Glenbard West student nominated in Broadway musical contest

Glenbard West High School student Charlie Lettenberger has been nominated for best performer in an actor role by the 2023 Broadway In Chicago Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards.

Lettenberger was nominated for his role as Billy Flynn in the Glen Ellyn high school’s production of “Chicago,” according to a news release.

The musical theater awards program celebrates excellence in high school theater throughout Illinois and is the regional program that feeds into the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as The Jimmy Awards.

There are 24 high school students nominated in the following categories: best performer in an actor role, best performer in an actress role, best ensemble, best direction and best production.

Student nominees, who are selected from more than 200 student applicants from 71 schools across Illinois, have been invited to participate in the awards program, which will be held at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place in Chicago. During the ceremony, the nominees will perform two musical numbers from Disney’s “Aladdin,” which will play the Cadillac Palace Theatre from May 17 to 28.

The students are taught the musical numbers by a show representative and are given the experience of working with a Broadway professional. Additionally, an “Aladdin” representative sits on the panel of judges made up of industry professionals in Chicago to adjudicate and select the top six finalists and eventual Best Performer in an Actor and Best Performer in an Actress Role.

From the 24 nominees, two Illinois award recipients (one Best Performer in an Actor Role, one Best Performer in an Actress Role) will go on an all-expense-paid trip to New York City to represent Illinois at The Jimmy Awards and participate in a weeklong theater intensive of coaching and rehearsals with industry professionals in preparation for a one-night-only showcase on Broadway, where a panel of judges determines the nation’s top performers.