Two Tucson teens will be among 74 students nationwide vying for the title of best musical theater actor and actress in the 2017 National High School Musical Theatre Awards in New York City on Monday, June 26.
Sophia Rose Franklin, a senior at Ironwood Ridge High School, and Luke Gaff, who just graduated from Desert Christian High School, earned the New York City trip after being voted last month by a panel of Tucson judges as the best high school musical theater actress and actor in the 2017 Ben Vereen Awards.
The local competition was held in early May at Fox Tucson Theatre. Nearly two dozen high schoolers from around the greater Tucson area were selected as finalists after being nominated by a panel of adjudicators. The panel fanned out across the region throughout the last school year to see high school music productions.
Sophia was nominated for her role as Miss Adelaide in her schoolβs production of the Frank Loesser classic βGuys & Dolls.β Luke earned a spot for his role as The Baker in Stephen Sondheimβs βInto the Woods.β
Arts Express and Broadway in Tucson sponsored the local contest, which is endorsed by Tony- and Emmy Award-winning singer-dancer-actor Ben Vereen.
More than 1,300 high schools nationwide and 50,000 students participated in similar local qualifying competitions that earned them a paid trip to New York for the June 26 Jimmy Awards competition at the Minskoff Theatre in Manhattan. Tony Award winner Ben Platt is hosting.
The National High School Musical Theatre Awards is sponsored by the Broadway League, which since the inaugural awards in 2009 has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships.
Several of the teens who have participated have since been cast in Broadway and touring productions.
