Gavin Creel, Karen Olivo, Eden Espinosa & More Will Mentor Students at 2016 Jimmy Awards

THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS (NHSMTA)/JIMMY AWARDS have announced the industry coaches for the eighth annual awards ceremony on Monday, June 27th at 7:30PM at the Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street in Manhattan. The six coaches -- GAVIN CREEL, EDEN ESPINOSA, JOSE LLANA, MICHAEL MCELROY, HOWARD MCGILLIN and KAREN OLIVO will mentor the sixty-two high school students from across America as they compete for the Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress. The two-hour talent showcase will feature dynamic ensemble and solo performances and will be hosted by 2016 Tony Award nominee ZACHARY LEVI, currently starring in Roundabout Theatre Company's She Loves Me on Broadway.

NHSMTA nominees will prepare for their Broadway debut during a ten-day professional training intensive with NYU Tisch School of the Arts' New Studio on Broadway faculty members plus other theatre professionals.

GAVIN CREEL is currently starring in the Roundabout Theatre Company's She Loves Me on Broadway. He won the 2014 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his starring role as Elder Price in the London production of The Book of Mormon. He has been twice nominated for a Tony Award--for his performances as Claude in Hair and Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Additional credits include the Broadway productions of The Book of Mormon and the 2004 revival of La Cage Aux Folles.

EDEN ESPINOSA was born and raised in Southern California. She is most recognized for her portrayal of Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked. She has also performed the role of the green witch in both Los Angeles and San Francisco to critical acclaim. Other musical theatre accomplishments include originating the title character in Brooklyn the Musical from the original workshop through its Broadway run, starring as Flora in the Reprise Theater Company's production of Flora the Red Menace, and playing Maureen in the closing company of Rent, the final performance of which was filmed live for Sony, and is available on DVD and Blu-ray.

JOSE LLANA most recently completed his triumphant return as The King of Siam in Lincoln Center's Tony-winning revival of The King & I. Other Broadway credits include Chip Tolentino in William Finn's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, El Gato in Wonderland, Wang Ta in David Henry Hwang's adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song, and Angel in Rent.

MICHAEL MCELROY is a Tony Award nominated, two-time Drama Desk nominee and Grammy nominated artist. On Broadway his credits as an actor include: Miss Saigon, The Who's Tommy, High Rollers, Patti LuPone on Broadway, Rent, Deaf West's revival of Big River, The Wild Party, and Next To Normal. Michael is Head of Vocal Performance in the New Studio on Broadway.

HOWARD MCGILLIN is best known for his record-setting performance in the title role of The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and he has appeared extensively in leading roles on Broadway and London's West End. Seen last season on Broadway in Gigi, his other leading roles on Broadway include The Kiss Of The Spider Woman, She Loves Me, The Secret Garden, Anything Goes (Tony and Drama Desk nominations), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Tony and Drama Desk nominations, received the Theatre World Award), and Sunday in the Park with George. On London's West End, Howard starred in Mack and Mabel and in Anything Goes.

KAREN OLIVO is most recognized for her Tony Award-winning performance as Anita in the acclaimed 2009 Broadway revival of West Side Story, a role for which she also earned Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, and Astaire Award nominations and her role as Cassie Reynolds opposite Kathy Bates on the hit NBC show Harry's Law. Broadway theatre credits include originating the role of Vanessa in the Tony Award-winning musical, In the Heights (2008 Astaire Award), starring as Faith in the Broadway production of Brooklyn The Musical, and in Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning musical, Rent. Additional theatre credits include Murder Ballad at the Manhattan Theatre Club, the Off-Broadway production of By the Way, Meet Vera Stark at 2nd Stage, The Miracle Brothers at the Vineyard Theatre, The Public Theatre's 40th Anniversary concert production of Hair, The Ford Theatre's production of Children of Eden, and the First National Tour of Rent.

Winners will be selected by a panel of judges comprised of notable theatre professionals including Tony Award-winning producers, award-winning casting experts and industry professionals: KENT GASH, RACHEL HOFFMAN, ALECIA PARKER, TARA RUBIN, NICK SCANDALIOS, and KATE SHINDLE. Additional judges who selected the groups in which the students will perform will be PAUL CANAAN, WAYNE CILENTO, KENT GASH, STEPHANIE KLAPPER, and CESAR ROCCA.

Student performers qualify to compete in the national program by winning top honors at regional high school musical theatre awards competitions presented by Broadway League member performing arts centers. Over 1,000 high schools and 50,000 students participate in these annual events. Since its inception in 2009, the NHSMTA has enabled over $1,000,000 in university and conservatory scholarships to be awarded to talented students at the national and local level-several of whom have already been cast in Broadway, Touring and West End productions.

The 2016 National High School Musical Theatre Awards will debut new formatting for the program in order to accommodate more regional awards programs and provide opportunities for more students to experience Broadway and New York City. This year there will be 62 students representing 31 programs, compared to last year's 52 students representing 26 programs. The program will now take place over ten days.

The students will audition before a panel of judges early in the week, singing two prepared songs and participating in a dance call. Based on the audition results, the students will then be split into two groups: The Medley Group and The Production Group, leading up to when all students will perform together in the opening and closing numbers on the Minskoff stage on Monday, June 27th. The groups will work together throughout the week and receive the same amount of coaching. All nominees are eligible for the scholarships and awards.