Inaugural event will feature professional training, live performances, and $7,500 in cash prizes at the historic Emery Theater
The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) is setting the stage for a new tradition with The Emerys, an exciting musical theatre competition celebrating the next generation of performers. The inaugural Emery Award Competition will take place Sunday, March 14, 2027, at the reimagined and historic Emery Theater in downtown Cincinnati.
Dedicated exclusively to solo musical theatre performance, The Emerys will bring together talented high school students from throughout the region for a unique experience combining individual competition, professional training, and collaborative performance opportunities. Selected semi-finalists will participate in workshops and rehearsals led by accomplished industry professionals and perform together in the event’s opening and closing production numbers. The Top 10 finalists will take center stage to compete in a live solo competition for cash prizes.
“TCT has an extraordinary history of nurturing rising young performers who have gone on to become incredibly successful leaders, professionals, and stars. We are excited to build a new opportunity to highlight the immense talent in the region with The Emerys,” said Roderick Justice, Artistic Director of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati. “Not only will dozens of our semi-finalists get to engage with professional musical theatre workshops, learn techniques from industry artists, and have the chance to network with fellow young performers, but TCT will also provide the unique opportunity for the next generation of stars to step into the spotlight on the stage of the nation’s most technologically advanced venue of its kind: The Emery Theater!”
While the competition will recognize outstanding individual talent, the event is poised to be an experience that goes beyond winning a competition. Justice says, “We hope The Emerys will become an annual tradition that inspires young performers and celebrates future musical theatre rising stars in our region.”
A Spotlight on Individual Musical Theatre Talent
The competition is open to students currently enrolled in grades 9–12 at an accredited high school. Students apply individually and must obtain a recommendation and signature from their school’s Theatre Director, Performing Arts Educator, Department Chair, or Principal confirming they are in good academic and artistic standing.
The Road to The Emerys
Round One: Virtual Auditions
Applications open December 18, 2026, through Acceptd, an online audition and application platform. Students must submit a virtual solo musical theatre performance no longer than two minutes, the .wav audio file cut of the musical track used in the submission (which may not include any prerecorded background vocals), and the recommendation/signature from the educator nominating the student.
An independent panel of distinguished professionals currently working in the musical theatre industry will evaluate submissions. Applications close January 31, 2027.
Semi-Finals: An Immersive Professional Experience
Selected semi-finalists, announced February 12, 2027, will be invited to spend the day at The Emery Theater for a series of workshops, classes, and choreography led by acclaimed musical theatre professionals.
All semi-finalists will participate in the competition’s opening and closing production numbers, regardless of whether they advance to the Top 10. This collaborative experience gives every semi-finalist the opportunity to perform on the historic Emery stage and celebrate their shared passion for musical theatre.
The Finals: The Emerys Take Center Stage
During the March 14th live competition, the Top 10 finalists will be announced, and each will perform an individual musical theatre solo before a live audience and a distinguished panel of respected musical theatre artists from Cincinnati and beyond.
Finalists will be evaluated on vocal performance, storytelling, artistry, and overall stage presence as they compete for the inaugural Emery Awards Grand Prize. All judging will be conducted by independent musical theatre industry professionals. TCT staff members will not participate in the evaluation or selection of finalists or grand prize winners.
Celebrating Excellence with Cash Prizes
Three outstanding performers will receive cash awards in recognition of their achievements:
- First Place: $4,000
- Second Place: $2,000
- Third Place: $1,500
A New Tradition at the Historic Emery Theater
The inaugural competition will take place at the beautifully restored and reimagined Emery Theater, which reopened in October 2025 as the new home of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati. The event will bring together students, educators, families, and theatre professionals for a celebration of the region’s emerging musical theatre talent.
With its remarkable history and state-of-the-art theatrical technology, The Emery Theater provides an inspiring setting for young performers to share their talents and take an exciting step forward in their artistic journeys.
Through The Emerys, TCT hopes to establish an annual tradition that celebrates individual achievement, encourages artistic growth, and creates lasting connections among the next generation of performers.
Applications and Scholarships
Applications for The Emerys open December 18, 2026, and close January 31, 2027.
A $25 application fee is required. Students selected as semi-finalists will pay an additional $75 participation fee, bringing the total cost to $100. Application and participation fee scholarships will be available for students with financial need, helping ensure that cost is not a barrier to participate.
Applications will be accepted exclusively through Acceptd. Complete eligibility requirements, audition guidelines, and additional competition details will be detailed on December 18 when the application link opens.
Experience The Emerys Live!
The community is invited to celebrate Cincinnati’s rising musical theatre stars at the inaugural Emery Award Competition on Sunday, March 14, 2027, at the historic Emery Theater.
Audiences will enjoy live solo performances by the Top 10 finalists, opening and closing production numbers featuring all semi-finalists, and the presentation of the inaugural Emery Awards.
Tickets are scheduled to go on sale Friday, February 12, 2027, in conjunction with the announcement of the competition’s semi-finalists.
Important Competition Dates
- December 18, 2026: Applications Open
- January 31, 2027: Applications Close
- February 12, 2027: Semi-finalists Announced and Tickets on Sale
- March 14, 2027: Inaugural Emery Award Competition
About The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati
Celebrating 107 years this season, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) is dedicated to educating, engaging, and entertaining audiences of all ages through professional theatrical productions and arts education. Founded in 1919, TCT is the oldest professional theatre for young audiences in the country.
Through its MainStage productions at the reimagined Emery Theater, TCT on Tour bringing live theatre into schools across the region, and TCT Academy’s year-round classes, camps, and live student productions, the organization educates, entertains, and inspires more than 100,000 children and families each year, awakening a lifelong love of theatre in young people and families. In October 2025, TCT opened its new home at the historic Emery Theater in downtown Cincinnati, now the most technologically advanced proscenium-style theater in the country.
