“Theatre at the Mount is pleased to present the eighth annual High School Musical Theatre Awards (The TAMY’s) recognizing exceptional accomplishments in the production and performance of musical theatre in area high schools. This program publicly acknowledges the outstanding effort our schools make to strive for excellence in the performing arts” (Theatre at the Mount).

Why let the celebrities have all the fun with the Tony Awards when the TAMY’s are just as important and significant… well, to high school drama students at least.

According to the official Theatre of the Mount website, “The TAMY Award program recognizes the extraordinary amount of work, creativity, and devotion that faculty and students pour into their high school theatrical productions. We intend to celebrate the entire art of musical theatre: casts and crews, directors and designers and the great musical theatre works that inspire such devotion.”

Nashoba Drama Director, Bill Grady, explains that the Mount Wachusett Community College began the TAMY awards and says that Nashoba has participated since they began. This past TAMY Awards ceremony proved to be successful for Nashoba as there were ten nominations and one talented student who was presented with her first award.

Nashoba Regional High School and its drama students were one of 25 high schools to attend the TAMY Awards. The awards were hosted by the Theatre at the Mount in Gardner, at 5 p.m., Sunday, May 18.

There were quite a few student nominees as well as parent and volunteer nominees who have helped make every production a success. Student nominees included Lyndsey Hawkes (Best Featured Actress), Sam Keith (Best Actor), Eric Watterson (Best Featured Actor), Peter Murphy (Best Featured Actor), Emily Cote (Rising Star Award), and Douglas Meeker (Rising Star Award) for their performance of Les Miserables. Other nominations included, Tyler Plaskon, Emily Adams, Kevin Cote and Bill Grady for various categories such as chorus members, costume design and of course, director.

Among these nominations and the people all vying for this honor, Lyndsey Hawkes was the only chieftain to bring home a TAMY. “ I was in shock when I won.  I’m just humbled, really. I loved that role, especially because I got to work alongside the great Eric Watterson who was also nominated”, says Hawkes.

Lyndsey has participated in Nashoba Drama since her Freshman year and has loved every minute. Although she did not make winning an award a goal of hers from the beginning, the idea of winning was always in the back  of her mind.

She says, “I’ve always hoped to be nominated, but it never really sunk in that I could do it until the minute I saw my name on the list. I went to the awards ceremony trying to let myself down gracefully before the winners were announced.”

Lyndsey was not the only one from Nashoba to experience a ‘first”. Freshman Sam Keith received his first nomination that night. He says, “it was very satisfying to know that my work was getting recognized on a larger scale. There was no better way to end my freshman year than to have one last opportunity to perform “Stars” for a substantial audience.”

Many Nashoba students are not familiar with the TAMY Awards and how important they are to the drama students and anyone involved. Kiia Rouhelo who has never heard of the Tamy Awards says, “I’ve seen how big of a deal these nominations are and I am just so proud of all of my fellow chieftains who were there and who won an award.”

The TAMY Awards are a great way to recognize the true talents of actors and actresses, supporting roles and behind the scenes personnel in schools across the state. How many schools can say that ten of their drama students were nominated and one brought home an award?