This week we narrow it down to our who's-who of excellence -- nominations for Creative Loafing's prestigious Charlotte Theater Awards. Next week, with fanfare, hoopla, and priceless printed certificates, we'll announce the winners!!
Congratulations to all who played a role in the Charlotte theater scene throughout 2003.
THEATERPERSON OF THE YEAR
Billy Ensley, Candace Sorensen, Carver Johns, Craig Spradley, Dana Childs, Dennis Delamar, Hilary Swank, Jill Bloede, Joanna Gerdy, Laura Depta, Lon Bumgarner, Matt Cosper, Meghan Lowther, Michael Bush, Michael Simmons, Serena Ruden Johns, Stan Peal.
BEST ACTOR, DRAMA
Bradley Moore - Never the Sinner (Richard Loeb)
Carver Johns - Speed-the-Plow (Bobby Gould)
Eric Blake - Finer Noble Gases (Staples)
Hank West - Quills (Marquis de Sade)
Joseph J. Baez - Never the Sinner (Nathan Leopold Jr.)
Mark Scarboro - Bash (John)
Robert Lee Simmons - Kiss of the Spider Woman (Valentin)
BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA
Beth Pierce - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Maggie), Bash (Woman)
Cody Harding - Cyrano (Roxane), Stop Kiss (Sara)
Dana Childs - Bash (Sue)
Joanna Gerdy - Julius Caesar (Marc Antony)
Laura Depta - The Friar & the Nurse (Nurse)
Robin Taylor - Stop Kiss (Callie)
Serena Ruden - Speed-the-Plow (Karen), Graceland (Rootie)
BEST DIRECTOR, DRAMA
Carver Johns - Speed-the-Plow
Dana Childs - Eleemosynary
Glenn T. Griffin - Never the Sinner
James Yost - Bash
Joanna Gerdy - Stop Kiss
Lon Bumgarner - The Friar & the Nurse
Michael Simmons - Finer Noble Gases
BEST ACTOR, MUSICAL
Andre De Shields - Let Me Sing (Bill)
James Kidd - Man of La Mancha (Cervantes/Quixote)
Billy Ensley - Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Hedwig Schmidt), A Chorus Line (Zach)
Patrick Ratchford - The Music Man (Harold Hill), Evita (Che Guevara)
Joseph J. Baez - The Rocky Horror Show (Riff Raff/Leader of the Transylvanians)
Steven Ivey - Scrooge! The Musical (Ebenezer Scrooge)
BEST ACTRESS, MUSICAL
Amanda Blackburn Watkins - Diamond Studs (William Quantrill, Zee James)
Cat Zeggart - Evita (Eva Peron)
Emily Skinner - Pump Boys and Dinettes (Prudie Cupp)
Kendra Goehring - Footloose (Ariel Moore)
Lynne Wintersteller - Pump Boys and Dinettes (Rhetta Cupp)
Susan Roberts Knowlson - The Music Man (Marian Paroo), A Grand Night for Singing
BEST DIRECTOR, MUSICAL
Anthony Cerrato - Description Beggared
Billy Ensley - Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Evita
Candace Sorensen - Man of La Mancha
Michael Bush - Let Me Sing, Pump Boys and Dinettes
Tom Hollis - State Fair, A Chorus Line
Tom Vance - The Music Man, Footloose
BEST CONDUCTOR/MUSIC DIRECTOR
Bill Congdon - Footloose
Camille Dewing-Vallejo - A Mad Mad Madrigal
Craig Spradley - Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Drina Keen - State Fair, The Music Man, A Grand Night for Singing
Joel Silberman - Let Me Sing, Pump Boys and Dinettes
Jon Phillips - Description Beggared
BEST ACTOR, COMEDY
B. Carl McIntyre - Blithe Spirit (Charles Condomine)
Brian Lafontaine - Don't Dress for Dinner (Bernard)
Dennis Delamar - God's Favorite (Joe Benjamin)
Graham Smith - Open Season (Edmund Dupre)
Jeremy Cartee - Prelude to a Kiss (Peter)
Steven Ivey - Harry the Dirty Dog (Harry)
Travis Osley - Twilight of the Golds (David Gold)
BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY
Adrienne Nixon - African Tales of Earth and Sky (Mmoatia)
Johanna Jowett - Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage (Shedevil)
Meghan Lowther - The House of Yes (Jackie-O), Sylvia (Sylvia)
Paige Johnston - Blithe Spirit (Elvira)
Pam Hunt-Spradley - Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage (Big 8)
Rebecca Koon - Open Season (Mallory Dupre)
Sheila Snow Proctor - The Waiting Room (Wanda)
BEST DIRECTOR, COMEDY
Alan Poindexter - African Tales of Earth and Sky
Allison Modafferi - [sic]
Dennis Delamar - Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage, The Santaland Diaries
Glenn T. Griffin - Sylvia
Lon Bumgarner - Don't Dress for Dinner, Blithe Spirit
Steve Umberger - A Midsummer Night's Dream, Open Season
Ted Sod - Jar the Floor
BEST CHOREOGRAPHER
Annette Saunders - A Mad Mad Madrigal
Chris Thompson - The Colored Museum
Delia Neil - African Tales of Earth and Sky
Eddie Mabry - Footloose
Linda Booth - The Music Man, A Chorus Line, Evita
Randy Skinner - Let Me Sing
Ron Chisholm - State Fair, A Midsummer Night's Dream
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA
Bobby Tyson - Cyrano (Christian, De Guiche, etc.), "Master Harold"... and the Boys (Willie)
Cedric R. Guthrie - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Big Daddy)
Hank West - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Gooper), Othello (Roderigo)
Jeffrey Carlson - The Miracle Worker (James Keller)
Joe Copley - The Wisdom of Eve (Clement Howell)
Michael Simmons - Speed-the-Plow (Charlie Fox)
Stephen Markle - The Miracle Worker (Captain Keller)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA
Donna Scott - The Wisdom of Eve (Karen Roberts)
Gloria King - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Big Mama)
Jorja Ursin - Ten Little Indians (Emily Brent)
Lolly Foy - Julius Caesar (Calpurnia)
Mireille Enos - The Miracle Worker (Kate Keller)
Robin Taylor - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Mae)
Skye McCole Bartusiak - The Miracle Worker (Helen Keller)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, MUSICAL
Chris Gleim - A Chorus Line (Paul), Footloose (Willard Hewitt)
Dennis Delamar - The Music Man (Mayor Shinn), Evita (Juan Peron)
Eddie Mabry - A Chorus Line (Mike)
James K. Flynn - Man of La Mancha (Governor/Innkeeper)
Stan Peal - Man of La Mancha (Sancho Panza)
Stephen Ware - Footloose (Reverend Shaw Moore)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, MUSICAL
Alex Ellis - Footloose (Rusty)
Beth Pierce - Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Yitzak)
Candice Conder - A Chorus Line (Val)
Gretha Boston - Let Me Sing (Ethel)
Pat Heiss - The Music Man (Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn)
Susan Roberts Knowlson - A Chorus Line (Judy Turner), Scrooge! The Musical (Ghost of Christmas Present)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY
Craig Spradley - Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage (Baxter Blue)
Dan Woods - The Waiting Room (Dr. Douglas McCaskill)
Eric Blake - The Illuminati (Brother Lawrence)
Karl Baumann - A Midsummer Night's Dream (Puck)
Kevin Campbell - God's Favorite (Sidney Lipton)
Mark Scarboro - Don't Dress for Dinner (Robert)
Mark Sutton - Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Mr. Yarby/Dr. Cone), African Tales of Earth and Sky (Villager, Rat, Lightning, Nana Nyame)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY
Chandler McIntyre - Don't Dress for Dinner (Suzette), Blithe Spirit (Ruth Condomine)
Gretha Boston - Jar the Floor (Lola)
Jill Bloede - African Tales of Earth and Sky (Villager, Wife of Rat, Thunder, Ant Heap)
Kim Watson Brooks - Jar the Floor (Vennie)
Laura Depta - Blithe Spirit (Madame Arcati)
Nicia Carla - The Underpants (Gertrude Deuter), Blithe Spirit (Edith)
Polly Adkins - Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage (Shirl), God's Favorite (Rose Benjamin)
BEST CAMEO APPEARANCE
Chandra Wilson - The Miracle Worker (Viney)
Corey Mitchell - Man of La Mancha (Barber)
Emily Johnson - State Fair (Violet)
Kevin Campbell - Little Murders (Reverend Dupas), Dracula (Old Dracula)
Peter Smeal - Don't Dress for Dinner (George)
Ralph Mangum - Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage (Black Dog)
Ted Weiner - Little Murders (Judge Stern)
Ben Horner - Description Beggared (The White Dwarf)
BEST ONE-PERSON SHOW
Carver Johns in Drinking in America - innerVoices Theatre Company
Mark Scarboro in The Santaland Diaries - Actor's Theatre
Richard Newman in Easy, Action - The Farm Theatre
BEST ORIGINAL SHOW
A Mad Mad Madrigal by Stan Peal
All of the People, All the Time by Patrick Cook, Darwin Ortiz, and David Roth
Alpha by Tony Wright
Easy, Action by Richard Newman
Parade Day by Terry Roueche
The Friar & the Nurse by Stan Peal
THEATER EVENT OF THE YEAR
Concept Stagings by Victory Pictures/C.A.S.T. - The Illuminati, Finer Noble Gases, The Colored Museum
Epic Arts' Halloween and Solstice Celebrations
In-The-Works New Play Festival - Charlotte Rep
PlayWorks/SummerStage New Projects Festival
The 24-Hour Theatre Project - BareBones Theatre Group
The Hotel Project - Matt Olin & Anne Lambert
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Buddy Hanson - Finer Noble Gases (Speed+Set Design)
Candice Conder - A Chorus Line (Val), Dorothy and the Planet Oz (Dorothy)
Derek Gamba - Finer Noble Gases (Chase), The Rocky Horror Show (Brad Major)
Jon Phillips - Description Beggared (Composer/Musical Director)
Kristy Cardomone - Bridge to Terabithia (May Belle Aarons)
Lynne Morris - State Fair (Melissa Frake)
Moraya Origa - The Colored Museum (Janine/Lala/Norma Jean Reynolds)
Roderick Shephard - The Colored Museum (Walter-Lee-Beau/Junie Robinson/Kid/Male Slave)
XiaoSong He - The Waiting Room (Forgivness from Heaven)
BEST DRAMA
Bash - BareBones Theatre Group
Kiss of the Spider Woman - Victory Pictures
Never the Sinner - Off-Tryon Theatre Company
Speed-the-Plow - innerVoices
The Friar & the Nurse - Epic Arts Repertory Theatre
The Miracle Worker - Charlotte Rep
Finer Noble Gases - Victory Pictures
BEST MUSICAL
Let Me Sing - Charlotte Rep
Man of La Mancha - Theatre Charlotte
Hedwig and the Angry Inch - Actor's Theatre
The Music Man - CP Summer Theatre
A Chorus Line - CP Summer Theatre
Pump Boys and Dinettes - Charlotte Rep
BEST COMEDY
African Tales of Earth and Sky - Children's Theatre
Blithe Spirit - Theatre Charlotte
Don't Dress for Dinner - BareBones Theatre Group
Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage - Actor's Theatre
Jar the Floor - Charlotte Rep
Open Season - SummerStage/PlayWorks
The Underpants - BareBones Theatre Group
BEST COSTUME DESIGNER
Annie-Laurie Wheat - Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Blithe Spirit, The Santaland Diaries
Dru Nolin - Finer Noble Gases
Johann Stegmeir - Harry the Dirty Dog
Lez Brotherston - The Miracle Worker
Rebecca Cairns - Jar the Floor
Robert Croghan - Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Music Man, Open Season
Sandra Gray - African Tales of Earth and Sky, Bridge to Terabithia
Suzanne Hartness - Sylvia
BEST LIGHTING DESIGNER
Barbara Berry - World Without End, Description Beggared
Biff Edge - Blithe Spirit, The Santaland Diaries
Eric Winkenwerder - A Midsummer Night's Dream, African Tales of Earth and Sky, Bridge to Terabithia
Hallie Gray - The Waiting Room, Little Murders, Don't Dress for Dinner, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Bash
James Duke - A Grand Night for Singing, Dracula
John G. Hartness - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Never the Sinner, [sic], Sylvia
Michael R. Simmons - The Illuminati, The Colored Museum
Paul Gallo - The Miracle Worker
Rick Moll - Eleemosynary, Ten Little Indians
BEST SET DESIGNER
Allison Modafferi - [sic]
Anna Sartin - Jar the Floor
Brian Ruggaber - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Blithe Spirit
Buddy Hanson - Finer Noble Gases
Jim Gloster - Pump Boys and Dinettes
Lez Brotherston - The Miracle Worker
Lon Bumgarner - The Friar & the Nurse
Sandra Gray - African Tales of Earth and Sky
BEST SOUND DESIGNER/COMPOSER
Alex Lee - Little Murders
Chris Thompson - The Colored Museum
Dean Kluesner - The Illuminati, Kiss of the Spider Woman
Fred Story - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Gary Sivak - Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, God's Favorite, Bridge to Terabithia
James Yost - Bash
Jon Phillips and Jason Loughlin - Description Beggared
Roger Davis & Gary Sivak - African Tales of Earth and Sky
BEST SPECIAL TECHNICAL EFFECTS
Brian Ruggaber - Blithe Spirit (Falling Books, Table, Glassware, Swinging Chandelier, etc.)
Chip Decker - Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage (Breaking doors, Blood, Black Dog's leaky chest)
Dru Nolin - The Illuminati (Skeletons/Puppets/Magic), Finer Noble Gases (SFX Makeup Design)
Jeff Brown - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Rain)
Jeffrey Chase - God's Favorite (God's lightning)
Sandra Gray - African Tales of Earth and Sky (Masks)
Serena Ruden Johns - The Rocky Horror Show (Makeup Artistry)
Tony Wright - Alpha (Fight choreography)
