Jimmy Awards to Broadcast Red Carpet & Final Awards Announcements on Facebook

The eighth annual National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA)/JIMMY AWARDS will be held on Monday, June 27, 2016, at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway. 62 high school students from across America will compete for the Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress. This year, for the first time ever, the pre-event red carpet and the awards presentation will be streamed live on Facebook.

Viewers should go to The National High School Musical Theatre Awards Facebook page, Facebook.com/NHSMTA beginning at 6:00pm NYC time for pre-show coverage and interviews. Stay tuned to the NHSMTA Facebook page for exact timing of the Awards Presentation, which is scheduled to take place after 9:30pm NYC time.

The Facebook Livestream will be in two parts. The first part begins at 6:00pm during the pre-show "red carpet" experience, hosted by 2015 JimmyTM Award winner Marla Louissaint. She will interview the nominees in groups. Then, Sirius XM Radio's Julie James will interview our panel of coaches, judges, and presenters.

In addition to the pre-event festivities, the awards presentation will also be streamed live, including speeches from this year's winners. This will be a separate livestream, beginning at approximately 9:30pm, after the conclusion of the students' performances.

"Every year we receive requests from family and friends back home who want to watch what is going on in New York. Until the National High School Musical Theatre Awards are broadcast nationwide, a FACEBOOK LIVESTREAM is a great start!," said Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League. "These awards inspire young performers that it is possible to have a career in theatre. Our host, presenters, judges, and coaches work on Broadway; many of them began by participating in their own high school programs."

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.

NHSMTA nominees are in the midst of preparing 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.

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. Presenters include: Drew Gehling (currently starring in Waitress), Lena Hall (2014 Tony Award-winner for Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Zainab Jah (most recently in Eclipsed), Marc Kudisch (Finding Neverland) and Bianca Marroquin (currently starring in Chicago).

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: Paul Canaan, Wayne Cilento, Kent Gash, Stephanie Klapper, and CESAR ROCCA.

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 auditioned before a panel of judges earlier in the week, singing two prepared songs and participating in a dance call. Based on the audition results, the students were 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.

Founded in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances LLC, Pittsburgh CLO, and Broadway Education Alliance (BEA), NHSMTA's mission is to raise the profile of musical theatre in schools, recognize dedicated teachers and inspire the next generation of performers and enthusiasts. Also known as The Jimmy Awards, in honor of legendary Broadway producer/theatre owner James M. Nederlander, the NHSMTA is supported by many leading theatre industry organizations. More information about the National High School Musical Theatre Awards can be found at NHSMTA.COM.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting NHSMTA.COM or TICKETMASTER.COM and range from $39 to $89. Premium seats are $250.

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