Feature: San Diego’s Rising Stars Take Center Stage at The BROADWAY SAN DIEGO AWARDS

The curtain’s about to rise on one of the most exciting acts in town—the Broadway San Diego Awards! This weekend, on Sunday, May 25th at 6pm, 20 standout high school performers will sing, dance, and belt their hearts out for a chance to take their final bow on a Broadway stage at the Jimmy Awards® in New York City.

Handpicked from schools across the country and put through their paces in a week-long rehearsal intensive, these triple threats are ready to steal the scene and the show. Before we cue the music, we caught up with each finalist for one quick question to hear what fuels their love for the stage.

So dim the houselights, Raise the Curtain, and meet the Top 20—it’s time to shine a spotlight on the future of musical theatre..

What is the most surprising thing you have learned about yourself through being a part of theatre?

Chase Boertje - Carlsbad High School

“While I was first getting started in theatre, I was honestly in it for the attention.  As I got older and I met and worked with people, I realized how kind people were to me, and I wanted to share that kindness with others.  I kept acting, and throughout my high school years, I learned how influential theatre was and how it moved people.  So I want to pursue it to spread kindness through the art.  So I guess, the most surprising thing was how deeply my narrative would be changed.”

Isabella Burer  - Santa Fe Christian School

"I have learned that dreams are scary, but this is a good thing, an empowering thing. The scariness keeps me growing and has taught me that these dreams are worth pushing through. The moments doing what I love more than anything else."

Audrey Carter - Steele Canyon Charter High School

“I have learned how much I love learning about other people.  Every role I get, I love poring over the script and trying to fully understand my character and their perspective.  I find learning about how people respond to situations and former experiences very interesting.”

Bruno Dominguez Martinez  - Coronado School of the Arts

“I have learned how easy it is to switch characters and go from emotion to emotion.  It is truly wonderful to be part of this amazing environment!”

Zara Exconde - San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts

“I have learned it’s when I’m most alive. Participating in lessons, rehearsals, and performances is the most awakening full-body and mind experience.  I use this art form as an outlet and an escape from my crazy reality and life.  I don’t know where I’d be without theatre.”

Chloe Flores - Mt. Carmel High School

“I’ve learned the beauty of not being perfect!  Every show, performance, and performer are different, and that’s what makes theatre, theatre.  As a perfectionist, it took me a long time to accept that about myself, but knowing this is where my growth as an artist and a person blossomed.”

Benji Fox  -Canyon Crest Academy

“I began theatre as an energetic seven-year-old.  Growing up in theatre, I have been able to grow through the lessons I’ve learned and push myself through obstacles that I once feared would slow me down.  I embrace my enthusiasm and infuse it into every show I do, incorporating elements of my personality into every role I play.  I’ve learned that my energy is nothing to be ashamed of; it's a fuel for what is to come next.”

Anna Jacobsen  - St. Augustine High School

“Theatre has changed the way I love through daily life!  It requires discipline and dedication, but it is the most rewarding.  I’m surprised by how much it has changed who I am and made me stronger and able to express my emotions.”

Max Leadley - St. Augustine High School

“I learned that playing a character is not entirely forgetting yourself and putting on a new face, but bringing elements of yourself and a special touch to each role you get the opportunity to perform.”

Justin Lee  - La Costa Canyon High School

Through being a part of theatre, I have learned how to become a better communicator, and I have become a much more social person.  Once an introvert, I was afraid to introduce myself to others.  Now, throw me on a stage and I’ll completely morph into a goofball or the devil depending on the role.”

Curren Martin  -San Dieguito High School Academy

“I’ve always loved theatre but have had SUCH a phobia of singing.  Theatre has taught me how to come out of my shell and have the courage to perform despite my fear!”
 

Elijah May - Cathedral Catholic High School

“The most surprising thing I’ve learned about myself through theatre is that I enjoy socialization.  I enjoy interacting with different kinds of people and making people laugh, something my introverted, covid-quarantining self never would have.”

Aidan McCarty - San Dieguito High School Academy

“That my voice can sing in a way I’ve never thought I could and that my voice isn’t the only way to express myself.”

Corinne Milling- Poway High School

“I’ve learned how much I enjoy teaching and helping people learn to love the things I love and how incredible it is to bring a show to life with family.”

Katie Moreno - Coronado School of the Arts

“The most surprising thing I have learned about myself through being a part of theatre is that I have resilience, grit, and perseverance. I went through major back surgery in my sophomore year, but it didn’t stop my dream of performing.  It took a lot of hard work and focus, but now as a senior, I am so grateful to be playing the lead in a musical that is very special to me - CABARET”

Andrew Nagby - West Hills High School

“I learned that confidence is 90% of music, but also life.  I’ve never really had confidence myself, but as soon as I got up on stage and realized that maybe I didn’t have confidence, my character did, and if they can do it, so could I.”
 

Maximo Paniagua - San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts

“That in every character I’ve played in my seven years in theatre, I learn something new about who I am and as a person during the process of the character's development.  I use that to find how I can see different perspectives and develop as a person.”

Noah Segal - Carlsbad High School

“Through theatre, I was surprised to find how much I loved storytelling.  Watching people in the audience laugh, smile, and cry with the actors on stage creates irreplaceable intimacy anywhere else.  The ability to provoke emotions in others and bring stories to reality - that’s something I never thought I’d want to do for life.”

Mira Singh - The Bishop's School

“I have learned that my weaknesses can turn into my strengths.  That all I have experienced - the highs, the lows, triumphs, and losses- can be used to enrich my ability to tell a story.  I can use the pieces of myself to build the character of another.  In other words, every facet of myself is worth recognizing and utilizing.”

Laila Varner - The Rock Academy

‘I’ve learned how important communication and teamwork are!”

Come cheer the nominees on and see who will ultimately represent San Diego  Sunday, May 25th at 6pm, 20 on a Broadway stage at the Jimmy Awards® in New York City. For ticket information,n go to Awards.broadwaysd.com 

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