Chris Rawson's OnStage: The Jimmys are launched

NEW YORK, 2 a.m. Saturday night/Sunday morning --

What a great start to the Jimmys! Some of the pros on the judges panel clearly thought they were doing community service by judging a group of high school students, but watching the 32 young contestants do their audition solos and ensemble pieces, they were surprised to discover a freshet of real (if unformed) talent. As one said, in only partial exaggeration, a few of the 32 could move to New York right now and get work.

Afterward, Van Kaplan and I adjourned with the five judges to a backstage room at NYU's handsome Skirball Center, and the debate was smart and long. Pictures of the consensus best boys and girls, about a half-dozen of each, were put up on the wall and their performances praised and faulted in surprising detail.

They weren't necessarily the best from Van's or my point of view, but we bit our tongues, being there just to facilitate. In my own case, about half were, and half weren't, but I'm not a pro - well, not that kind of pro. In Van's case, he's had the experience of working with the kids for several days, so he knows a lot more, good and bad. But here the focus was properly on their performances.

The real fun was later, as the Pittsburgh crew of 15 or so that's running the Jimmys piled into a bar across the street from the NYU dorm where most of them are staying. After several days of working with heterogeneous high school students, about half of whom have some idea of musical theater (and even professional credits), while the others are good singers who don't otherwise know what's going on, and after more than a few well-earned drinks, there was some definite letting-off of steam, much of it very funny. You know, backstage stories. My lips are sealed.

Last night's judging was just to create a hierarchy. In tonight's show, with Kathy Lee Gifford as host and Tommy Tune among the presenters, the judges will watch the ensemble pieces again (where they reprise bits of the performances that won their local awards), then adjourn to pick four finalists -- two girls, two boys -- who will do their solo numbers. Then a quick vote for the two winners.

Last night's judges were Bernie Telsey, leading casting director (and much more); Nick Scandalios, Nederlander organization exec v-p; Kent Gash, actor, director, CMU grad and head of a musical theater program at the Tisch School at NYU; Montego Glover, actress on "Color Purple," etc.; and Susan Lee, native Pittsburgher, marketing whiz and idea woman with the Nederlanders.

Montego and Susan were actually sitting in for Alecia Parker of National Artists Management and Scott Ellis of Broadway's Roundabout Theater, both of whom were stuck elsewhere. But they'll be here tonight, with Montego and Susan participating also, for continuity.

BTW, my title turns out to be Judicial Administrator, so don't cross me. I have Powers -- and I don't mean just the Irish whiskey of that name.

A few tickets to the 2009 Jimmy Awards are still available at www.skirballcenter.nyu.edu, at 212-352-3101 or at the Skirball Center, 566 LaGuardia Place (at Washington Square South). The show's at 7:30 p.m.

Pictures: (Top) Van Kaplan talks to some exhausted contestants (director/choreographer Kiesha Lalama-White at left); (2) Elizabeth Bailey of CAPA; (3) Kian McCollum of Chartiers Valley.

Student Blog: Click here for a student's eye blog, by last year's Kelly Critic Award winner, Casey McDermott.

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The 32 nominees for the 2009 National High School Musical Theater Award are: Elizabeth Bailey (Pittsburgh CAPA - Pittsburgh, PA); Erin Borain (Alpharetta High School - Atlanta, Georgia); Alec Brashear (Lower Dauphin High School - Hershey, PA); Rebecca Brinkley (Cedar Ridge High School - Raleigh, NC); David Broyles (Newton South High School - Beverly, MA); Anthony Bruno (Bergen County Academies - Millburn, NJ); Stephanie Cooksey (Stratford High School - Houston, TX); Alejandro Fallick (Stratford High School - Houston, TX); Sarah Franklin (Lutheran High School of OC - Yorba Linda, CA); Grace Hardin (Ridgefield High School - Norwich, CT); Emily Higgins (Danvers High School - Beverly, MA); Seth Johnson (Cary Academy - Raleigh, NC); Julia Knitel (Fair Lawn High School - Millburn, NJ); Krystal Lawton (The School of the Arts - Rochester, NY); Sam Leake (Sterling High School - Wichita, KS); Stephen Mark (Ridgefield High School - Norwich, CT); Chauncey Matthews (San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts - San Diego, CA); Kian McCollum (Chartiers Valley High School - Pittsburgh, PA); Ryan Morton (Orange County School of the Arts - Yorba Linda, CA); Mallory Moser (Trinity Valley School - Fort Worth, TX); Adrien Pellerin (Atlanta International School - Atlanta, GA); Joe Pudetti (Penfield High School - Rochester, NY); Keegan Rice (Shawnee Mission West - Kansas City, MO); Michelle Rubich (Briarcliff High School - NY, NY); Aaron Sauer (Don Bosco Prep High School - NY, NY); Taryn Sprenkle (East Pennsboro High School - Hershey, PA); Samantha Steinmetz (Blue Valley High School - Kansas City, MO); Emma Stratton (Canyon Crest Academy - San Diego, CA); Alex Syiek (Huntington Beach High School - Fullerton, CA); Patrick Thomas (Colleyville Heritage High School - Forth Worth, TX); Gina Velez (La Habra High School - Fullerton, CA) and Jenny Wine (Wichita East High School - Wichita, KS).