Covington teen's path to Lincoln Center

Jacob Simmons, a 2026 Ohio University musical theater graduate from Covington, Louisiana, took the stage at New York City’s Lincoln Center on April 12 as one of 10 finalists in the American Pops Orchestra’s NextGen National vocal competition. Ohio University said in an Aug. 5 story that Simmons’ path to that performance began in high school theater in Covington, where he had mostly appeared in straight plays before realizing he could sing onstage. The competition brought him to the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center after a national selection process that started with about 500 applicants, according to Ohio University event materials. ### How did Simmons get from Covington school plays to Lincoln Center? Covington, Louisiana, is where Simmons said he first found his singing voice during his freshman year of high school. “It was the end of my freshman year of high school,” Simmons said, recalling that he had been “being loud in the back of the theater” when someone urged him to audition for the school musical. At the time, he said, he was also playing football. (ohio.edu) Ohio University said Simmons had mostly performed in straight plays before that turning point. By 2026, he was finishing a bachelor’s degree in musical theater at the university and had already appeared in campus productions, including as George Berger in Tantrum Theater’s production of “HAIR,” according to the university’s Aug. 5 profile. (ohio.edu) ### What competition did he enter, and how far did he advance? The American Pops Orchestra’s NextGen National is a collegiate vocal competition focused on American popular songs written before 1970, according to the orchestra. The organization says the program gives student singers a chance to work with industry professionals while competing for scholarship money and paid performance opportunities. (ohio.edu) Approximately 500 applicants entered the 2026 competition, according to Ohio University event listings and American Pops materials. Simmons first submitted a video audition, then advanced to the semifinal round, which Ohio University said was presented as a livestream of recorded performances, before reaching the final 10 and earning an all-expenses-paid trip to New York. (theamericanpops.org) ### What did Simmons perform in the final round? April 12 was the date Ohio University gave for Simmons’ finalist performance at Lincoln Center. In preparation for the final round, the university said, he chose two songs: “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel and “Old Devil Moon” from the 1947 Broadway musical “Finian’s Rainbow.” (ohio.edu) Simmons said the competition’s repertoire helped frame the experience. “The whole competition is about uplifting and keeping the Great American Songbook and all these jazz standards in the public eye,” he said, according to Ohio University. ### What did the Lincoln Center trip involve beyond the performance? The 10 finalists receive a free trip to New York City, rehearse with conductor Luke Frazier and members of the American Pops Orchestra, take part in master classes led by Broadway performers, and sing live at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, according to the orchestra. (ohio.edu) Ohio University said Simmons also used the trip to pursue other professional opportunities, including recording an audition for a talent agency before leaving for New York. Ohio University said Simmons described the weekend as a look at a working actor’s life, with late-night audition recording followed by an early airport departure. The university’s account said the event also gave him time with other performers and industry professionals. ### Where does the story go from here? (theamericanpops.org) August 5 was the date Ohio University published its account of Simmons’ Lincoln Center appearance, framing it as part of his transition from college performance training into professional theater work. The American Pops Orchestra says NextGen National will continue, and Lincoln Center’s calendar lists a 10th annual edition of the competition. (ohio.edu) The American Pops Orchestra says finalists compete for scholarship money and paid performance opportunities, while Ohio University’s profile places Simmons among its 2026 musical theater graduates. Those public listings are the clearest next markers in the story as Simmons moves beyond his student career. (theamericanpops.org) (ohio.edu)