Feature: City Springs Theatre Conservatory Recognizes 2026 National High School Award Winner Jake James
The 2026 National High School Musical Theatre Awards (aka “Jimmy Awards”) were recently held at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre in NYC. Each year, top “Broadway-bound” high school students from across the country are recognized for their burgeoning talent. One of them, Jake James, is a senior student in the City Springs Theatre Company’s Conservatory program, the arts education component of the City Springs Theatre Company (CSTC).
James, a rising senior at Milton High School, went viral after receiving the Best Performance by an Actor Award at the annual “Jimmys,” in late June. He was also gifted with a $25,000 scholarship toward his future education. The Jimmy Awards brings together winners of regional high school theatre awards to showcase the nation’s top high school musical theatre talent.
Just days after winning the Jimmy Award (and appearing live on Good Morning America), James appeared in the City Springs Theatre Conservatory’s production of Guys and Dolls in the iconic role of Nathan Detroit. The four-performance run was Conservatory's annual high school summer musical, attended by more than 2,700 theatregoers, and featured a cast of more than 40 area students. Guys and Dolls was directed by Broadway veterans Kristine Reese (Les Misérables) and Billy Tighe (Pippin, The Heart of Rock and Roll).
“Guys and Dolls was an impressive showcase of the extraordinary talent within our Conservatory program,” said Natalie DeLancey, Executive Director of City Springs Theatre Company. “From the singers, dancers, and actors commanding the stage, to the technical theatre students helping bring the world of the show to life behind the scenes, this production represented the very best of arts education in action.”
Earlier this year, James won the top award of Best Leading Actor at the Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards (also known as The Shuler Awards) which sent him to the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in NYC. The Shuler Awards’ namesake is Tony Award® winner Shuler Hensley. Born and raised in Marietta, GA, Hensley serves as the Artistic Director of City Springs Theatre Company.
City Springs Theatre Company (CSTC) is dedicated to entertaining, educating, and enriching lives by creating world-class entertainment experiences and innovative arts education programs that drive cultural and economic vitality. Through musical theatre productions that utilize the talents of local and national artists, CSTC provides Broadway-quality entertainment to the diverse Atlanta populace, helping to establish Sandy Springs, Georgia, as a growing cultural center. City Springs Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, led by Natalie DeLancey as executive director, and Tony Award®-winner and Atlanta native Shuler Hensley as artistic director. To date, CSTC has served over 320,000 patrons and 150,000 students through its mainstage musicals and educational programs. For tickets and more information call 404-477-4365 or visit www.CitySpringsTheatre.com.
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