Round 1 – Submission period

Apply for triple threat on Hennepin and the jimmy awards

• Opens: Monday, March 13, 2023
• Closes: Monday, April 3, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. 

Students will submit the following materials to be reviewed by the Triple Threat on Hennepin Audition Panel. At this time, students will also have the option to opt-in to being considered for the Jimmy Awards® (given that they meet the eligibility criteria set by the Jimmy Awards®) and the Triple Threat New York Experience. Invites will be extended to a limited number of students to advance to Round 2 – Live Auditions. All students will receive feedback from the audition panelists on their initial submission to further their educational and artistic growth. Round 1 submission materials include:

• Headshot (or portrait photo)
• Performance resume
• 200-word biography
• Leadership Essay
  • In 400 words, describe your high school theater experience and how you’ve displayed artistry, leadership and collaboration. Be sure to highlight any of your experiences with Spotlight Education.
• Audition videos (not to exceed 5 minutes in total). Please include:
  • Monologue (1 minute suggested)
  • Two contrasting songs with piano accompaniment (2-3 minutes suggested)
  • Dance combination from provided video (see below)
  • Optional: Special Skills dance video (see below)

2023 Triple Threat dance combination

• Access the Triple Threat Submission Materials 2023 Google Drive folder to learn the dance audition combination from Triple Threat Choreographer Linda Talcott Lee to “Be Our Guest.” Use the Music Cut in the Google Drive to practice and perform the dance combination for your audition video. Please note: In your audition video, you should perform the entire dance combo as choreographed using the music cut provided.

Optional: Special Skills section

• To showcase any additional special skills for your dance audition, including jumps, turns, gymnastics, tap dancing, or other skills, please submit a separate dance excerpt using the same Music Cut provided of “Be Our Guest.” Use the last 10-15 seconds of the Music Cut to showcase your skills. Submitting a Special Skills audition video is optional.

Quick links for dance combination:

• Triple Threat dance audition music cut (to rehearse and perform with)
• Triple Threat dance audition combination teaching videos

Round 2 – Live Audition

Select students from Round 1 will be invited to the Live Audition, held at The Hennepin (900 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis). Director references will be contacted at this time. Students will sign up for an audition time slot and bring or prepare the following materials:

• Headshot and resume
• Waivers and photo release
• Any mandatory, graduation-related conflicts
• Song and dance selections (further details for what to prepare and expect will be provided in Live Audition invite)

All students participating in the Live Audition will receive feedback from the audition panelists on their Live Audition to further their educational and artistic growth. The 24 Triple Threats will be announced at the specified date each season. 

Jimmy Awards Additional Eligibility Information:

• Students must have no conflicts with the Jimmy Awards® NYC Trip dates listed above.
• You received an Outstanding Individual Performance honor in a Qualifying Role of an Approved Musical and you are selected as one of 24 Triple Threat on Hennepin students.
• Students must be both fully vaccinated and boosted by June 18, 2023.

The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (The Jimmy Awards®)

The Broadway League Foundation is pleased to announce that the 14th annual Jimmy Awards® will take place on Monday, June 26, 2023 at 7:30pm at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street in Manhattan. The ceremony highlights the best of high school musical theatre talent and features nominees from over 40 regions around the U.S. Tickets will go on sale for the public at a soon-to-be announced date.

The Jimmy Awards® is a national talent showcase celebrating outstanding student achievement and recognizes the importance of theatre arts education in schools. The evening features dynamic ensemble and solo performances and will conclude with two talented students being presented with the awards for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress.

“More than 90 remarkable nominees will be selected from high school productions representing 140,000 participating students who will compete for the opportunity to perform on a Broadway stage and will be joining us in New York on June 26, 2023 for the 14th annual Jimmy Awards! Each year, these talented teens come to NYC to pursue their dreams and learn from some of the best professionals on Broadway,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League. “Theatre has an incredible way of bringing people together and the experience shared by the Jimmy Awards® nominees is awe-inspiring.”

The Jimmy Awards®/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA®) program impacts 140,000 students who participate in nearly 50 regional high 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 $5,000,000 in educational scholarships.

Founded in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances LLC, Pittsburgh CLO, and Broadway Education Alliance (BEA), the mission of the NHSMTA is to raise the profile of musical theatre in schools, recognize dedicated teachers, and inspire the next generation of performers and enthusiasts. Numerous student participants have already been cast in Broadway, Touring, and West End productions.

Presented by The Broadway League Foundation Inc., the NHSMTA invites one Best Actress and one Best Actor nominee from each local regional ceremony to New York City for a week-long theatre intensive that includes coaching, training, and rehearsing led by some of Broadway’s most accomplished professionals. Following all their combined efforts throughout the week, the nominees will all perform during one extraordinary talent showcase performed live in front of an audience on a Broadway stage. The 14th annual Jimmy Awards will take place on Monday, June 26, 2023, at the Minskoff Theatre. For more information, please visit JimmyAwards.com.

The Broadway League conducts the program through The Broadway League Foundation Inc., its philanthropic division. Part of the Foundation’s mission is to enlighten and increase the public’s knowledge, appreciation, and awareness of the theatrical arts, and since its founding in 1993, has supported several projects to help preserve Broadway’s heritage and introduce new audiences to Broadway theatre. The Foundation is a corporation organized under the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law of the State of New York, the purposes of which are exclusively charitable as defined in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Donations to support the program can be made at www.JimmyAwards.com.

What does Spotlight Education look for in a Triple Threat?

• Skill and willingness to grow in singing, dancing, and acting
• Preparedness in material, auditions, and rehearsals
• Communication
• Timeliness
• Emotional preparedness
• Leadership in high school theater program
• Authenticity
• Diverse experience
• Team-oriented