Senior Nico Bennett has had a long-time passion for theater, beginning at a young age with strong influences from his parents, who were musical theater majors in college. Since his freshman year, Bennett has performed in seven productions as part of Burlingame’s theater program.
“I was kind of bred for it from a very young age, and exposed to lots of forms of art. I think I was four or five in my first musical, and I’ve just fallen in love with it ever since as I’ve grown older,” Bennett said.
On Monday, May 12, Bennett was nominated Lead Actor at the Rita Moreno Awards for his role as Nick Bottom in “Something Rotten,” the spring musical of the drama department. The ceremony took place at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts.
The Rita Moreno Awards recognize outstanding high school musical theater programs from San Mateo County to Santa Barbara County. Beginning in early September, schools submit their productions for consideration. Judges attend performances in person to select six nominees by mid-April in the following categories: Overall Production, Lead Actor, Lead Actress, and Supporting Performers. At the end of the school year, nominees are invited to the awards show in San Jose as potential award recipients. On the morning of the ceremony, they have to audition once again, performing a song from their nominated role, along with an additional song of their choice.
“Then they ran the show, and then we performed that night in front of an audience, and right after we all performed our song, they announced the winner, which was me,” Bennett said.
While all nominees were required to write an acceptance speech a month in advance, Bennett said he felt unprepared because he wasn’t expecting to be announced the winner.
“I just ran on stage, I kind of blacked out, and my first thought was I did not expect to win,” Bennett said. “I did not spend any time on my acceptance speech, so then I was stressed about that, and it didn’t really fully sink in until I went off stage and was holding my trophy, and it became surreal.”
With his win at the Rita Moreno Awards, Bennett advances to the national stage at the Jimmy Awards, held in New York City from June 14-24. He will be one of the 110 top student performers there, as each of the 55 regional award shows, including the Rita Moreno Awards, sends one lead actor and one lead actress to this national event.
As the first Burlingame student to be nominated Lead Actor at the Rita Moreno Awards, Bennett said he is excited to go to Broadway and work alongside other standout performers.
“It’s unbelievable. I have looked up to these people and have viewed them as untouchable my whole life,” Bennett said. “Even being nominated, to me, was one of the greatest achievements in this art form and in my life up to this point, and being with those other five men who were so insanely talented and getting this recognition, I just feel so lucky. I am so excited to go to the [Jimmy Awards] next month.”
The Jimmy Awards consist of ten days of master classes, workshops, training, and rehearsals led by Jimmy Awards alumni, many of whom are now professional actors on Broadway. The program culminates in a one-night-only talent performance in the Minskoff Theater, where one lead actor and one lead actress are selected as winners based on their final performance.
“To be there is an extraordinary opportunity,” Bennett said. “I think I’m most looking forward to not only just meeting the adults who are already successful in this career, but meeting the other young striving artists who, in 15 years, are going to be living in New York and doing what I want to do.”
