Clear Springs High Drama Department members celebrate their many wins in the Tommy Tune Award competition at a gathering in Sweet Life Confectionery at Walding Station in League City. Among the crowd were, from left, both winners and nominees — Sterling Bates, Hana Khan, Stephen Louis, Libby Hart, Nicholas Carlin and Brandon Mayville.
By Mary Alys Cherry
Most Clear Springs High students will never forget their musical, Urinetown, which won nearly three-fourths of the 2014 Tommy Tune Awards and dozens and dozens of accolades for its talented cast – many of whom were honored at a huge summer celebration in League City.
Besides the nominees and winners, Clear Springs students and teachers jammed the Sweet Life Confection at Walding Station Sunday, June 29, to honor their classmates as League City Mayor Tim Paulissen read a proclamation honoring the students and Stephen Louis read a proclamation by State Sen. Larry Taylor presented to the Texas Senate after a warm welcome by Kim Hart.
Clear Creek ISD Fine Arts Director Dean Muths also addressed the crowd, telling how pleased he was when their first Tommy Tune Award was announced, how he became more and more excited as each new Clear Springs winner was announced, and how he was almost embarrassed toward the end when they had won so many.
They also dialed up Tommy Tune, who congratulated them on their outstanding musical and chatted for a few minutes.
Afterwards, pizza was served to all – provided by the event sponsors, Norman Frede Chevrolet, The Walding Station and Walding family, Jake’s Finer Foods, The Milk Pail and Heaven on Earth Wedding Venue.
The award winners were announced back in April before a crowd of more than 2,500 people at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston, where Tommy Tune added extra excitement to the evening, presenting the night’s top honor, Best Musical, to Clear Springs High School for Urinetown.
Developed by Theatre Under the Stars, the Tommy Tune Awards honor musical theatre excellence at the high school level. After reviewing and evaluating the 44 participating Houston-area high school productions during the 2013-14 school year, a team of 33 Houston-based theatre professionals made 151 nominations in 15 categories. The winners are as follows:
- Best Musical – Clear Springs High’s Urinetown
- Best Leading Actor – Nyles Washington as Usnavi in G. W. Carver Magnet High School’s In The Heights
- Best Leading Actress – Emily Lewis as Hope Cladwell in Clear Springs High’s Urinetown
- Best Supporting Actor – Stephen Louis as Officer Lockstock in Clear Springs High’s Urinetown
- Best Supporting Actress – Amber Scott as Daniela in G. W. Carver Magnet High School’s In The Heights
- Best Featured Performer – Kyle Legacion and Emily Scott as the Boy/Girl Bears in High School for the Performing and Visual Arts’
- Avenue Q, School Edition
- Best Direction – Clear Springs High – Urinetown
- Best Musical Direction – Clear Springs High – Urinetown
- Best Choreography – G. W. Carver Magnet High – In The Heights
- Best Orchestra – G. W. Carver Magnet High – In The Heights
- Best Ensemble / Chorus – Clear Springs High – Urinetown
- Best Crew & Technical Execution – Clear Springs High – Urinetown
- Best Scenic Design – Clear Springs High – Urinetown
- Best Costume Design – Klein Oak High School – Guys and Dolls
- Best Lighting Design – Clear Springs High School – Urinetown
A number of Clear Springs students won nominations including Sterling Bates for Best Featured Performer, Libby Hart and Hana Khan for Best Supporting Actress, Brandon Mayville for Best Supporting Actor and Nicholas Carlin for Best Actor. The drama group also was nominated for Best Costume Design.
Mark Stonebarger is the Clear Springs High theatre director.
