By winning the female Triple Threat Award at the May 28 Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards, Wrigley Mancha becomes the fourth Davenport Central student since 2019 to qualify for national honors in New York City this month.
The 2026 graduate will participate in a 10-day training program, culminating in the 17th-annual Jimmy Awards on Monday, June 22 at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre, home of “The Lion King.”
The annual ceremony shines a spotlight on the best of high school musical theater talent – with 116 nominees from 58 programs across the country (a boy and girl from each) as they make their debuts on a Broadway stage.
Wrigley was featured this April as Cinderella in Central’s “Into the Woods,” as well as Chava in Circa’s “Fiddler on the Roof” (one of two young women in the role, from May through June 27). Her resume also includes Fantine in “Les Miserables,” Jane Doe in “Ride the Cyclone” and the title role in “Matilda."
At Central, Wrigley was a member of the Varsity dance team, Varsity show choir, choir, and three-year member of the Iowa All-State Chorus. She will attend the University of Iowa this fall to double major in Public Health and Theatre Arts.
Following in the Central footsteps of Peyton Reese, Emily Winn and Croix Baker in qualifying for the Jimmys, Wrigley credited her choir directors (Emily Schrank, Michael Reese and Reid Keller) for her success, and told WVIK about her love of performing, noting her Des Moines showcase.
“I get the specific fulfillment when I’m on stage and specifically when there’s just a spot on me and you’re just like staring into the lights and you’re just like, this is perfection. And it’s just so beautiful. I felt that when I was doing my encore performance because it was just me on stage. And then you don’t even think about the people watching you. You just think about sharing almost. It’s surreal. I hope I get to perform forever.”
For more information on the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, named for Broadway producer James Nederlander, visit www.jimmyawards.com.
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