CAPA Announces Participating Schools for 2024-25 Marquee Awards Program

The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) announced the 26 local high schools selected to participate in the 2024-25 CAPA Marquee Awards presented by American Electric Power Foundation.

Designed to celebrate, support, and advocate for high school musical theatre education throughout central Ohio, this year-long, educational program offers selected high schools the opportunity to participate in professional theatre education activities throughout the school year including master classes with Broadway touring artists and skills-based workshops with local and regional artists.

Program eligibility was expanded to include five additional counties this year, so schools from 12 central Ohio counties are now eligible to participate. This year's roster includes 26 participating schools, including eight schools new to the program, according to CAPA Director of Education Amy Handra.

“I am thrilled that the program has grown to include more schools and counties than ever before,” Handra said. “We are ready for an exciting year of education events that will serve our ever-expanding community of students and educators.”

2024-25 CAPA Marquee participating high schools are (* denotes school new to the program this year): Bexley High School, Bishop Hartley High School, Bishop Watterson High School, Centennial High School*, Chillicothe High School*, Columbus Africentric Early College*, Eastmoor Academy High School, Fairfield Union High School, Jonathan Alder High School*, Liberty Union High School*, Licking Heights High School, London High School*, Marysville High School*, New Albany High School, Olentangy Berlin High School, Olentangy High School, Olentangy Liberty High School, Olentangy Orange High School, Pickerington High School Central, Pickerington High School North, Upper Arlington High School, Westerville South High School, Westland High School*, Whetstone High School, Worthington Christian School, and Worthington Kilbourne High School.

In addition to participating in educational opportunities, each participating school has their musical theatre production reviewed by our team of professional adjudicators. The purpose of the evaluation process is to provide educationally focused feedback and to evaluate students/productions in the categories of Best Musical Production, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Direction, Outstanding Ensemble Performance, Outstanding Student Orchestra, Outstanding Dance Execution, and Outstanding Technical Execution. Adjudicators will also separately evaluate hard-copy nominations submitted in the categories of Backstage Excellence, Outstanding Student Designer, and National Student Reporter.

On April 10, 2025, CAPA will announce the (up to) five nominees selected for each category.

On May 9, the 2025 CAPA Marquee Awards will culminate with a red-carpet ceremony and student showcase at the Ohio Theatre at which winners in all categories will be announced. Modeled after the Tony Awards®, the CAPA Marquee Awards will showcase live performances from the nominees for Best Musical Production, Best Actor and Actress in a Leading Role, as well as opening and closing numbers that incorporate nominated students from all participating high schools.

Students selected as Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Actress in a Leading Role will be designated as official Jimmy Award® nominees for “Jimmys Week,” a theatre intensive led by Broadway professionals and industry experts and will compete on the national level for the 2025 Jimmy Awards® for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress.

About The Jimmy Awards® /The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA®)
The Jimmy Awards®/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA®) program impacts approximately 130,000 students who participate in 51 regional high school 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 $6,000,000 in educational scholarships since its launch in 2009. Presented by The Broadway League Foundation, Inc., the NHSMTA invites two nominees from each local regional ceremony to New York City for a rigorous theatre intensive that includes coaching sessions, training, and rehearsals led by some of Broadway’s most accomplished professionals.

For more information, please visit www.JimmyAwards.com.

www.CAPAMarqueeAwards.com