Give it up for Carter Pflug (Westside High School) and Kolaya Wilmer (Fremont High School) — Nebraska’s official nominees for the Broadway League Foundation’s Jimmy Awards®! Chosen from 14 statewide finalists at the Nebraska Theater Academy Showcase on May 31, they’ll now head to New York City to represent Nebraska and perform on Broadway at the Minskoff Theatre.
Pflug qualified for the award with his performance as Robert Martin in The Drowsy Chaperone, and Wilmer qualified with her performance as Eponine in Les Misérables School Edition. The students will represent Nebraska at the Broadway League Foundation’s National High School Musical Theatre Awards®, known as the Jimmy Awards®, in a performance held Monday, June 22, at the Minskoff Theatre in New York. They will join 114 other students from across the United States for a week of coaching with Broadway artists and industry experts. The students compete for top performance awards, along with additional awards and scholarships.
Carter Pflug is a senior at Westside High School in Omaha, Nebraska, and is honored to represent Nebraska at the Jimmy Awards following his portrayal of Robert Martin in The Drowsy Chaperone. His recent credits include Davey in Newsies, Sam Carmichael in Mamma Mia!, and Warner Huntington III in Legally Blonde. A passionate singer, actor, and dancer, Pflug serves as the first junior dance captain in the history of Westside’s Amazing Technicolor Show Choir, where he helps teach choreography and mentor fellow performers. He is a three-time Nebraska All-State Choir member, a Nebraska Theater Academy Outstanding Lead Performer Award recipient, and a Showcase Soloist at the Nebraska State Thespian Festival. Outside of theater, Pflug enjoys listening to music, creating original beats and mixes, and shooting hoops with friends. He has performed the National Anthem at the NCAA College World Series, the Nebraska Class A Football State Semifinals, and multiple district championship events. This fall, Pflug will pursue a BFA in Musical Theatre at Pace University. He is grateful to his family, teachers, directors, and mentors for their unwavering support.
Kolaya Wilmer is an actress from Fremont, Nebraska who loves to spend as much time as possible on stage! She recently graduated from Fremont Senior High School in Fremont where she played the role of Eponine in Les Miserables: School Edition. She has been performing since she was five years old and is very passionate about all things musical. When not performing, she enjoys playing instruments, dancing, and spending time with friends. She loves to help others learn about things she is passionate about, and is hopeful to continue this in her future career. This fall, Wilmer will attend Midland University to study Arts Management and continue to pursue her passion for musical theater. After finishing college, she hopes to go on to keep performing and helping others. She would like to thank her family, friends, teachers, vocal coaches, and everybody who has supported her in her performing journey!
The Nebraska Theater Academy celebrates the power of the arts and supports high school and middle school theater programs by connecting teachers and students to learning opportunities with Broadway stars and theater and backstage professionals. Students also receive professional feedback on school performances and additional performance opportunities. The Nebraska Theater Academy began in 2013 with 22 Omaha-area schools and now reaches more than 8,500 students in all 94 counties in Nebraska, as well as in South Dakota and western Iowa.
