Local stars shine bright at high school theater awards
For the 16th year, high school students and programs from four states were awarded for being the best in theater.
The Orpheum High School Music Theatre Awards took place Thursday, May 22, at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Memphis.
(A winners list can be found at the end of this article.)
As a regional awards program, the lead actor and actress winners go on to the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as the Jimmy Awards.
Winners in the lead actor and actress categories are judged separately by a panel. They perform a portion of a song from the show for which they are nominated and a portion of another song that contrasts with that work, then they are interviewed.
Once at the Jimmys, they perform on a Broadway stage following a weeklong theater intensive, which includes coaching and rehearsals with industry professionals in New York. Each award recipient also receives a scholarship.
“They’ll get to make their Broadway debut on a Broadway stage and learn from industry professionals and be seen by agents,” said Lena Wallace Black, who is the Orpheum’s education and engagement manager and oversees the program.