THE MONTE AWARDS – HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE FINALS

THE 2024 MONTE AWARDS EVENT

LIVE AND LIVE STREAMED

SUNDAY, MAY 12th at 2:00 PM

Detailed instructions about how to stream can be found HERE!

Please join us in recognizing the work that has been done in Southern Arizona by our schools and students during the 2023-24 school year!  The Monte Awards will CONTINUE to honor the accomplishments of Southern Arizona schools and students this year.    Our region’s top musical theatre students will participate in this intensive educational program and compete for the title of the Monte Awards Best Actor and Best Actress.  The program will culminate in a live and live-streamed event on Sunday, May 12th at 2:00 pm. 

GENERAL OVERVIEW: THE MONTE AWARDS - HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE FINALS

See performances of the top musical theatre students from across Southern Arizona WATCH A STAR BEING BORN! Winning Contestants will participate in a week long online program with Broadway Professionals and vie for the titles of Best Actress and Best Actor on the National Level.  Awards and scholarships will be awarded to over 25% of Jimmy Awards students!

Arts Express partners with Broadway in Tucson to bring the National High School Musical Theatre Awards to Tucson!

The Monte Awards – High School Musical Theatre Finals, is a unique scholarship competition for talented high school musical theater performers. Two talented students from Southern Arizona will be crowned Best Actor and Best Actress and go on to compete at The National High School Musical Theater Awards (The ‘Jimmy Awards’) at a Broadway Theatre in New York each June.

The Jimmy Awards/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA) is an advanced program and talent showcase that celebrates high school students from across the country and features dynamic ensemble and solo performances. The NHSMTA program impacts more than 140,000 students who participate in high school musical theatre competitions each year, sponsored by presenters of Touring Broadway productions throughout the United States.

As presented by the Broadway League Foundation, the program has, in past years, invited two nominees from each of these regional ceremonies to New York City to participate in a theatre intensive including coaching and rehearsals with Broadway professionals in preparation for a one-night-only talent showcase on a Broadway stage. The program has been the catalyst for more than $4,000,000 in educational scholarships to date, and several student participants have already been cast in Broadway, Touring and West End productions.

“Art may be beautiful, ugly or bold – but never selfish.”

- Monte Ralstin

In 2019 Arts Express & Broadway in Tucson renamed the local National High School Musical Theatre Awards program to honor Monte Ralstin:  a beloved Teacher, Director, and Mentor to the theatre community in Southern Arizona.

For over five years, Monte played a significant role in the development of the awards program, serving as an adjudicator, vocal coach and then Host and Director of the Awards program.

Monte Ralstin passed away at the age of 66 on January 22, 2019, leaving a legacy of dedication to excellence in performing arts education.

CHRIS WILL • DIRECTOR

Chris Will has been directing, teaching and performing musicals all around the world for the past 20 years, including two Off-Broadway shows (Time Being and The Jungle Queen Debutante).
Read More!He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Wyoming in Theatre & Dance and continued his education in the United Kingdom, earning his Masters of Performance in Musical Theatre from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and received an MFA in directing form the University of Idaho. Chris Will loves teaching and is a theater professor at Pima Community College. He starred as Neville in the Arts Express production of A Secret Garden and is the resident director for the company's Monte Awards program.

ANNE GRIMES • MUSIC DIRECTOR

Dr. Anne Grimes has enjoyed music-making with Arts Express for several years as both a pianist and music director. Her full-time work is teaching

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music theory at Pima College and directing the Pima College Orchestra. Musical experiences include leading choirs, bands, and orchestras for TUSD, Desert Christian High School, and Sahuarita Public Schools, and playing piano for Gaslight Theatre and Tucson Boys Chorus. Anne has served as music director for four local churches. She has earned three degrees from the University of Arizona, including the Bachelor’s in Piano Performance and Music Education, and the Master’s and Doctoral Degrees in Choral Conducting. Anne and her husband Jonathan have four grown children and enjoy outdoor activities and home improvement projects.

SIMONE JOLIVET-MANUEL • CHOREOGRAPHER

Simone Jolivet-Manuel, a member of that rare breed of Tucsonans actually born in Tucson. She received her BA from Northern Arizona University and her M.Ed in Elementary Education.
Read More!Simone began dancing at the age of 7, she continued training over the years with workshops and conventions across the country with high-end choreographers - Savion Glover, Mandy Moore, Paula Abdul, JT Hornstein, Denise Leitner and many others. Currently Simone is in her 13th year at Salpointe Catholic High School and 5th year choreographing for Arts Express. Simone’s professional achievements include work with Salpointe Pomline, Dance Force-1 Productions, Gaslight Theater and Danswest Productions and the 2001, 2005 and 2009 Link Cotillions. She thanks her husband Scot, children Lincoln and Maxine and her mother, for their support and love.