It was an “out-of-body” experience.
That’s how Bruno Dominguez Martinez, an actor with Coronado School of the Arts Theatre and Drama Conservatory, describes his experience winning “Best Actor” at the 2025 Broadway San Diego Awards. On Sunday, May 25, Dominguez competed against nine other actors nominated for the award in front of a packed house at the storied Balboa Theatre in downtown San Diego.
When they announced him as a finalist, Dominguez was shocked.
“I could not believe my ears, literally. As I walked onstage, I thought to myself ‘Did I hear that right? Maybe they called someone else’s name and I’m not supposed to be here,'” he said. “But I was reassured once I heard the audience cheer my name.”
Dominguez was recognized for his work in the CoSA production of Cabaret, which was also nominated for Best Musical. Dominguez’s costar, Katie Moreno, was nominated as Best Actress.
Dominguez performed several musical numbers for the audience, including a medley from Cabaret, a solo from Cabaret called “I Don’t Care Much,” and the song “Where is the Life that Late I Led?” from Kiss Me Kate.
But even a standing ovation couldn’t convince him that he actually won the competition. Dominguez says when they called his name as the winner, he was overwhelmed with doubt.
“Never in my life have I been in such disbelief,” he said.
Barbara Wolf, CoSA Musical Theatre and Drama Conservatory Chair, wasn’t so surprised.
“I knew he had a good chance going in, and then he was so powerful and incredible in his performances,” said Wolf. “It was a great delight and joy to witness.”
Dominguez definitely put in the work. Contestants must rehearse every night for six hours, learning new choreography and new music and performing for the judges twice, according to Wolf. She says the week leading up to the competition is nothing short of exhausting.
“Getting invited to the Top 20 is a huge honor,” said Wolf. “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!”
Wolf says that his win means a lot for CoSA. Not only does it legitimize the program but it illustrates the conservatory’s commitment in training students to be triple threats: performers proficient at acting, singing and dancing.
Despite all the practice, Dominguez says he was nervous to perform in front of hundreds of people.
“But once the curtain opened, and I heard the cheers of the audience, any form of nerves immediately vanished,” said Dominguez. “My mind was set on doing the best job I could … and not messing up!”
Dominguez, along with the other winner, Laila Varner, will get to travel to New York City to represent San Diego at the 16th Annual Jimmy Awards — a prestigious national competition that brings together the top high school musical theatre performers in the country.
For Dominguez, the opportunity to travel to New York, the capital for musical theatre, is nothing short of a blessing.
“Being in New York City is always a breathtaking experience,” said Dominguez. “And now that I’ll be there to pursue my biggest passion, the feeling will be beyond words.”
Dominguez credits CoSA with much of his success and says his instructors helped make his dreams come true.
“Coronado School of the Arts has changed my life,” said Dominguez. “I could talk about how much it prepared me for this career, how it taught me to learn a harmony or choreography quickly, how it exposed me to the best theatre works, and how it made me want to pursue musical theatre as a career. But the truth is, none of those things would be possible without the wonderful CoSA educators.”
He says without them, he would not be the person he is today. And he wouldn’t have had this opportunity.
“I think we all forget how lucky we are to be in this program,” he said.
Over the next few weeks, Dominguez will prepare for his trip: working with Broadway professionals, industry coaches, directors and choreographers. He will perform live on stage at the Jimmy Awards on June 23, 2025 at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre.
“My life is about to change for the better,” said Dominguez.
