National High School Musical Theater Awards crowns the winners of its ‘Glee’-type contest

NEW YORK, N.Y. – A teenager from Utah who sang as the Scarlet Pimpernel and then tackled an aching Jason Robert Brown song and another from Georgia who chose to sing “Raise the Roof” — and almost did so — have won top honours at the National High School Musical Theater Awards.

Atlanta resident Jai’Len Josey was named best actress and Logan, Utah, resident Matthew Richards got the best-actor crown Monday night at the sixth annual “Glee”-like competition, nicknamed the Jimmy Awards after theatre owner James Nederlander.

Each will receive a $10,000 scholarship award, capping a months-long winnowing process that began with 60,000 students from 1,500 schools and ended at the Minskoff Theatre, the long-term home of “The Lion King,” which doesn’t perform on Mondays.