This Year Marked The First Time The Awards Show Was Held In Person Since 2019
The 2023 Tommy Tune Awards from Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) had a triumphant return to the stage last night as a deafening crowd cheered with delight at each award that was given.
“We are ecstatic to be back in person this year,” said Jacob Shideler, TUTS Interim Director of Education. “Seeing these students shine and support one another in this shared passion they have for the arts is the greatest thing about the Tommy Tune Awards.”
The winners of the 2023 Tommy Tune Awards are:
Outstanding Musical:
Tier 1: G.W. Carver High School, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Tier 2: Stratford High School, Young Frankenstein
Jimmy Awards® Nominee Winner:
Nic Rhew, Stratford High School, Young Frankenstein
Jimmy Awards® Nominee Winner:
Makenzie Woolridge, Cypress Ranch High School, Into The Woods
Jimmy Awards® Nominee Runner Up:
Taylor McMullen, The Kinkaid School, The Hello Girls
Jimmy Awards® Nominee Runner Up:
Jackson Nichols, Bridgeland High School, Damn Yankees
North Star Award:
Kira Sledge, Stratford High School, Young Frankenstein
Congeniality Award:
Jackson Nichols, Bridgeland High School, Damn Yankees
Spirit Award:
Julius Bob, Clear Creek High School, Big Fish
Outstanding Ensemble:
Tier 1: Klein Cain High School, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Tier 2: Kingwood High School, Les Misérables and Clear Springs High School, Oliver!
Outstanding Technical Achievement:
Tier 1: C.E. King High School, Little Shop of Horrors
Tier 2: Houston Christian High School, Guys and Dolls
Outstanding Orchestra:
Tier 1: Klein Forest High School, Little Shop of Horrors
Tier 2: Cypress Ranch High School, Into the Woods and Klein High School, Matilda
Outstanding Director:
Tier 1: Roshunda Jones-Koumba, G.W. Carver High School, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Tier 2: Bobby Linhart and Allen Currier, Houston Christian High School, Guys and Dolls
Outstanding Music Direction:
Tier 1: Pamela Dickson, G.W. Carver High School, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Tier 2: Gyasi Blanton and Marcie Baker, Stratford High School, Young Frankenstein
Outstanding Choreography:
Tier 1: Drew Doyle, Madison Herbert and Gracie Morgan, Dulles High School, All Shook Up
Tier 2: Bobby Linhart, Melissa Tyler and Anoushka Patel, Houston Christian High School, Guys and Dolls
Outstanding Lighting Design:
Tier 1: Chris Pruett, Caden Leonard and Mary Kennedy, Klein Cain High School, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Tier 2: Sophia Rowles, Seven Lakes High School, Cinderella
Outstanding Scenic Design:
Tier 1: Chris Pruett, Gavin Newton and Lilly Zapata, Klein Cain High School, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Tier 2: David Clayton and Garrett Sugg, Stratford High School, Young Frankenstein
Outstanding Costume Design:
Tier 1: Bailey Day and Cora Frasier, G.W. Carver High School, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Tier 2: Sammer Ali and Emma Whitton, Stratford High School, Young Frankenstein
Outstanding Sound Design:
Tier 2: Alex Borg, Henry Cohen and Josh Humel, Stratford High School, Young Frankenstein
Outstanding Stage Management:
Tier 1: Emani Caston and Niya Kelly, G.W. Carver High School, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Tier 2: Kate Diers, Stratford High School, Young Frankenstein
Outstanding Supporting Lead:
Landon Rouse, Cypress Ranch High School, Into the Woods
Michael Karash, Kinder HSPVA, Mamma Mia!
Lucius Watt, Kingwood High School, Les Misérables
Outstanding Singer:
Mallory Migi, Friendswood High School, The Music Man
Cortlandt Barrett, Kinder HSPVA, Mamma Mia!
Outstanding Actor:
Faith Jackson, Bridgeland High School, Damn Yankees
Ryan Randolph, G.W. Carver High School, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Ephraim Iwama, Concordia Lutheran High School, Tarzan
Charley Schwinger, Second Baptist School, Guys and Dolls
Demi Briggs, Second Baptist School, Guys and Dolls
Alee Blanter, St. Agnes Academy, Bright Star
Greyson Guzman, Klein High School, Matilda
Outstanding Dancer:
Drew Doyle, Dulles High School, All Shook Up
Faith Bumper, G.W. Carver High School, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Anoushka Patel, Houston Christian High School, Guys and Dolls
Outstanding Honorable Mention:
Camila Horberg-Perez, Cypress Ranch High School, Into the Woods
The power of education, artistry and community comes together at the Tommy Tune Awards where passionate young adults – who can and will set the world on fire – have the opportunity to share their creative accomplishments with their greater-Houston community.
Throughout the 2022-23 school year, adjudicators evaluated every 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.
Jimmy AwardsⓇ
Of the 28 Tommy Tune Award nominees for Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role, two were 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.
