The Triangle has produced Tony Award winners on Broadway, from costume designer William Ivey Long to "The Drowsy Chaperone" star Beth Leavel. But William Jones doesn't want to wait that long to see local talent feted.

This year, the N.C. Theatre producer created a junior Tony of sorts: the Capital Awards, which will honor Wake County high school drama clubs and performers for musical productions. This year's black-tie ceremony at Memorial Auditorium will be at 7 p.m. May 21, three weeks before the real Tonys.

"We don't want to use the word 'compete,' " Jones says. "But if you can really see how you stand up against other schools, and your drama department is judged, I think it just brings a lot more attention to the programs."

Schools must apply to be considered for the awards, which will include Tony-like categories such as lead actor, direction and choreography. Additional categories include ensemble, orchestra, stage crew and technical execution.

Jones got the idea for the Capital Awards from Houston's Theatre Under the Stars, which has a similar program named after Houston-raised Broadway star Tommy Tune. So far, the Capital Awards have attracted applications from 14 schools. Each will be critiqued by a trio of judges -- mostly actors, designers and directors who work in the local theater community but do not have strong ties to N.C. Theatre. A local accounting firm will tabulate the judges' scores.

The ceremony will feature performances from the best show nominees and some of the winners, then conclude with an all-school finale. Jones hopes it'll wrap up by 11 p.m. But if it's anything like the real Tonys, it won't.

Louise Whitmire, artistic director of Raleigh's Leesville Road High School theater department, says the students are abuzz -- mainly about the shot at performing a production number at the 2,277-seat Memorial Auditorium. That's where professionals from N.C. Theatre and touring Broadway shows perform.

"I have seen it as nothing but a positive incentive for the kids," Whitmire says. "It's not that we're going to change what we do. We're just going to do it at Leesville's best, which is really high standards, and hoping will we get to show it to the community."

Jones says he hopes the awards generate school spirit beyond the drama departments.

"I grew up in high school playing basketball, and we always had a rivalry against other schools," he says. "It was a lot of attention, and the schools got behind it with pep rallies and all that stuff.

"It works for athletics. I don't see why it wouldn't work for the arts."