Brad Gardner
ENCHANTMENT AWARDS News:
The Enchantment Awards is thrilled to welcome international musical and film conductor Brad Gardner as Guest Music Director for its 2025 program, premiering May 2 at Popejoy Hall in Albuquerque. Gardner will coach New Mexico’s top high school performers through an intensive rehearsal week, leading to one spectacular night where two students will go on to perform at Broadway’s Jimmy Awards this summer.
Based in Los Angeles, Gardner’s impressive resume extends across the US and abroad, with musical credits spanning Broadway (Mean Girls, Once Upon a Mattress, The Addams Family), national and international tours (Wicked, Frozen, An American in Paris), 40 Netflix films (The Piano Lesson, Sheryl, Chupa) and the 2018 Jimmy Awards. “When I coached at the Jimmy Awards, the students who stood out were the ones who knew who they were and how to lean into their strengths. I hope to help students in the Enchantment Awards uncover and reinforce what those strengths are,” Gardner said.
He will join the Enchantment Awards’ professional coaching team to guide over 150 New Mexico high school students, including 20 Best Actor & Actress Nominees, The Director’s Choice Chorus, and 5 Best Production casts through a rigorous week of rehearsals and workshops, culminating in a captivating showcase of the best group and solo musical performances from across the state. “It will be fast-paced,” says Gardner, “but my focus will be on why we are showing up in the first place. Artists are, first and foremost, telling a story, and storytelling is the root of why we train and develop good techniques.”
High schools from around the state are taking part in the Enchantment Awards including those from Albuquerque, Angel Fire, Farmington, Las Cruces, Los Alamos, Los Lunas, Portales, Rio Rancho, and Santa Fe registered with the program.
New Mexicans are invited to join Brad and this impressive cast of local superstars 7:30 p.m., May 2, at Popejoy Hall in Albuquerque. Tickets can be purchased at the Popejoy Hall ticketing site, starting at $16 for students.
About The Enchantment Awards
The Enchantment Awards is a nonprofit organization that believes all students should have the opportunity to participate in a theatre program in their high school. It honors local teachers and drama programs by offering young talent the chance to advance their education and career in musical theatre to succeed individually, academically, and socially.
As New Mexico’s regional awards program for the Jimmy Awards, the Best Actor and Best Actress from the Enchantment Awards, chosen during the performance, take part in the Jimmy Awards, also known as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards. They learn from Broadway professionals and perform on a Broadway stage, all as a part of this educational program from the Broadway League. Popejoy Hall is New Mexico’s only Broadway League member.