‘I couldn’t be more proud.’ Olathe East grad earned these 2 esteemed theater awards

Justin Cooley never planned to be an actor, but when friends pushed him to audition for “Hairspray” at Olathe East High School, he gave it a try. Now, he’s won a Blue Star Award from Starlight Theatre and a Jimmy Award from the Broadway League, which came with a $3,000 scholarship.

After the announcement of his victory, he said “I honestly was just awestruck. My heart stopped a little bit. I’d known what Jimmy Awards were throughout high school, but I just never, ever thought it was something I would even be able to be a part of,” Cooley said.

The recent high school graduate, who gained notice for his portrayal of Dmitry in “Anastasia,” performed in a July online showcase for Broadway professionals as part of the Jimmy Awards.

Normally, the winners of the Blue Star best actor and actress awards get to take a trip to New York for the showcase, but this year, it was done virtually. That meant meeting with directors and choreographers over Zoom. Each student received recording equipment to make his or her segments.

“We would volunteer with what we could do and get assigned for that specific number. When they shut down the Zoom (call), we would get up, scurry out, and I went to a lot of different locations in the KC metro to record different scenes,” Cooley said.

Locations ranged from his home in Olathe to the Plaza and downtown Kansas City.

With a Broadway actor as his coach, Cooley got a new perspective on his craft.

“I felt like something that I improved on greatly throughout process was my attitude about acting,” he said. Coaches encouraged them to bring “individual flair” to their performances.

Cooley, who’s headed to Texas Christian University in the fall to major in musical theater, hopes the showcase will help him find work in the theater world, both in Texas and possibly on Broadway.

Before he took to the stage in musicals, he was a dedicated choral singer.

Edward Shafer, theater teacher at Olathe East, has been impressed with Cooley both on and off the stage.

“Justin is one of a kind. For as talented as he is, he’s just as a great as a person, student and leader. … I can’t think of anybody who embodies more of what we want to instill in our younger kids,” Shafer said.

Shafer recalled seeing Cooley transform while auditioning for the role of a bully in “Heathers: The Musical.”

Though small of stature, Shafer said, “he came out and was so convincing in this role as a bully that it felt like I had no choice but to cast him. I could totally believe him in a role that is so unlike himself.”

Before Justin, Shafer had never has a student who won a Jimmy Award.

“It was quite the ride to watch that this summer. I couldn’t be more proud, but I wasn’t surprised,” Shafer said.

“The journey these characters (Justin plays) take resonates out of him. People are so drawn to that. They see truth and honesty in how he’s telling that story. It’s rare to see that in such a young performer.”

This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "‘I couldn’t be more proud.’ Olathe East grad earned these 2 esteemed theater awards."