Your high school theater kids are legit celebrities now
Okay so check it—you know Kenny Ortega, right? Like, the *High School Musical* director? The one who basically invented Zac Efron's career? Yeah, *that* Kenny Ortega. He’s been judging the Jerry Herman Awards for, like, *eleven years*. And this year, he’s back again for the 2026 awards. No mames, eleven years! That's literally longer than some of these high schoolers have been alive. It just shows you how deep the arts run here, even with all the talk about Hollywood being just for the big shots.
### Why This Matters for LA Kids
It’s easy to forget that before all the premieres and the Walk of Fame stars, there’s a whole ecosystem of young artists grinding right here in our city. The Jerry Herman Awards are like the Tonys for high school theater, and having someone like Kenny Ortega, who’s directed literally everything from *Newsies* to Michael Jackson tours, giving his time, that's huge. It's not just some rinky-dink local thing; it's a real spotlight.
* **Big Deal Recognition:** These kids are getting judged by a legend. That's a resume builder, ya sabes? * **Talent Pipeline:** This is where the next generation of LA talent is gonna come from, straight out of like, North Hollywood High or Lincoln High. * **Community Support:** It reminds us that there's more to LA entertainment than just the studios on the Westside. Our Eastside schools, the Valley schools, they're bursting with talent.
This is the real LA, fam — east of the 110, and everywhere else our kids are dreaming big. It’s about cultivating that talent right here, in our own backyards, before they even think about making it big in Burbank or wherever. It’s about supporting the arts from the ground up, not just waiting for the next blockbuster.
Marisol out!
My boy Leo and the crew totally get into stuff like this every morning. Tune in live at mornings.live.