East Chapel Hill High's Beauty and the Beast has been selected as one of nominees for "Best Ensemble" for the 6th Annual Triangle Rising Stars Awards. Congratulations and "bon chance" to fellow nominees: Athens Drive, Apex and Cary High Schools. The celebration of all regional finalists for the 2016 "Jimmy Awards" will be June 6 at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC).In 2009, the Nederlanders established The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA) nicknamed "The Jimmy Awards," in honor of Jimmy Nederlander, Sr. This national competition celebrates outstanding student performances in high school musical productions across the United States. Triangle Rising Stars is the regional competition that brings together high school musical theater students from Central and Eastern North Carolina to perform and compete for the chance to represent the Triangle in the national finals in New York City each summer.
Throughout the school year judges from DPAC, Theatre in the Park, PlayMakers Repertory Theater, Durham Arts Council and WTVD ABC 11 attend high school musical theater productions across the region. Regional finalists are then selected to attend a weekend retreat with their peers, culminating with the Triangle Rising Stars awards show at DPAC. Awards in this regional competition include Best Actor and Actress, Best Ensemble, Best Musical, and more. The Triangle Rising Stars Best Actress and Best Actor receive $1,000 academic scholarships and are invited to represent the Triangle in an all-expense paid trip to the NHSMTA program in New York City. In New York, they are immersed in a week of professional coaching from Broadway directors, actors, actresses, vocal coaches, and choreographers. The National Awards program takes place at Nederlander's Minskoff Theatre, home theatre for Disney's The Lion King. In total, 30 regional competitions send finalists to New York representing the best High School musical theater students from 1,000 high schools nationwide that participate.
