Celebrate Arkansas' Brightest Up-and-Coming Musical Theater Stars

Join us for the inaugural Walton Arts Center Diamond Awards Ceremony, a showcase of the region’s high school musical theater talent, on Sunday, May 4 at 4 pm.  

Arkansas Arts Academy - Alice By Heart

The award showcase will feature performances by Diamond Award finalists and select cast members from the productions Awards will be presented for best actor, actress, supporting performers and ensemble performance. A Sparkle Award, recognizing an outstanding educator, will also be presented during the ceremony.  Tickets are just $10.   

Ten high school theater programs that produced full-length musicals are participating in the Diamond Awards. Throughout the school year, industry professionals have been adjudicating students’ performances in these productions.  

The schools and their qualifying musical productions are:  

Fort Smith Southside/Northside High School – Tuck Everlasting

Alma High School - Newsies   

Arkansas Arts Academy – Alice By Heart  

Bentonville High School – SpongeBob SquarePants the Musical   

Bentonville West High School – The Addams Family School Edition   

Clarksville High School – Matilda the Musical   

Farmington High School – The Addams Family   

Fayetteville High School - Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella   

Siloam Springs High School – Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella  

Fort Smith Southside/Northside High School – Tuck Everlasting  

Siloam Springs High School – Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella  

Van Buren High School – The Lightning Thief  

Finalists for the Diamond Awards and the Sparkle Award will be announced on Monday, April 28. 

Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards®, Walton Arts Center’s Diamond Awards recognizes achievement and excellence in musical theater among local high school students.  

The Diamond Awards qualify the best actress and actor winners to receive training from Broadway professionals and compete alongside nominees from 54 other regional high school musical theater awards competitions in New York City at the Broadway League Foundation’s National High School Musical Theatre Awards®, “The Jimmy Awards®" this summer. Walton Arts Center will cover the cost of the trip for the two Diamond Awards winners.    

Tickets for the Diamond Award Ceremony can be purchased by visiting waltonartscenter.org, by calling 479.443.5600 weekdays 10 am until 5 pm or in-person at the Walton Arts Center Box Office weekdays 10 am until 2 pm.