Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Tommy Awards program?
The Tommy Awards program is a new education initiative from Overture Center for the Arts, Madison’s downtown performing arts center dedicated to engaging the community in the arts. The Tommy Awards program has four main goals:
1. To visibly and powerfully impact area high school students, their school communities and their families by encouraging and recognizing student excellence in musical theater productions.
2. To highlight the importance of theater arts education in high schools.
3. To support the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Model Academic Standards.
4. To fulfill the directives of the Wisconsin Task Force on Arts and Creativity in Education.
Is my school eligible to participate?
All high schools in the following counties are eligible to participate:
Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Lafayette, Rock, Sauk, and parts of Grant, Walworth and Waukesha
Furthermore, any schools that teach students who reside in one of these counties are eligible to participate. (For example, if your school is in Waukesha County but you teach students who live in Jefferson County, you ARE eligible to participate).
Productions entered must fall into one of the following categories:
1. A published musical, operetta or revue that is currently held by a licensing house in the public domain.
2. An original piece which features an original script, music and/or lyrics and which is covered under a valid copyright.
3. An original theatrical compilation of musical/text material from other sources that is presented with the approval or permission of the original creators and their representatives. This excludes show choir, choral or vocal jazz arrangements.
Musical productions must take place between October 8, 2010 and May 31, 2011.
Visit the How to Participate page to download an application.
Does the program require a big time commitment?
No – during the school year, there is no additional time commitment required from teachers. Overture will process your application and assign 3-4 reviewers to attend your musical’s production. All directors/teachers will need to be responsible for communicating information from Overture to their students and vice versa. Also, all directors/teachers and students should plan to attend rehearsals during the weekend of the final ceremony.
Some schools and individuals will be selected to perform during the awards ceremony in June, and directors/teachers from these schools will need to schedule rehearsals with their students on their own time prior to the awards ceremony.
For a complete listing of teacher/director responsibilities, visit the Rules and Guidelines page.
How much does the program cost?
There is a $30 application fee per school per year. There will be additional fees if your musical has multiple casts to be reviewed.
Other related programs, such as optional Broadway workshops during the year, may require additional registration fees.
What will the Final Awards Ceremony be like?
The Final Awards Ceremony will be a celebration of all the hard work that YOU have done this year! There will be award presentations throughout the show, with multiple winners in each category. Awards will be presented to the winning school or individual. Schools that win awards will be invited to nominate one person to accept the award on stage. There will not be any acceptance speeches.
In between award presentations, students from the winning Outstanding Musicals will perform medleys highlighting their shows and students from the winning Outstanding Musical Scene productions will perform their scene. Solos are performed by the Outstanding Lead Actor/Actress winners and there will also be a finale number, in which Outstanding Lead Actors/Actress winners, Outstanding Supporting Actor/Actress winners and Outstanding Dancer winners will perform. These students will be asked to attend additional rehearsals in order to prepare for this production number. All music accompaniment will be provided by a live band.
Every award winner and school will know that they are receiving an award in advance of the final ceremony.
How can I buy tickets for the final awards ceremony?
Tickets will be available online, by calling 608.258.4141, or in person at the Overture Center Ticket Office (201 State Street). Tickets will go on sale in early 2012. The performance is General Admission.
How can I help?
Overture Center depends on support from individuals, foundations and corporations! If you would like to support the Tommy Awards program as a donor or volunteer, please contact Tim Sauers at 608.258.4420 or tsauers@overturecenter.com.