Tampa, Fla. – The Straz Center for the Performing Arts has awarded local high school students Noah Diggs and Emily Escobar the prize of performing on Broadway in New York City and representing the Straz Center in the 2018 National High School Musical Theatre Awards, known as The Jimmys®, on June 25 at Minskoff Theatre. They will work with professional directors and producers and be considered for several recognitions, including a $10,000 college scholarship.
Escobar and Diggs were selected for this honor on June 4, at the Broadway Star of the Future Awards Showcase in the Straz Center’s Ferguson Hall. Tampa Bay area high school musical theater students and programs were celebrated at this impressive Tony Awards® inspired extravaganza, which featured student talent and musical numbers representing the best of the 2017-18 high school productions.
Diggs, who is 18 and just graduated from Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School, was awarded for his role as Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Escobar, who is 18 and just graduated from Alonso High in Hillsborough County, won for her portrayal of Toffee in Zombie Prom.
From September through April of this year, high school musical productions in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Manatee Counties applied for inclusion in Broadway Star of the Future and were reviewed by a team of theater professionals, college faculty and industry experts who provided feedback to students and instructors. The most outstanding nominees were acknowledged at Broadway Star of the Future Awards Showcase. In addition to the Best Actor and Actress awards, awards were given in the following categories: Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Actor, Outstanding Actress, Outstanding Supporting Performer, Outstanding Director, Outstanding Musical Director, Outstanding Choreographer, Outstanding Orchestra, Outstanding Technical Achievement and additional special acknowledgement awards.
The goal of the Broadway Star of the Future program is to provide experiences and opportunities for local high school students and faculty and to engage local families and community members in a celebration of educational theater.
Presented by The Broadway League Foundation, The Jimmys® are a national celebration of outstanding student achievement, recognizing individual artistry in vocal, dance, and acting performance and elevating the importance of theater arts education in schools.
More information about the Patel Conservatory is available by calling 813.222.1040 and at www.patelconservatory.org. The accredited Patel Conservatory offers summer camps and classes in dance, music and theater for students of all ages and experience levels. Each year, the Patel Conservatory and the Straz Center’s arts education programs enrich the lives of more than 60,000 students in our classrooms, on our stages and through the community.