THE CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL HONORS will be held in time for the 2013-2014 school year, thanks to sponsorship of the new regional program by Children's Musical Theatre San Jose and Broadway San Jose, a Nederlander Presentation. 

This new, regional awards competition will recognize outstanding achievement in high school musical theatre north of Santa Barbara, and will send winners to The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA) - also known as "Jimmy Award" - in New York City, where they will perform on a Broadway stage before industry experts and compete for scholarship opportunities to NYU's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts. (www.nhsmta.org)
Local competitions will be held in San Luis Obispo, Sacramento, San Francisco and San Jose on weekend dates in April. 

Video submissions will be accepted for equal consideration, but it is strongly suggested that nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress audition in person. A team of qualified evaluators will critique productions and performances, and recommend for nominations those participants who exhibit outstanding achievements.

Based on evaluator recommendations, schools and individuals will be invited from all regions to compete at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts on May 19 in front of a panel of nationally recognized judges. Two eligible performers will then be chosen to represent the region at this year’s NHSMTA "Jimmy" Awards Program to be held on June 30th at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre in New York City.

The California High School Musical honorees will join winners of the Jerry Herman Awards (LA Regional) and the Ben Vereen Awards (Southwest Regional) in sending students to the Jimmy’s.

A public or private high school can be represented by sending an entire production to compete, or by sending a few performers. A cast of 50 or one Best Actor nominee are eligible - provided they are performing material from an approved, licensed musical produced in the 2013-14 school year. In order to compete a high school and/or student must submit a completed application along with a registration fee of $80 by March 31, 2014, along with a completed application and proof of the performance rights for that production. The GCAHSMH committee will notify schools by April 15 as to the date/time of the audition closest to the school, and provide instructions for submitting a recorded segment of a musical production for consideration. Schools can choose to compete via live audition or recorded submission, however a combination of the two is recommended.

Rules and requirements, guidelines, and an application can be found on-line at cmtsj.org. For additional questions contact Program Director Clint Williams at honors@cmtsj.org or go to: http://cmtsj.org/content/california-honors.