Meet the Students of Next on Stage: Jackson Perry Sees Musical Theatre as a Healthy Form of Expression

We're down to our top 10 contestants in our Next on Stage competition.

Contestant Jackson Perry shares more about his charity, what musical theatre means to him, and his go-to Chipotle order!

Check out Jackson's latest performance HERE.

What does musical theatre mean to you?

Musical theatre means a lot of things and by no means is it perfect but musical theatre to me serves as a lens that we can use to view the world in order to uplift, inform, or connect people. For me personally, musical theater was a healthy form of expression that helped me to overcome depression, and I'll always be thankful for that.

What charity did you pick and why?

I chose The Fund For College Auditions. Let's face it, the arts at any level are significantly inaccessible. Often times money, time, and transportation are required to participate in shows, classes, or lessons. This is why the ability to be able to pursue and practice art can be a privilege. The Fund For College Auditions works to make pursuing theatre in college more accessible for a students with diverse backgrounds through support during the college audition process. This process involves travel, audition fees, equipment, coaching, and it can total up to cost thousands of dollars. A students ability to succeed during this process should not be based on their economic circumstance, but on their talent and drive. The Fund For College Auditions is an active change making nonprofit that advocates for the expansion of arts accessibility, which is something near to my heart.

Share a fun fact about yourself!

My Chipotle order is as follows: Bowl with brown rice, black beans, chicken, green salsa, cheese, and lettuce. Chips with green salsa and guacamole on the side. (you should try it!)

After two successful seasons of our virtual singing competition, we're back again by popular demand with the third season of our online musical theatre singing competition for student performers sponsored by The International College of Musical Theatre.

Check out all of the contestants HERE!