Two cast members from the Albany High School Theater Ensemble’s spring musical will audition this weekend to be finalists for Best Actor and Best Actress in the 2024 High School Musical Theatre Awards.

Ray Blanken (right) will vie for Best Actor category and Iris Whalen for Best Actress category. Both are juniors. They were selected for callbacks from 115 area students who qualified.

The annual High School Musical Theatre Awards take place each year at Proctors Theatre. The event recognizes outstanding musical theater productions and students in a ceremony that is analogous to the Tony Awards.

The ceremony features performances from the best musical, actress and actor nominees, plus special opening and closing numbers spotlighting all participating schools.

The best actress and actor winners will represent the Capital Region at the Jimmy Awards, the national high school musical theater awards ceremony in New York City in June.

Blanken played the role of Chip and Whalen played the role of Olive in Albany High’s March production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

Break a leg this weekend, Falcons!