Final Awards Ceremony Weekend
The Tommy Awards will culminate in a weekend celebration of area high school musical theater, including workshops, rehearsals, and a red carpet gala event. The 2012 Tommy Awards Ceremony will be held on Sunday, June 3, 2012 at 7pm.
When will my school know if it is receiving an award?
We plan to announce the winners in early May 2012. Schools that will perform in the Final Awards Ceremony will have 3-4 weeks to prepare their numbers. We will expect teachers to send in their arranged music for medleys, scenes and solos in mid-May. Given this short turn-around period, you may want to begin thinking about what your school's performance(s) might look like – so that you are prepared if your school is selected.
What is the Final Awards Ceremony like?
The Final Awards Ceremony is 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. Outstanding Lead Performer winners will also perform short solos. There will also be a finale number, in which Outstanding Lead, Outstanding Supporting and Outstnading Dance Performer 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 do we purchase tickets to 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 are now on sale. The performance is General Admission.
Does anyone receive complimentary tickets to the Final Awards Ceremony?
Yes, complimentary tickets will be distributed as follows:
• Any student who will be performing at the awards ceremony will receive a complimentary ticket.
• Any student who wins an individual award for a performance category will receive a complimentary ticket. For example: Outstanding Lead Performer and Outstanding Supporting Performer winners
• Any school that wins an award in any other category will receive ONE complimentary ticket for someone to use to accept the award at the ceremony. This person should be designated by the school. For example: Outstanding Set Design, Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Ensemble
• Any student that was a 2011/2012 Student Critic will receive a complimentary ticket to the Final Awards Ceremony. Student Critics will be asked to write a review following the ceremony.
• Any student that is being awarded a student scholarship will receive two complimentary tickets to the Final Awards Ceremony.
All other parents, relatives, friends or students may purchase tickets on a first-come, first-served basis. This is a public event so we encourage everyone in the community to attend and support area musical theater!
Note: For awards in the design categories, the names of each designer and crew will be announced during the ceremony and recognized for their outstanding work. Only one complimentary ticket will be provided, as described above.
Will students who are performing get to watch the Final Awards Ceremony?
Seats will be reserved for anyone who is performing or accepting an award at the Final Awards Ceremony. We will escort students from their seats to the backstage area, and help them return after they have finished. This will allow them to see as much of the show as possible.
What’s the schedule for the Final Awards weekend?
Since a schedule for the 2011 Tommy Awards can only be made once winners are selected, we have a tentative rehearsal schedule.
Friday, June 1:
Finale Rehearsal, required for all Outstanding Lead, Supporting and Dancer winners performing in the Finale.
Saturday, June 2:
8:30 AM - 7 PM – Awards Ceremony Rehearsal, all schools winning an award for Outstanding Musical or Outstanding Musical Scene, and all Outstanding Lead Performer winners are required to choose ONE-60min time slot on EITHER Friday OR Saturday. Schools and individuals will be scheduled according to availability.
Sunday, June 3:
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM - Finale Rehearsal, required for all Outstanding Lead, Supporting and Dancer winners performing in the Finale.
7 PM–Final Awards Ceremony
If we are not performing in the Awards Ceremony and are not receiving an award, can we still participate?
Yes! The Saturday morning workshops are open to all students, and we hope you will attend the Final Awards Ceremony – it is a great chance to see the work that other schools in the area are doing.
If we perform in the Final Awards Ceremony, do we need to bring costumes or music?
Costumes – No. All student performers will receive a special Tommy Awards t-shirt. If performers would like to bring some sort of prop (cane, hat, boa, etc.), that is perfectly acceptable. If it is something special and relevant to a character, please definitely bring it!
Music – Please keep the bass and drum parts from your musical, we secure the rights to all of the schools’ music, so the publishing houses know. If someone from your school is performing in the Final Awards Ceremony, we will contact you to discuss music further.
I am the contact teacher for my school. What would my role be in preparing the performances for the Outstanding Musical winners, Outstanding Lead Performer winners, and Outstanding Scene winners?
• Each school that wins an Outstanding Musical award will be invited to perform a medley during the Final Awards Ceremony. As the teacher, you will need to arrange and stage a 5-minute medley that highlights your musical. If you also have students from your school who win Outstanding Lead Performer awards, we may ask that you feature them as part of this medley.
• If a student from your school wins an Outstanding Lead Performer award, you will be asked to help the student prepare a 1.5 minute solo piece from one of their solo numbers. We will be grouping 4-5 Outstanding Lead Performers together in medley style. Please note that Outstanding Lead Performer winners who are performing in an Outstanding Musical medley may not be featured in a separate medley (this will depend on the number of winners).
• Each school that wins an Outstanding Musical Number/Scene award will be invited to perform that scene during the Final Awards Ceremony. As the teacher, you will need to rehearse the scene with the students and adapt it to Overture’s stage. Some longer scenes may need to be cut down.
I am the Student Liason for my school. What will my role be in preparing for the Awards Ceremony?
• Karra Beach will be in touch with you when the winners are announced and let you know what information she will need you to compile. Responsiblities could include collecting the t-shirt sizes for your group of students if your school won an Outstanding Musical or Musical Scene award, assisting your teacher/director in finding out when students are available for the Saturday rehearsal, and letting the other students at your school know about the Awards Ceremony.
I am the Parent Liason for my school. What will my role be in preparing for the Awards Ceremony?
• Karra Beach will be in touch in May when the winners are announced. Your responsibilities may consist of assisting the teacher/director in collecting information, and getting the word out to your community about the Awards Ceremony.
All teachers with students performing in the Final Awards Ceremony are required to attend the Saturday afternoon rehearsal period with their students. Please note that each number will only have approximately 30 minutes to check sound and staging. This is NOT a rehearsal period for the students – performers should be rehearsed and well prepared prior to this afternoon. Any number that is not prepared may not be allowed to perform.
What are the stage dimensions? Will there be sound and lighting?
The stage of Overture Hall measures 42’ wide and 38’ deep. Please plan accordingly.
Music accompaniment will be provided by a live band. Solo performers will have handheld microphones, and there will be hanging mics to capture ensemble performers. Minimal lighting will be designed and provided by Overture Center – unfortunately we are not able to accommodate requests for lighting or sound.
What if my students have conflicts during the Tommy Awards weekend?
We understand there could be conflicts with graduations and personal commitments. We will do our best to accommodate these situations. In some circumstances, winners who are not able to attend rehearsals may not be able to perform on stage.
Is there anything else that we should be doing between now and May?
Consider applying for the Community Engagement Award! This is a wonderful opportunity for musical theater productions to be recognized for the work that they have done in the community. Applications can be downloaded here. Applications must be received by April 23, 2012.