BROADWAY IN CHICAGO ANNOUNCES NOMINEES FOR
THE EIGHTH ANNUAL
ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS
HOSTED BY NBC 5’s LEEANN TROTTER
FEATURING A WORKSHOP BY CAST MEMBER OF
CHICAGO THE MUSICAL
2018 Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards
Broadway In Chicago is delighted to announce the twenty-four students nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress, and nominees for Best Production presented by Guardian Music Travel, Best Direction, Best Scenic Design presented by SPL, Best Choreography, and Best Ensemble for the eighth annual Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards (IHSMTA). The nominees (12 young actors and 12 young actresses), selected after evaluating 72 productions and over 275 student applicants across the state of Illinois, 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 6, 2019 at 6:30PM and hosted by NBC 5 entertainment reporter LeeAnn Trotter. Sponsored by NBC 5, the Illinois chapter of The Jimmy Awards® (National High School Musical Theatre Awards) serves as an annual national celebration of outstanding achievement in musical theater performance by high school students.
Broadway In Chicago has crafted a workshop led by CHICAGO THE MUSICAL cast member Christophe Caballero (Dance Captain/Swing), whose previous theatrical credits include four Broadway shows including original Tony®-winning companies of La Cage Aux Folles & Jerome Robbins' Broadway. He performed at the Tony Awards® during each of the last three decades. CHICAGO THE MUSICAL will play at Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph) from May 7-12, 2019.
The workshop for these twenty-four 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 casting agents and theatre professionals who will choose the recipients of performance awards. A Best Actress and Best Actor winner from Illinois will be sent to New York City, on an all-expense paid trip, for a week-long theatre intensive of coaching and rehearsals with industry professionals in preparation for a one-night-only showcase, where they will represent the state of Illinois at The Jimmy Awards® on Broadway.
In addition to the workshop, all 24 nominated students in the program will receive tickets to CHICAGO THE MUSICAL.
The Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards have proven to be a stepping stone for young performers, with several appearing in Broadway productions. Nathan Salstone (2012 IHSMTA Best Actor) recently performed in HARRY POTTER & THE CURSED CHILD, and John Clay III (2013 IHSMTA Best Actor) made his Broadway debut this year 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, and Darian Goulding (2018 IHSMTA Best Actor) was a 2018 Jimmy Award® finalist.
The 72 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. Recently, students performed with the cast of DEAR EVAN HANSEN (including the star of the National Tour Ben Levi Ross) 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.
For more information on both awards and complete rules and regulations, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com/about/IHSMTA/. For more information on National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as The Jimmy Awards®, visit www.jimmyawards.com.
NOMINEES FOR BEST ACTRESS
· Barrington High School’s Into the Woods as “Bakers Wife”: Margaret Baustert
· Barrington High School’s Into the Woods as “The Witch”: Sierra Fermin
· Benet Academy’s Pippin as “Catherine”: Megan Delaney
· Cary-Grove High School’s All Shook Up as “Sylvia”: Alysha Brezina
· Grayslake Central High School’s Les Miserables as “Fantine”: Liyana Ishamuddin
· Harry D. Jacobs High School’s Disney’s The Little Mermaid as “Ariel”: Sydney Olson
· Homewood-Flossmoor High School’s Chicago as “Velma Kelly”: Jaira Stanley
· Loyola Academy’s Oliver! as “Nancy” : Emma Samuelson
· Mother McAuley High School’s Irving Berlin’s White Christmas as “Betty Haynes”: Marguerite Reed
· Stevenson High School’s Shrek the Musical as “Princess Fiona”: Isabel Koleno
· York Community High School’s Bright Star as “Margo”: Bridey Costello
· York Community High School’s Bright Star as “Alice Murphy”: Erin Lee
NOMINEES FOR BEST ACTOR
· Addison Trail High School’s Newsies as “Jack Kelly”: Connor White
· Benet Academy’s Pippin as “Pippin”: Patrick Vivoda
· Bolingbrook High School’s Jekyll & Hyde as “Jekyll/Hyde”: Spencer Avery
· Cary-Grove High School’s All Shook Up as “Dennis”: Nathan Ancheta
· Cary-Grove High School’s All Shook Up as “Chad”: Blake Nolan
· Coal City High School’s Tuck Everlasting as “Jesse Tuck”:Gavyn Williams
· Deerfield High School’s Crazy For You as “Bobby Child”: Jacob Simon
· Grayslake Central High School’s Les Miserables as “Jean Valjean”:Sean Lambie
· Harry D. Jacobs High School’s Disney’s The Little Mermaid as “Prince Eric”: Mitchell Barrett
· John Hersey High School’s Urinetown as “Bobby Strong”: Jason Schmidt
· Oak Park and River Forest High School’s Chicago as “Amos Hart”: Declan Collins
· York Community High School’s Bright Star as “Jimmy Ray Dobbs”: Michael Bindeman
NOMINEES FOR BEST PRODUCTION presented by Guardian Music Travel
· Benet Academy’s Pippin
· Cary-Grove High School’s All Shook Up
· Coal City High School’s Tuck Everlasting
· Deerfield High School’s Crazy for You
· York Community High School’s Bright Star
NOMINEES FOR BEST DIRECTION
· Brian Wand & Lauren Butera, Benet Academy’s Pippin
· Jack Micetich, Coal City High School’s Tuck Everlasting
· Susan Gorman, Deerfield High School’s Crazy For You
· Jennifer Goss, St. Charles East High School’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
· Abra Chusid, Stevenson High School’s Shrek the Musical
NOMINEES FOR BEST SCENIC DESIGN presented by SPL
· Benet Academy’s Pippin
· Bolingbrook High School’s Jekyll & Hyde
· Cary-Grove High School’s All Shook Up
· Coal City High School’s Tuck Everlasting
· Hinsdale South High School’s Chicago
NOMINEES FOR BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
· Cary-Grove High School’s All Shook Up
· Crystal Lake South’s Newsies
· Deerfield High School’s Crazy for You
· Libertyville High School’s Pippin
· The Chicago High School for the Arts’ Bring It On the Musical
NOMINEES FOR BEST ENSEMBLE
Bradley Bourbonnais Community High School’s Les Miserables
Cary-Grove High School’s All Shook Up
Deerfield High School’s Crazy for You
Libertyville High School’s Pippin
Oak Park and River Forest High School’s Chicago
LIST OF PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
Addison Trail High School
Barrington High School
Benet Academy
Bloomington High School
Bolingbrook High School
Bradley Bourbonnais Community High School
Byron High School
Canton High School
Carl Sandburg High School
Cary-Grove High School
Burlington Central High School
Chicago Academy for the Arts
Chicago Christian High School
Coal City High School
Crystal Lake Central High School
Crystal Lake South High School
Deerfield High School
Downers Grove North High School
Dundee Crown High School
Dunlap High School
Evergreen Park High School
Farmington Central High School
Fenwick High School
Frankfort Community High School
Geneva Community High School
Glenbard South High School
Glenbard West High School
Grant Community High School
Grayslake Central High School
Hampshire High School
Harry D. Jacobs High School
Hinsdale South High School
Homewood-Flossmoor High School
John Hersey High School
Kaneland High School
Lane Tech High School
Larkin High School
Leyden High Schools
Libertyville High School
Lincoln-Way East High School
Lincoln-Way West High School
Loyola Academy
Mahomet-Seymour High School
Maine East High School
Maine South High School
Minooka Community High School
Moline High School
Mother McAuley High School
Normal Community High School
Northside College Prep
Oak Park and River Forest High School
Palatine High School
Plainfield East High School
Prairie Ridge High School
Providence Catholic High School
Riverside Brookfield High School
Rosary High School
Saint Ignatius College Prep
South Elgin High School
St. Charles East High School
Sterling High School
Stevenson High School
The Chicago High School for the Arts
Thornton Fractional North High School
Thornton Fractional South High School
Trinity High School
Vernon Hills High School
Wauconda High School
Westminster Christian School
William Fremd High School
William Howard Taft High School
York Community High School
ABOUT THE JIMMY AWARDS®
The Jimmy Awards®/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA®) program impacts more than 100,000 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 sends a Best Actress and Best Actor winner from each of these competitions to New York for a week-long theatre intensive of coaching and rehearsals with industry professionals in preparation for a one-night-only talent showcase on Broadway. Named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, the program has been the catalyst for more than $2,000,000 in educational scholarships. The eleventh annual Jimmy Awards® will take place on Monday, June 24, 2019 at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway. Coaching and rehearsals for this one-of-a-kind event will be held Monday, June 17, 2019 through Monday, June 24, 2019 in New York City. For more information, please visit www.JimmyAwards.com.
ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
NBC 5 CHICAGO
NBC 5 (WMAQ-TV) is the owned NBC station in Chicago. Originally WNBQ, the station’s current call letters, WMAQ-TV, were established in 1964. During NBC 5 Chicago’s rich history, the station pioneered a number of television “firsts.” On April 15, 1956, NBC 5 became the world’s first all-color TV station. In September of 1986, NBC 5 became the first Chicago commercial station to broadcast in stereo. In 1989, NBC 5 was the first Chicago station to present closed captioning of all local newscasts. Currently, NBC 5 airs over 37 hours of local news per week in HD on its core channel and the latest news, weather and streamed original content on NBCCHICAGO.COM and the NBC Chicago Mobile App.
The host of the eighth annual Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards, LeeAnn Trotter, is NBC 5's entertainment reporter, covering everything from restaurants to celebrities to what's happening around town. She also contributes regular "Making a Difference" segments. This Chicago native joined NBC 5 in December 2005, after working at CLTV for eight years. There, she anchored the weekend news and hosted the award-winning entertainment show, "Metromix: The TV Show," which earned her a local Emmy and several nominations for Best On Camera Performance. Prior to working at CLTV, she was the News and Public Affairs Director at WUSN-FM, where she reported news on the morning show and hosted, "Chicago Up Close," a weekly public affairs show. She also worked at FOX News, WGN Radio and WBBM Newsradio.
CHICAGO THE MUSICAL is the #1 Longest Running American Musical and the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical Revival, and the Grammy Award® for Best Musical Cast Recording. Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, CHICAGO THE MUSICAL is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today’s tabloids. CHICAGO THE MUSICAL will play the Cadillac Palace Theatre May 7-12 starring NFL Legend and Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George as “Billy Flynn,” following a successful limited engagement in the same role on Broadway in 2016.
GUARDIAN MUSIC TRAVEL
Guardian Music Travel is a company that specializes in student group travel across the United States and abroad. This educator founded and operated company provides the finest service in the industry at the best price. The company has thrived using its model of teachers working with the Guardian staff of educators to create custom itineraries and wonderful educational experiences. Guardian’s theatre groups have loved the New York City packages including Broadway shows and workshops with professional and teachers. For more information, visit www.gmgtravel.com.
SOUND, PRODUCTION & LIGHTING
Sound, Production & Lighting (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. https://www.splchicago.com/
ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 19 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.
Broadway In Chicago proudly celebrates 2019 as the Year of Chicago Theatre.
For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
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