RBTL's Stars Of Tomorrow NYC Bound Competition Winners Selected!

The Rochester Broadway Theatre League (RBTL) is pleased to announce that it will join other professional theater organizations from across the country participating in the eleventh annual presentation of "The Jimmy Awards", to be held in New York City on June 24th at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway. The National High School Musical Theater Awards (NHSMTA), founded and produced by Nederlander Presentations, Inc. and Pittsburgh CLO, is a national celebration of outstanding student achievement that recognizes individual artistry in vocal, dance and acting performances by high school students. "The Jimmy Award" is named in honor of James M. Nederlander, legendary Broadway theater owner and producer.

To participate in the National High School Musical Theater Awards, professional theaters are required to be a member of 'The Broadway League', the National Alliance of Musical Theater or the Theatre Communications Group. Each organization agrees to sponsor two student representatives, namely their local winners of the "Leading Actor" and "Leading Actress" categories, in the national competition in New York City. RBTL's 21st annual Stars of Tomorrow ceremony was held on Thursday, May 16th, 2019. 43 of the students recognized for their roles competed on May 23rd, 2019 at the Auditorium Theatre in a NHSMTA Local Competition (Stars of Tomorrow NYC Bound), for the chance to represent Rochester, NY in the NHSMTA National Competition in New York City.

The 43 local students were; Aidan Eddy (Greece Odyssey Academy), Allison Evans (Livonia High School), Aubrey Bagley (Marcus Whitman Central School District), Benjamin Mury (Pittsford Mendon High School), Brianna Houser (Sodus Jr/Sr/ High School), Christopher Bunk (Churchville-Chili High School), Cole Parker (Victor High School), Damon Fletcher (Mynderse Academy), Daniel Mares (Sodus Jr/Sr High School), Domenique D'Amico (Greece Athena High School), Dominic Lombardo (Wayne Central High School), Enoch Martin (Albion High School), Genna Elliott (Penn Yan Academy), Hailey Grasso (Le Roy Jr/Sr High School), Holden Dorr (Midlakes High School), Isa Antonetti (Pittsford Mendon High School), Jack D'Angelo (Warsaw Central Middle/High School), Jacob Stitely (Campbell-Savona Central School), Jacqui Thompson (Aquinas Institute of Rochester), Jake Alvares (Eastridge High School), Jarrett Heubusch (Warsaw Central Middle/High School), Jessica D'Amico (Greece Athena High School), Josh Boily (Greece Athena High School), Kaylie Barbosa (Gananda High School), Kendra Ellison (Campbell-Savona Central School), Kenzie Shoemaker (Wayne Central High School), Liliana Loughin (Geneseo Central School), Madison Yearsley (Mynderse Academy), Matthew Capel (Geneseo Central School), Memphis Lohnes (Marcus Whitman Central School District), Mia Hall (Eastridge High School), Michael Hamill (Marion Centeral School), Natalie Leclair (Pittsford Sutherland High School), Nate Grammatico (Albion High School), Noah Detar (Penn Yan Academy), Paige Steffen (Wayne Central High School), Rebecca Frail (Avon Central School District), Sarah Valincourt (Greece Odyssey Academy), Savannah Devlin (Eastridge High School), Shannon Beel (Pittsford Mendon High School), Sofia Fragnito (Greece Odyssey Academy), Trinity Fanaro (Warsaw Central Middle / High School),and Xachary Carr (Le Roy Jr/Sr High School).

A panel of judges adjudicated the competition, including; Jessica Vosk, Broadway Actress who was most recently seen on Broadway as Elphaba in Wicked, John Bolton, a Le Roy native who just completed a 2-year run starring as Vlad in Broadway's Anastasia, and Don Kot, Resident Music Director and Affiliate Artist at Geva Theatre Center.

Each student was asked to prepare 3 vocal selections to perform in up to three rounds of cuts. At the end of the local competition, Mia Hall (Eastridge High School) and Jack D'Angelo (Warsaw Centeral Middle/High School) were chosen to represent Rochester at the 2019 National High School Musical Theatre Awards. At the NHSMTA national competition in NYC, two grand-prize winners will be selected by a panel of experts following five days of musical theater rehearsals, master classes, private coaching and interviews with theater professionals. Based on their skill level and professional goals, students are eligible for college scholarships, professional internships, career coaching and opportunities for auditions. In 2011, Wayne Central's Shauni Ruetz made Rochester proud, winning the national "Jimmy Award".

For more information on the NHSMTA national program and the Jimmy Awards, including other participating theatres nationwide, visit https://www.jimmyawards.com/. For more information on the Stars of Tomorrow program or the NHSMTA Local Competition/Stars of Tomorrow NYC Bound, please contact RBTL's Director of Education, Holly Valentine at holly@rbtl.org or visit www.rbtl.org