Ten area student actors are competing in hopes of earning a spot at the 2023 National High School Musical Theatre Awards.
Students from schools in Genesee, Livingston and Orleans counties are among 40 from the Greater Rochester Area hoping to take the stage Thursday for the Rochester Broadway Theatre League’s “Stars of Tomorrow NYC Bound” competition. Two students will represent Rochester at The Jimmy Awards next month.
Students eligible for the competition received recognition at RBTL’s Stars of Tomorrow Recognition Ceremony on May 11 for their performances in the high school musicals.
GLOW-region students who will be part of the competition include Emma Davies of Avon High School, Bella Pillittere of Caledonia-Mumford Middle/High School, Aubrey Puccio, Ashlyn Puccio, Evan Williams Cooper Terry and Nathan Yauchzee, all of Le Roy Junior-Senior High School; Annabelle Follman, Lyndonville Central School; Seagan Majchrzak of Medinia Junior-Senior High School, and Emily Mike of Mount Morris Central School.
Each student has prepared vocal selections to perform at Stars of Tomorrow NYC Bound, an “American Idol”-style competition in which performers must survive through several rounds of eliminations.
A preliminary round took place May 23. The top 20 performers will be announced May 25 and a panel of judges will adjudicate the final two rounds of the competition and choose two performers to send to the Jimmy Awards.
This year’s judges are Don Kot from SUNY Geneseo and Broadway professionals Jenny DiNoia (“Wicked,” “tick, tick... Boom,” “Mamma Mia!”) and Julia Murney (“Wicked,” “Funny Girl,” “Hair”).
The Jimmy Awards will be presented June 26 at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City.
At the Jimmy Awards, students will go through 10 days of musical theater rehearsals, master classes, private coaching and interviews with theater professionals.
Based on their skill level and professional goals, students are eligible for college scholarships, professional internships, career coaching and opportunities for auditions.
The program culminates with a talent showcase at the Jimmy Awards where judges will select two grand-prize winners for the best performance by an actor and best performance by an actress awards.
Twice before, GLOW region students have advanced to the Jimmy Awards from the RBTL’s “Stars of Tomorrow NYC Bound.” Jack D’Angelo of Warsaw Central School was a 2019 winner, while Maureen Edwards of Corfu was a junior at Notre Dame High School in Batavia when she was chosen in 2012.
The National High School Musical Theatre Awards was founded in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances LLC, Pittsburgh CLO, and Broadway Education Alliance. The goal of the awards program is to recognize musical theater in schools and inspire the next generation of performs.
“The Jimmy Award” is named in honor of James M. Nederlander, a legendary Broadway theater owner and producer.