From a nationwide casting call of more than 50,000 high school students participating in 30 regional competitions, just 60 musical theater performers earn the right to participate for one week in the National High School Musical Theater Awards competition. Cameras follow these talented performers, the best in the country, to New York, where they meet their colleagues face-to-face. As day one unfolds, they learn a new opening number from director Van Kaplan and choreographer Kiesha Lalama, get one-on-one coaching in music, theater, dancing and acting from some of Broadway's top talent - including Leslie Odom, Jr. ("Smash"; Rent); Michael McElroy (Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations for Big River; Rent, Miss Saigon); Liz Callaway (Tony Award nomination for Baby; Cats, Miss Saigon) - and prepare for their solos in front of an influential group of judges. The episode ends with students wondering, "Do I have what it takes to make it on Broadway?"
