Theatre Under the Stars
Tommy Tune Awards
MISSION
Theatre Under The Stars, Houston’s non-profit home for musical theatre, is dedicated to enriching lives through innovative musical theatre, inclusive educational curriculums and dynamic community engagement.
VALUES
WE ARE ENGAGING
WE ARE INCLUSIVE
WE ARE COLLABORATIVE
WE ARE RESILIENT
WE ARE TRANSPARENT
WE ARE INSPIRED
TOMMY TUNE AWARDS
The Tommy Tune Awards (TTA) Program celebrates the educational value, artistry and community of high school musical theatre in the Greater Houston Area.
Education: No matter the role in the creative process, experiences in the arts cultivate confidence, spark creative thinking, and inspire life-long learning.
Artistry: The arts are a safe haven for exploration, reflection, and innovation. TTA is as an opportunity for students and educators to share their creative accomplishments as individuals, collaborators and members of the greater Houston community.
Community: We believe in the power of learning, collaborating, and growing together. As we celebrate shared experiences of this transformative artform, we as an artistic and educational community enhance the future of our students, our art, and our city.
Houston area high schools produce a full-length musical to compete in over 15 TTA categories. Each school is adjudicated by a team of volunteer, professional Houston-based music/theatre artists. This process runs October to March with top scorers receiving nominations and a finalist announcement in March. After a rehearsal period involving TTA finalists, along with a student representatives from each participating school, an awards show will be presented to the community in celebration of the participant’s artistic accomplishments.
Monday, August 21, 2023: Tommy Tune Awards School Applications Open
Friday, September 8, 2023: Tommy Tune Awards School Applications Close
Thursday, September 21, 2023: Tommy Tune Awards School Director’s Meeting #1
Friday, September 29, 2023: Official Tommy Tune Awards School Announcement
Friday, October 6, 2023: Tommy Tune Award Adjudication Starts – Show Licenses Due
Sunday, March 3, 2024: Tommy Tune Award Adjudication Closes
Friday, March 8, 2023: Tommy Tune Award Finalists Announced
Monday, March 18 – Sunday, March 24, 2024: Tommy Tune Rehearsals
Monday, March 25, 2024: TTA Load-In & Possible Rehearsal Review
Tuesday, March 26, 2024: Tommy Tune Tech #1
Wednesday, March 27, 2024: Tommy Tune Tech #2
Thursday, March 28, 2024: Tommy Tune Ceremony (7pm)
*Dates subject to change, any updates will be sent via email notification.
TTA MASTERCLASS SERIES
Throughout the year, masterclass opportunities with Theatre Under The Stars mainstage productions will be offered for students participating in Tommy Tune Awards. These masterclasses will vary in genre depending on show and artist availability. Participating students will be selected at the discretion of each school’s directors.
More masterclasses may become available throughout the year.
- October 20, 2023 Masterclass: Stage Management
- December 15, 2023 Materclass: Partner Dancing
Theatre Under The Stars acts as the administrative body of the Tommy Tune Awards, coordinating school and adjudicating schedules, facilitating the scholarship award process, and producing the awards show.