Chicago-area actors finalists for Jimmy Awards in New York, heading to Broadway

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Two talented musical theater students from the Chicago area are on their way to Broadway.

They're the Illinois finalists for the Jimmy Awards, presented in just over a week in New York.

It was just last month that, as a senior, Will Gonzalez of Mundelein was named best performer in an actor role.

He'll spend a week in New York, being coached by stage professionals, before taking center stage.

An actress from Joliet is also heading to New York.

It's part of the Broadway in Chicago Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards program.

"I'm super excited, and what I hope to get out of it is something I'll remember forever," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez has been singing all his life, with Hector and Kelly Gonzalez always nurturing their son's talent.

"He was in middle school and did 'Aladdin,' and he got to do his first solo; the audience reaction was so amazing and so positive," Hector Gonzalez said.

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"It's a whole group of people, and you made them feel something; it's really neat to see that happening and to see how he just thrives and loves that feeling," Kelly Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez described what it feels like onstage.

"When you can express yourself and then create something you're proud of that you can look back on and think, 'it was a really good experience,' and it affected people who saw it," he said.

His ethnic pride also plays into his artistry.

"My dad is from Puerto Rico, and whenever I perform 'In the Heights,' the way that I see shows like that affect him," Will Gonzalez said.

"It was one of the most incredible experiences, and for him to embrace it and enjoy it the way he did, it was more than just another play, it was a cultural and family thing," Hector Gonzalez said.

Will Gonzalez also spoke to what going to Broadway could mean in his life.

"It's a huge step in what I want to accomplish in my life," he said. "This is the biggest deal of my life. It'll be amazing to see them and know that they helped me here."

"We know how important it is to him, so it's everything to us," his mother said.

"As a parent, it's the best thing in the world because he gets to do something he's dreamed about forever," his father said.