SMASH Chooses Winning High Schools for 'Make a Musical' Program

After four weeks of online voting at makeamusical.org, five schools emerged as winners of NBC's "Smash" Make a Musical Constructed by Lowe's initiative. The winning schools will each receive a grand prize gift certificate to Lowe's to make renovations to their school theaters.

The winning schools are:

Central Magnet School in Murfreesboro, TN
The school plans to improve the theater house with carpeting and safety lights.

Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies in Tarzana, CA
The school plans to resurface and reface its stage as well as update some of its electric wiring.

Scholars' Academy in Rockaway Park, NY
The school plans to repair the damages from Hurricane Sandy which completely destroyed the stage and materials.

Lawrence High School in Cedarhurst, NY
The school plans to repair the damages from Hurricane Sandy which completely destroyed the space.

Montevideo Middle School in Penn Laird, VA
The school plans to repair its uneven, splintered stage floor.

In March, 30 schools from across the country were selected as finalists from more than 1,800 public and charter school applicants, based on criteria including the need of improvement to the performance space, a demonstrated use of the performance space for arts programming, and an implementation plan for making school theater improvements. The top 30 schools then took the competition online, competing to receive the most online votes for their school at makeamusical.org.

"All of the thirty finalists did an exceptional job of engaging people from all walks of life to support their school. It's compelling to see the public rallying behind students in the arts, and we hope this campaign will encourage more citizens and businesses to find their own unique ways to express their support of schools," says Timothy Allen McDonald, founding chairman of iTheatrics.

To kick off the NBC's "Smash" Make a Musical Constructed by Lowe's initiative, Broadway star and "Smash" cast member Jeremy Jordan joined local Lowe's Heroes employee volunteers, Irwin Contracting, Inc., and volunteers from national nonprofit Rebuilding Together in early February to rebuild and restore East Rockaway High School's theater, which was severely damaged during Hurricane Sandy.

East Rockaway High School was overcome by a tidal surge during Hurricane Sandy, which caused an estimated $10 million worth of damage. The auditorium took on more than four feet of water, which destroyed the stage, theater seating, curtains, props, and flats. Students at East Rockaway were planning to perform the musical Seussical JR. at the beginning of February. Even though their theater wasn't functioning, they performed excerpts from the show on a neighboring school district's stage as a fundraiser to raise additional funds to repair their auditorium.

Last season, NBC's "Smash" Make a Musical created musical theater programs in schools by giving educators and students the tools and training they needed to build self-sustaining programs in under-served schools. The partnership was the catalyst for iTheatrics to produce 170 "Make a Musical" programs in schools across the U.S., with NBC's "Smash" Make a Musical being directly responsible for creating 30 additional musical theater programs. NBC's "Smash" Make a Musical was awarded a 2012 Thalo Critics' Choice Inspiration Award.

"Smash" is a musical drama that celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross-section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire - to be a Broadway star. The series stars Emmy Award winner Debra Messing ("Will & Grace"), Oscar winner Anjelica Huston ("Prizzi's Honor"), Jack Davenport ("Pirates of the Caribbean" films), Tony Award-winner Christian Borle ("Peter and the Starcatcher"), Katharine McPhee ("American Idol"), Megan Hilty ("9 to 5: The Musical"), Tony Award nominee Jeremy Jordan ("Newsies"), Andy Mientus ("Spring Awakening"), Leslie Odom Jr. ("Leap of Faith") and Krysta Rodriguez ("Spring Awakening").

Lowe's supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. The company's signature education grant program, Lowe's Toolbox for Education, has donated more than $34 million to 7,500 K-12 public schools, benefiting more than 4 million schoolchildren. Lowe's Heroes employee volunteers support local community projects and our national nonprofit partners such as Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together and the American Red Cross. In 2012, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $30 million to support communities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility.

Rebuilding Together is a Safe and Healthy Housing organization that believes Community Starts at Home. Our focus provides critical repairs, accessibility modifications, and energy-efficient upgrades to low-income homes and community centers at no cost to service recipients. Our impact extends beyond the individuals served to revitalize and stabilize vulnerable neighborhoods and communities across the country. Our nearly 200 local affiliates complete 10,000 rebuild projects a year thanks to the efforts of about 200,000 volunteers from corporate partners, skilled trade professionals and everyday good citizens. Join us - visit www.RebuildingTogether.org.

iTheatrics uses the transformative power of the arts to make the world a better place. The company adapts existing Broadway and West End musicals for students at all age-including elementary, middle and high school-to perform. In addition, iTheatrics also creates a teacher's tool chest of resources which provides educators with enhancements such as choreography DVDs, accompaniment CDs, director's guides, and curriculum connections. iTheatrics' clients include The Jim Henson Company, Music Theatre International, Disney Theatrical Group, the Roald Dahl Estate and McMillan/McGraw-Hill. Likewise, iTheatrics also develops new musicals for family audiences such as "The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley," "The Phantom Tollbooth" and "Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach." Junior Teaching Intensives from iTheatrics provide professional development for teachers in the area of musical theater and its Junior Theater Academy provides young artists with an innovative outlet for developing their skills as performers and artists.