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Just last summer, Gretchen Shope's world was turned upside down when she was named a winner at the 15th Annual Jimmy Awards. As a participant from East Lansing, Michigan's Sutton Foster Awards, Gretchen was awarded Best Performance by an Actress and received a check for $25,000 to further her education.
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As the 110 new Jimmy Awards nominees continue their preparations for the 2025 ceremony, BroadwayWorld is checking in with Gretchen to catch up on what she's been up to since her big win, as well as advice for this year's participants.
Plus, hear from this year's Inspiring Teachers and don't forget to tune in to watch the 2025 Jimmy Awards live at 7:30pm ET.
What have you been up to since winning last year?
Mostly auditioning in New York and studying at Wright State University. Although, I had some fun adventures sprinkled along the way, such as singing the national anthem for both the Detroit Lions and Tigers (oh my!), and performing with Shaina Taub at Lincoln Center.
We know that just being a part of the Jimmy Awards (let alone winning) can be a life-changing experience. Reflecting back on it now, what was your biggest takeaway?
The trajectory of my life has completely changed thanks to the Jimmy Awards, and reflecting back on it has me extremely grateful for my upbringing and education. I've been blessed with steller musical theatre training in my hometown (Midland, Michigan) from a young age, and the support my community gave me fueled my artistry for the 18 years I had leading up to the Jimmys. Truly, I wouldn't be anywhere without my team of mentors and friends cheering me on.
Have you kept in touch with any of your fellow participants?
Yes, regularly! A bunch of us follow each other on all the different social media platforms and comment on each other's pages. A group of us actually stitched together a special "congratulations" video to support our chaperone Hatty Ryan King when it was announced she would be in the Dear Evan Hansen Tour!
If you could do it all again, would you do anything differently?
I would want to be more present during the rehearsal days. There were so many beautiful experiences, such as seeing the Tony Awards, meeting the cast of MJ, and even just living at Juilliard, that I wish I would have enjoyed the moment more. Sometimes, the stress of the competition got to my head and I wasn't able to fully appreciate the opportunity we had been given beyond the actual awards.
Is there a piece of advice that you got from one of your coaches that has stuck with you?
EJ Zimmerman (my preliminary coach) told me that as long as I existed honestly onstage, that was enough. That note is something I continue to work on even a year later. It's hard to trust that your simple existence is enough to fill the stage as long as you tell your story truthfully, but the result is so genuine and beautiful, and most importantly, makes the audience feel.
Do you have any advice to share with this year's nominees?
Make friends! These people will be in your corner for the rest of your life. Theatre and Art is often vulnerable, so you need like-minded, creative individuals to bond with. The Jimmy Awards is the perfect opportunity to find those people.