San Diego

San Diego Competition to Send Most Talented HS Musical Theatre Performers to Broadway

Leading up to the San Diego awards, the 20 actors will attend a week-long intensive rehearsal with dancing, vocal and acting workshops.

The 20 local high school actors and actresses aiming for a chance to compete at The National High School Musical Theatre Awards have been announced. 

The 10 best actresses and 10 best actors will attend the 2017 Ben Vereen Awards on May 28, where one actress and one actor will be selected to travel to New York City. 

The National High School Musical Theatre Awards, or The Jimmy Awards, celebrate outstanding achievement in voice, dance and acting in schools across the Country. 

Leading up to the San Diego awards, the 20 actors will attend a week-long intensive rehearsal with dancing, vocal and acting workshops, in addition to a master class with legendary stage and screen entertainer Ben Vereen. 

β€œI am blown away with the number of incredible stories that these young people have shared with us for the WTA this year,” said Ben Vereen in a statement. β€œWe tried something new and opened up the competition to grades 5-12 to create an opportunity for more students to share their stories with us.”

The top five individual winners will each get a $500 award, and the winning school will earn a $1,000 award. courtesy of the San Diego County Credit Union, the competition's sponsor. 

Here are the 2017 nominees... 

Best Actor

  1. Noah Filley – Cathedral Catholic High School
  2. Sky Frank - San Diego School for the Creative and Performing Arts
  3. Dashiell Gregory – San Dieguito Academy
  4. Nick Hamparyan – Pacific Ridge School
  5. Yoni Kruvi – San Dieguito Academy
  6. Christopher Lopez – San Diego School for the Creative and Performing Arts
  7. Sammie Lurie – Canyon Crest Academy
  8. Jonas McMullen – Canyon Crest Academy
  9. Henry Pedersen – Cathedral Catholic High School
  10. Cole Studebaker – Vista High School

Best Actress

  1. Lindsey Czyzewicz – Scripps Ranch High School
  2. Alyssa DeVries – Canyon Crest Academy
  3. Brooke Eyler – Rancho Buena Vista High School
  4. Anna Machuca – Clairemont High School
  5. Grace Newton – Our Lady of Peace Academy
  6. Vivian Romero - San Diego School for the Creative and Performing Arts
  7. Emily Smedley – Cathedral Catholic High School
  8. Jenna Steinberg – San Dieguito Academy
  9. Jillian Strattman – San Dieguito Academy
  10. Jenna Viana – Cathedral Catholic High School

Best Musical

  1. Anything Goes –Cathedral Catholic High School
  2. Anything Goes – San Diego School for the Creative and Performing Arts
  3. Sweet Charity –Canyon Crest Academy
  4. The Addams Family – San Dieguito Academy
  5. The Wedding Singer – Pacific Ridge School

The Ben Vereen Awards will take place Sunday, May 28 at 6 p.m. at the historic Balboa Theatre in Downtown San Diego, located at 868 Fourth Avenue at E Street. Buy tickets here.

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