Road to the Jimmys, Episode 8: Bringing Broadway to Nebraska

If the Tony Awards speak to what’s happening on Broadway now, the Jimmy Awards provide a forecast of Broadway's future. Formally known as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, the Jimmy Awards are an annual celebration of outstanding musical theater talent in high schools across America—from Dallas to Des Moines, San Antonio to San Diego, Memphis to Minneapolis. This year's Jimmy Awards will be held on June 24 at the Minskoff Theatre. Until then, The Broadway Show will be chronicling the Road to the Jimmys, spotlighting a few of the regional competitions that send their most talented teens to New York City each spring.

In our last stop before show night, we're checking in on the Nebraska High School Theater Academy, now celebrating its 11th year in operation. Joan Squires, Omaha Performing Arts President, shared a bit about what makes the program special. "We started with 22 schools in Omaha, and now we expand across 450 miles." Spanning two time zones, it's one of the largest programs, geographically speaking, in the country. "We think it's really important to enable these schools across the entire state to have a connection to Broadway and have this opportunity," said Squires. "It's an incredible opportunity, because at the end, two students from Nebraska are on the stage at the Minskoff here in New York City." 

Watch the full interview below, and follow the Jimmy Awards this Monday, June 24, hosted by Josh Groban and streaming live beginning at 7:30PM ET via the Jimmy Awards Facebook and YouTube channels.