamin Gervinski — Inspector Javert — “Les Miserables” — Hollidaysburg Area High School

Brady Young — Horton — “Seussical” — Huntingdon Area High School

Best supporting actor in a female role

Skylar Rutherford — Ursula — “The Little Mermaid” — Altoona Area High School

Kaitlyn Link — Veruca Salt — “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” — Bishop Guilfoyle Academy

Solana Nastase — Alice Beineke — “The Addams Family” — Cambria Heights High School

Alice Haslam — Fantine — “Les Miserables” — Hollidaysburg Area High School

Vivian Sieber — Gertrude McFuzz — “Seussical” — Huntingdon Area High School

Best featured actor

Halee Young — Dragon — “Shrek” — Bellwood-Antis High School

Bianca Melger — Violet Beauregarde — “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” — Bishop Guilfoyle Academy

Aubrey Smaich — Erma — “Anything Goes” — Forest Hills High School

Arwen Hartman — Eponine — “Les Miserables” — Hollidaysburg Area High School

Layla Smith — Mayzie La Bird — “Seussical” — Huntingdon Area High School

Best ensemble

Flotsam & Jetsam — “The Little Mermaid” — Altoona Area High School

The Mersisters — “The Little Mermaid” — Altoona Area High School

Fairy Tale Characters — “Shrek” — Bellwood-Antis High School

The Ancestors — “The Addams Family” — Cambria Heights High School

Bird Girls — “Seussical” — Huntingdon Area High School

Best dance or dancer(s)

“Morning Person” — “Shrek” — Bellwood-Antis High School

“Veruca’s Nutcracker: Sweet!” — “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” — Bishop Guilfoyle Academy

“Secrets” — “The Addams

Family” — Cambria Heights High School

“Anything Goes” — “Anything Goes” — Forest Hills High School

“Solla Sollew” — “Seussical” — Huntingdon Area High School

Best production/musical number

“Under the Sea” — “The Little Mermaid” — Altoona Area High School

“What’s Up, Duloc?” — “Shrek” — Bellwood-Antis High School

“When You’re an Addams” — “The Addams Family” — Cambria Heights High School

“One Day More” — “Les Miserables” — Hollidaysburg Area High School

“Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!” — “Seussical” — Huntingdon Area High School

Best production

“The Little Mermaid” — Altoona Area High School

“Shrek” — Bellwood-Antis High School

“The Addams Family” — Cambria Heights High School

“Les Miserables” — Hollidaysburg Area High School

“Seussical” — Huntingdon Area High School

SUNDAY, MAY 28, ISAACS

Achievement in design nominees

Student choreography:

Bellefonte Area High School — “Fiddler on the Roof,” Samantha Nedrow and Allayna Whitehill

Central High School — “Grease,” Marah Goff

Great Commission School — “Fiddler on the Roof,” Elijah Michael, Grant Michael and Daniel Kurty

Moshannon Valley High School — “The Lightning Thief,” Mady Kay, Reagan Wharton, Emma Webb, Abigail Caldwell

Philipsburg-Osceola High School — “Matilda the Musical,” Ellie Slogosky and Evey Raker

State College Area High School — “Urinetown,” Audrey Shaner and Bri Dzyak

Tussey Mountain High School — “Li’l Abner,” Barrett Brode

Tyrone Area High School — “The Addams Family,” Rose McKernan

Student design:

Bellefonte Area High School — “Fiddler on the Roof,” Kay Miller for lighting design

Glendale Jr/Sr High School — “Hadestown (Teen Edition),” Kara Smith for set design and construction

Great Commission School — “Fiddler on the Roof,” Madeline Buck, Aly Miller, Solamae Eilenberger for set design

State College Area High School — “Urinetown,” Jenny Heim for hair & makeup design

Tussey Mountain High School — “Li’l Abner,” Noah Peck for set design

Tyrone Area High School — “The Addams Family,” Hailey Wood for design of Morticia’s boudoir

Student crew:

Bellefonte Area High School — “Fiddler on the Roof,” Props Crew

Central High School — “Grease,” Stage Crew

Great Commission School — “Fiddler on the Roof,” Stage crew

Moshannon Valley High School — “The Lightning Thief,” Abigail Caldwell, Abbie Twoey, Nayah Grogan for set painting and columns

Philipsburg-Osceola High School — “Matilda the Musical,” Stage Crew led by Stage Managers Belle “E” Paul, Layla Westwood and Mya Hartman

State College Area High School — “Urinetown,” Ivan Atwood, Jessie Cozine, Eros Hernandez and Alex Seisler for set construction

Tussey Mountain High School — “Li’l Abner,” Barrett Brode and Tucker Morningstar, student direction & set construction

Best lead actor in a male role

Brenden Luongo — Orpheus — “Hadestown (Teen Edition)” — Glendale Jr/Sr High School

Daniel Kurty — Tevye — “Fiddler on the Roof” — Great Commission School

Austin Garcia — Trunchbull — “Matilda the Musical” — Philipsburg-Osceola High School

Evan Shondeck — Caldwell B. Cladwell — “Urinetown” — State College Area High School

Noah Peck — Abner Yokum — “Li’l Abner” — Tussey Mountain High School

Best lead actor in a female role

Erin Ashe — Golde — “Fiddler on the Roof” — Bellefonte Area High School

Addison Kelly — Hermes — “Hadestown (Teen Edition)” — Glendale Jr/Sr High School

Sarabeth Lloyd — Eurydice — “Hadestown (Teen Edition)” — Glendale Jr/Sr High School

Finn Parish — Matilda Wormwood — “Matilda the Musical” — Philipsburg-Osceola High School

Tessa Morningstar — Daisy Mae — “Li’l Abner” — Tussey Mountain High School

Best supporting actor in a male role:

Trip Worthington — Hades — “Hadestown (Teen Edition)” — Glendale Jr/Sr High School

Grant Michael — Motel — “Fiddler on the Roof” — Great Commission School

Eli Hoy — Mr. Wormwood — “Matilda the Musical” — Philipsburg-Osceola High School

Luca Snyder — Officer Lockstock — “Urinetown” — State College Area High School

Reilly Rawlings — Uncle Fester — “The Addams Family” — Tyrone Area High School

Best supporting actor in a female role

Emily Schreffler — Hodel — “Fiddler on the Roof” — Bellefonte Area High School

Callie Smith — Jan — “Grease” — Central High School

Olivia Frank — Persephone — “Hadestown (Teen Edition)” — Glendale Jr/Sr High School

Maddie Powell — Pennywise — “Urinetown” — State College Area High School

Ruthie Fields — Mammy Yokum — “Li’l Abner” — Tussey Mountain High School

Best featured actor

Jane Burgess — Yente — “Fiddler on the Roof” — Bellefonte Area High School

Jalyn Meckley — Fruma-Sarah — “Fiddler on the Roof” — Bellefonte Area High School

Micah Simpson — Teen Angel/Johnny Casino — “Grease” — Central High School

Emma Webb — Clarisse — “The Lightning Thief” — Moshannon Valley High School

Joe Angelovic — Michael Wormwood — “Matilda the Musical” — Philipsburg-Osceola HS

Best ensemble

Pink Ladies — “Grease” — Central High School

The Fates — “Hadestown (Teen Edition)” — Glendale Jr/Sr High School

Little Kids Ensemble — “Matilda the Musical” — Philipsburg-Osceola High School

The Law — “Urinetown” — State College Area High School

The Ancestors — “The Addams Family” — Tyrone Area High School

Best dance or dancer(s)

“To Life” — “Fiddler on the Roof” — Bellefonte Area High School

“Born to Hand Jive” — “Grease” — Central High School

“Wedding Dance” — “Fiddler on the Roof” — Great Commission School

“Sadie Hawkins Day Ballet” — “Li’l Abner” — Tussey Mountain High School

“When You’re an Addams” — “The Addams Family” — Tyrone Area High School

Best production/musical number

“Sabbath Prayer” — “Fiddler on the Roof” — Bellefonte Area High School

“Summer Nights” — “Grease” — Central High School

“Nothing Changes” — “Hadestown (Teen Edition)” — Glendale Jr/Sr High School

“The Hammer” — “Matilda the Musical” — Philipsburg-Osceola High School

“Run, Freedom, Run” — “Urinetown” — State College Area High School

Best production

“Fiddler on the Roof” — Bellefonte Area High School

“Grease” — Central High School

“Hadestown (Teen Edition)” — Glendale Jr/Sr High School

“Matilda the Musical” — Philipsburg-Osceola High School

“Urinetown” — State College Area High School