美国国家公共电台 NPR 'These Kids Are Insane': Jimmy Awards Celebrate Outstanding Teen Performers

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

The Jimmy Awards for high school theater were handed out this week on Broadway. Jeff Lunden followed two of the actors as they got ready to take center stage.

JEFF LUNDEN, BYLINE¹: Think of it as Broadway boot camp. Seventy-four high school singers and dancers selected out of a pool of 50,000 kids across America came to New York City to strut² their stuff. They met each other over pizza in an overheated rehearsal³ room. And after some brief greetings...

VAN KAPLAN: Welcome to New York.

LUNDEN: ...They jumped right into the thick of it, learning the opening medley⁴ for a show they would perform on Broadway in just one week.

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (As characters, singing) Starting now, I'm learning fast.

LUNDEN: Seventeen-year-old Felix Torrez came from Green Bay, Wis. He qualified⁵ for the Jimmys by playing the Beast in "Beauty And The Beast" at his high school.

FELIX TORREZ: Being able to perform on Broadway as a high-schooler - I just want to soak it all in.

LUNDEN: Eighteen-year-old Jasmine Rogers from Houston did, too. She played the Witch in "Into The Woods." Unlike Felix, she's seen many Broadway shows.

JASMINE ROGERS: I didn't get into musical theater until I was 7. And one day, a flyer came home to do a production of "Peter Pan." And so I auditioned⁶, and I fell in love with it from there on. And I've been doing it since.

LUNDEN: For eight days, these teenagers were pushed hard. Only a few days after that first rehearsal, they had learned all the choreography for the opening number.

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (As characters, singing) Come with me, and you'll be...

LUNDEN: Kiesha Lalama is the show's choreographer⁷. She says she expects a lot from these teenagers.

KIESHA LALAMA: You know, if you treat them like professionals and really just challenge them to rise up, they do. And if you provide them with the opportunity, they can thrive.

LUNDEN: One of those opportunities is that each participant is coached by a Broadway actor. Howard McGillin, who's done more performances of "The Phantom⁸ Of The Opera" than anyone in history, coached Felix Torrez.

TORREZ: (As character, singing).

HOWARD MCGILLIN: What is the last line? I'll be damned if what?

LUNDEN: Mind you, it wasn't all work. One night, the nominees⁹ had dinner at Sardi's, the famous restaurant in the theater district, before seeing a Broadway show. Felix Torrez was taken by the caricatures of stars that cover every inch of the walls.

TORREZ: After dinner, I'm going to go around and just take pictures with maybe every single one of these portraits. It's crazy being in here.

LUNDEN: And on Monday morning, they had their dress rehearsal on the stage of the same theater where "The Lion King" plays. Director Van Kaplan took them through their paces.

KAPLAN: Take your position.

LUNDEN: Felix Torrez had never even seen a Broadway show until a few evenings before. And there he was on Broadway.

TORREZ: It's not until you're on that stage that you really feel it - that you're looking out into the audience and that you're seeing the lights. It's an amazing feeling.

LUNDEN: And just a few hours later, he and his fellow nominees were performing the opening number in front of a sold-out house.

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (As characters, singing) The heat is on in New York.

LUNDEN: The show was a little like "Glee" meets Miss America. Ben Platt, the Tony Award-winning actor from "Dear Evan Hansen," who hosted the evening, went off script after one of several medleys¹⁰.

BEN PLATT: I'm just supposed to, like, go onto the next one. But I just feel the need to dwell. These kids are insane.

LUNDEN: Felix Torrez donned his Beast costume and sang his solo.

TORREZ: (As Beast, singing) No spirit could win me.

LUNDEN: Then the finalists were announced.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: From the Tommy Tune¹¹ Awards in Houston, Texas, Jasmine Rogers.

(APPLAUSE)

LUNDEN: And so in front of friends, family and a lot of important Broadway producers and casting directors, Jasmine Rogers did her song all alone in a spotlight¹² center stage.

ROGERS: (As character, singing) All I have to do is pretend I never knew him.

LUNDEN: She didn't win the best actress award. But at the afterparty, Rogers said...

ROGERS: All the people here - all the nominees - are absolutely amazing. And it could've been any of us. And it was just so great.

LUNDEN: Both Jasmine Rogers and Felix Torrez said they made new friends, polished their performing skills and came away with the confidence that they would definitely be back on Broadway. For NPR News, I'm Jeff Lunden in New York.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: (As character, singing) There's a place where we don't have to feel alone.

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 strut   

v.肿胀，鼓起；大摇大摆地走；炫耀；支撑；撑开；n.高视阔步；支柱，撑杆

参考例句：

• The circulation economy development needs the green science and technology innovation as the strut.循环经济的发展需要绿色科技创新生态化作为支撑。
• Now we'll strut arm and arm.这会儿咱们可以手挽着手儿，高视阔步地走了。

3 rehearsal   

n.排练，排演；练习

参考例句：

• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
• You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。

4 medley   

n.混合

参考例句：

• Today's sports meeting doesn't seem to include medley relay swimming.现在的运动会好象还没有混合接力泳这个比赛项目。
• China won the Men's 200 metres Individual Medley.中国赢得了男子200米个人混合泳比赛。

5 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

6 auditioned   

vi.试听（audition的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• None of the actresses we have auditioned is suitable. 我们试听的这些女演员都不合适。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• What is that, from some script you auditioned for in the '40s? 什么玩意儿是你40年代试的那些剧本吗？ 来自电影对白

7 choreographer   

n.编舞者

参考例句：

• She is a leading professional belly dancer, choreographer, and teacher. 她既是杰出的专业肚皮舞演员，也是舞蹈设计者和老师。 来自辞典例句
• It'stands aside, my choreographer of grace, and blesses each finger and toe. 它站在一旁，我优雅的舞蹈指导，并祝福每个指尖与脚尖。 来自互联网

8 phantom   

n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的

参考例句：

• I found myself staring at her as if she were a phantom.我发现自己瞪大眼睛看着她，好像她是一个幽灵。
• He is only a phantom of a king.他只是有名无实的国王。

9 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

10 medleys   

n.混杂物( medley的名词复数 )；混合物；混杂的人群；混成曲（多首声乐曲或器乐曲串联在一起）

参考例句：

11 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

12 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。