Nisky Alumni Nominated for 2023 Tony Awards

Each year, the Tony Awards are presented for exceptional achievements in live Broadway theater in a televised award ceremony in Midtown Manhattan. Recipients are rewarded a trophy displayings faces of comedy and tragedy on a spinnable medallion, held up by a black base with a pewter swivel. Within the theater community, it is considered one of the greatest achievements to receive a Tony Award,  a comparable theater  equivalent to winning an Emmy Award (television), a Grammy Award (music), or an Oscar Award (film.) 

In the past month, Niskayuna alumni Dominic Fallacaro and Richard Gatta have been nominated for the 2023 Tony Awards. Fallacaro’s musical & Juliet was selected as a possible recipient for the Best Orchestration award, and Gatta’s Broadway musical New York, New York was nominated for several Tony awards, such as "Best Musical". Coincidentally, both individuals attended Niskayuna High School at the same time, and they are now taking part in Tony nominated musicals during the same season. In addition to their theater successes, the two Nisky alumni have a plethora of notable accomplishments.

Dominic Fallacaro is a producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Brooklyn, New York. He won a 2015 Grammy award for producing the album “Home” by Tim Kubart, which won “Best Children’s Album” and another Grammy nomination in 2018. Fallacaro’s works have also been featured in Sesame Street and the Sprout Network, and his composition for the 2019 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade received an Emmy Nomination. Additionally, Fallacaro has been involved in several film works. He has composed original music for Shortwave, which went on to win multiple film festival awards. Fallacaro also has film credits for In the Heights and Tick Tick Boom. Notably, he was inducted into the Niskayuna High School Hall of Fame in 2022. 

Richard Gatta is a dancer, performer, and director who attended Empire State College and trained in the University at Buffalo BFA Musical Theater program. He began dancing at the age of six with the Northeast Ballet Company. After attending his musical theater training program, Gatta spent ten years on tour for the productions of Grease, The Pajama Game, Fiddler on the Roof, Billy Elliot, Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and Bright Star. Currently, he is performing and developing new works, such as the Music Man and A New Musical. Additionally, Gatta directs corporate live events across the country. He has joined NBCUniversal as an associate stage director, and Disney as a creative director. In a full circle from his childhood, Gatta is now also the assistant artistic director for the Northeast Ballet Company. 

It is an honor to have Niskayuna alumni who have reached this level of professional success. For those

 wondering, the Tony Awards ceremony will be held on June 11th, 2023 at United Palace in New York City.

 The event will be broadcast across several different channels, so many should be able to tune in. The

 Warrior wishes the best of luck to Fallacaro and Gatta!