Broadway In Chicago is delighted to invite high schools across the State of Illinois to participate in the 11th Annual Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards. The Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards celebrate excellence in high school theatre throughout the State of Illinois.
Beginning Thursday, September 16, at 10AM, high school educators may fill out a School Application form. Application details can be found at www.BroadwayInChicago.com/IHSMTA. Broadway In Chicago encourages all Illinois Public and Private High Schools to apply; however, School Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. The deadline to submit School Applications for the 2022 Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards is Thursday, September 23, 2021.
Eligible schools must adhere to the following: the High School must be located in the State of Illinois. In an effort to celebrate students amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, schools will not be required to produce a full musical this year; video auditions will be accepted and must be from the Jimmy Awards® (National High School Musical Theatre Awards®) Qualifying Role/Show List.
The categories include Best Actor and Best Actress. Twenty-four nominees (12 actors and 12 actresses) will be invited to perform on stage at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) and perform in front of Chicago casting agents and theater professionals. In order to keep participants safe during the live in-person ceremony on May 23, 2022, all participants (including the 24 nominees, event staff, and audience attendees) will be required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination.
From the twenty-four nominees, two Illinois award recipients (one Best Actor, one Best Actress) 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 week-long theatre intensive of coaching and rehearsals with industry professionals in preparation for a one-night-only showcase on Broadway, where a panel of judges crowns the nation’s top performers. The Jimmy Awards® are named after legendary Broadway theater owner and producer James M. Nederlander. Broadway In Chicago is a Nederlander presentation and is excited to join the network of theatres across the country participating in The Jimmy Awards®.
Important Dates
School Applications Available: Thursday, September 16, 2021, at 10AM
School Applications Due: Thursday, September 23, 2021, at 11:59PM
IHSMTA Program: Monday, May 23, 2022
The Jimmy Awards®: Summer 2022 (exact date to be announced)
The 2021 Illinois High School Musical Theatre Award recipients were Marcus McGee of Bradley Bourbonnais Community High School in Bradley, IL (Best Actor) and Sydney Olson of Harry D. Jacobs High School in Algonquin, IL (Best Actress).
The Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards has proven to be a stepping stone for young performers, with several appearing in Broadway productions. Nathan Salstone (2012 IHSMTA Best Actor) made his Broadway debut in HARRY POTTER & THE CURSED CHILD, and John Clay III (2013 IHSMTA Best Actor) made his Broadway debut in CHOIR BOY. Other Illinois winners 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, Darian Goulding (2018 IHSMTA Best Actor) was a 2018 Jimmy Award® finalist, and Jacob Simon (2019 IHSMTA Best Actor) was the recipient of the 2019 Rising Star Award from The Jimmy Awards®.
The 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 performed with the cast of DEAR EVAN HANSEN and HAMILTON at Broadway In Chicago’s Summer Concert at Millennium Park, in addition to performing with HAMILTON Chicago Company’s Miguel Cervantes (Alexander Hamilton) at the Illinois Bicentennial Birthday Party at Navy Pier. Recently, students were invited to perform in the Chicago Loop Alliance’s Sunday on State Street activation. The 2021 Best Actor, Marcus McGee, will perform at Navy Pier’s Chicago Live Again event on September 25.
ABOUT THE JIMMY AWARDS® The Jimmy Awards®/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA®) program impacts more than 140,000 students who participate in high school musical theatre competitions sponsored by presenters of Touring Broadway productions throughout the United States. Presented by the Broadway League Foundation, the program has, in past years, invited two nominees from each of these regional ceremonies to New York City to participate in a theatre intensive including coaching and rehearsals with Broadway professionals in preparation for a one-night-only talent showcase on a Broadway stage. The twelfth Jimmy Awards was presented on Thursday, July 15, 2021. Due to the ongoing health concerns with COVID-19, last year’s program was completely virtual. To date, the program has been the catalyst for more than $4,000,000 in educational scholarships, and several student participants have already been cast in Broadway, Touring and West End productions. For more information, please visit www.JimmyAwards.com.
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Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and, over the past 21 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 more than 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.
For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.