<p>Forget "Glee Project" or "Next Big Thing" -- instead, check out the upcoming PBS documentary "Broadway or Bust", which documents the competition leading up to the National HS Musical Theatre Awards (just took place in NYC). Personally, I cannot WAIT to see it. A few kids that we met during the audition process this year will be featured.</p>
<p>From the press release: "BROADWAY OR BUST will be the first-ever TV series to capture the behind-the-scenes coaching and grueling rehearsal schedule leading up to the National High School Musical Theater Awards (NHSMTA). Popularly known as The Jimmy Awardsnamed in honor of renowned Broadway theatre owner and producer James M. Nederlanderthis national competition culminates in a unique weeklong New York experiencea make-it-or-break-it week of rehearsals, coaching and auditions that are capped by an awards event on a Broadway stage in front of a live audience and a panel of high-profile judges."</p>
<p>D is good friends with one of the two final 2011 Jimmy national winners, and it sounded like a great opportunity. Our state doesn’t participate, as we only have statewide MT awards. Does anyone know how many states are involved?</p>
<p>I wonder if this will be similar to the PBS MasterClass series?</p>
<p>I have intimate knowledge of the program and of this documentary. My S was a semi-finalist in the lead actor in a musical catogory in our regional competition last year and a finalist this year. It is not a state based competition but instead sponsored by 30 professional theaters throughout the country - I’ve pasted a link to the list of participating theaters below. In order to qualify for the National High School Musical Theater Awards the student must have played a lead role in their high school’s musical. A list of qualifying lead roles is also listed on the website. </p>
<p>In our regional competition there is a first round of auditions over a 3 day period. From that 4 semi-finalists in each category are selected. Categories are leading actor and actress in a musical, musical theater (they need not have been in a lead role - just in their high school production) and spoken word (have participated in a high school production). On the final regional award night the finalists are announced and they then compete at the award ceremony/show. All the semifinalists perform in several group numbers at this award show. This year PBS filmed all of the semi final round and the final award show and were at rehearsals and back stage as well interviewing the participants. Only the Leading Actor and Actress winners in a musical advance to the National competition. Scholarships are also awarded at the regional level.</p>
<p>@MTSD322 - Thanks for the added information, and it sounds like your S enjoyed his involvement!</p>
<p>Looking at the list confirmed my understanding that no one in our region participates. It seems like a great program for those with access to it!</p>
<p>the programs are different around the country. Some are regional and some are state specific. In our state, the only way to win the competition is to be a) in a school which chooses to be part of the organization b)have the lead in the musical being judged and c) beat out the other nominated best actor / actresses for the title. The nominated students perform at an event where all the awards are announced, but I am pretty sure they’re judged by their performance in the school’s production, not this event.</p>
<p>I attended the Jimmy Awards one year when a girl we knew was in it. It was fun, and what an experience for the kids to perform on a Broadway stage!</p>
<p>In our area the Jimmie entries are run like the Tony Awards:</p>
<ol>
<li> It is run by a local professional theatre organization.</li>
<li> Schools enter their musicals for consideration.</li>
<li> Judges attend the musicals.</li>
<li> Finalists are announced for all the categories.</li>
<li> The winners are announced at a large, televised ceremony in our performing arts center main theatre where the finalists all perform (including one number from the casts of the musicals nominated for “Best Musical” - like the Tony’s).</li>
<li> The Best Actor and Best Actress go on to the Jimmies in NYC.</li>
</ol>
<p>There is fair amount of hype around the program in our city. Last year a friend and co-performer of my d won an award at the Jimmies (but not the best acress).</p>
<p>In our region, a huge awards program (~100 high school musicals are evaluated every year) is run exactly as in @EmsDad’s post above, except for #6. ;-D</p>
<p>In Florida, it’s part of the state Thespian festival (which is the largest high school festival in the world). Adjudicators go around the state and view the musicals that would like to take their show to state and be on the mainstage. My daughter was Amneris in Aida at state last year but only one girl and one boy from each school could be nominated and they had to be in the lead role- and Amneris is not a lead. She did get to perform on the mainstage at the Morsani Theatre which was a thrill for her and for me to see the reaction from the audience that night and the following days.! This past year, her school did not want to send the musical to state and so the show was not adjudicated. The boy who won this year from Florida and ultimately won the Best Actor award at the Jimmy’s last weekend is simply AMAZING! We saw him last year on the mainstage in Light in the Piazza and everyone’s jaw dropped when he sang his first note. From what I’ve heard, he’s also very well-respected, hard-working, and deserving of this award (he’s going to CMU for MT). However, it’s somewhat unfair in that you have to be a lead and we all know that not everyone is right for a lead character. In any case, I wonder if the documentary was filmed last week during the Jimmy program or is it from the year before?</p>
<p>@ supportive
The documentary is on this year’s competition. At least some of the regional competitions were included (I know PBS was all over ours last month and I’ve heard they were also filming in Texas).</p>
<p>@ EmsDad - I know one of the other regional competitions near us is also run similar to how you described yours.</p>
<p>This was the first year that our state participated. Judges did not go to the shows, kids sent in video clips of themselves performing from their show. As someone stated above, only designated roles are eligible to enter the competition. I looked through the list on the NHSMTA site, and realized my D will probably never be able to enter since she is not currently a “lead” type. Both of the leads from our high school musical were state finalists, and our boy was selected to go to NY. It sounds like the kids had an amazing time — what would be better for our MT kids than to get a chance to perform on a Broadway stage?</p>
<p>Looks like a great way for us Canucks to get an idea of the competitive nature of the business. There is absolutely nothing like this up here, and only 2 schools even offer a Musical Theatre Diploma/Degree that I know of.</p>
<p>Nothing of National scope in Canada. Sears is Ontario specific. That is akin to having a contest with only the original 13 states on the East Coast eligible. That’s where the majority lives, but not a national event.</p>
<p>I’m not sure I want to see it. It will just irritate me that my kid hasn’t had those kind of opportunities. My D, on the other hand, will go bonkers to see it!</p>
<p>There are 3 qualifying competitions in the Dallas/Ft Worth area - Dallas Summer Musicals, Lyric Stage and the Betty Buckley awards. I think a high school can only opt to participate in one competition, however. My son’s HS was part of the DMS competition, which was new this year. He was nominated for Supporting Actor and went to the local awards, which was quite a production - televised, nominees arrive in vintage cars, red carpet walk, big production numbers, etc. (Son hated it - but he’s just that kind of kid) Two of the kids from the Lyric Stage awards won at the Jimmies, I hear.</p>
<p>For kids who don’t have the opportunity to participate in the Jimmy’s, YoungArts is a national competition that ALL kids in the right age bracket (which I think was expanded this year to include all high school and many college freshmen) can participate in.</p>
<p>At least the year that D was involved, most of the kids who were finalists at the Jimmy’s were also YoungArts MT finalists, and finalists even included kids who came from outside the US (maybe protectorates or…?).</p>
<p>Many YoungArts finalists are featured on the PBS Masterclass series, which D’s year included chances to travel to Germany and other places for filming.</p>
<p>Not all states are involved. So, no, not every student is able to participate in this type of competition in the U.S. Even those who are in an area where schools participate, the rules are very limiting as you can see from some of the comments here. These are fun opportunities for the kids who participate, and three of my Ds had wonderful experiences with Sears, but it’s wise not to overstate the importance of these experiences in the big scheme of things. </p>
<p>I know that theatre in BC has taken a real beating recently but perhaps if your background is in theatre, you might want to explore the possibility of something like Sears for the western provinces.</p>
<p>Have to pull a bunch of old connections, and it’s 3-4 years before D wants to go to school (informed me tonight she wants to do a gap year to make money to cover her school! Been suggesting music therapy, but her heart is set on MT…good for her).</p>
<p>We’re going to enjoy the series on PBS. Who knows, maybe we can build one of our own?</p>
<p>I can’t wait to see the show this September. My son was a finalist in our regional competition last year. His friend and former classmate made it this year and was one of the six finalists.</p>