Ryan McCartan Hosts 2014 Jimmy Awards Tonight

The National High School Musical Theater Awards (NHSMTA) previously announced that 56 high school students from across America will compete for the coveted Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress, at the 6th annual presentation at the Minskoff Theatre tonight, June 30. Ryan McCartan, 2011 Jimmy Award winner, will host the 2-hour talent showcase that features dynamic ensemble and solo performances. McCartan recently starred as JD in the Off-Broadway hit musical, Heathers, appears regularly as Diggy in Liv & Maddie on the Disney Channel, and is a recurring character on the USA Network's Royal Pains. The event will be held at the Minskoff Theatre (200 W. 45th St) and begins at 7:30 pm. Tickets, which range from $39-$175, are on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

Student performers qualified to compete in the national program by winning top honors at 28 regional high school musical awards competitions presented by Broadway League member performing arts centers. Over 1,500 high schools and 60,000 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 finalists will prepare for their Broadway debut during a five-day professional training intensive with NYU Tisch School of the Arts' New Studio on Broadway faculty members Andréa Burns, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Adam Kantor, Julia Murney, and Anthony Rapp plus other theater professionals. Winners will be selected by a panel of industry experts includingScott Ellis (multi-Tony Award®-nominated director); Kent Gash (New Studio on Broadway, NYU Tisch School of the Arts Department of Drama); Rachel Hoffman (Telsey + Company);Arielle Tepper Madover (Tony Award-winning producer); Tara Rubin (Tara Rubin Casting), and Nick Scandalios (Nederlander Organization)

Founded in 2009, NHSMTA's mission is to raise the profile of musical theater in schools, recognize dedicated teachers and inspire the next generation of performers and enthusiasts. Alsoknown as The Jimmy™ Awards in honor of legendary Broadway producer/theater owner James M. Nederlander, the NHSMTA is produced by the Broadway Education Alliance and supported by many leading theater industry organizations including The Broadway League, BWF (Weissler) Foundation, Disney Theatrical Productions, Jujamcyn Theatres, Music Theatre International, Nederlander Organization, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Pittsburgh CLO, Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, Samuel French Library, Shubert Organization, Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc., Ticketmaster and others. To learn more about the National High School Musical Theater Awards and/or to make a donation to the program, please visitnhsmta.com.

The 2014 National High School Musical Theater Awards participating theater organizations and their Nominees:

City, State	Professional Theater	Regional Awards Program	Best Actor Nominee	Best Actress Nominee
Atlanta, GA	Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Foundation	Georgia High School Musical Theater Awards Shuler Hensley Awards	Rubin Barksdale	Jai'Len Josey
Charlotte, NC	Blumenthal Performing Arts	The Blumey Awards	Mekhai Lee	Ashlyn Uribe
Chicago, IL	Broadway In Chicago	The Illinois High School Musical Theater Awards	Jonah Rawitz	Julia Lindsey Whitcomb
Dallas, TX	Dallas Summer Musicals, Inc.	DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards	Matthew Haught	Kaycee Murto
Denver, CO	Denver Center Attractions	The Bobby G. Awards	Conner Kingsley	Abigail Noble
Des Moines, IA	Des Moines Performing Arts	Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards	Jeffrey Laughrun	Aliya Ryan
Durham, NC	Durham Performing Arts Center	Triangle Rising Star Awards	Matthew Washington	English Bernhardt
East Lansing, MI	Wharton Center for Performing Arts	Wharton Center Ovation Awards	Jamie Colburn	Emily Hadick
Hershey, PA	Hershey Theatre	Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards	Brendan McAlester	Rachael Robertson
Houston, TX	Theatre Under The Stars	Tommy Tune Awards	Nyles Washington	Emily Michele Lewis
Kansas City, MO	Kansas City Starlight Theatre	Blue Star Awards	Samuel Long	Maddie Roberts
Las Vegas, NV	The Smith Center	The Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards	Issac Arnett	Brooke Solan
Logan, UT	Magic Space	Utah High School Musical Theater Awards	Matthew Richards	Aitana Alapa
Los Angeles, CA	Pantages Theatre (Broadway LA)	The Jerry Herman Awards	Joshua Velez	Ayla Stackhouse
Madison, WI	Overture Center for the Arts	The Tommy Awards	Jonathan Turner	Sophia Tzougros
Memphis, TN	The Orpheum Theatre	Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards	Maclean Mayers	Bethany Beckham
Millburn, NJ	Paper Mill Playhouse	Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards	Keenan Buckley	Emma Magbanua
Mission Viejo, CA	McCoy Rigby Entertainment	The M.A.C.Y. Awards	Shane Satterfield	D'Arcy Green
New York, NY	Camp Broadway	Camp Broadway Gershwin Awards	Steven Ryan Telsey	Sarah Liddy
Norwich, CT	The Spirit of Broadway Theater	Connecticut High School Musical Theater Awards	Michael Hudak	Jillian Caillouette
Omaha, NE	Omaha Performing Arts Center	Nebraska High School Theatre Awards	David T. Beran	Deanna Richard
Pittsburgh, PA	Pittsburgh CLO	Pittsburgh CLO Gene Kelly Awards	Ryan Borgo	Marnie Quick
Rochester, NY	Rochester Broadway Theatre League	Stars of Tomorrow	Alvis Green, Jr.	Maureen Edwards
San Antonio, TX	Las Casas Foundation	Las Casas Performing Arts Scholarship Competition	Aaron Taylor	Aria Braswell
San Diego, CA/Tucson, AZ	Broadway/San Diego Broadway in Tucson	The Ben Vereen Awards	Jonathan Norwood	Aubree Bouché
San Jose, CA	Broadway San Jose	Greater California High School Musical Honors	Tyler Alexander Reynolds	Abby McLachlan
Seattle, WA	5th Avenue Theatre	The 5th Avenue Awards	Eli Wills	Madison Willis
Tampa, FL	Straz Center for the Performing Arts	Broadway Star of the Future	Nathanael Hicks	Staci Stout

BROADWAY EDUCATION ALLIANCE (BEA) is a 501.c3 organization that serves as an independent catalyst for the development and implementation of national programs that serve local performing arts organizations and support theatre arts education and cultural studies for audiences of all ages. The National High School Musical Theater Awards is the organization's first national coalition presented to inspire creativity, build confidence, and stimulate critical thinking in American's youth. For more information, visit www.BroadwayEducationAlliance.org.

NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATER AWARDS (NHSMTA)/JIMMY™ AWARDS was founded in 2009 by Pittsburgh CLO and Nederlander Alliances LLC, under the leadership of James L. Nederlander, and is produced by the Broadway Education Alliance in association with Pittsburgh CLO. The program promotes the importance of theater arts programming in high schools, provides educational scholarships and creates a pathway for promising young performers to pursue a career in the professional theater industry. For more information, visit www.nhsmta.com.

NYU TISCH SCHOOL OF THE ARTS DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA integrates a combination of rigorous professional theatre training and broad-ranging academic education. In partnership with some of the country's foremost professional theatre training institutions, the program offers comprehensive theatre courses in acting, directing, musical performance, design, and theatre production. The program also offers an expansive and innovative academic curriculum. The faculty is composed of nationally and internationally recognized theatre artists, scholars, and theorists. The curriculum is further enriched by required courses in the humanities and social sciences. An extensive internship program connects students to the professional theatre community of New York City. The program is complemented by challenging and innovative productions that welcome guest artists from a range of culture and artistic perspectives. Graduates of the program include Alec Baldwin '94, Kristen Bell '02, Raúl Esparza '92, Philip Seymour Hoffman '89, Bryce Dallas Howard '03, Felicity Huffman '88, Dan Jinks '85, Moisés Kaufman '89, John Leguizamo '83, Michael Longoria '02, Idina Menzel '93, Molly Shannon '87, and Chandra Wilson '91.