Broadway In Chicago announces social media campaign celebrating high school theater students

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Broadway In Chicago announced its new social media program "Around Broadway In 80 Days" Wednesday, which will celebrate high schoolers in musical theater.

In the wake of the cancellation of The Jimmy Awards, a national program, and the Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards, the regional program, the initiative will celebrate and provide a virtual stage for all the participants that were unable to perform in the 2020 IHSMTA event. "Around Broadway In 80 Days" will kick off on Thursday, with a message from virtual emcee Miguel Cervantes from "Hamilton."

The IHSMTA is one of the largest in the country, with nearly 80 schools participating and including more than 3,500 students in Illinois.

"The recent cancellation of these events due to COVID-19 is a crushing blow to our future Broadway stars. Hundreds of these students across Illinois are left without the opportunity to perform on a stage the musicals they have worked extremely hard on all year," Broadway In Chicago Vice President Eileen LaCario said.

"Around Broadway In 80 Days" aims to give these young talented performers a virtual Broadway stage to perform on and an audience of Broadway notables. The program will feature videos of students on both Broadway In Chicago and IHSMTA's social media networks and will be tagged with #AroundBroadwayIn80Days.

"With so much uncertainty filling our news over the past few weeks, Broadway In Chicago is committed to uplifting the Broadway theatre audiences, theatre artists and enthusiasts," Broadway In Chicago President Lou Raizin said.

For more information, visit BroadwayInChicago.com.