Tommy Tune Awards: Spotlighting Buzz-Area Nominees

Childhood friends (from left) Lauren Dodds and Jenna Bobbora are both nominated for the Tommy Tune Award for Best Leading Actress at their high schools. Here they are pictured at a recent rehearsal for the Tommy Tune Awards.

On Tues., April 18, Houston-area high schools and high school students will be recognized for their talent and craft in musical theatre at The Tommy Tune Awards, held at The Hobby Center. The ceremony will award the best performers, musicals, technicians and costume designers while celebrating the outstanding amount of hard work and dedication of all the nominees.

Two Buzz-area nominees include sophomores Jenna Bobbora and Lauren Dodds, both 16 years old. These childhood friends are both nominated for the Tommy Tune Award for Best Leading Actress. Jenna attends Second Baptist and Lauren attends Stratford High School. The girls met at age 12 when they attended TUTS Humphrey’s School of Musical Theater downtown and started carpooling together. 

Friends (from left) Jenna Bobbora and Lauren Dodds first met at age 12 at the TUTS Humphrey’s School of Musical Theater. Here they are pictured in costume from when they performed in Hairspray together in 2015. 

Jenna and Lauren will each sing a song from their respective shows - Jenna was nominated for her role as "Madamme Dubonnet" in Second Baptist’s production of The Boyfriend and Lauren for her role as “Sally” in Stratford’s Me and My Girl - at the Tommy Tunes Awards.

Other high schools and students from Buzz areas who were nominated for Tommy Tune Awards include:

The Emery/Weiner School - It Shoulda Been You: Nominated for Best Musical; Noah Pacht for Best Supporting Actor; Best Scenic Design; Best Lighting Design; Best Stage Crew & Technical Execution; Best Musical Direction; Best Direction.

High School for the Performing and Visual Arts – Urinetown: Nominated for Best Orchestra; Savanna Menzel for Best Supporting Actress; Alexis Perry for Best Featured Performer; Best Ensemble/Chorus; Best Costume Design; Best Lighting Design; Best Stage Crew & Technical Execution; Best Choreography.

Houston Christian High School – Curtains: Nominated for Best Musical; Best Ensemble/Chorus; Best Scenic Design; Best Costume Design; Best Choreography; Best Direction.

The Kinkaid School - Into the Woods: Nominated for Best Lighting Design; Best Stage Crew & Technical Execution; Best Musical Direction; Best Choreography.

Memorial High School - Mary Poppins: Nominated for Best Costume Design

Second Baptist School - The Boy Friend: Nominated for Best Musical; Best Ensemble/Chorus; Best Costume Design; Best Lighting Design; Best Choreography; Best Musical Direction; Best Direction; Jenna Bobbora as Best Leading Actress; Carrie Fleming for Best Leading Actress; William Chambers for Best Supporting Actor; Ellen Bacarisse for Best Featured Performer.

St. Agnes Academy - On the Twentieth Century: Letitia Primrose for Best Supporting Actress.

Stratford High School - Me and My Girl: Nominated for Best Direction; Matt Hopper for Best Leading Actor; Lauren Dodds for Best Leading Actress; Faith Berrigan for Best Supporting Actress; Kyle Goodson for Best Featured Performer; Best Ensemble/Chorus; Best Lighting Design; Best Musical Direction.

See the full list of this year’s nominees here.  

The Tommy Tune Awards take place tonight, beginning at 7:30 p.m., at The Hobby Center. Sarah Pepper is hosting this year’s ceremony and will be joined by some special surprise guests.