Got a sneak peek this morning at the opening and closing numbers for tonight’s inaugural National High School Musical Theater Awards at NYU: 32 kids absolutely GOING FOR IT.

For those of you accustomed to the Metropolitan Awards (ever The Helens), this is a different sort of awards show. It’s modeled after the Gene Kelly Awards, given out each year by the Pittsburgh CLO, one of the driving forces behind the NHSMTAs (or Jimmys).

For the Gene Kelly Awards in Pittsburgh, participating schools send two representatives—that’s 60 kids—who spend two evenings learning one production number that is performed the night of the ceremony. (At the Metros, schools perform a production number, but kids from different schools don’t learn a production number to perform together.)

Lalama-White choreographs that number in Pittsburgh—and has choreographed an opening and closing number and four medleys for The Jimmys, which begin tonight at 7:30 at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.

That’s a lot of choreography for kids to learn in three days, alongside triple-threats from all across the country.

“They’re so quick and so sharp and eager and hungry and I can go on for days,” she says. “It’s so exciting.”

Among those on hand: Michelle Rubich of Briarcliff and Aaron Sauer of Sloatsburg, who attends Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J. Three weeks ago tonight, they won The Metropolitan Awards as best-actress and best actor. Today, there they were, in a sea of talented student actors and actresses, giving it all they had. (In Ricky Flores’ photo above, they’re back to back in the center, Aaron in burgundy and Michelle in lavendar. Ricky took a bunch of great shots.)

In rehearsal, Lalama-White puts them through their paces in the black-box Abe Burrows Theater, making sure the transitions from one song in the medley are crisp and that no one tips his or her hand too early.

They glide from one song to the next in the opening number, with lyrics crafted to tonight’s ceremony, from “Defying Gravity” (“Wicked”) to “Tonight” (“West Side Story”) to “Let the Sun Shine In” (“HAIR”) to “Luck Be a Lady” (“Guys & Dolls”) to “Omigod You Guys” (“Legally Blonde”) and “You Can’t Stop the Beat” (“Hairspray”).

After the 32 kids have run the opening and closing numbers a few times, Van Kaplan, president and executive producer of The Jimmys, tells Lalama-White: “We need to give them a bow.”

Within minutes, the curtain call has been set with rows of eight actors and actresses taking their turns.

“And now, one company bow,” Lalama-White says, “Because, you, believe it or not, have become a company in three days.”

How can you tell these are musical-theater kids? Instead of saying, “Fight!” or “Go!” or even “Jimmy!”, these kids gather in a circle and shout “Maria!”—from “West Side Story,” the show they saw on Broadway the other night.

Tonight’s show will be hosted by Kathie Lee Gifford and will include Tommy Tune as a special presenter. 

They’ll all perform the opening and closing numbers and medleys that spotlight each contestant. After the medleys are performed, the five judges will narrow the 32 to four finalists, who will then perform solos. From those, winners of the first-ever Jimmys will be named. And the winners will be eligible to receive a four-year scholarship to Tisch, a HUGE prize, if they meet admission requirements.

Should be quite a show. I’ll have all the details tomorrow right here.