Two of Overture's Tommy Awards Recipients Headed to 2017 Jimmy Awards

Out of 29 students auditioning 'Outstanding Leading Performer' Tommy Award recipients, two were selected to advance to the National High School Musical Theater Awards (NHSMTA), also known as The Jimmy Awards, held in New York City on Monday, June 26th at 7:30PM.

Jessica Minter | Senior at Craig High School in Janesville, Wis.
- Received two 'Outstanding Leading Performance' Tommy Awards this year: Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel - Janesville School District - summer program 2016; The Witch in Into the Woods - Craig High School

Max Pink | Junior at Shorewood High School in Milwaukee, Wis.
- Received one 'Outstanding Leading Performance' Tommy Awards this year: Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Minter and Pink will be two of 74 high school students from 37 regional awards programs across America competing for the Jimmy for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress at the ninth annual presentation. The talent showcase will feature dynamic ensemble and solo performances at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street in Manhattan.

Hosting the ninth annual Jimmy Awards ceremony is stage and screen star Ben Platt, currently starring on Broadway in Dear Evan Hansen.

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 1,000 high schools and 50,000 students participate in these annual events. Since its inception in 2009, the NHSMTA has enabled over $1,000,000 in university and conservatory scholarships to be awarded to talented students at the national and local level-several of whom have already been cast in Broadway, Touring and West End productions.

"I am blessed and humbled to represent Overture Center's Tommy Awards in New York City, which has been a goal of mine for the last three years and is a dream come true," commented Jessica Minter. "The possibility of my going to college to pursue a career in musical theater wasn't realized until I began performing at Overture Center, but they inspired me to follow my dreams. Throughout the journey, they have taught me so many skills and lessons to help me in my future endeavors, and this opportunity is another indicator that I have found my place in this world and what I am meant to do."

NHSMTA nominees will prepare for their debut on a Broadway stage during a ten-day professional training intensive with NYU Tisch School of the Arts' New Studio with Broadway faculty members plus other theatre professionals. Winners will be selected by a panel of industry experts.

Founded in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances LLC, Pittsburgh CLO, and Broadway Educational Alliance (BEA), NHSMTA's mission is to raise the profile of musical theatre in schools, recognize dedicated teachers and inspire the next generation of performers and enthusiasts. Also known as The Jimmy Awards, in honor of legendary Broadway producer/theatre owner James M. Nederlander, the NHSMTA is supported by many leading theatre industry organizations. More information about the National High School Musical Theatre Awards can be found at JimmyAwards.com.

The Broadway League conducts the program through The Broadway League Foundation, which acts as its philanthropic arm. Part of the Foundation's mission is to enlighten and increase the public's knowledge, appreciation and awareness of the theatrical arts, and since its founding in 1993 has supported several projects to help preserve Broadway's heritage and introduce new audiences to Broadway theatre. The Foundation is a corporation organized under the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law of the State of New York, the purposes of which are exclusively charitable as defined in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

THE BROADWAY LEAGUE (Charlotte St. Martin, President), founded in 1930, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League's 700-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers who present in nearly 200 markets in North America. Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 30 million people in New York and on tour across the U.S. and Canada. The Broadway League has recently added a new category for International membership to collaborate with professionals from around the world who produce and present Broadway quality theatre. The Broadway League annually co-presents the Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards, one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry.

Key League programs and resources include: Kids' Night on Broadway, The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (The Jimmys), Stars in the Alley, Internet Broadway Database (ibdb.com), Broadway.org, SpotlightonBroadway.com, BwayZone.com, Commercial Theater Institute (with Theatre Development Fund), as well as numerous conferences and forums for our members. TheatreAccessNYC (co-produced with TDF) is the one-stop website of accessible Broadway performances for theatregoers with disabilities. Broadway.org is the League's official on-line headquarters for Broadway in NYC, on tour, and internationally.

OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS in Madison, Wisconsin, features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and five galleries where national and international touring artists, ten resident companies and hundreds of local artists engage people in nearly 700,000 educational and artistic experiences each year. Visit Overture.org for more.

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