Maine East student Jubilee Kim (Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid; pictured left) was among 12 actors named as nominees for best performer in an actor role as part of the Illinois High School Music Theatre Awards announced by Broadway in Chicago recently. There were also 12 actresses named as nominees for best performer.
The 24 high school student-nominees, selected from over 200 student applicants from 71 participating schools in Illinois, have been invited to participate in the Awards Program, which will be held at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place on Monday, May 22. During the ceremony, the nominees will perform two musical numbers from Disney’s Aladdin, which will play at the Cadillac Palace Theatre from May 17 – 28. The students will be taught the musical numbers by a show representative and given the experience to work with a Broadway professional on a Broadway stage. Additionally, an Aladdin representative sits on the panel of judges made up of industry professionals in the city of Chicago to adjudicate and select the top six finalists and eventual Best Performer in an Actor and Best Performer in an Actress Role.
The Best Performer in an Actor Role and the Best Performer in an Actress Role will go on an all-expense-paid trip to New York City to represent the State of Illinois at The Jimmy Awards and participate in a week-long theater intensive of coaching and rehearsals with industry professionals in preparation for a one-night-only showcase on Broadway, where a panel of judges crowns the nation’s top performers.
Past winners have used the honor as a stepping stone for career success with several appearing in Broadway productions.