They may have been just toddlers when composer Henry Mancini died in 1994, but the high school students in the audience at the 14th Henry Mancini Musical Theatre Awards demonstrated they haven't forgotten his legacy.

More than 1,400 high school students, their families and teachers May 21 rooted for the winners of this year's Mancini awards, named after the Grammy award-winning composer and Aliquippa native. The awards recognize excellence in high school musicals in Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties.

Along with the presentation of awards in 13 categories, the ceremony also featured musical excerpts from all 12 participating schools and performances of Henry Mancini hits by local singers B.E. Taylor and Stephanie Fraschetti.

For the third year, Quigley Catholic High School graduate and former "Survivor" contestant Ian Rosenberger was master of ceremonies.

Beaver Area's "Fiddler on the Roof" led in number of awards, receiving nine. Freedom Area's "Peter Pan" received eight, while both Center Area's "Beauty and the Beast" and Seneca Valley's "Pippin" received seven each.

Junior Frank Pagani, of Big Beaver Falls, won the $1,000 Geneva College Scholarship, while Seneca Valley's Timothy Gilbert received the $1,000 Henry Mancini Musical Theatre Award for use at any college or university.

Although many students agreed competing is part of the fun, they said the Mancini awards were enjoyable for other reasons.

Quigley Catholic's Anissa Gilbert played Darla in "Footloose" and said the event was "more like a congratulation" than a competition. "And it's a really good opportunity to see everyone else's show."

Senior Dashawn Boring, who played the lead role of Horton in Big Beaver Falls' "Seussical," had a unique perspective on the proceedings. Not only was "Seussical" his first and last high school musical, he also played on the football team.

"People should do whatever they enjoy," he said, adding that he'd miss the musical, "but not the work."

Junior Joey Kopriva, who played Cogsworth in Center Area's "Beauty and the Beast," agreed it took a lot to make musicals happen. "You work so long, so hard. This night is a nice recognition of all that."

Students from Center Area, Seneca Valley and Western Beaver, which won Outstanding Overall Production honors -- the Mancini equivalent of a Tony award for Best Musical -- called themselves "overwhelmed."

It was an especially big moment for those from Western Beaver, a smaller school that's worked hard in recent years to build up its musical program. Freshman Tyler Gailey, who played Mr. Cocker in "Back to the '80s," said their director, Don Hixon, was the motivating force behind their success. "Mr. Hixon really put his heart into this show."

A member of the Mancini family always attends the awards, and this was the third year the late composer's son, Chris Mancini, attended. In comments before the show, Mr. Mancini said he'd been busy with the opening of the Pink Panther Lounge in Las Vegas -- "The Pink Panther Theme" is one of his father's best-known works -- but he was glad to return for the awards.

"This is the epicenter of the Mancini legacy. It took everything that happened here to get him to where he got to," he said.

At the end of the evening, Mr. Mancini took the stage to give the final awards and said he, too, was overwhelmed.

"The brilliance, the genius. My father would be proud."