Fritz Hager III, right, plays Ryan in “High School Musical” during his high school theater career. His mother, Sarina Hager, said her son has always had a love for music since he was a toddler, but high school is when his love for theater first began.

The Tyler Civic Theatre Center is hosting an “American Idol” Watch Party Celebration on Sunday to cheer on and congratulate Fritz Hager III.

The event will begin at 6:45 p.m. on the theater’s Braithwaite stage with a live feed of “American Idol” on a big screen. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m.

Hager, 22, is one of the top 5 contestants on Season 20 of the show airing now, and on Sunday’s live episode he’ll compete for a spot in the final 3.

A graduate of then-Robert E. Lee High School, Hager has played the role of Davey in “Newsies” and the role of Tony in “West Side Story” on the Tyler Civic Theatre stage.

“From the Tyler Civic Theatre stage … to taking the national stage by storm on American Idol, TCTC would like to congratulate Fritz Hager for making it to the Top 5 and invite everyone to come celebrate with us,” the theater posted on its Facebook page.

Hager’s love for theater began in his junior year of high school, according to his parents.

“He caught the music theater bug,” his mother Sarina Hager previously said in an interview with the Tyler Morning Telegraph. She said he tried out for “High School Musical” at his high school theater program, played the part of Ryan and “had a ball.” He also played Christopher in “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” for the One Act Play.

After high school, he earned a scholarship to Oklahoma City University and spent a semester there before deciding it wasn’t right for him. His dad Fritz Hager Jr. said his son’s next plan was to go to New York City to give Broadway a shot, but COVID-19 shut everything down.

That’s when Hager winded up back in Tyler and began his involvement with the Tyler Civic Theatre.

He did “Newsies” in the summer of 2019 and last summer played his first lead in “West Side Story” as Tony.

“‘West Side Story’ was the first lead he had in any musical, that was really fun for him,” Sarina Hager said. “We wanted him to encourage him to really get involved in local theater, and he really enjoyed that.”

Another role Hager played was Lucas in The Addams Family at Granbury Theater Company.

Hager’s advancement to the Top 5 on “American Idol” came after performing two original songs on Sunday’s episode, including “All My Friends” and “The Ocean,” two of the songs on his self-titled EP that recently hit No. 1 on the iTunes Pop Chart.

After Hager performed “The Ocean,” judge Luke Bryan noted he “looks like a pro and sounds like a pro.”

Judge Lionel Richie said Hager is not only a singer, songwriter and performer — he’s “a star.”

Katy Perry said she continues to be shocked and “blown away” by Hager’s talent.

“It’s amazing, I’m so proud of you,” she said.

When Hager earned a spot in the top 24 of the national singing competition, his parents encouraged him to quit his job as a security guard to focus on pursuing a music career.

His EP, which was released March 24, recently topped the iTunes charts as the No. 1 album in the pop genre. The album features five songs, including “Inconsequential Love,” which he performed on the show’s “Showstoppers” round. 

The next episode of “American Idol” will air at 7 p.m. Sunday on ABC. 

Those who wish to support Hager can vote for him during Sunday night’s episode before the last commercial break. Vote three ways: on the American Idol app, at americanidol.com/vote, or by texting Hager’s contestant number (which will be announced on the episode) to 21523.

Admission to Sunday’s watch party is free but seating is limited. To reserve a seat, go online to tylercivictheatre.com .

Also at the watch party, Kendra Scott will hold a pop-up and donate 20 percent of the proceeds back to support the theater. Those who can’t attend in person but want to purchase a product and support the theater can shop online from May 15-16 by using GIVEBACK-BZYQT at checkout.

What: “American Idol” Watch Party Celebration for Fritz Hager III

When: 6:45 p.m. Sunday

Where: Tyler Civic Theatre Center, 400 Rose Park Drive, Tyler

Admission: Free, seating limited

Information: tylercivictheatre.com