Jacobs students nominated for Broadway in Chicago Awards

Jacobs High School senior Mitchell Barrett and sophomore Sydney Olson were nominated for Broadway in Chicago's Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards.

Mitchell and Sydney were nominated for best lead actor and best lead actress, respectively.

This past February, they performed the lead parts of Ariel and Prince Eric in the Algonquin high school's production of "The Little Mermaid."

They competed against 275 applicants in the state of Illinois.

Twelve females and 12 males were selected to move on to the final round of the competition which will culminate in a performance at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 6. It will be hosted by NBC 5 entertainment reporter LeeAnn Trotter.

Mitchell Barrett is a senior at Jacobs High School. He recently directed and produced the "24-Hour Musical" that raised more than $8,000 for Misericordia Home. He has participated in 16 Jacobs High School productions. Past roles include Joseph in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," younger brother in "Ragtime," and George in "The Wedding Singer." Mitchell will be pursuing music education in the fall.

Sydney Olson is a sophomore at Jacobs High School. She has performed in over 20 shows and "has loved every second of it." Some of her previous roles include Chava in "Fiddler on the Roof", the narrator in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," and Marian in "The Music Man."

For more information on both awards and complete rules and regulations, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com/about/IHSMTA/.

For more information on National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as The Jimmy Awards, visit www.jimmyawards.com.