The crowd inside Balboa Theatre filled the room with lively cheers and applause seconds after Broadway San Diego announced the region’s best youth actors.
Bruno Dominguez-Martinez, from the Coronado School of the Arts, won best actor in the 2025 Broadway San Diego Awards for his performance in CoSA’s production of “Cabaret.” Following graduation in June, he will represent San Diego at The Jimmy Awards in New York City.
“I knew he had a good chance going in, and then he was so powerful and incredible in his performances,” said Barbara Wolf, CoSA Musical Theatre and Drama Conservatory chair, in a statement. “It takes a lot of talent, dedication and determination to get that far. You have to really stand out in the musical. And to win, that is amazing!”
This year, students from 33 high schools in San Diego participated, entering the best actor and best actress categories. Dominguez-Martinez was among the top 20 semi-finalists who participated in a week-long dance, vocal and acting rehearsal workshops before Broadway San Diego announced the winners.
“We bring the best of Broadway to San Diego every year, and this is our opportunity to send the best of San Diego to Broadway,” said Vanessa Ybarra Davis, vice president of Broadway San Diego. “The talent in San Diego is incredible, and this year is no exception. We can’t wait to celebrate our winners.”
Dominguez-Martinez and Laila Varner, a Rock Academy student who won best actress, will now join dozens of other finalists from regional competitions across the country in New York City for a week-long experience culminating in The Jimmy Awards, a national musical theater competition, on June 23 at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre.
“I really could not believe it,” said Dominguez-Martinez, enthusiastically remembering the nerves that overcame him the moment he heard his name from the speakers with a pounding heart. “I was completely in disbelief. … It was a very surreal experience.”
Now, Dominguez-Martinez awaits traveling to the East Coast where he will spend several days in the heart of theater, on Broadway, with other musical theater artists.
“It’s the dream,” added Dominguez-Martinez. “I really hope to just learn as much as I possibly can, not just about musical theater, but about myself as well. It’s an opportunity to learn from some of the best professionals in the industry on Broadway. It’s just such an amazing opportunity.”
A life for the arts
Dominguez-Martinez was 6 years old when he got two minutes of stage time as an angel child in the opera “Suor Angelica” beside his mom, an opera singer.
“I would hear her sing and I would imitate her, so that’s how I got into singing,” recalled Dominguez-Martinez about hearing his mom, a soprano, then.
At 8 years old, Dominguez-Martinez, starred as Michael Banks in “Mary Poppins” with Teatro Camafeo in Tijuana, which inspired his now years-long theater experience.
“The community is my favorite part of musical theater,” he said. “It’s being able to interact with other people that have a shared passion with me, and so I can instantly connect with them through the arts.”
Since then, Dominguez-Martinez has starred in other productions including Laurie in “Little Women,” Gomez in “The Addams Family,” and master of ceremonies in “Cabaret” at Coronado School of the Arts.
“I always find it really fun to actually prepare for a role and the rehearsal process,” said Dominguez-Martinez. “Specifically for ‘Cabaret,’ I really took inspiration from Alan Cumming.”
Dominguez-Martinez also credits Wolf, David McBean and Kim Strassburger from CoSA for their support over the past four years.
Dominguez-Martinez will attend California State University-Fullerton for the musical theatre program.
“This is my passion and this is what I really love to do,” he said.
