I picked this topic to write about because I was so impressed with a wonderful YouTube that I found.

 I hope you all will take a moment to watch it.

 These kids are amazing and just watch their faces and the joy they receive because of music!

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The 11th annual Jimmy Awards ceremony was presented last night, June 24 at 7:30PM at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre in New Your City.  The two-hour talent showcase featured dynamic ensemble and solo performances and was hosted by Tony Award winner Ben Platt.

The Jimmy Awards is a national musical theatre program that brings high school students to New York City for a nine-day professional and  intensive workout. It culminates in a performance on the Minskoff stage where the nominees compete for the honor of Best Actor and Best Actress.

Students are selected to compete by winning their regional high school musical theatre awards programs – over 1,700 high schools across the country participate in these regional events annually.

I found the following information about The Jimmy Awards at their website:

NHSMTA®, otherwise known as The National High School Musical Theatre Awards®, was established in 2009 by Pittsburgh CLO and Nederlander Alliances, a division of The Nederlander Organization, to elevate the importance of theatre arts education in schools and reward excellence in student performance. The program impacts over 100,000 students annually who participate in high school musical theatre competitions sponsored by forty professional theatres throughout the US.

One of the founders of  The Jimmy Awards is Pittsburgh CLO. They have been a driving force behind the preservation, creation, and promotion of live musical theatre since 1946. As one of the largest regional musical theater organizations in the United States, Pittsburgh CLO is fortunate for the support of nearly 200,000 patrons each year. In addition to producing fresh new productions of Broadway classics, the not-for-profit’s mission is to develop new works and showcase new talent. The organization’s dedication to the musical theater art form extends beyond its main-stage season with the CLO Cabaret Theater, the Pittsburgh CLO Academy of Musical Theater, the Construction Center for the Arts, and the acclaimed Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater, the first of its kind in the country.

Since Clay Aiken just participated in the Pitts -CLO production of Grease, it was exciting to see that he was with one of the top theater organizations in the states.

In 2018,  Andrew Barth Feldman was a top winner.  Last June, he was competing in the Jimmys which he won. The lead producer of “Dear Evan Hansen”  happened to be in the audience. According to The New York Times:

She knew immediately she wanted him for the show, and on Jan. 30, he assumed the title role, playing Broadway’s favorite socially anxious and ethically confused adolescent.

This year, out of the 86 nominees who competed in The Jimmy Awards, Ethan Kelso won the award for Best Performance by an Actor and Ekele Ukegbu won the award for Best Performance by an Actress.  I think we might hear their names again…soon.

The following is the wonderful video of the 2019 kids and the 2018 winner, Andrew Barth Feldman.

I hope you will let me know if you like the youtube.  Just leave a quick thought on a comment!