Previews: Broadway Star of The Future Awards Showcase at Straz Center

On Sunday, May 21, two lucky high school students will be awarded and heading to New York's Jimmy® Awards in June.

Throughout the school year, a panel of nearly 40 adjudicators reviewed high school musical productions in eight counties and submitted a critique to the Straz Center for Performing Arts. Applications open for high schools to have reviewers attend their performances at the beginning of the school year.

Forty-five high schools and over 2,000 students were reviewed from October through April. Among the categories considered were outstanding actors, actresses, technical design, orchestra, and set design. The Best Actor and Actress category nominees were submitted to perform in the Broadway Star of the Future Award Showcase at the Straz Center.

Fashioned after the Tony Awards,® The Broadway Star of the Future Awards Showcase is the Tampa Bay area's regional awards program affiliated with the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA) or the Jimmy® Awards, named in honor of James M. Nederlander, renowned Broadway theater owner, and producer.

The Straz Center presents this showcase to honor Tampa Bay area high school theater productions, programs, and students. Directed by Audrey Siegler, this event features performances from the 2022-2023 Outstanding Musicals and Best Performer Finalists, celebrating artistic excellence in theater and musical theater. Scholarships will be presented, and Best Performer winners will represent the Straz Center in the 2023 National High School Musical Theatre Awards, The Jimmy® Awards in New York City.

Julia Bodalay helms the event and said it was their biggest year for Broadway Star of the Future.

"We accept all plays, musicals, and even things like musical revues," Julia explained. "This year, we had a school doing a one-act play festival, and we were really excited to have them part of our program. Our program encapsulates more than just musical theatre; we love seeing different types of theatre beyond that in the Tampa Bay area and beyond. I'm excited to work with some of the new schools in our program, meet new people, and also see some of the high school students and teachers that were participants last year."

In addition, two Student Reporters from the program are also nominated.

"These are students who have an interest in content creation and journalism. They will be able to make content and be reporters. We are really hopeful to send them to the Jimmy® Awards as well."

Broadway Star of the Future award nominees are:

Best Performer Finalists "Top 10"

(Two of these Best Performer Finalists will be selected Best Performer and attend the Jimmy Awards.)

Elaina Brausch - Little Women - Harrison School for the Arts - Jo March

Wilson Davis - The Mystery of Edwin Drood - Howard W. Blake School for the Arts - John Jasper/Clive Padget

Tanner Grant - Anastasia - PCCA at Gibbs High School - Dmitry

Annie Sardouk - Mean Girls - Berkeley Preparatory School - Cady Heron

Charlie Lane - Fiddler on the Roof - Palm Harbor University High School - Tevye

Janiyah McAllister - The Drowsy Chaperone - Harrison School for the Arts - The Drowsy Chaperone

Ben Pastore - Mean Girls - Berkeley Preparatory School - Damian

Sadie Scardino - All Shook Up - Gulf Coast High School - Natalie

Cole Summers - Xanadu - Plant High School - Sonny Malone

Mars Woelfel - Frozen - Parrish Community High School - Elsa

Top 6 Outstanding Musicals:

Anything Goes - North Fort Myers High School

Fiddler on the Roof - Palm Harbor University High School

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Manatee School for the Arts

The Drowsy Chaperone - Harrison School for the Arts

The Music Man - Northside Christian School

Urinetown - Alonso High School

Student Reporters:

Jonathan Gregory Davis - Harrison School for the Arts

Skyla Jackson - Riverview High School

The two winners will represent the Straz Center at the Jimmy® Awards in New York. Presented by The Broadway League Foundation, The Jimmys® recognizes outstanding vocal, dance, and acting performances and offers the opportunity for nominees to work with professional directors, coaches, and producers, meet with agents and casting directors, and be considered for several recognitions, including a college scholarship. The Jimmy® Awards has students from all over the nation. Each performing arts center selects one boy and one girl to go to New York to represent their district, and two are chosen from the Jimmy Awards.

Julia said upon being notified, the nominees were thrilled to come and be on the Straz Center campus.

"They're always really grateful and excited about the opportunity and friendships and relationships they make along the way."

The Broadway Star of the Future Awards is May 21 at 630 pm at Straz' Ferguson Hall. Learn more and buy tickets at https://www.strazcenter.org/events/2223-season/patel/broadway-star-of-the-future/.

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