THEATRE UNDER THE STARS ANNOUNCES THE WINNERS OF THE 2025 TOMMY TUNE AWARDS!

HOUSTON — The 2025 Tommy Tune Awards from Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) was a spectacular night! “Every year we see more and more how much incredible talent we have right here in Houston in these amazing students,” said Jacob Shideler, TUTS Director of Education. The winners of the 2025 Tommy Tune Awards are: Outstanding Musical: Tier 1: Clear Springs High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition Tier 2: Stratford High School, Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jimmy Awards^® Nominee Winner: Carlos Garza, Pearland High School, Catch Me if You Can Jimmy Awards^® Nominee Winner: Alyssa Dorsey, G.W. Carver Magnet High School, Dreamgirls Jimmy Awards^® Nominee Runner Up: Zeina Montifar, Bridgeland High School, Evita Jimmy Awards^® Nominee Runner Up: Holden Hageleberger, Stratford High School, Disney’s The Little Mermaid North Star Award: Payton Daly, The Kinkaid School, Disney’s The Little Mermaid Congeniality Award: Jerome Johnson, Hightower High School, The Color Purple Spirit Award: Reagan Wilson, G.W. Carver Magnet High School, Dreamgirls Outstanding Ensemble: Tier 1: G.W. Carver Magnet High School, Dreamgirls Tier 2: Second Baptist School, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas Outstanding Technical Achievement: Tier 1: G.W. Carver Magnet High School, Dreamgirls Tier 2: Second Baptist School, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas Outstanding Orchestra: Tier 1: Klein Collins High School, The Sound of Music Tier 2: Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, 9   ^{to 5} Tier 2: Klein High School, Anastasia Outstanding Director: Tier 1: Roshunda Jones-Koumba, G.W. Carver Magnet High School, Dreamgirls Tier 2: Cindy Blades, Zoe Chapman, Second Baptist School, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas Tier 2: CeCe Prudhomme, Lizzie Picott, Stratford High School, Disney’s The Little Mermaid Outstanding Music Direction: Tier 1: Donte Wright, G.W. Carver Magnet High School, Dreamgirls Tier 2: Claire Westmoreland, Kambel Crites, Jacqueline Lundsford, Second Baptist School, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas Outstanding Choreography: Tier 1: Cole Montgomery, Nicole Hiemstra, Houston Christian High School, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Tier 2: Courtney D. Jones, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, 9 to 5 Tier 2: Melissa Tyler, Kenny Erler, Dr. Bobby Linhart, Houston Christian High School, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Outstanding Lighting Design: Tier 1: Aria Bouchard, Hailey Hawk, Clear Springs High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition Tier 2: Colin Burke, Matthew Murphy, The Emery/Weiner School, Footloose Tier 2: Griffin Ferguson, Carleigh Nickel, Stratford High School, Disney’s The Little Mermaid Outstanding Scenic Design: Tier 1: Jabari Collins, G.W. Carver Magnet High School, Dreamgirls Tier 2: David Clayton, Sophie Myers, Meredith Avery, Stratford High School, Disney’s The Little Mermaid Tier 2: Steven Bogard, The John Cooper School, Anything Goes Tier 2: Walker Fair, The Emery/Weiner School, Footloose Outstanding Costume Design: Tier 1: Amber Young, Terry Hibbert, Clark McCormick, Houston Christian High School, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Tier 1: Jamar Hawkins, G.W. Carver High School, Dreamgirls Tier 1: Frances Guerrero, Yates High School, The Wiz Tier 2: Joscelyne Oktabetz, Percy Vojnovich, Kingwood High School, The Phantom of the Opera Tier 2: Laura Targett, The John Cooper School, Anything Goes Outstanding Sound Design: Tier 1: Zariah Tatum, G.W. Carver, Dreamgirls Tier 2: Mac Brown, Caroline Morisett, Second Baptist School, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas Outstanding Stage Management: Tier 1: Niya Kelly, G.W. Carver Magnet High School, Dreamgirls Tier 2: Avery Glauser, Sara Griffin, Avelynn Stovall, Second Baptist School, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas Tier 2: Bethany Maynard, Stratford High School, Disney’s The Little Mermaid Outstanding Supporting Lead: Andrew Dybala, Stratford High School, Disney’s The Little Mermaid Dash Leonard, Stratford High School, Disney’s The Little Mermaid Kasean Francis, G.W. Carver Magnet High School, Dreamgirls Outstanding Singer: Meagan Edwards, Ridge Point High School, The SpongeBob Musical Outstanding Actor: Avery Buras, Friendswood High School, Mary Poppins Harrison Kulis, The John Cooper School, Anything Goes Ian Endom, The John Cooper School, Anything Goes Outstanding Dancer: Olivia Shoemaker, Second Baptist High School, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas Outstanding Honorable Mention: Ethan Rodriguez Torres, Cypress Ranch High School, Sweeney Todd Hezekiah Mayers, Summer Creek High School, Mean Girls: High School Edition 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^Ⓡ This year 35 Tommy Tune Award finalists 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.