Wake Up With BroadwayWorld June 20, 2026
Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is June 20, 2026 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours:
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Good Morning, BroadwayWorld!
Welcome to Wake Up with BroadwayWorld! Here's what you missed yesterday:
The spotlight is on some incredible talent and productions! The 17th Annual Jimmy Awards are coming up at the Minskoff Theatre, featuring 116 of the nation's most talented high school musical theatre nominees—and we've got videos of all the opening numbers from ceremonies past. Meanwhile, Black Women on Broadway, founded by powerhouse artists including Amber Iman, Jocelyn Bioh, and Danielle Brooks, continues to make waves as a thriving community dedicated to mentorship and professional development.
In our Must Watch section, Jin Ha shares how Hamilton prepared him for boxing scenes in the new season of Sugar, and we have an inspiring conversation with The Outsiders' Caleb Mathura about his incredible journey to Broadway.
Plus, casting announcements include Aniya Thompson making her Off-Broadway debut in Heathers the Musical, and don't miss the 2026 Jimmy Awards streaming Monday at 7:30pm ET!
Have a fantastic day, and we'll see you bright and early tomorrow!
But first...
| Today's Call Sheet |
| Coming Up |
| The Front Page |
 Video: Watch All 16 Jimmy Awards Opening Numbers The nation's most talented teens will gather at the Minskoff Theatre to perform at the 17th Annual Jimmy Awards! This year, 116 nominees, coming from 58 high school musical theatre awards competitions across the US will compete for the ultimate prizes of Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor award, as well as other honors and scholarships. It took years for the Jimmy Awards to grow as big as they are today.Watch videos of all 16 opening numbers from ceremonies past, starting with 2009, which featured just 32 students. |
 Art as Activism on Broadway: Meet the Trailblazers Behind Black Women on Broadway At a time when stories are being challenged, erased, and reimagined in real time, the communities most impacted are often cared for the least, with few industry spaces designed specifically for their support. In 2020, three powerhouse theater artists and Tony Award nominees, Amber Iman, Jocelyn Bioh, and Danielle Brooks, set out to change that. What began as a desire to celebrate Black women working in theater has grown into Black Women on Broadway (BWOB), a thriving community dedicated to mentorship, recognition, wellness, and professional development for Black women working both onstage and behind the scenes. |
| Must Watch |
 Video: How HAMILTON Prepared Jin Ha for Boxing Scenes in SUGARby Josh Sharpe Proof's Jin Ha, along with his co-star Raymond Lee, shared how they prepared to play boxers in the new season of Sugar. Check out the full conversation with the actors in the video interview.. (more...) | |
 Video: Staying Gold with THE OUTSIDERS' Caleb Mathuraby Robert Bannon BroadwayWorld is thrilled to welcome one of Broadway's newest rising stars, Caleb Mathura! Fresh off an incredible journey that has taken him from the National Tour of The Notebook to the Broadway company of the Tony Award-winning smash hit The Outsiders, Caleb joins Robert Bannon for an inspiring and candid conversation about achieving a dream years in the making. Watch in this video.. (more...) |
| Hot Photos |
 HEATHERS THE MUSICAL to Welcome Aniya Thompson as Martha Dunnstock in Off-Broadway Debutby A.A. Cristi Aniya Thompson will make her Off-Broadway debut as Martha Dunnstock in HEATHERS THE MUSICAL at New World Stages, replacing Erin Morton, who received Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Award nominations for the role.. (more...) | |
 GOING AWAY PARTY to Play IRT Theater as Part of Alab Theater Festivalby A.A. Cristi Lydia Riess's surreal dark comedy GOING AWAY PARTY, directed by Vivian Farahani and starring Fiona Tarses, Madison Hu, and Felix Teich, will perform at IRT Theater in NYC's West Village as part of the Alab Theater Festival.. (more...) | |
 A TIMELESS PRINCESS to Make World Premiere at Royal Hawaiian Theater in Waikīkīby A.A. Cristi A TIMELESS PRINCESS, an original musical inspired by Princess Kaʻiulani, will premiere at the historic Royal Hawaiian Theater in Waikīkī, featuring a present-day Marine transported to 1898 Hawaiʻi.. (more...) |
| Around the Broadway World |
by Josh Sharpe
Proof's Jin Ha, along with his co-star Raymond Lee, shared how they prepared to play boxers in the new season of Sugar. Check out the full conversation with the actors in the video interview.. (more...)
Interview: 'My Father's Choreography Has A Clear Sense Of Ceremony': Set Designer Charlotte MacMillan on Revisiting A SLEEPING BEAUTY
by Aliya Al-Hassan
Ahead of English National Ballet’s performances of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s The Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Albert Hall, set designer Charlotte MacMillan discusses drawing on centuries of theatre design, using projection to create a sleeping palace suspended in time, and what it means to help bring her father’s celebrated production to a new generation of audiences.. (more...)
Video: PLEASE UNDERESTIMATE ME Trailer Debuts for Olney Theatre Center World Premiere
by Robert Diamond
A trailer for PLEASE UNDERESTIMATE ME, the autobiographical one-woman show starring Carla Hall, is now available ahead of its world premiere run at Olney Theatre Center.. (more...)
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See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!"Today's Quote"-show name |
by Team BWW
Today's BroadwayWorld Daily Word Game is now live - can you guess today's word or phrase? The solution can be any theatre related word or phrase - a show title, performer, recognizable lyrical phrase, and more.. (more...)
Video: Watch the 2026 Jimmy Awards- Monday at 7:30pm ET
by Nicole Rosky
116 of the most talented high schoolers in the country will take the stage at the Minskoff Theatre for the 17th Annual Jimmy Awards. The 2026 ceremony will stream for free online through Thursday evening, June 25th. Tune in at 7:30pm ET to watch live!. (more...)
SIX Star Olivia Donalson Takes Us Inside the Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth Concert
by Michael Major
Olivia Donalson is taking over our Instagram to take audiences inside the 6th annual Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth concert! The SIX star will be performing in today's event, also with cast members from CATS: The Jellicle Ball, Hamilton, and more.. (more...)
Review: MEAT CUTE, The Other Palace
by Cindy Marcolina
Turning 30 has always been portrayed by the media as a dead end, especially for women. Say goodbye to the ingénue, you need to have your life together now. Meg Travers and Laura Kirman think about it differently. They put on a romp of a show, a relatable two-hander that celebrates womanhood and all the nightmares that come with becoming a fully fledged adult. It’s genuine, no-filter, all-female, thought-provoking fun. Directed by Nancy Zamit, Kirman and Travers introduce two characters you want to be friends with.. (more...)
HEATHERS THE MUSICAL Announces London And Tour Cast
by Marissa Faith Curley
Producers Bill Kenwright Ltd and Paul Taylor-Mills haved announce Westerberg High’s Class of 2026. Casting for Veronica Sawyer will be revealed at West End Live. Louis Hearsey (I Was a Teenage She-Devil) will play Jason ‘J.D.’ Dean.. (more...)
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