JIMMYS BLOG: Amelia Beckham- It Runs in the Family

This year, a record 80 high school students from across America will participate in The Jimmy Awards, competing for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress as well as other honors and scholarships at the tenth annual awards ceremony on Monday, June 25.

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 1,500 high schools and 100,000 students participate in these annual events.

BroadwayWorld is bringing you the inside scoop on this year's Jimmy Awards with student blogger Amelia Beckham- a nominee from Memphis' Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards. Earlier this year, she won the title of Best Leading Actress in a Musical for his portrayal of Millie Dillmount in Evangelical Christian School's Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Read Amelia's second entry below! Click here to read more!

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I've been told that the Jimmy's are like a summer musical theatre camp on steroids. That the program is incredibly intense, yet one of the most incredible weeks of any young actor's life. I expect this week to be challenging, but I hope that rather than shrinking from fear of failure that I will embrace the difficulties and try anyway.

I am not the only one in my family that caught the theatre bug. My sister, Bethany, introduced me to this magical world, and she had the privilege to attend the 2014 Jimmy's for her portrayal as the Witch in Into the Woods. Not only did I get to take my very first trip to NYC, but I got to see my sister make her Broadway debut in front of thousands of people.

Needless to say, when I realized I was chosen to represent Memphis at the Jimmy awards, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Now I am the one on stage doing what I love, and my sister will be in the audience cheering me on.

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Check back later as Amelia's journey to the Jimmys continues!

Tony Award Winner Laura Benanti will host the presentation which will take place on Monday, June 25th at 7:30PM at the Minskoff Theatre,200 West 45th Street in Manhattan. The 10th annual Jimmy® Awards ceremony will be streamed Live in its entirety on Facebook with support from 2017 Tony Award winning Best Musical Dear Evan Hansen and Wells Fargo.

Founded in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances LLC, Pittsburgh CLO, and Broadway Education Alliance (BEA), the mission of the Jimmy Awards/National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA) is to raise the profile of musical theatre in schools, recognize dedicated teachers, and inspire the next generation of performers and enthusiasts. Since the inception of the program, participating students have earned over $2,000,000 in university and conservatory scholarships. Several student participants have already been cast in Broadway, Touring and West End productions.