Two High School Theatre Productions Receive Tommy Tune Awards
Two high school musicals in Klein ISD received Tommy Tune Awards, including, Best Choreography to Klein Forest for their musical, Once on This Island, and Best Musical, Best Musical Direction, and Best Direction to Klein Oak for their musical, Bright Star.
The Tommy Tune Awards, a Theatre Under The Stars program, recognizes excellence in high school musical theatre across the greater Houston metropolitan area. This year, 51 high school productions participated.
Klein Oak Theatre musical, Bright Star, truly lived up to its name as it won three of the nine awards it was nominated for and succeeded in bringing home a very deserving Best Musical Tommy Tune Award.
“This whole experience from auditions to the final performance at Tommy Tunes has been incredible,” Klein Oak senior and Bright Star cast member Aaron Kersey said. “I made some of the best friends I’ve ever had through this process and wouldn’t trade it for the world. To say I was a part of this company is something special and to be nominated for Best Actor was the icing on the cake.”
As young actors and actresses take the stage, their performances truly reflected Klein Oak Theatre Director Eric Domuret’s passion for theatre and dedication to his students.
“I think our success in the Tommy Tunes is due to the fact that the students love what they do and keep in the forefront of their minds that their purpose in doing theater is an exploration and celebration of what it is to be human,” Domuret said.
Along with Bright Star, Once on This Island also won in a prestigious Tommy Tune category: Best Choreography. Oftentimes, one of the most captivating part of a performance is the movement on stage and Klein Forest senior and Once on This Island choreographer Jay Prieto’s Promise 2 Purpose story is all about dance.
“Winning best choreography is a dream come true, and the journey it took to get here was something that I will never forget,” Prieto said. “Without the cast, crew, and artistic team by my side, I would have never made it this far. Just being nominated was a blessing, but winning made me realize this is something I am meant to do.”
No one in Klein ISD is more proud of Prieto and the Once on This Island company than Klein Forest Theatre Director Ashley Cooper.
“Anytime you can share the stage with your friends and peers is an opportunity to tell a story—to give the audience a gift,” Cooper said. “The cast and crew of Once on This Island embodied the story of love and acceptance regardless of race or economic class. Their ability to convey the story through music and dancing is why Jay and the entire cast, crew, and directorial team received Best Choreography.”
Theatre Under The Stars also awarded two Klein ISD students with Tommy Tune scholarships, based on merit and financial information submitted during the application process.
Klein High senior and Tommy Tune scholarship recipient, Bryndal Braithwaite.
“It’s humbling to be chosen for a scholarship that truly does aid in young artists’ ambitious futures,” Klein High senior and Tommy Tunes scholarship recipient Bryndal Braithwaite said. “I am so ecstatic about continuing to build up my artistry, education, and community in pursuit of my BFA in Musical Theatre.”
Like Braithwaite, Klein Oak senior and Bright Star cast member Luke Sexton will also use the scholarship to pursue his dreams at Auburn University next year.
“It was such a surreal moment to see the other incredibly talented recipients that joined me on stage and to look out at the thousands of people cheering for us,” Sexton said. “It served as a reminder to always work passionately at what I care about because passion breeds both success and happiness.”
Klein Oak senior and Tommy Tune scholarship recipient, Luke Sexton.
We hope that our Klein community joins us in celebrating all of our high school theatre students for their Tommy Tune nominations and awards—every musical was breathtaking and phenomenal. Congratulations, again, to Bright Star and Once on This Island’s cast and crew on a job well done and, to the students who are actively pursuing their purpose in theatre: we are excited to see your success in the years to come.
Best Public Schools in Texas
Klein ISD has an established 84-year history of excellence and innovation in education with unique pathways for EVERY student in our care to ensure learners are college, career, military, and life ready. With recognition for STEM, athletics, fine arts, and academics from highly-esteemed organizations, it is clear that Our Shared Vision of every student entering with a promise and exiting with a purpose is a reality for EVERY student who walks through our doors.
About Klein ISD
Klein ISD is a school district in Klein, Texas, located in northwestern Harris County. The district spans approximately 88 square miles and serves more than 53,000 students in 33 elementary schools, 10 intermediate campuses, one high school program of choice, and 5 high schools.
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There are so many incredible individuals in the Klein Family making a lasting impact on our community. We want to recognize and celebrate our leaders and learners that are cultivating talent, building relationships, reimagining learning and making Promise2Purpose a reality daily. Share your story here: https://kleinfamily.net
