Road to the Jimmys, Episode 5: Nurturing Talent at the Jerry Awards in Madison, WI

If the Tony Awards speak to what’s happening on Broadway now, the Jimmy Awards provide a forecast of Broadway's future. Formally known as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, the Jimmy Awards are an annual celebration of outstanding musical theater talent in high schools across America—from Dallas to Des Moines, San Antonio to San Diego, Memphis to Minneapolis. This year's Jimmy Awards will be held on June 24 at the Minskoff Theatre. Until then, The Broadway Show will be chronicling the Road to the Jimmys, spotlighting a few of the regional competitions that send their most talented teens to New York City each spring.

The fifth installment of the Road to the Jimmys highlights the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, WI, which supports the annual Jerry Awards. Chief Artistic Experiences Officer Tim Sauers and Director of Broadway Engagement Programs Karra Beach shared a bit about how they began building their program back in 2009. "We started that first year really locally," said Sauers. "We had 23 productions that we saw. Fifteen years later, we're at over 100 and we cover a large portion of the state."

From these high school productions, they slowly home in on the two students who will represent the Jerrys at the Jimmy Awards in New York City. But even without the prospect of that illustrious prize, the Wisconsin program has enhanced students' experiences of their own communities. "Their awards are now displayed in the school, right next to football and basketball," Sauers noted, tacking on some sage advice to educators across the country. "When you're in Wisconsin, you're far from Broadway. If you have talent and interest in your area, nurture it. Support it. You don't know who you're gonna reach and how you're gonna reach them."