The Jimmy Awards, which honors the best in high school theatre, will be presented on June 25, 2018. This year’s ceremony (the 10th annual) will stream live on Facebook from Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre at 7:30 PM. Hosted by Tony Award-winner Laura Benanti (Gypsy), with support from 2017 Tony Award-winning Best Musical Dear Evan Hansen and Wells Fargo, the livestream will also include special content for those watching online.
“We’re so thrilled to invite fans from all over the world to watch as Broadway’s next generation dazzles and inspires everyone at The Jimmy Awards,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League. “We thank Dear Evan Hansen and Wells Fargo for their help with this livestream event. If you sang along to Glee, you’re going to love this show!”
Presented by the Broadway League Foundation, The Jimmy Awards will include 80 participants from 40 regional programs across the country. Nominees will compete for the coveted Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress. There will also be some special appearances by some of Broadway’s brightest performers, helping to usher in the next generation of theatre artists.
“I’m so honored that Dear Evan Hansen is able to help bring the Jimmy Awards to new audiences for the first time via the livestream,” Dear Evan Hansen producer Stacey Mindich said. “Providing theatre programs in schools is so important, and the Jimmy Awards do such a brilliant job celebrating those programs and the talent that comes out of them. This feels like a perfect partnership for Dear Evan Hansen, since young people connect to the show in such a profound way.”
Theatrical learning and mentoring does not happen in a vacuum. The Inspiring Teacher Award, presented by Wells Fargo, will be bestowed on Janine Papin, Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park, Florida and Nadine Love, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, Florida for “the encouragement and inspiration that led their students to win the coveted 2017 Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor.”
Presented by the Broadway League Foundation in honor of Broadway producer/theatre owner James M. Nederlander, the Jimmy Awards celebrates performances from theatre students in high schools from all over the country. Founded in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances LLC, Pittsburgh CLO, and Broadway Education Alliance (BEA), the mission of the Jimmy Awards/National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA) is to raise the profile of musical theatre in schools, recognize dedicated teachers, and inspire the next generation of performers and enthusiasts.
Mark Robinson is the author of the two-volume encyclopedia The World of Musicals and maintains a theater and entertainment blog at markrobinsonwrites.com.