LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Two Las Vegas students are set to take a Broadway stage Monday night as part of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, commonly referred to as the Jimmy Awards.
“It's been a dream for me since about freshman year, and to know that I'm here now, it's just so surreal. All the professionals that I've worked with, all the professionals that I've met, people who to me really only existed on TikTok before, right in front of my face, it's just so insane,” said Chris Hayes.
He punched his ticket to New York by winning Outstanding Lead Actor during the Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards in May at the Smith Center.
He spoke to Justin Hinton about what this experience has been like for him.
For Marie Munoz, Nevada’s Outstanding Lead Actress, it’s a return to New York. She won Nevada’s competition two years in a row.
“Walking in this year and meeting all of the new nominees and experiencing new coachings, new environment, not only do I have last year to help motivate me and have that in my toolbox, but I feel like now I can really stop and smell the roses. Now that I've done it once, I can really actually enjoy the experience of the Jimmy Awards,” she said.
She shared her thoughts with Justin Hinton as well:
The two have spent about a week in New York preparing for the big day.
“The experience has been everything that I could have asked for,” Hayes said. “I’m ecstatic.”
“All of the nominees are from cities I’ve never even heard of, and it’s so beautiful that talent is everywhere, and to come from Las Vegas, I feel so connected to my home, and I’m so glad to be here,” Munoz said.
You can watch them perform live on the Jimmy Awards Monday night at 4:30 on the Jimmy Awards YouTube or Facebook page.
