Broadway In Chicago is delighted to announce the 24 student nominees for Best Performer in an Actor and Actress role, nominees for Best Ensemble, Best Direction, and Best Production, and this year’s show sponsor for the 14th Annual Broadway In Chicago Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards ( IHSMTA), sponsored by NBC 5. IHSMTA celebrates excellence in high school theatre throughout the State of Illinois and is the state’s regional program that feeds into the National High School Musical Theatre Awards®, also known as The Jimmy Awards®.
The 24 high school student nominees were selected from over 315 student applicants from 85 participating schools across the state of Illinois, a record-breaking number of applicants for the program. The nominees have been invited to participate in the Awards Program, which will be held at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) on Monday, May 12, 2025, at 6:30 PM, hosted by Program Sponsor NBC 5’s entertainment reporter LeeAnn Trotter.
During the ceremony, the nominees will perform a musical number from TITANIQUE (a Porchlight Music Theatre production) which is currently playing at Broadway In Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place through July 13, 2025. Broadway In Chicago has crafted a workshop and rehearsal led by TITANIQUE choreographer Kasey Alfonso . The nominees will learn the musical number and are given the experience of working with a theatre professional on a Broadway In Chicago stage. The workshop for these 24 nominees will culminate in a performance onstage at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place. During the day, nominees will perform for a panel of industry professionals who will adjudicate and select the top six finalists and eventual Best Performer in an Actor Role and Best Performer in an Actress Role
TITANIQUE is not just this year’s IHSMTA show sponsor but also features IHSMTA alumni in its All-Chicago cast, including Clare Kennedy McLaughlin (2016 IHSMTA Nominee) as Céline Dion and Kaitlin Feely (2014 & 2016 IHSMTA Nominee) as understudy for Céline Dion, Molly Brown, Rose, and Background Vocalist.
NOMINEES FOR BEST PERFORMER IN AN ACTRESS ROLE
- Natalie Beck as Ursula in Harrisburg High School’s Disney’s The Little Mermaid
- Kaleigh Buda as Charlotte in Lincoln-Way West High School’s Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Broadway Version)
- Myah Crawford as The Witch in Bradley Bourbonnais Community High School’s Into the Woods
- Molly Czechanski as Eurydice in Lincoln-Way East High School’s Hadestown: Teen Edition
- Samantha Grant as SpongeBob SquarePants in The Chicago High School for the Arts’ The SpongeBob Musical
- Stella Hoyt as Delilah McPhee in Homewood-Flossmoor High School’s Between the Lines
- Lydia Jensen as Katherine Howard in Prairie Ridge High School’s SIX: Teen Edition
- Sophia Leverett as Ursula in Providence Catholic High School’s Disney's The Little Mermaid
- Veronica Sample as Doralee Rhodes in Burlington Central High School’s 9 to 5 The Musical
- Emma Schiffbauer as Anya/Princess Anastasia in Minooka Community High School’s Anastasia
- Amélie Villaseñor as Peter Pan in Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School’s Peter Pan
- Audrey Wagner as Sandy Cheeks in Hampshire High School’s The SpongeBob Musical
NOMINEES FOR BEST PERFORMER IN AN ACTOR ROLE
- Logan Arroyo as Hermes in Lincoln-Way East High School’s Hadestown: Teen Edition
- Corey Atkinson as Harold Hill in Crystal Lake Central High School’s The Music Man
- Tommy Grant as Cornelius Hackl in Loyola Academy’s Hello, Dolly!
- Jamaur Houston as Jack in The Chicago Academy for the Arts’ Into the Woods
- Kaden Krumrei as The Baker in The Chicago Academy for the Arts’ Into the Woods
- Sebastián Llavona as Bobby Strong in Dundee-Crown High School’s Urinetown
- Gabriel McKinney as Ms. Winx in Homewood-Flossmoor High School’s Between the Lines
- Mason Natyshok as Beadle Bamford in Coal City High School’s Sweeney Todd
- Justin Shorris as Trent Oliver in Adlai E. Stevenson High School’s The Prom (School Edition)
- Bryce Stewart as Prince Oliver in Homewood-Flossmoor High School’s Between the Lines
- Tyler Weaver as Randall in Richwoods High School’s Bring It On
- Aaron Yaccino as Jack in Cary-Grove High School’s Into the Woods
From the 24 nominees, two Illinois award recipients (one Best Performer in an Actor Role, one Best Performer in an Actress Role) will go on an all-expense-paid trip to New York City to represent the State of Illinois at The Jimmy Awards® and participate in a 10-day theatre intensive of coaching and rehearsals with industry professionals in preparation for a one-night-only showcase on a Broadway stage, where a panel of judges crowns the nation’s top performers. The Jimmy Awards® are named for legendary Broadway theater owner and producer James M. Nederlander. Broadway In Chicago is a Nederlander presentation and is excited to be a part of the network of theatres across the country participating in The Jimmy Awards®.
IHSMTA is also thrilled to announce nominees in three Production Award categories: Best Ensemble, Best Direction, and Best Production.
- Best Ensemble evaluates how the ensemble both on and off stage is utilized appropriately throughout the entire show, as well as their overall proficiency in the areas of singing, acting, dancing, and technical theatre efforts off stage.
- Best Direction evaluates how the director has used all the elements at their disposal to create the strongest production they can with their available resources.
- Best Production evaluates the overall excellence of the production and considers all the above elements. Best Production is awarded to a school who produces an outstanding example of a high school musical.
NOMINEES FOR BEST ENSEMBLE
- Adlai E. Stevenson High School’s The Prom (School Edition)
- Bradley Bourbonnais Community High School’s Into the Woods
- Champaign Central High School’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
- Crystal Lake Central High School’s The Music Man
- Hinsdale South High School’s SIX: Teen Edition
NOMINEES FOR BEST DIRECTION
- Dominic A. Cattero, Batavia High School’s Songs For A New World
- Ben Stoner, Crystal Lake South High School’s The SpongeBob Musical
- Hannah Drake, Harrisburg High School’s Disney’s The Little Mermaid
- James Reinbacher, Reed-Custer High School’s Pippin
- Sade’ May, Thornton Fractional North High School’s The Color Purple
NOMINEES FOR BEST PRODUCTION
- Bradley Bourbonnais Community High School’s Into the Woods
- Coal City High School’s Sweeney Todd
- Crystal Lake Central High School’s The Music Man
- Homewood-Flossmoor High School’s Between the Lines
- Lincoln-Way East High School’s Hadestown: Teen Edition
In addition to these nominees, IHSMTA has selected two Student Reporters to cover the 2025 IHSMTA award ceremony through social media. This year’s recipients are Raina Ashrafi from Addison Trail High School and Keniyah Stephenson from Thornton Fractional North High School. Ashrafi and Stephenson have also been submitted for the Jimmy Awards® Student Reporter search. The Student Reporter opportunity has been added to the National High School Musical Theatre Awards® as an effort to include students who are not eligible to be nominated as performers. This provides a chance to expand connections into local schools’ journalism, film, and other related departments. Jimmy Awards® Student Reporters work directly with the Broadway League’s digital team which allows them to receive an insider look at the digital marketing strategy of Jimmy Awards coverage while gaining insight into the field as a whole. Student Reporters will be notified and selected by the Jimmy Awards® on or around June 2.
The Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards have proven to be a steppingstone for young performers, with several appearing in Broadway & National Touring productions:
- Nathan Salstone (2012 IHSMTA Best Actor) made his professional Broadway debut in HARRY POTTER & THE CURSED CHILD, appeared in the National Tour of HADESTOWN, and was most recently seen in the 2023 revival of SWEENEY TODD on Broadway.
- Kyrie Courter (2012 IHSMTA Nominee) made her Broadway debut in the 2023 revival of SWEENEY TODD.
- John Clay III (2013 IHSMTA Best Actor) made his professional Broadway debut in CHOIR BOY and originated the role of Jesse Webb in the original Broadway cast of NEW YORK, NEW YORK in 2023.
- Reagan Pender (2013 IHSMTA Nominee) made his Broadway debut in the 2024 revival cast of THE WHO’S TOMMY.
- Jack Cahill-Lemme (2016 IHSMTA Best Actor) launched the first North American tour of MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL, which premiered in Chicago in 2022, and made his professional Broadway debut in the Broadway production in Summer 2023, where he is still performing.
- Cecilia Trippiedi (2016 IHSMTA Best Actress) joined the national tour of HADESTOWN in 2022.
- Haley Gustafson (2016 & 2017 IHSMTA Nominee) made their Broadway debut in the 2024 revival cast of THE WHO’S TOMMY.
- Wren Rivera (2017 IHSMTA Nominee) made their Broadway debut in JAGGED LITTLE PILL in 2021.
- Joy Woods (2018 IHSMTA Finalist) made her Broadway debut in March 2022, joining the Broadway cast of SIX. She originated the role of Middle Allie in the original Broadway cast of THE NOTEBOOK: THE MUSICAL in 2024, and is playing Louise in the 2024 revival of GYPSY, currently running on Broadway.
- Andrew Tufano (2018 IHSMTA Nominee) made his Broadway debut in the 2024 revival cast of THE WHO’S TOMMY.
- Justin O’Brien (2018 IHSMTA Nominee) joined the National Tour of MEAN GIRLS in 2023.
- Mike Bindeman (2019 IHSMTA Nominee) launched the First National Tour of THE CHER SHOW as Gregg Allman/John Southall in November 2023.
- Sierra Fermin (2019 IHSMTA Finalist) made her Broadway debut in December 2023, joining the Broadway cast of SIX.
- Jacob Simon (2019 IHSMTA Best Actor) joined the National Tour of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF in 2022.
- Jason Schmidt (2019 IHSMTA Finalist) made his Broadway debut in April 2024, originating the role of Sodapop Curtis in the original Broadway cast THE OUTSIDERS, currently running on Broadway.
Other Illinois winners and students have also been successful at The Jimmy Awards®:
- Jonah Rawitz (2014 IHSMTA Best Actor) was awarded the 2014 Jimmy Award® for Best Performance by an Actor.
- Cecilia Trippiedi (2016 IHSMTA Best Actress) was awarded the 2016 Jimmy Award® for Best Dancer.
- Nate Garner (2017 IHSMTA Student Reporter) was selected in 2017 as one of the first ever Jimmy Awards® Student Reporters
- Darian Goulding (2018 IHSMTA Best Actor) was a 2018 Jimmy Award® finalist.
- Jacob Simon (2019 IHSMTA Best Actor) was the recipient of the 2019 Rising Star Award from The Jimmy Awards®.
- Nicole Scimeca (2024 IHSMTA Student Reporter) was selected as one of The 2024 Jimmy Awards® Student Reporters
Participating high schools involved in the program are given opportunities to see Broadway In Chicago shows and receive invitations to special events throughout the year. In years past, students have performed with the casts of DEAR EVAN HANSEN, HAMILTON, DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS, and HADESTOWN at Broadway In Chicago’s Summer Concert at Millennium Park and performed with HAMILTON Chicago Company’s Miguel Cervantes (Alexander Hamilton) at the Illinois Bicentennial Birthday Party at Navy Pier. Nominees also performed at the first Sundays On State, the Chicago Loop Alliance activation inviting people back to the Loop after the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2021.
For more information on both awards and complete rules and regulations, visit www.IHSMTA.com
ABOUT THE JIMMY AWARDS®
The Jimmy Awards®/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA®) program impacts approximately 150,000 students who participate in 55 regional high school musical theatre competitions sponsored by presenters of touring Broadway productions throughout the United States. Named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, the program has been the catalyst for more than $6,000,000 in educational scholarships since its launch in 2009. Presented by The Broadway League Foundation, Inc., the NHSMTA invites two nominees from each local regional ceremony to New York City for a rigorous theatre intensive that includes coaching sessions, training, and rehearsals led by some of Broadway’s most accomplished professionals. Nominees will spend ten days in New York City from Friday, June 13, 2025, through Tuesday, June 24, 2025, and their experience will culminate in an extraordinary talent showcase performed live in front of an audience on a Broadway stage. The sixteenth annual Jimmy Awards will take place on Monday, June 23, 2025, at the Minskoff Theatre. For more information, please visit www.JimmyAwards.com.
ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
About TITANIQUE
Porchlight Musical Theatre’s Chicago Premiere of the splash-hit TITANIQUE, featuring an all-Chicago company, is an irresistibly funny and gloriously irreverent reimagining of the eleven-time Oscar®-winning blockbuster Titanic . When Céline Dion hijacks one of the greatest love stories of all time to belt out her own version of events, the result is a wildly hilarious, campy musical fantasia powered by iconic hits, powerhouse vocals, show-stopping performances, and a full live band. After earning rave reviews off-Broadway and winning seven major awards—including the Lucille Lortel and Off-Broadway Alliance Awards for Best New Musical—TITANIQUE has become a global phenomenon, with productions playing in London, Sydney, Montreal, and Toronto, with the Paris production opening on April 24. The London production was recently honored with the 2025 Olivier Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy, and Chicago’s own run has been extended by popular demand. Notably, two cast members—Clare McLaughlin Kennedy (Céline Dion, Barrington High School) and Kaitlin Feely understudy Céline Dion, Molly Brown, Rose, and Background Vocalist, Adlai E. Stevenson High School))—are proud alums of the Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards, each recognized as Best Actress nominees. It’s the epic romance you know... turned up, twisted, and totally Céline.
TITANIQUE is now playing at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place through July 13.
Click here for tickets.
Groups 10+ can be purchased by calling 312.977.1710.
About NBC 5 Chicago
NBCUniversal Local Chicago, a division of NBCUniversal, is the home of NBC 5 (WMAQ-TV) and Telemundo Chicago (WSNS-TV). Together, the duopoly serves diverse English- and Spanish-speaking audiences in the third largest U.S. television market. The NBC and Telemundo owned stations deliver the latest local news, consumer and investigative reports across multiple linear, streaming and digital platforms, along with Chicago's most accurate forecast, extensive local sports coverage, a range of original documentaries and series and entertainment/lifestyle content on "Chicago Today." All original content is available on-air, digitally via NBCChicago.com, TelemundoChicago.com and on the stations’ mobile apps, as well as the NBC 5 Chicago News 24/7 live streaming channel, which is available for viewing on Peacock, Roku and Samsung TV and numerous steaming platforms, as well as free apps available on Roku and Amazon Fire TV
About Sound, Production & Lighting (SPL)
SPL is a full-service event production and system installation company. We provide production services for corporate meetings, galas and fundraising parties, marketing activations, and anything between – we’re always up for a challenge. We offer permanent installation services for a variety of venues in fields such as live performance, education, worship, and hospitality. Our goal for any project is to provide an unparalleled experience and service. www.splchicago.com
About Jennifer Heim Photography
Jennifer Heim Photography specializes in live stage, rehearsal, and headshot photography. Having shot over 900 productions and countless headshots, Jennifer is able to capture the emotion of a scene and create images that portray character depth and beautiful lighting design. Being a director and choreographer, she can anticipate blocking and movement to capture the best moments of your production for IHSMTA submissions. You want your students to stand out in their college auditions. Jennifer teaches them how to be in front of the camera to perfectly capture their personality for college auditions. www.JenniferHeimHeadshots.com
About Downstage Arts
Downstage Arts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young artists through quality performing arts education and mentorship. Our mission is to inspire creativity, foster talent, and provide opportunities for artistic expression and growth. Through The Teen Cohort Program, high school juniors and seniors are mentored and coached through college application and audition process. We cultivate a supportive and inclusive community for students to develop their skills and explore their passion for the arts, develop their skills, and pursue their dreams. For more information, visit Downstagearts.org.
About Lou Malnati’s
No true Chicago experience is complete without a visit to one of the oldest names in Deep Dish Pizza: Lou Malnati’s. Located throughout Chicagoland, enjoy Legendary Chicago Deep Dish and thin crust at the place that’s been perfecting it for 50+ years. Whether you’ve been out shopping, sightseeing or in going to a show at the theatre, Lou Malnati’s is the perfect spot to satiate your deep dish cravings. Find your location at loumalnatis.com
ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 25 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at the Auditorium Theatre.
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