First 'Hunting-Tony' Awards Honor Student Performers

It was a night of glamor and fun last Tuesday at Engeman Theater in Northport when awards were handed out to performing arts students across the Town of Huntington for their plays and musicals.

Sponsored by the theater, the town’s first "Hunting-Tony" Awards ceremony attracted more than 370 students, parents and faculty members involved in area performing arts programs.

Several Half Hollow Hills students were among those honored. Cara Laban, of HS East, took the award for best supporting actress in a musical for her performance in "." East student Sam Seleznow took the honor of best featured male performer in a musical for Guys and Dolls.

Zack Zadek, also of East, took home the best actor in a play award for his performance in "Seidman and Son." The award for best stage crew in a play went to High School West for "Exit the Body." 

Town Council members Mark Cuthbertson and Susan Berland offered opening remarks after a pre-show where student nominees, many of whom wore tuxedos and evening gowns, walked a red carpet.

There were 24 categories that recognized acting, singing, choreography, stage crew and design, orchestra pits, costumes and playbill design. A panel of volunteer judges attended each play and musical production performed by a public high school within the town, and determined the winners by using a standard judging rubric.

The show featured musical numbers from five high school productions, including "Fugue for Tinhorns" from Guys and Dolls, performed by Josh Estes, Tim Hottinger and Seleznow of High School East and "Impossible," from Cinderella, performed by Lexi Martin and Corrine Valenti of High School West.

The "Hunting-Tony" Awards show will be featured on Cablevision's MSG Varsity Channel 14 program "High School Journal" and will be shown on the town's government access channels.

The awards showcase the talent and passion that exists in the town’s high school's theatre and fine arts programs, Cuthbertson said.

Berland said the Hunting-Tonys “are a fantastic way to recognize Town of Huntington students who participate in the performing arts and spend countless hours perfecting their productions.”

She encouraged everyone to support theater by attending high school productions as well as the shows at the Engeman Theater.