High school students, teachers, and parents across Houston are celebrating the nominations for the 17th Annual Tommy Tune Awards! Dan Knechtges, Artistic Director at Theatre Under The Stars, announced the nominees for Best Musical via video on the TUTS Facebook page.
A program of Theatre Under the Stars, the Tommy Tune Awards recognize and reward excellence in the artistry of musical theatre by high school students and their teachers in the greater Houston metropolitan area. The annual awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. The rambunctious celebration features performing from some of Houston’s most talented teens.
Tickets will go on sale to the public on April 15 at 9 a.m..
After evaluating the 51 participating Houston-area high school productions during the 2018-2019 school year, a team of 40 Houston-based theatre professionals nominated students in 15 award categories.
The following high schools and individuals were nominated:
Best Musical:
- Cypress Ranch High School Disney’s The Little Mermaid
- Houston Christian High School Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins
- Kingwood High School Newsies
- Klein Oak High School Bright Star
- Seven Lakes High School Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
- Stratford High School Newsies
- The Emery/Weiner School Bright Star
- The Kinkaid School 9 to 5 The Musical
Leading Actress:
- Mireya Velasquez from Cypress Ranch High School as “Ariel” in Disney’s The Little Mermaid
- Ava Bryant from Klein Oak High School as “Alice Murphy” in Bright Star
- Parker Munsey from Mayde Creek High School as “Elle Woods” in Legally Blonde The Musical
- Emily Cagle from Second Baptist School as “Kim MacAfee” in Bye Bye Birdie
- Makaila Heath from Spring High School as “Princess Winnifred” in Once Upon a Mattress
- Caroline Moseley from The Kinkaid School as “Judy Bernly” in 9 to 5 The Musical
- Carlie Sachs from The Kinkaid School as “Violet Newstead” in 9 to 5 The Musical
- Grace Muir from The Kinkaid School as “Doralee Rhodes” in 9 to 5 The Musical
Leading Actor:
- Ryan Fielder from Clear Brook High School as “William Barfee” in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
- William Clyburn from Friendswood High School as “Tevye” in Fiddler on the Roof
- Adam Kral from Houston Christian High School as “Bert” in Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins
- Aidan Hartung from Kingwood High School as “Jack Kelly” in Newsies
- Aaron Kersey from Klein Oak High School as “Jimmy Ray Dobbs” in Bright Star
- Benjamin Heintz from Seven Lakes High School as “Beast” in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
- Josue Hernandez from Spring High School as “Prince Dauntless” in Once Upon a Mattress
- Noah Pacht from The Emery/Weiner School as “Jimmy Ray Dobbs” in Bright Star
Supporting Actress:
- Arielle Roberts from Clear Springs High School as “Motormouth Maybelle” in Hairspray
- Avonlea Yeakley from Fulshear High School as “Mrs. Pearce” in My Fair Lady
- Stephanie Leary from Houston Christian High School as “Winifred Banks” in Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins
- Brooklynn King from Pearland High School as “Demeter” in Cats
- Glendaliris Torres-Greaux from Mayde Creek High School as “Brooke Taylor Wyndham” in Legally Blonde The Musical
- Ever Williams from Obra D. Tompkins High School as “Mama Euralie” in Once On This Island
- Maddie Erwin from Second Baptist School as “Mrs. Mae Peterson” in Bye Bye Birdie
- Brent Eastman from Seven Lakes High School as “Mrs. Potts” in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Supporting Actor:
- Brandon Doan from Clear Lake High School as “George” in The Drowsy Chaperone
- Marco Molldrem from Clear Lake High School as “Aldolpho” in The Drowsy Chaperone
- Benjamin Singer from Concordia Lutheran High School as “Motel” in Fiddler on the Roof
- Samuel Oladejo from Mayde Creek High School as “Professor Callahan” in Legally Blonde The Musical
- Andrew Burke from Memorial High School as “Freddy Eynsford-Hill” in My Fair Lady
- Jared Guidry from Seven Lakes High School as “Lumiere” in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
- Gabriel Saenz from Spring High School as “Sir Harry” in Once Upon a Mattress
- Ty Price from Westfield High School as “Mr. Mushnik” in Little Shop of Horrors
Featured Performer:
- Jazlynn Thomas, Anika Adames, Najea Broadnax, and Christian Quijano from Fulshear High School as “The Cockney Quartet” in My Fair Lady
- Katherine Lunam from Houston Christian High School as “Mrs. Brill” in Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins
- Camryn Gonzales from John Randolph Foster High School as “The Witch” in Big Fish
- Ashton Ebert from Kingwood High School as “Romeo” in Newsies
- Savannah Brown from Pearland High School as “Macavity/Rumpus” in Cats
- Zac Decker from Second Baptist School as “Harvey Johnson” in Bye Bye Birdie
- Matthew Martinez from St. Agnes Academy as “The Wolf” in Into the Woods
- Priscilla Mach from The Kinkaid School as “Margaret” in 9 to 5 The Musical
Ensemble:
- Friendswood High School Fiddler on the Roof
- Houston Christian High School Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins
- Kingwood High School Newsies
- Klein Forest High School Once On This Island
- Klein Oak High School Bright Star
- Pearland High School Cats
- Second Baptist School Bye Bye Birdie
- Seven Lakes High School Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
- Stratford High School Newsies
- The Kinkaid School 9 to 5 The Musical
Lighting Design:
- Clear Springs High School Hairspray
- Concordia Lutheran High School Fiddler on the Roof
- Cypress Ranch High School Disney’s The Little Mermaid
- Fulshear High School My Fair Lady
- James E. Taylor High School Les Miserables School Edition
- Klein Collins High School Oliver!
- Obra D. Tompkins High School Once On This Island
- Seven Lakes High School Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
- Spring High School Once Upon a Mattress
- Stratford High School Newsies
Scenic Design:
- Clear Lake High School The Drowsy Chaperone
- Cypress Woods High School Chicago: High School Edition
- Dulles High School Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street School Edition
- G.W. Carver Magnet High School Carmen Jones
- Kingwood High School Newsies
- Klein Collins High School Oliver!
- Pearland High School Cats
- Spring High School Once Upon a Mattress
- Stratford High School Newsies
- Westfield High School Little Shop of Horrors
Costume Design:
- Clear Brook High School The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
- Clear Lake High School The Drowsy Chaperone
- Cypress Woods High School Chicago: High School Edition
- G.W. Carver Magnet High School Carmen Jones
- Klein Forest High School Once On This Island
- Klein High School Legally Blonde The Musical
- Mayde Creek High School Legally Blonde The Musical
- Obra D. Tompkins High School Once On This Island
- Spring High School Once Upon a Mattress
- Stratford High School Newsies
Stage Crew & Technical Execution:
- Concordia Lutheran High School Fiddler on the Roof
- Cypress Ranch High School Disney’s The Little Mermaid
- Fulshear High School My Fair Lady
- Houston Christian High School Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins
- Kingwood High School Newsies
- Klein Oak High School Bright Star
- Seven Lakes High School Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
- Stratford High School Newsies
- The Emery/Weiner School Bright Star
- The Kinkaid School 9 to 5 The Musical
Orchestra:
- B.F. Terry High School The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
- Houston Christian High School Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins
- James E. Taylor High School Les Miserables School Edition
- Klein Cain High School Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach
- Klein Collins High School Oliver!
- Klein Forest High School Once On This Island
- Klein High School Legally Blonde The Musical
- Klein Oak High School Bright Star
- Memorial High School My Fair Lady
- Seven Lakes High School Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Musical Direction:
- Cypress Ranch High School Disney’s The Little Mermaid
- Houston Christian High School Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins
- Klein Collins High School Oliver!
- Klein Oak High School Bright Star
- Pearland High School Cats
- Second Baptist School Bye Bye Birdie
- Seven Lakes High School Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
- St. Agnes Academy Into the Woods
- The Emery/Weiner School Bright Star
- The Kinkaid School 9 to 5 The Musical
Choreography:
- Cypress Ranch High School Disney’s The Little Mermaid
- Friendswood High School Fiddler on the Roof
- Houston Christian High School Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins
- Klein Collins High School Oliver!
- Klein Forest High School Once On This Island
- Klein High School Legally Blonde The Musical
- Klein Oak High School Bright Star
- The Emery/Weiner School Bright Star
- The Kinkaid School 9 to 5 The Musical
- Westfield High School Little Shop of Horrors
Direction:
- Cypress Ranch High School Disney’s The Little Mermaid
- Fulshear High School My Fair Lady
- Houston Christian High School Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins
- Kingwood High School Newsies
- Klein Oak High School Bright Star
- Second Baptist School Bye Bye Birdie
- Seven Lakes High School Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
- Stratford High School Newsies
- The Emery/Weiner School Bright Star
- The Kinkaid School 9 to 5 The Musical
The Tommy Tune Awards are named for Houston native and Lamar High School alumnus Tommy Tune. A performer, director and choreographer with more than 50 years of stage experience, Tune received nine Tony Awards® for his work in productions including: Seesaw, Nine, Grand Hotel and The Will Rogers Follies. He was also awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2003 by President George W. Bush.
Jimmy Awards®
The Best Leading Actor and Actress will go on to compete at the national level for the Jimmy Award at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in New York City. Established in 2009, the Jimmy Awards are named after Broadway theatre owner and producer, James M. Nederlander. This year, the program will bring the country’s best high school performers together to compete on Broadway on June 24. While in New York, Jimmy™ Award participants will have the opportunity to participate in rehearsals and master classes, receive one-on-one coaching from theater professionals, be seen by casting agents, meet and converse with Broadway actors and compete for scholarships and other prizes. The week’s events will culminate in a live awards show where the Jimmy Awards for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress will be presented.
The Tommy Tune Awards are made possible thanks to the generous support of Marsha and David Taylor, Tricia and Alan Ratliff, Amy and Rob Pierce, Brad Blume, The Brown Foundation, the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation, and the Vivian L. Smith Foundation.
Theatre Under The Stars is grateful to our 50th Anniversary Season Sponsors: Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, United Airlines, KTRK ABC-13, The Four Seasons Hotel Houston and Phoenicia Specialty Foods. TUTS is supported in part by the City of Houston through the Theater District, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
