West Forsyth’s best actor winner competes on Broadway

WEST FORSYTH — One local high school drama student is taking his talents to the home of Broadway this week, representing Georgia at the seventh annual National High School Musical Theatre Awards.

Nick Eibler was named leading actor earlier this year at the 2015 Shuler Hensley Awards for his role as Jimmy Winter in West Forsyth High School’s performance of “Nice Work If You Can Get It.”

Eibler now will compete in the national version of the awards that honor and celebrate high school musical and technical theater. The ceremony will take place on June 29 at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway.

Eibler will be joined by the recipient of the leading actress award from the Shuler Hensley Awards, McKenzie Kurtz of Milton High School.

They will begin their journey Wednesday with a weeklong theater intensive before competing against young performers from across the country for the coveted Jimmy Award, as well as merit scholarships and professional opportunities.

Eibler graduated from West this spring with plans to attend Texas State University for theater.

West’s show won eight awards in April, marking the most accolades the program has received at once and the second-best collection every of any school in the state, according to Eric Gray, West’s theater director.

They were nominated for 13 of the 17 categories for the performance, which involved 60 students from cast to crew.

The statewide awards were organized by ArtsBridge Foudation, which will keep track of Eibler and Kurtz during their time in New York.