Florida High Schoolers Headed To Broadway After Winning Coveted Jimmy Awards Slots

Two high school performers from Florida will soon take center stage on Broadway after earning top honors at the 11th Annual Applause Awards, presented by the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando.

Suliette Ortiz and Adam Bouchachia were named the programs winners on May 31, in front of a sold-out crowd inside the Walt Disney Theater. The win secured both students a coveted spot at the national Jimmy Awards in New York City — an event often called the “Tony Awards for high school theater.”

The pair will now represent the Florida region alongside top student performers from across the U.S. at Broadways Minskoff Theatre in a one-night-only showcase of the nations best young musical theater talent.

“Its been such a whirlwind but getting to create and perform on stage — this experience has meant everything to me,” said Bouchachia, a rising junior at Lake Nona High School. “Ive built relationships that will last a lifetime, and this year taught me to recognize my worth. Im headed to the Jimmy Awards, and it still feels unreal.”

This years Applause Awards saw record participation, with more than 400 students from 10 Florida counties competing for top honors — the largest turnout since the program launched in 2015.

“I cant believe it — theres so much talent here and so many deserving people,” said Ortiz, who just graduated from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. “Im incredibly grateful, honored and just so happy. It means the world to make my parents proud.”

Both Ortiz and Bouchachia will travel to New York City to participate in an intensive week of coaching and rehearsals with Broadway professionals, culminating in their performance at the Minskoff Theatre.

“Every year, these students light up the Walt Disney Theater with incredible talent and energy,” said Kathy Ramsberger, president and CEO of Dr. Phillips Center. “Their performances demonstrate exactly why the arts matter so much. With support from our sponsors and donors, we’re celebrating their dreams and helping launch the next generation of performers, creators and changemakers.”

Directed by Broadway veteran Ray Roderick and hosted by Michael James Scott, a Broadway star and Dr. Phillips High School alumnus best known for his role in Disneys “Aladdin,” this years ceremony captured the spirit of a true Tony Awards-style event.

In addition to naming two Jimmy Awards nominees, the event celebrated excellence across a range of categories and distributed more than $50,000 in scholarships to 39 students. Ramsberger also surprised performer Josef Larrell with the prestigious Spirit of the Applause Awards scholarship.

Since its inception, the Applause Awards program has impacted 38,000 students and honored 4,400 winners across Florida. The initiative has produced 16 Jimmy Awards nominees, with five students earning national recognition in New York and two winning Jimmy Awards. To date, the program has provided more than $250,000 in scholarships to deserving students pursuing higher education.