Theatre Under The Stars Announces The Nominations For The 2020 Tommy Tune Awards

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) announced the nominations for the 2020 Tommy Tune Awards as well as changes to the awards show today.

As previously announced, the Tommy Tune Awards show, originally scheduled for April 28 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts has been canceled, due to the nationwide health crisis.

"As we follow the lead of state and city health officials to keep our city's students safe, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Tommy Tune Awards show this year," said TUTS Community Engagement Director Israel Jimenez.

The winners will be announced via a specially-created video on the Tommy Tune Awards Facebook page and the TUTS YouTube channel on April 28 at 7:30pm.

The Tommy Tune Awards Program celebrates the educational value, artistry, and community of high school musical theatre in the Greater Houston area. After evaluating the 46 participating Houston-area high school productions during the 2019-2020 school year, a team of 36 Houston-based theatre professionals nominated students in 15 award categories.

The following high schools and individuals were nominated:

Best Musical:

Friendswood High School Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical

G.W. Carver Magnet School Sister Act

Houston Christian High School Crazy for You

Kinder HSPVA The Color Purple

Klein High School The Drowsy Chaperone

Klein Cain High School The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Spring High School Aida

Stratford High School The Drowsy Chaperone

Leading Actress:

Jocelyn Dorsey from G.W. Carver Magnet High School as "Deloris Van Cartier" in Sister Act

Atara Romero-Wilson from George Bush High School as "Aida" in Aida

Taylor Greny from Friendswood High School as "Matilda" in Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical

Isabelle Olson from Klein High School as "Janet Van De Graaff" in The Drowsy Chaperone

Starlee Brown from Klein Cain High School as "Olive" in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Emily Cagle from Second Baptist School as "Belle" in Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Makaila Heath from Spring High School as "Aida" in Aida

Lindsay Bates from Stratford High School as "Janet Van De Graaff" in The Drowsy Chaperone

Leading Actor:

Jackson Cook from Concordia Lutheran High School as "Jesus" in Godspell

Eric Jensen from Friendswood High School as "Miss Trunchbull" in Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical

Thomas Massey from Friendswood High School as "Mr. Wormwood" in Ronald Dahl's Matilda The Musical

Cade Eller from Klein High School as "Robert Martin" in The Drowsy Chaperone

Xavier Smith from Klein High School as "Man in Chair" in The Drowsy Chaperone

Charles Sexton from Klein Cain High School as "William Barfee" in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Cooper George from Klein Cain High School as "Leaf" in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Will Larabee from Stratford High School as "Man in Chair" in The Drowsy Chaperone

Supporting Actress:

Ashlynn McCutcheon from Eisenhower High School as "Evilene / Glinda" in The Wiz

Katherine Lunam from Houston Christian High School as "Irene" in Crazy for You

Cami Moses from Kinder HSPVA as "Sofia" in The Color Purple

Helene Rosborough from Klein Cain High School as "Logainne" in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Sara Rodriguez from Pearland High School as "Erma" in Anything Goes

Lauren Beaman from Ridge Point High School as "Little Sally" in Urinetown: The Musical

Evers McCormack from Spring Woods High School as "Rosie" in Mamma Mia!

Catherine Piskurich from Stratford High School as "Kitty" in The Drowsy Chaperone

Naomi Adams from George Bush High School as "Nehebka" in Aida

Supporting Actor:

Ashton Deverka from Houston Christian High School as "Lank" in Crazy for You

Andrew Linart from The Kinkaid School as "Pitkin W. Bridgework" in On The Town

Martin Ibarra from The Kinkaid School as "Ozzie" in On The Town

Keagan Greer from Pearland High School as "Moonface Martin" in Anything Goes

Evan Blackwell from Ridge Point High School as "Caldwell Cladwell" in Urinetown: The Musical

Zac Decker from Second Baptist School as "Lumiere" in Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Jordyn Wardsworth from Spring High School as "Mereb" in Aida

Christopher Aviles from Spring High School as "Zozer" in Aida

Luke Centanni from Stratford High School as "Aldolpho" in The Drowsy Chaperone

Featured Performer:

Dovid Adler, Matthew Alter, Casey Markowitz, and Jack Paransky from The Emery/Weiner School as "The Sheep" in Head Over Heels

Taylor Campbell from Friendswood High School as "Mrs. Wormwood" in Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical

Carver and Aldine Dance Company from G.W. Carver Magnet High School as the Carver and Aldine Dance Company in Sister Act

Eva Adickes from Houston Christian High School as "Patsy" in Crazy for You

Mia Nguyen from James E. Taylor High School as "Featured Dancer" in Mamma Mia!

Tomi Akinwande, Alexandria Collins, and Keri Palmer from Kinder HSPVA as "The Trio" ("Doris," "Darlene," and "Jarene") in The Color Purple

Jackson Luikens from Klein Collins High School as "Cuban Dancer" in Guys and Dolls

Davian Raggio from Pearland High School as "Ship's Captain" in Anything Goes

Kevin Mendez from Second Baptist School as "LeFou" in Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Connor Padron and Matthew Prudhomme from Stratford High School as "Gangster #1 and Gangster #2" in The Drowsy Chaperone

Ensemble:

Cypress Ranch High School Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Dickinson High School Disney's Newsies

The Emery/Weiner School Head Over Heels

Friendswood High School Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical

G.W. Carver Magnet High School Sister Act

Houston Christian High School Crazy for You

Kinder HSPVA The Color Purple

Klein Cain High School The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Spring High School Aida

Stratford High School The Drowsy Chaperone

Lighting Design:

Clements High School Heathers The Musical (High School Edition)

Cypress Ranch High School Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Dulles High School Bonnie & Clyde

The Emery/Weiner School Head Over Heels

Friendswood High School Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical

George Ranch High School Mamma Mia!

Houston Christian High School Crazy for You

Kinder HSPVA The Color Purple

Spring High School Aida

Stratford High School The Drowsy Chaperone

Scenic Design:

Clements High School Heathers The Musical (High School Edition)

Dulles High School Bonnie & Clyde

Friendswood High School Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical

George Ranch High School Mamma Mia!

Houston Christian High School Crazy for You

Kinder HSPVA The Color Purple

Klein Cain High School The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Pearland High School Anything Goes

Spring High School Aida

Spring Woods High School Mamma Mia!

Stratford High School The Drowsy Chaperone

Costume Design:

Clements High School Heathers The Musical (High School Edition)

Concordia Lutheran High School Godspell

Dickinson High School Disney's Newsies

Dulles High School Bonnie & Clyde

Kinder HSPVA The Color Purple

Klein High School The Drowsy Chaperone

Klein Cain High School The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Pearland High School Anything Goes

Spring High School Aida

Stratford High School The Drowsy Chaperone

Stage Crew & Technical Execution:

Dickinson High School Disney's Newsies

Dulles High School Bonnie & Clyde

The Emery/Weiner School Head Over Heels

Friendswood High School Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical

George Ranch High School Mamma Mia!

Houston Christian High School Crazy for You

Klein High School The Drowsy Chaperone

Klein Cain High School The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Pearland High School Anything Goes

Stratford High School The Drowsy Chaperone

Orchestra:

Cypress Ranch High School Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Cypress Woods High School Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella

Friendswood High School Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical

G.W. Carver Magnet High School Sister Act

Kinder HSPVA The Color Purple

Klein High School The Drowsy Chaperone

Klein Cain High School The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Klein Forest High School The Addams Family

Memorial High School Singing in the Rain

Porter High School Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella

Musical Direction:

Cypress Ranch High School Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Friendswood High School Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical

G.W. Carver Magnet High School Sister Act

Houston Christian High School Crazy for You

James E. Taylor High School Mamma Mia!

Klein Cain High School The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Spring High School Aida

Stratford High School The Drowsy Chaperone

Choreography:

Clements High School Heathers The Musical (High School Edition)

Cypress Ranch High School Disney's Beauty and the Beast

The Emery/Weiner School Head Over Heels

Friendswood High School Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical

Fulshear High School Chicago

G.W. Carver Magnet High School Sister Act

Houston Christian High School Crazy for You

Kinder HSPVA The Color Purple

Klein High School The Drowsy Chaperone

Klein Cain High School The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Klein Collins High School Guys and Dolls

Pearland High School Anything Goes

Direction:

Friendswood High School Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical

G.W. Carver Magnet High School Sister Act

Houston Christian High School Crazy for You

James E. Taylor High School Mamma Mia!

Kinder HSPVA The Color Purple

Klein High School The Drowsy Chaperone

Klein Cain High School The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Pearland High School Anything Goes

Spring High School Aida

Stratford High School The Drowsy Chaperone

In addition to these awards, the Tommy Tune Awards Program awards scholarships to graduating seniors who plan to pursue a career in the arts.

The Tommy Tune Awards offers an opportunity for students and educators to share their creative accomplishments while instilling in young people the value of engaging in the performing arts as a lifelong pursuit.

Every year, Houston area High Schools produce a full-length musical in order to compete in 15 categories: Leading Actor, Leading Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Featured Performer, Ensemble, Scenic Design, Lighting Design, Costume Design, Stage Crew & Technical Execution, Orchestra, Musical Direction, Choreography, Direction, and Overall Best Musical. Throughout the 2019-20 school year, the adjudicators will evaluate each participating school's show, focusing on each element of the production. The adjudicators are made up of a group of Houston-based theatre professionals who have backgrounds as performers, designers, directors, choreographers, and musicians; and who have years of experience working in arts education and administration.

The Tommy Tune Awards are named for Broadway legend, 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 the following productions: Seesaw, My One and Only, A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, Nine, Grand Hotel and The Will Rogers Follies. He was also awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2003 by President Bush.