Star Of Stage And Screen Jim Parsons Announces The Tommy Tune Award Nominees For Best Musical

High school students, teachers and parents across Houston are celebrating and filled with anticipation as the nominations for the 16th Annual Tommy Tune Awards have just been announced on facebook.com/tommytuneawards. Emmy-winner and native Houstonian, Jim Parsons announced the nominees for Best Musical via video on the Tommy Tune Awards Facebook page. Parsons, who started his career on the stage in Houston, will star in The Boys in the Band on Broadway next month.

A program of Theatre Under the Stars, the Tommy Tune Awards recognize and reward excellence in the production 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 17 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 9 at 9 a.m. at tuts.com/tommytuneawards.

After evaluating the 45 participating Houston-area high school productions during the 2017-2018 school year, a team of 31 Houston-based theatre professionals nominated students in 15 award categories.

The following high schools and individuals were nominated:

Best Musical:

Foster High School
Evita
Friendswood High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
G.W. Carver Magnet High School
Jelly's Last Jam
The Kinkaid School
Crazy for You
Klein High School
The Addams Family
Klein Oak High School
Big Fish
Second Baptist School
Oklahoma!
Westfield High School
The Color Purple

Best Leading Actor:

Garrett Morris from Friendswood High School as Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
William Clyburn from Friendswood High School as Claude Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Bishop Pearsall from G.W. Carver Magnet High School as Jelly Roll Morton from Jelly's Last Jam
Ashton Lambert from The Kinkaid School as Bobby Child from Crazy for You
Hayden Cox from Klein Collins High School as Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors
Ryan Esparza from Klein High School as Gomez Addams from The Addams Family
Zac Molegraaf from Klein Oak High School as Edward Bloom from Big Fish
R.J. Munguia from Pearland High School as Lord Farquaad from Shrek The Musical
Zane Hall from Porter High School as Captain Hook from Peter Pan

Best Leading Actress:

Jena Hinton from Foster High School as Eva Peron from Evita
Emily Mesa from Friendswood High School as Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Allyson Joyce from Houston Christian High School as Elle Woods from Legally Blonde
Bryndal Braithwaite from Klein High School as Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family
Lizzy Cooper from Klein Oak High School as Sandra Bloom from Big Fish
Brytanni Davis from North Shore Senior High School as Effie White from Dreamgirls
Caylie Howard from Obra D. Tompkins High School as Fiona from Shrek The Musical
Payton Mixon from Porter High School as Peter Pan from Peter Pan
Brianna Wyatt from Westfield High School as Shug Avery from The Color Purple

Best Supporting Actor:

Corey Jennings from Cypress Ranch High School as Seaweed J. Stubbs from Hairspray
Garrett McGregor from Friendswood High School as Capt. Phoebus de Martin from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Ri'Chard Jordan from G.W. Carver Magnet High School as Jack the Bear/Buddy Bolden from Jelly's Last Jam
Ben Russell from High School for the Performing and Visual Arts as Ernst Ludwig from Cabaret
Cade Eller from Klein High School as Lucas Beineke from The Addams Family
Donnie Gulley from Klein High School as Uncle Fester from The Addams Family
Ryan Kearton from Obra D. Tompkins High School as Donkey from Shrek The Musical
T.J. Johannesen from Second Baptist School as Ali Hakim from Oklahoma!
Kyle Goodson from Stratford High School as Uncle Fester from The Addams Family

Best Supporting Actress:

Icis Hammond from Cypress Creek High School as Alice Beineke from The Addams Family
Andrea Beasley from Friendswood High School as Clopin from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Natalie Lammey from Klein High School as Alice Beineke from The Addams Family
Glendaliris Torres-Greaux from Mayde Creek High School as Daniela from In The Heights
Margaret Jamison from Porter High School as Tiger Lily from Peter Pan
Jenna Bobbora from Second Baptist School as Aunt Eller from Oklahoma!
Rachel Young from Second Baptist School as Ado Annie from Oklahoma!
Faith Berrigan from Stratford High School as Alice Beineke from The Addams Family
Divina Ito from Westfield High School as Sofia from The Color Purple

Best Featured Performer:

William Byrne from Clear Springs High School as Pinocchio from Shrek The Musical
Ryan Cowhey from Cypress Ranch High School as Wilbur Turnbald from Hairspray
Jordynn Heins from Dulles High School as Candy from Zombie Prom
Tyler Phelps from Friendswood High School as Saint Aphrodisius from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Kai Womack from G.W. Carver Magnet High School as Gran Mimi from Jelly's Last Jam
Ameer Mustafa from The Kinkaid School as Moose from Crazy for You
Will Marino from Klein High School as Lurch from The Addams Family
Nick Januhowski from Obra D. Tompkins High School as Pinocchio from Shrek The Musical
Joy Edmonds, Brea Porter, & Maddison Joyce from Westfield High School as the Trio of Church Ladies - Jarene, Doris & Darlene from The Color Purple

Best Ensemble/Chorus:

Friendswood High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Fulshear High School
The Wizard of Oz
G.W. Carver Magnet High School
Jelly's Last Jam
Houston Christian High School
Legally Blonde
The Kinkaid School
Crazy for You
Klein High School
The Addams Family
Klein Oak High School
Big Fish
Pearland High School
Shrek The Musical
Porter High School
Peter Pan
Second Baptist School
Oklahoma!
Stratford High School
The Addams Family
Westfield High School
The Color Purple

Best Scenic Design:

Foster High School
Evita
Friendswood High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Cabaret
The Kinkaid School
Crazy for You
Klein Cain High School
Annie
Klein High School
The Addams Family
Mayde Creek High School
In The Heights
North Shore Senior High School
Dreamgirls
Pearland High School
Shrek The Musical
Second Baptist School
Oklahoma!
South Houston High School
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Westfield High School
The Color Purple

Best Costume Design:

Cinco Ranch High School
The Music Man
Cypress Creek High School
The Addams Family
Foster High School
Evita
G.W. Carver Magnet High School
Jelly's Last Jam
The Kinkaid School
Crazy for You
Klein Cain High School
Annie
Klein High School
The Addams Family
Klein Oak High School
Big Fish
Pearland High School
Shrek The Musical
Second Baptist School
Oklahoma!
Stratford High School
The Addams Family
Westfield High School
The Color Purple

Best Lighting Design:

Cypress Ranch High School
Hairspray
Foster High School
Evita
Friendswood High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Houston Christian High School
Legally Blonde
The Kinkaid School
Crazy for You
Klein Cain High School
Annie
Mayde Creek High School
In The Heights
Pearland High School
Shrek The Musical
Second Baptist School
Oklahoma!
South Houston High School
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Stratford High School
The Addams Family
Westfield High School
The Color Purple

Best Stage Crew & Technical Execution:

Foster High School
Evita
Friendswood High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
G.W. Carver Magnet High School
Jelly's Last Jam
The Kinkaid School
Crazy for You
Klein Cain High School
Annie
Klein High School
The Addams Family
Pearland High School
Shrek The Musical
Porter High School
Peter Pan
Second Baptist School
Oklahoma!
South Houston High School
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Spring Woods High School
Into the Woods
Stratford High School
The Addams Family

Best Musical Direction:

Foster High School
Evita
Friendswood High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
G.W. Carver Magnet High School
Jelly's Last Jam
The Kinkaid School
Crazy for You
Klein Collins High School
Little Shop of Horrors
Klein High School
The Addams Family
Klein Oak High School
Big Fish
Mayde Creek High School
In The Heights
Obra D. Tompkins High School
Shrek The Musical
Pearland High School
Shrek The Musical
Porter High School
Peter Pan
Stratford High School
The Addams Family

Best Orchestra:

B.F. Terry High School
Annie
Cinco Ranch High School
The Music Man
Cypress Woods High School
Peter Pan
Friendswood High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
G.W. Carver Magnet High School
Jelly's Last Jam
Klein Cain High School
Annie
Klein Collins High School
Little Shop of Horrors
Klein Forest High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Klein High School
The Addams Family
Klein Oak High School
Big Fish
Obra D. Tompkins High School
Shrek The Musical
Porter High School
Peter Pan

Best Choreography:

Clear Springs High School
Shrek The Musical
Friendswood High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
G.W. Carver Magnet High School
Jelly's Last Jam
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
Cabaret
Houston Christian High School
Legally Blonde
The Kinkaid School
Crazy for You
Klein High School
The Addams Family
Klein Oak High School
Big Fish
Pearland High School
Shrek The Musical
Second Baptist School
Oklahoma!
South Houston High School
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Westfield High School
The Color Purple

Best Direction:

Foster High School
Evita
Friendswood High School
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
G.W. Carver Magnet High School
Jelly's Last Jam
Houston Christian High School
Legally Blonde
The Kinkaid School
Crazy for You
Klein High School
The Addams Family
North Shore Senior High School
Dreamgirls
Pearland High School
Shrek The Musical
Porter High School
Peter Pan
Second Baptist School
Oklahoma!
Stratford High School
The Addams Family
Westfield High School
The Color Purple

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 25. 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.

To learn more about Theatre Under The Stars Education and Community Engagement programs, visit TUTS.com/EDU.

Theatre Under The Stars is grateful for our Season Sponsors: Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, United Airlines, KTRK ABC-13, and Phoenicia Specialty Foods. TUTS is supported by the City of Houston through the Theater District.

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