Congratulations to the Award Recipients of the 2025 Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards
Students from 52 participating schools across Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri gathered on the Orpheum stage to celebrate their peers' on- and off-stage achievements in musical theatre. The evening was a culmination of a year-long program bringing students from all over the Mid-South together for an intensive week of team building, collaboration, and celebration of musical theatre. The Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards is the only regional program in the country that encompasses four states.
Award recipients for Lead Actor and Lead Actress – Bradley Bolden (St. Mary's Episcopal School) and Alyssa McNinch (Bartlett High School) will represent the Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards at The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (The Jimmy Awards®) at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway on Monday, June 23.
The 16th annual Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards are sponsored in part by Coca-Cola Consolidated, Ticketmaster, Dean Film & Video, ProductionOne, Sedgwick, Memphis Dental Corporation, Ultimate Ballroom Dance Studio and SouthWorth Capital Management. The VIP Reception is generously sponsored by Nina and Jerry Patton and Keri and Doug Gage. The HSMTA Professional Musicians are sponsored by an anonymous donor.
The Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards is an official partner of The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (the Jimmy Awards®) which includes 55 programs from across the country. Presented by The Broadway League Foundation, the program invites two nominees from each of these competitions to New York City for a week-long theatre intensive of coaching and rehearsals with industry professionals in preparation for a one-night-only showcase on Broadway. The 16th annual Jimmy Awards® will take place on Monday, June 23 at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway – the current home of Disney’s The Lion King.
The Orpheum Theatre Group congratulates the following award recipients!
The Jalen Award (The Spirit of the HSMTAs) – sponsored by Pickler Wealth Advisors & Beth and David Pickler
Jayden Haynes - White Station High School
Outstanding Small Ensemble - sponsored by Mandy and Chirag Chauhan
The Fates - Evangelical Christian School - Hadestown: Teen Edition
Outstanding Large Ensemble – sponsored by Gould's Academy
Evangelical Christian School - Hadestown: Teen Edition
Outstanding Chorus – sponsored by Laura and Dr. James Linder
Collierville High School - Legally Blonde
Outstanding Student Orchestra – sponsored by Kim and Rick Fogelman
Collierville High School - Legally Blonde
Outstanding Dance Execution – sponsored by Varsity Spirit
New Albany High School - Crazy For You
Outstanding Choreography – sponsored by Daniel Stuart Nelson
St. Benedict at Auburndale - Godspell
Outstanding Playbill – sponsored by Gail and Karl Schledwitz
New Albany High School - Crazy For You
Outstanding Poster – sponsored by directFX
Houston High School - Mean Girls High School Version
Outstanding Front of House – sponsored by Friends of the Orpheum (FOTO)
Corinth High School - Chicago: Teen Edition
Outstanding Artistic Element – sponsored by Lisa and Dr. Mike Cockrell - Cockrell Family Medical Center
The Pharisee Monsta - St. Benedict at Auburndale - Godspell
Outstanding Hair and Makeup – sponsored by Blo Blow Dry Bar Germantown
Desoto Central High School - Tarzan
Outstanding Costumes – sponsored by Kathryn and Jim Gilliland, Jr.
The Academies at Jonesboro High School - Hadestown: Teen Edition
Outstanding Lighting – sponsored by Dr. Robin Hobbs and Patrick "Trey" Carter
Evangelical Christian School - Hadestown: Teen Edition
Outstanding Sound Design and Execution – sponsored by Scottie Somerville and DJ Thornton of ProductionOne
The Academies at Jonesboro High School - Hadestown: Teen Edition
Outstanding Set – sponsored by Veronica and Brett Batterson
Evangelical Christian School - Hadestown: Teen Edition
Outstanding Technical Achievement – sponsored by Leslie Coleman
Evangelical Christian School - Hadestown: Teen Edition
Outstanding Student Creative Achievement – sponsored by Christina Torres and Alex Barton
Coro Holt - Southaven High School - The Addams Family
Outstanding Student Technical Achievement – sponsored by Sherry and Don Williams
Truman Heames - Lakeland Preparatory School - Disney's Descendants: The Musical
Outstanding Student Stage Management Achievement – sponsored by Jennifer McGrath
JaLeaha Sage - Cabot High School - Mary Poppins
The Bravo Award – sponsored by Amy, Alex, and Jack Knight
Maliah Johnson as Baker - First Assembly Christian School - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Wesley Dickens as Michael Banks - Cabot High School - Mary Poppins
Wallis Drake as Young Tarzan - Desoto Central High School - Tarzan
Denver Atkinson as Michael Banks - South Gibson County High School - Mary Poppins
The Inspiring Teacher Award – sponsored by The Theatre Conservatory at The Memphis Jewish Community Center
Courtney Shepard- Cabot High School
Outstanding Music Direction – sponsored by Memphis Dental Corporation
Patti House and Emily Hale - Evangelical Christian School - Hadestown: Teen Edition
Outstanding Featured Dancer – sponsored by Debbie and Homer Branan
Lilian Brock - Bartlett High School - Curtains
Outstanding Featured Actor – sponsored by Gaskill Strategies in honor of Sam Gaskill
David Kennard as Lurch - Munford High School - The Addams Family
Outstanding Featured Actress – sponsored by Robin and Billy Orgel
Harmony McKee as Miss Andrew - South Gibson County High School - Mary Poppins
Outstanding Supporting Actor – sponsored by Rachel and Scott Bendure
Kadarius Williams as Hermes - The Academies at Jonesboro High School - Hadestown: Teen Edition
Outstanding Supporting Actress – sponsored by Crystal and Martin Hand
Sydney Granger as Apostle - St. Benedict at Auburndale - Godspell
Outstanding Lead Actor – sponsored by Lisa and John Bobango
Bradley Bolden as Aldolpho - St. Mary's Episcopal School - The Drowsy Chaperone
Outstanding Lead Actress – sponsored by Cheryl and Bill Stegbauer
Alyssa McNinch as Carmen Bernstein - Bartlett High School - Curtains
Outstanding Direction by a Teacher – sponsored by Lura Elliott Turner in memory of her favorite music teacher, her mother Helen Elliott
Lynden Jones - Evangelical Christian School - Hadestown: Teen Edition
Outstanding Overall Production – sponsored by Rob DelPriore
Evangelical Christian School - Hadestown: Teen Edition
About the Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards:
The Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards supports, promotes, and celebrates high school musical theatre throughout the Mid-South. The program aims to provide access to arts education, create opportunities for self-expression, develop relationships between schools and the Orpheum, encourage collaboration, enhance excellence, build community, and instill a lifelong passion for the arts. This year-long program invites students and schools to join a community of participating schools from a 150-mile radius in a variety of opportunities that meet each school where they are in providing access to arts education programming.
About The National High School Musical Theatre Awards®:
The Jimmy Awards®/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA®) program impacts approximately 150,000 students who participate in 55 regional high school musical theatre competitions sponsored by presenters of touring Broadway productions throughout the United States. Named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, the program has been the catalyst for more than $6,000,000 in educational scholarships since its launch in 2009. Presented by The Broadway League Foundation, Inc., the NHSMTA invites two nominees from each local regional ceremony to New York City for a rigorous theatre intensive that includes coaching sessions, training, and rehearsals led by some of Broadway’s most accomplished professionals. Nominees will spend ten days in New York City from Friday, June 13, 2025, through Tuesday, June 24, 2025, and their experience will culminate in an extraordinary talent showcase performed live in front of an audience on a Broadway stage. The sixteenth annual Jimmy Awards will take place on Monday, June 23, 2025, at the Minskoff Theatre. For more information, please visit www.JimmyAwards.com.