The 2010 Jimmy Awards take their final bows

When we last checked in with the JimmyTM Awards hopefuls, they were still wide-eyed and waiting to make their Broadway debut at the Marquis Theatre in Times Square. As if the previous five days up until this point hadn't provided them with enough of an adrenaline rush, there was no shortage of additional drama (the good kind) as this theater crowd rounded out their final 24 hours together in New York City.

A final meeting before "Places!"
Even before the students retired to the dressing rooms for last-minute hair adjustments or any good luck/anti-jitters rituals, the NHS Musical Theater Awards™ directors hosted a private pre-show awards ceremony for the nominees. In a quiet corner of the Marquis Theatre, NHS Musical Theater Awards President Van Kaplan and Project Director/Choreographer Kiesha Lalama-White offered the group praise for the commitment they displayed during the nearly nonstop rehearsals leading up to the show, and, of course, also gave the nominees a pep-talk for the night ahead. As the participants unwrapped the small gift boxes they each received from the directors, each became the proud new owner of his or her own Jimmy™ Award – a token of appreciation for the unwavering enthusiasm all 44 nominees brought to program. But, for several students, that wasn't the end of the line in receiving accolades before the show began. New this year, in addition to the two Jimmy™ Awards for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress, three awards were given to nominees who exemplified a "star performance" in other aspects of the show. Sarah Schultz (John Raitt Awards for Youth in Fullerton, CA) won the title of "Best Performance in an Ensemble," demonstrating all of the qualities it takes to be a true team player when you're performing in a group setting. Arsalan Akhavan (Shuler Hensley Awards for Excellence in Atlanta, GA) won the title of "Most Improved," after he took his directors' suggestions throughout the week to heart and made sure to incorporate their notes into each performance. Finally, Claire Gerig (Jester Awards in Wichita, KS) won the "Spirit of the Jimmys," in recognition of the passion, hard work, respect and talent she embodied during each part of the NHS Musical Theater Awards™. Curtains up!
After the pre-show festivities wrapped up, the jitters died down and the nominees enjoyed a photo-opportunity with some of the high-profile Broadway names who came to see them perform, it was time for the Jimmy™ Awards to take the stage. Playing to a house packed with their biggest fans - friends and family who’d traveled from as far away as California, Missouri, Texas and elsewhere to see them perform - and, not to mention, number of seasoned “showbiz” professionals, any nerves they may have had going into the show were nowhere to be seen once the orchestra started playing. From start to finish, the group treated the audience to a stellar revue of all things Broadway. They balanced old standards (with an appearance of West Side Story in the opening number, and melodies from South Pacific, Les Miserables, Mame and other favorites throughout the medleys) with contemporary musicals (featuring songs from The Addams Family, American Idiot and In the Heights in their group numbers). They also showcased a "triple-threat" of musical talent, as the students weren't just singing, but often dancing and acting at the same time. This was especially true during the medleys, where the characters from the participants' winning roles came together. In moments such as that when Sweeney Todd, for example, offered consolation to a downtrodden Charlie Brown, or when Rose from Gypsy pushed a youthful Peter Pan away in favor of her own spot center stage, the students (and their directors, who provided the vision for these witty combinations) kept the audience cheering and laughing throughout the whole first act.
While everyone took a brief intermission, the judges met to determine their top Jimmy™ Awards contenders, and as the second act resumed the excitement still showed no signs of stopping. The second act opened with a tribute to Come Fly Away, After all, little did everyone know before the nominees crowded onstage at the top of Act II to hear the finalists' names announced, but the seven judges had decided to offer up their own plot twist for the evening - choosing four male finalists instead of three because of a tie. Once the audience, and the nominees themselves, had gotten over the initial surprise at this change in plans, the four male finalists - Alex Field (Gene Kelly Awards in Pittsburgh, PA), Matt Hill (The Stage's Top Honor Awards in San Jose, CA), John Jorge (Connecticut High School Music Theater Awards in Norwich, CT) and Kyle Selig (Footlighters Scholarship Awards in Long Beach, CA) - and the three female finalists - Alexandria Payne (Shuler Hensley Awards for Excellence in Atlanta, GA), Katie Sapper (The Globe Honors in San Diego, CA) and Stephanie Styles (Tommy Tune Awards in Houston, TX) - each enjoyed their own moment in the spotlight as they performed their solo pieces.

As the nominees stood together on stage, smiling and holding hands after performing their solos, the crowd erupted in applause as Kyle Selig and Alexandria Payne were announced as the winners of the 2010 Jimmy™ Awards for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress. With the awards, they each received a $10,000 check. They also received the opportunity to go through the application process (both academic and artistic) at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts for possible acceptance into the program. If accepted, they will then be eligible for merit and need based scholarships to the program. And even though they'd just won all of the above, Alexandria and Kyle remained impressively poised as they delivered their acceptance speeches – a quality that most likely carried over as they became the subject of plenty of press coverage in the days following the awards. And once the awards presentation wrapped up, the final number closed the evening on the same high note where it began, with a finale song featuring "Good Riddance" by Green Day (traditionally performed as an encore in the musical American Idiot) and "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey (featured in Rock of Ages). Together, the nominees sang, "It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right, I hope you had the time of your life" - and it was clear that these were more than just lines in a song to the 44 new friends who were performing one last time together on stage.Time to celebrate!
The NHS Musical Theater Awards™ weren't all work and no play - and what better way to round out a week of rehearsals, and an unforgettable performance, than with a chance for the entire group to celebrate together? Inside the Broadway Lounge of the Marriot Marquis Hotel, featuring a view of Times Square from above, the nominees spent time with their fellow students, the loved ones who came to see them perform, and even got to speak with the Jimmy™ Awards host Kathie Lee Gifford, judge Montego Glover and other famous names who stopped by the reception. And, after discovering a vacant grand piano in the room, the nominees even gave the party guests an impromtu serenade with a few of their favorite standbys - "Seasons of Love" from RENT, "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John, "Piano Man" by Billy Joel and others.A trip to Telsey + Company
In the final installment of their week in the life of a Broadway professional, the Jimmy™ Awards nominees traveled back uptown near Times Square the next morning to work with the casting professionals at Telsey + Company, led by Bernie Telsey and Rachel Hoffman (who also served as Jimmy™ Awards judges). The group spent the morning experiencing a chance many young actors and actresses would do anything for - the opportunity to participate in a workshop at a casting agency responsible for lining up the performers in a nuimber of shows such as Legally Blonde: The Musical, Memphis and Next to Normal to films such as "Rachel Getting Married" and "Across the Universe." For many of the students, the experience unforgettable and extremely beneficial in giving them even more of a view of the inside of show business.

Now three days removed from the end of the NHS Musical Theater Awards™, many of the participants are likely in the midst of re-adjusting to life in their respective corners of the country. Of course, the transition from dorm living to the comfort of their own rooms and the prospect of relaxing after working round-the-clock for the past week were probably easy to look forward to for the 44 nominees. But the idea of being from the people they'd been working, performing and living with for the past week? Not quite so easy to take. Thankfully, the group is already staying in touch with one another, despite being separated by hundreds (in some cases, thousands) of miles. And as they settle back into their normal routines, some of them may not be on a path toward life in the theater - instead heading off to college in pursuit of another career - but it seems that, no matter where the cast members of the 2010 NHS Musical Theater Awards™ "company" end up, they're planning on maintaining supporting roles in one another's lives for as long as possible.

Less than four hours until top of show!

Bags of rehearsal gear in hand, the 44 participants filed out of the residence halls at New York University just as they had every other morning - though they wouldn't be taking their usual walk to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Instead, they were heading to Broadway. Twenty minutes and more than forty blocks later, they were ready to set up camp inside the Marquis Theatre, where they’d take the stage this evening for the 2010 JimmyTM Awards.

From the second they stepped off of their bus at 10 a.m. and were greeted with the “STAGE DOOR” sign on the theater’s back facade, even the first few moments of their arrival must have felt surreal. Following, literally, in the footsteps of the professional performers who take the stage at the Marquis each night, the group filed through the narrow maze of backstage hallways and staircases until they found their way to their dressing rooms. Soon (after the flashbulbs of plenty of photos taken as the students tried to soak in every minute of this once-in-a-lifetime experience) the spaces would quickly be filled to the brim with costumes and other supplies for the performance tonight, and the students would be ready to take to the stage for rehearsal.

By the time they made their way to the house to begin the final run-throughs, they found some corners of the venue already filled with the show’s production staff, many of whom had settled into their posts before the students had even eaten breakfast. Between the small army of technical experts perfecting the sound and lighting, to the musicians who were already running through the students’ songs, it couldn’t have been more apparent that the show exemplified a “team effort” – one that depended not only on the students’ commitment to their performances, but also the dedication of those working tirelessly behind the scenes.

As if the moments leading up to the rehearsal weren’t impressive enough, the reality of the day fully sunk in once the students stepped into the glow of the Marquis stage. One-by-one, they stepped out onto the floor and immediately turned to gaze out at the seats that would soon be filled with applauding audience members. But rather then bask in his or her own excitement, each student turned to find a new friend close by to share the moment with.

Between smiles and plenty of hugs, the brief moments before rehearsal told as much – if not more – of what the NHS Musical Theater AwardsTM are about than the performance itself. Just as the directors had predicted when they began the week, the students bonded over hours of rehearsals spent learning from professionals, and from each other. And by the time “places” are called and the curtains were about to rise, they’d be ready to take the stage not as 44 students, but as one 2010 NHS Musical Theater AwardsTM company.

What have the nominees been up to?

The 2010 Jimmy Awards arrived in New York City Wednesday night, but just one look at the agenda the group has already gotten through, and you'd hardly believe they've been here for only three days. Between rehearsals, vocal coaching sessions, several visits from theater professionals and even a trip downtown for a night on Broadway, it's been quite a busy schedule! (But an undeniably exciting one at that.) Here's a play-by-play of some highlights from the first half of the week at the 2010 National High School Musical Theater Awards:

Wednesday

Check-In: The NHS Musical Theater Awards crew (44 participants, 22 chaperones and more staff members) began trickling in, after traveling from all corners of the country, to New York City. Over the new few hours, they checked into New York University, met roommates and settled into their new “homes” for the week.

Kicking off the week: A few blocks away, the entire NHS Musical Theater Awards group gathered at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU*. They met other peers – some living just a state next-door and some having made the trek there from the opposite end of the country. But even for their different backgrounds, the directors of the program reassured the group that although they walked through the doors of the rehearsal space as 44 “individuals,” they would leave the week having grown into a company.
*More accurately, the Tisch Building could actually be called the nominees' real "home" during the event. They spend about 14 hours each day at the venue during their time at the program!


Thursday

Morning rehearsals: No time is spared when you’ve got a show to build from scratch in less than one week. Having learned the vocal parts for the opening number Wednesday night, the participants were expected to be ready to keep moving forward first thing the next morning. They ran through the seven-song medley taught to them the night before, staged the entire opening number (a new experience to some of the participants, for whom dancing was unfamiliar territory), worked on the medleys showcasing the roles for which they were nominated for the Jimmy Awards and spent time working on solo pieces with NYU faculty members – all before lunchtime.

Visitors stop by for lunch: After a morning spent rehearsing tirelessly, the nominees were greeted by two special guests at lunchtime who offered them a taste of how the work they’re doing now might pay off for them in the future. Wesley Taylor (The Addams Family, Rock of Ages) and Matt Doyle (Bye Bye Birdie, Spring Awakening) stopped by to talk to the NHS Musical Theater Awards group. For an hour, they offered their own advice and fielded questions about everything from what it’s like to be a part of a professional production to what to do when you’re feeling discouraged by the business. Many of the students said what most stuck with them was the following piece of Matt and Wesley’s advice (helpful in any circumstance, not just musical theater): there will always be others who are more talented or more successful than you, but that it’s important to not get caught up in what others are doing and focus on what you as an individual have to offer.

More rehearsals and solo coaching: Hardly missing a beat, the crew picked right back up where they left off before lunch and spent the afternoon working on their medley numbers and solo pieces. The participants said they appreciated the approach that their coaches brought to the event, treating the high school students like professionals rather than kids.

A trip downtown: The first full day at the NHS Musical Theater Awards wasn't all work, however. Thursday night, the nominees retired early from rehearsals and instead glammed up for a night uptown. Trading out rehearsal attire for their best Broadway-worthy dresses and suits, the participants enjoyed a ride through the city atop a double-decker tour bus (and even treated the passersby on the street to a performance of the tunes they'd rehearsed earlier that day!) On the way to their destination, Memphis, they even took a detour through Times Square, where they enjoyed a photo-op and a chance to take in the the heart of New York City.















Seeing "Memphis" and meeting the cast: The group was abuzz with excitement as they arrived at the Shubert Theatre. And after all, they were seeing Memphis, which had just weeks ago won four of eight awards for which it was nominated at the Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical. Many of the students said they loved the rock'n'roll-driven music and the intensity of the cast's performance. Others admitted that were moved (some to tears) by the compelling performances of the show's stars – one of whom, Montego Glover, would later serve as a judge for the 2010 Jimmy Awards. And even when the curtains closed and the rest of the house left the auditorium, the NHS Musical Theater Awards group got the chance to enjoy a "talk back" with some of the cast members from the show, including Montego Glover and the show's writer, Joe DiPietro, and others.


Friday

Rehearsals, and more rehearsals: A common theme of the NHS Musical Theater Awards is the notion that "you perform how you practice." Appropriately, the group spent its second morning together giving their best efforts to learning and practicing their second all-group number, while they also continued to work with the NYU coaches on their solo pieces. With so many songs to put together by Monday night, the students are undoubtedly doing plenty of multi-tasking!

Another guest visits for lunch: Nicole Adell Johnson (whose performance credits include The Lion King, a film entitled Him and Us and the Lula Washington Dance company) stopped by to give the nominees another perspective life in the theater. She told nominees what it was like to travel with the national tour of The Lion King, talked about how she broke into the business in her twenties and shared other stories of her experiences on- and off-stage. Before she left, Nicole asked all of the nominees to share the role and show for which they were nominated for the Jimmy Awards, and she was excited to see that several of her favorite shows were represented among the group.


Back to rehearsal, this time with costumes: For Friday afternoon's run-throughs, the participants donned all of their outfits for Monday night's show – from the elaborate getups they wore in their high school shows to the matching pieces they'd need for the new Jimmy Awards songs. Then, after a quick "costume parade," it was, of course, back to work. And though they'd been going nearly non-stop since they arrived, the group showed no signs of letting their energy levels drop. Even if they weren't inside the room working with the coaches or directors, the groups took the initiative to practice on their own – turning hallways, lobbies and even the dining room into makeshift rehearsal spaces.

Dinner with NYU Faculty: While the participants enjoyed a break for dinner, they were greeted by another group of guests representing the school they'd been living and working at for the past few days. Chair of the Tisch School of the Arts Department of Drama Elizabeth Bradley, Director of the New Studio on Broadway Kent Gash and Tisch School of the Arts Director of Recruitment Patricia Decker talked about NYU's programs in musical theater and offered additional thoughts on the direction in which musical theater education is heading.

Back to the dorms: By the time their 14-hour day wrapped up, many of the nominees were understandably in need of some down time. Thankfully, the group had a chance to do just that once they got back to their residence hall. The chaperones and staff supplied late-night snacks, and the nominees enjoyed a common room to themselves as they unwound after their first full day of rehearsal.


Saturday

Solo showcase: They'd spent two days honing the pieces they intended to perform for the judges on Sunday, but the group was divided into smaller sections during their coaching sessions, and many hadn't gotten the chance to see each other's individual performances yet. During the showcase, however, the participants not only got the chance to see everyone else's pieces, but also received feedback and one-on-one direction from NHS Musical Theater Awards President Van Kaplan and Project Director and Choreographer Kiesha Lalama-White.

Lunch with another theater professional: In the last installment of the NHS Musical Theater Awards meet-and-greet meals, the participants welcomed Lisa Howard to lunch. Lisa performed on Broadway in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, 9 to 5: The Musical and South Pacific.




Wrapping up the staging for Monday's performance: After almost three days' worth of building the show from start to finish, it was finally time to learn the choreography for the last group numbers of the show. Four hours later, every detail – from the angle of a jazz hand to the exact bounce with which a group walked across the stage – had been taught, and the show was almost complete. But even at this point, their work was far from done. Now that the performers had the numbers in their heads, it was time to make sure the steps they learned really came to life and were ready to light up the Marquis Theatre stage by "places" on Monday night.

...There you have it! An inside look at the schedule of a NHS Musical Theater Awards participant. Make sure to check back for more updates on all of the hard work the students are putting in and all the fun they're having as the Jimmy Awards moves closer and closer to showtime Monday night.

Photo credit: Henry McGee
Click on each photo to see a larger version.

The 2010 National High School Musical Theater Awards begin

This time last year, 32 student performers from 16 regional awards programs gathered for the first-ever National High School Musical Theater Awards. Just 365 days later, and the program has grown to include 44 participants and 22 regional awards programs. And this year’s group is wasting no time getting down to business – just a few hours into the event, and the 2010 NHS Musical Theater Awards are already moving ahead at full speed.

The crowd of budding leading men and women arrived in New York City this afternoon, checked into their dorms at New York University and dashed straight to the Tisch School of the Arts to dive into their work for the week. After a meeting and introduction for everyone in attendance – participants, chaperones, program directors and other staff – and a bite to eat, where they got to know each other a little more, they were ready to go.

The task in front of them? Pull together a full show – complete with an opening number, medleys showcasing each students’ winning performance, another group number and a finale – to be performed in just six days at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway. Of course, it’ll be no easy feat, but this “best of the best” crop of students has already begun bringing the production to life. They’ve started to learn the vocal parts for the show, and tomorrow they’ll begin getting “in-step” with the choreography, too. And just by the enthusiasm with which they’ve brought to the first several hours they’ve been here, the nominees are looking (and sounding) like they’re more than ready to take on this challenge.

It's time to start getting excited

The second-annual National High School Musical Theater Awards will begin in just under six weeks. As regional awards programs are in full swing across many parts of the country, finalists are currently being selected to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime program. The talented students who are chosen for the NHS Musical Theater Awards^TM will arrive in New York City on Wednesday, June 23, 2010, and depart on Tuesday, June 29, 2010. In between they’ll be participating in a week full of exciting master classes, musical theater workshops and, of course, the Jimmy^TM Awards. The awards ceremony, a celebration of all things musical theater, will take place in on Monday, June 28, 2010, at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway.

Don’t worry, though — you won’t have to wait until the end of June to join in on the fun of the NHS Musical Theater Awards^TM. There are plenty of ways for you to gear up for the Jimmy^TM Awards now and stay in the loop on all of the latest news about what’s in store for this year’s event. Become fan of “National High School Musical Theater Awards” on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @JimmyAwards, and invite your friends to do the same. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to stay up-to-date on what’s going on with regional awards programs, new developments surrounding the national program and other exciting news.

But that’s not all. You also have the opportunity to share your performance stories with friends, family and other fans of the Jimmy^TM Awards from across the country. Do you have a show-stopping video from the rehearsals for your school’s show? A photo of the Best Actor or Best Actress from your hometown accepting his or her award at your regional awards program? A creative cast picture? …You can upload photos and videos of your musical theater experiences online at NHSMTA.com. There, you’ll also be able to check out others’ uploads and take a glimpse at some of the snapshots from last year’s Jimmy^TM Awards. Just click the link here to register and start sharing today:

http://nhsmta.com/members/join?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=nhsmta.com&utm_campaign=entry1

So while you’re anxiously awaiting the arrival of this year’s Jimmy^TM Awards, why not stay informed and get connected with others who are as excited about the event as you are? Until June, stay tuned for plenty of updates — and welcome to the Jimmy^TM Awards community!