Adam Kantor, Natalie Weiss, and More Will Be Coaches for Jimmy Awards
(© David Gordon)
The 2018 Jimmy Awards has announced the industry coaches for the 10th annual awards ceremony. Tony Award winner Laura Benanti will host the event, taking place on Monday, June 25, at 7:30pm at the Minskoff Theatre.
The six coaches will mentor 80 high school students from across America who will compete for the Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress. This year's coaches are Lisa Brescia, Maryann Hu, Adam Kantor, Howard McGillin, Natalie Weiss, and Schele Williams.
Jimmy Awards nominees will prepare for their debut on a Broadway stage during a nine-day professional training intensive with NYU Tisch School of the Arts' New Studio on Broadway faculty members plus other theater professionals. Winners will be selected by a panel of industry experts.
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 theater 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 million in university and conservatory scholarships. Several student participants have already been cast in Broadway, touring, and West End productions.
At this year's event, the Inspiring Teacher Award, presented by Wells Fargo, will be presented to Janine Papin of Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park, Florida, and Nadine Love of William R. Boone High School in Orlando, Florida.
