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2026 Freddy Awards

Published June 16. 2026 03:04PM

Freedom, Liberty students honored

By Lori Patrick

Special to the Bethlehem Press

Bethlehem and outlying region areas took home their acclaimed FREDDY© Awards for the 2026 season.

Bethlehem’s own Freedom HS took a bevy of nine awards out of 17 nominations this season. Liberty HS, one of four. Nazareth Area HS, one of eight.

The FREDDY© Awards recognizes and rewards exceptional accomplishments in the production and performance of local high school musical theater.

Freedom HS’ for its hit production “Something Rotten!” included Outstanding Technical Design, Outstanding Stage Crew (in memory of Capt. Christopher Seifert), Outstanding Production Number (“A Musical”), Outstanding Use of Choreography and Musical Staging, Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actor (Daniel Rivera as Nostradamus), Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actress (Kensington Matol as Bea Bottom), Outstanding Ensemble, Student Achievement Award (Amy Illescas-stage manager), and the coveted Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical.

Liberty HS’s Stella Georgalas (Charlotte Liberty in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s ‚“Cinderella Bway Version‘) was recognized for Outstanding Performance by a Female Ensemble Member and Nazareth Area’s Carlo Igot (Doody in “Grease”) earned a Freddy for Outstanding Performance by a Male Ensemble Member.

FREDDY© Awards were held at State Theatre Center for the Arts in Easton May 21 with a record of 31 participating schools. The show in its entirety was aired on WFMZ-TV. Schools from Northampton, and Lehigh counties and Warren, N.J., were represented. The prestigious awards program began in 2003.

CEO Shelley Brown and ©FREDDY Awards coordinator Kori Lotito oversaw the well-produced event. J. “Fred” Osterstock, the legendary “Fred the Ghost” of the State Theatre, named after airline pioneer Sir Freddie Laker, hosted the FREDDY© Awards.

To learn more about the FREDDY Awards, visit www.statetheatre.org/education.To view this year’s production visit www.wfmz.com/entertainment/freddyawards.

Press photos by Lori PatrickThe 24th annual Freddy Awards opening production number is a rousing and well choreographed feature of many of the performances from shows held Feb. 26 and April 26.
The Freedom HS production of “Something Rotten!” took home a whopping 9 awards for the 2026 High School Spring Musical Season. They chose “A Musical” as their number for the Freddy Awards stage at State Theatre Easton.
The May 21 Freddy Awards closing dance party finished up the evening accolades and celebrations with some freestyle dancing and a large confetti drop. There were 31 schools included in this years State Theatre spectacle.
The Outstanding Technical Design 2026 Freddy Award was accepted for “Something Rotten!” by Amy Illesgas (left) stage manager, and Lileighana Siegfried,, assistant stage manager.
Liberty HS won Outstanding Performance by a Female Ensemble Member. Accepting is Stella Georgalas as “Charlotte” in “Cinderella.’
The 2026 Freddy Award for Outstanding Use of Choreography and Musical Staging is happily accepted by Paige Haas and Lucas Yaguez scoring another Freedom High School win for “Something Rotten!”
Freedom HS enjoyed the win for Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actor. Daniel Rivera played the role of “Nostradamus” in the performance of “Something Rotten!”
Settling in with another Freddy Award for Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actress is Kensington Matol who performed as the character “Bea Bottom” in the Freedom High School Spring Musical “Something Rotten!”
“Something Rotten!” Won the 2026 Freddy Award, OutstandingEnsemble. Accepting on behalf of Freedom High School production team are Ben Beardall and Rosemary Reji.