Suburban teens set to compete for National High School Musical Theatre Awards

Teenage actors from Park Ridge and Frankfort will represent Illinois next month in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards competition held in New York City.

Jane Nuich of Maine South High School in Park Ridge and Logan Arroyo from Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort were named best actress and actor respectively. Nuich won for her performance of Eurydice in “Hadestown: Teen Edition,” and Arroyo won for his portrayal of Will Bloom in “Big Fish: School Edition.”

Both winners receive an all-expense-paid trip to New York City to participate in The National High School Musical Theatre Award competition. Known as The Jimmy Awards, they are named for Broadway theater owner and producer James M. Nederlander. Nuich and Arroyo will participate in a 10-day theater intensive workshop that concludes June 22 with a Broadway showcase that may well launch the stage career of one or both of these aspiring theater artists.

Runners up are Madeline Ranieri of William Fremd High School in Palatine and Nolan Maddox from Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park. If either of the winners are unable to perform, Ranieri and Maddox will participate in their place.