Theatre Under The Stars Announces The Finalists For The 2025 Tommy Tune Awards
The 2025 Tommy Tune Awards will be held on June 6 at 7 p.m. at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.
By: A.A. Cristi Mar. 28, 2025
The stage is set, the lights are up, and the energy is electric—it's time for the Tommy Tune Awards, where Houston's most talented high school performers, designers, and directors take center stage! This annual celebration isn't just about trophies—it's about passion, creativity, and the magic of live theatre. For students and educators alike, it's an opportunity to shine, connect, and embrace the performing arts as a lifelong journey.
The 2025 Tommy Tune Awards will be held on June 6 at 7 p.m. at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets for the event will go on sale to the public April 21, and will be available for purchase through TUTS.org, by phone at 713-558-8887 or by visiting the TUTS Box Office at 800 Bagby.
“We are absolutely thrilled to announce the 2025 Tommy Tune Awards finalists! Each year, the talent, dedication and passion these students bring to the stage continues to inspire us, and this year is no exception. We can't wait to celebrate their incredible achievements.",” said Jacob Shideler, TUTS Director of Education. Education, creativity, and community take center stage at the Tommy Tune Awards, where high school students from across Greater Houston come together to showcase their talent and passion for theatre. Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, a panel of 40+ Houston-based theatre pros reviewed 66 high school productions, ultimately nominating standout students in 18 award categories.
The finalists for the 2025 Tommy Tune Awards are:
Outstanding Musical Finalists:
Clear Springs High School – Hadestown: Teen Edition
G.W. Carver Magnet High School – Dreamgirls
Houston Christian High School – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Cypress Ranch High School – Sweeney Todd
Kingwood High School – The Phantom of the Opera
Second Baptist School – Irving Berlin's White Christmas
Seven Lakes High School – Disney's & Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins
Stratford High School – Disney's The Little Mermaid
Outstanding Lead Finalists:
Alyssa Dorsey as “Effie” - Dreamgirls - G.W. Carver Magnet High School
Andrew Knobbe as "Joseph" - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Houston Christian High School
Aniya Rojas as "Dorothy" - The Wiz - Yates High School
Anna Kovacik as "Christine Date" - The Phantom of the Opera - Kingwood High School
Aubree Hurst as "Anita Bath" - Rock of Ages: Teen Edition - Jordan High School
Carlos Garza as "Frank Abagnale Jr." - Catch Me if Your Can - Pearland High School
Charles Palacios as "Fester" - The Addams Family - Pasadena Memorial High School
Elijah Iwama as "Quasimodo" - The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Concordia Lutheran High School
Elyse Simmons as "Ariel" - Disney's The Little Mermaid - Stratford High School
Ella Farias as "Martha Watson" - Irving Berlin's White Christmas - Second Baptist School
Emma Vogelsang as "Roxie Hart" - Chicago: Teen Edition - Memorial High School
Gabriel Bouleau as "Bert" - Disney's & Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins - Seven Lakes High School
Griffin Bale as "Vlad" - Anastasia - Bridgeland High School
Haley Griffin as "Mrs. Lovett" - Sweeney Todd - Cypress Ranch High School
Holden Hageleberger as "Scuttle" in Disney's The Little Mermaid - Stratford High School
Ivan Davidson as "Curtis" - Dreamgirls - G.W. Carver Magnet High School
Jerome Johnson as "Mister" - The Color Purple - Hightower High School
Jonathan Edwards as "Emmett Forrest" - Legally Blonde The Musical - Cypress Woods High School
Kiersten Mares as "Eurydice" - Hadestown: Teen Edition - Clear Springs High School
Lili Cates as "Countess Lilly" - Anastasia - Bridgeland High School
Liliana Santos as "Mary Poppins" - Disney's & Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins - Seven Lakes High School
Lucius Watt as "The Phantom" - The Phantom of the Opera - Kingwood High School
Madelynn Hunt as "Anya" - Anastasia - Bridgeland High School
Madison Weaston as "Winifred Banks" - Disney's & Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins - Seven Lakes High School
Major Meyer as "Claude Frollo" - The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Concordia Lutheran High School
Marie Popp as "Carlotta" - The Phantom of the Opera - Kingwood High School
Nic Schweers as "Phil Davis" - Irving Berlin's White Christmas - Second Baptist School
Ogechi Nwachukwu as "Deloris Van Cartier" - Sister Act - Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
Patrick Cashion as "Squidward Q. Tentacles - The SpongeBob Musical - Ridge Point High School
Payton Daly as "Ursula" - Disney's The Little Mermaid – The Kinkaid School
Reagan Wilson as "Deena" - Dreamgirls - G.W. Carver Magnet High School
Savera Karia as "Ursula' - Disney's The Little Mermaid - Stratford High School
Victoria Vicuna as “Sherrie Christian” - Rock of Ages: Teen Edition - Jordan High School
Zach Lester as "Ren McCormack" - Footloose - The Emery / Weiner School
Zeina Montifar as "Eva Peron" - Evita - Bridgeland High School
To see the full lists of finalists in all 18 categories, go to TUTS.org.
The Tommy Tune Awards spotlight more than performers—they showcase rising storytellers too! Each year, select Student Reporters cover the event through social media and behind-the-scenes content, bringing fresh takes from journalism, film, and media programs. Partnering with the Marketing Team, they capture everything from red carpet interviews to key show moments. One standout even earns the chance to cover the Jimmy Awards in New York City on June 23, taking their talents to a national stage. It's a front-row pass to live theatre—and a chance to share the magic with the world!
2025/26 Student Reporter*:
Annika Srivastava from Obra D. Tompkins High School
Camila Delgado from Jordan High School
In addition to these awards, the Tommy Tune Awards Program awards scholarships to graduating seniors who plan to pursue a career in the arts.
Each year, high schools across the Houston area bring full-scale musicals to life, competing for top honors in 18 thrilling categories—from Outstanding Musical to Outstanding Choreographer, Director, Orchestra, and more. Over the course of the 2024-2025 school year, a panel of seasoned theatre professionals evaluated every production, carefully reviewing performances, technical achievements, and standout moments that made each show unforgettable. These adjudicators—directors, designers, choreographers, and musicians with deep roots in arts education—bring their expertise and passion to the judging process, recognizing excellence on and off the stage.
Named after Broadway icon and Houston native Tommy Tune, the awards honor the legacy of a performer, director, and choreographer whose dazzling career has earned nine Tony Awards. A proud Lamar High School alum, Tune has left an indelible mark on Broadway with legendary productions like Seesaw, My One and Only, Nine, Grand Hotel, and The Will Rogers Follies. In 2003, his contributions to the arts were further recognized with the National Medal of Arts.
Jimmy Awards
Of the 34 Tommy Tune Award nominees for Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role, two will be selected via a rigorous audition process adjudicated by a panel of industry professionals ultimately winning an opportunity to represent Houston and TUTS at the Jimmy AwardsⓇ. The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (the Jimmy Awards) are a national celebration of outstanding student achievement, recognizing individual artistry in vocal, dance, and acting performance and elevating the importance of theatre arts education in schools. The Jimmy Awards are presented by The Broadway League Foundation.
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