Baldwin High School Hopes for a Gene Kelly Award on Saturday

's Maggie Brooks has a chance at winning the Best Actress award at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera's 21st Annual Gene Kelly Awards show at The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

"Children of Eden takes the characters and makes them approachable in how they act," Brooks, who played "Mama Noah" in the musical "Children of Eden," told the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch when .

"Children of Eden," by Stephen Schwartz, is a modern retelling of the ancient tales of Genesis. It was the first musical to be performed in Baldwin High's recently remodeled auditorium.

Brooks is competing against Marika Countouris, who played "Christine Daae" in Woodland Hills High School's "The Phantom of the Opera;" Megan Hawbaker, "Eponine" in 's "Les Misérables;" Kirsten Hoover, "Nanette" in North Hills High School's "No, No, Nanette;" Adrianne Knapp, "Audrey" in 's "Little Shop of Horrors;" and Cassie Lombardo, "Maria" in Hampton High School's "West Side Story."

By being in that group of six nominees, Brooks is also in the running to be recognized at The National High School Musical Theater Awards show in New York City on Monday, June 27.

Baldwin has also been recognized as one of three finalists in the Budget Category III-Lighting Design section along with Pine-Richland's "Les Misérables" and Woodland Hills' "The Phantom of the Opera."

Baldwin's musical last year, "Cats," received 10 Gene Kelly nominations, including a nod to Connor Doran for Best Supporting Actor. This year, Doran portrayed "Father" in "Children of Eden."