Denver Center Attractions' The Bobby G Awards Joins NHSMTA; Deadline Extends to 2/8

Denver Center Attractions The Bobby G Awards, a regional high school musical theatre awards program, joins The National High School Musical Theater Awards (NHSMTA) as a participating program for 2013. Due to this exciting announcement, the deadline for public and private high schools in the seven county Denver metro to apply has been extended to February 8. The first 25 schools that submit verified applications are accepted this year. For more information visit BobbyGAwards.org.

"Denver Center Attractions is a welcome addition to The National High School Musical Theater Awards. As one of the country's foremost professional theaters, it is uniquely positioned to be a leader in supporting young performers and the outstanding work taking place in high schools in Colorado." - Van Kaplan, President, NHSMTA

For The Bobby G Awards regional program, adjudicators made up of professional Working Theatre artists attend the participating high schools' musical theatre productions. Using the standards set by The Bobby G Awards training and criteria, as well as their own professional experience, these adjudicators complete extensive evaluation forms offering detailed feedback on all of the various elements involved with staging a musical production. Participating schools receive a copy of the forms complete with each adjudicator's comments, praise, and constructive criticism designed to motivate growth and recognize success.

In addition, these evaluations serve as a foundation for the nominations announced in early May 2013. The entire program culminates in a ceremony on May 30, 2013 modeled after Broadway's Tony Awards- including performances from the shows nominated for outstanding overall production - where outstanding achievements by students and educators made in the areas of performance, design, direction, choreography, technical production and overall production excellence receive their own Bobby G Award. The 2013 qualifying Bobby G Award winners for Outstanding Actor and Outstanding actress will progress to participate in The National High School Musical Theater Awards.

NHSMTA was established in 2009 to elevate the importance of theater arts education in schools and reward excellence in student performance. The program impacts more than 50,000 students annually who participate in high school musical theater competitions sponsored by top professional theatres throughout the United States. Each year, winners of these competitions are flown to New York City to compete at Nationals.

The fifth annual National High School Musical Theater Awards will take place Wednesday, June 26, through Tuesday, July 2, 2013 in New York City. The week's rigorous schedule will include group rehearsals and individual vocal and acting coaching by Broadway industry professionals, visits from special guests and discussions with working actors, a night out in Times Square for dinner and a Broadway show, and on the final day of the program, a session with casting agency Telsey & Co. On Monday, July 1, 2013, students will give it their all at The Jimmy Awards showcase at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway, where a panel of judges will choose two students for the coveted awards of Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress.

Since its inception, NHSMTA has grown by 45% and has been the catalyst for nearly $600,000 in university and conservatory scholarships awarded to deserving young performers. Also known as The Jimmy Awards, named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, this year-round program is administered by the Broadway Education Alliance (BEA), a New York based non-profit corporation dedicated to supporting initiatives that inspire creativity, build confidence and stimulate critical thinking in America's youth. NHSMTA is BEA's first national initiative.

Thanks to the support of its participating professional regional theaters and donors, NHSMTA continues to grow. In 2012, the program inspired preeminent broadcaster WGBH Boston to produce a 3-part documentary series called "Broadway or Bust," which followed students on a journey from their hometown competitions to their debut on Broadway at the Minskoff Theatre. The series premiered in September 2012 and was showcased in 100% of PBS's Top 50 strategic markets, ranking as one of their most highly rated programs. It remains popular viewing at www.pbs.org.