The Minskoff Theater was filled with glee on Monday, June 27 as 50 of the most talented young performers from around the country competed in the third annual National High School Musical Theater Awards. The event was hosted by Gregory Jbara and featured appearances by Aaron Tveit, Nikki M. James, Tommy Tune, and Harvey Fierstein. At the end of the show, a panel of judges including Montego Glover and Scott Ellis chose two of the contestants to receive this year's "Jimmy" Awards, named after James M. Nederlander, scion of the theatrical dynasty that presents these honors in collaboration with Pittsburgh CLO and the Broadway Education Alliance. Here are my pix of this roof-raising celebration, culminating in performance shots of the two winners: Ryan McCartan of Minnetonka High School in Minneapolis, MN, and Shauni Ruetz of Wayne Central High School in Rochester, NY.
Published on Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Michael Portantiere has more than 30 years' experience as an editor and writer for TheaterMania.com, InTHEATER magazine, and BACK STAGE. He has interviewed theater notables for NPR.org, PLAYBILL, STAGEBILL, and OPERA NEWS, and has written notes for several cast albums. Michael is co-author of FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: BEHIND THE MYLAR CURTAIN, published in 2008 by Hal Leonard/Applause. Additionally, he is a professional photographer whose pictures have been published by THE NEW YORK TIMES, the DAILY NEWS, and several major websites. (Visit www.followspotphoto.com for more information.) He can be reached at [email protected]
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