Yes, it's truly amazing. We have been glad-handing the Charlotte theater community since 1987, making this our 20th annual review of all things theatrical in the Queen City. A wealth of acting, directing and design talent still creates wonders across the breadth of fair Mecklenburg, and nobody has celebrated it more diligently and authoritatively than the Loaf.

What follows is a listing of the nominations that shower forth every year from this grateful greasepaint addict.

I'll further winnow down the best of the best when I announce CL's 20th Annual Charlotte Theater Awards. Meanwhile, gaze at the bounty of quality performances, productions and theatercraft that Charlotte theatergoers witnessed last year.

Congratulations to all the nominees.

BEST ACTRESS, MUSICAL

Elizabeth Ann Stacey -- 42nd Street, (Peggy Sawyer)

Gretha Boston -- Cookin' at the Cookery (Alberta Hunter)

Kathryn Stamas -- A Little Night Music (Desiree Armfeldt),42nd Street (Dorothy Brock)

Laura Hix -- The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy Gale)

Lisa Smith -- The Spitfire Grill (Percy Talbott)

Olivia Edge -- Jesus Christ Superstar (Mary Magdalene )

Susan Roberts Knowlson -- The Christmas Bus (Mrs. Frump)

BEST ACTOR, MUSICAL

Billy Ensley -- Jesus Christ Superstar (Judas), Parade (Leo Frank)

Hal Houston -- A Chorus Line (Zach)

Jason Barney -- Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus), Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Alexander)

Lou Dalessandro -- A Little Night Music (Fredrik Egerman), The Expanding Sky (Milton Humason/Louie)

Matthew Keffer -- The Jungle Book (Mowgli)

Mike Collins -- 42nd Street (Julian Marsh), Rodgers & Hart: A Celebration

Robby Fulton -- Ferdinand the Bull (Duquito Danilo)

BEST DIRECTOR, MUSICAL

Carey Kugler -- 42nd Street

Dennis Delamar -- The Wizard of Oz

Eddie Mabry -- A Chorus Line

Jen Band and Alan Poindexter -- The Christmas Bus

Melissa Ohlman-Roberge -- The Spitfire Grill

Nicia Carla -- Ferdinand the Bull

Ron Chisholm -- The Jungle Book

BEST CONDUCTOR/MUSIC DIRECTOR

Drina Keen -- 42nd Street, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Wizard of Oz, The Christmas Bus

George Caldwell -- Cookin' at the Cookery

Jean Colgan Phillips -- The Jungle Book

John Stafford -- A Chorus Line

Virginia Wagner -- The Spitfire Grill

BEST CHOREOGRAPHER

Annette Saunders -- The Expanding Sky

Delia Neil -- The Magician's Nephew, The Christmas Bus

Eddie Mabry -- The Jungle Book, 42nd Street, A Chorus Line

Linda Booth -- The Wizard of Oz

Ron Chisholm -- Jesus Christ Superstar

BEST ACTOR, COMEDY

Brian Lafontaine -- I Hate Hamlet (Andrew Rally)

Gregory McGrath -- All the Great Books (Abridged) (Professor)

James K. Flynn -- I'm Not Rappapor (Nat)

Matt Cosper -- A Midsummer Night's Dream (Theseus, Oberon)

Spencer Lee -- I Hate Hamlet (John Barrymore)

Tom Scott -- Rembrandt's Gift (Rembrandt Van Rijn)

Tom Wahl -- Shear Madness (Tony Whitcomb)

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY

Beth Yost -- A Midsummer Night's Dream (Hermia)

Chandler McIntyre -- Carrie Ann's Kiss (Marcie Mason)

Donna Scott -- Five Women Wearing the Same Dress (Georgeanne)

Emily Van Dyke -- Relationships (& other natural disasters) (Fran)

Ginger Heath -- The Oldest Profession (Vera)

Meghan Lowther -- Five Women Wearing the Same Dress (Meredith)

Polly Adkins -- The Oldest Profession (Edna)

Zilla Glory -- On the Verge (Alexandra Cafuffle), Shear Madness (Barbara de Marco)

BEST DIRECTOR, COMEDY

Anne Lambert -- Five Women Wearing the Same Dress

Chip Decker -- The Oldest Profession

Elise Wilkinson -- A Midsummer Night's Dream

Jim Gloster -- Carrie Ann's Kiss

Lon Bumgarner -- I Hate Hamlet

Michael Fennimore -- Shear Madness

Robert Tolan -- On the Verge

BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA

April Jones -- Charlotte's Web (Charlotte)

Carrie Anne Hunt -- King Lear (Cordelia)

Catherine Smith -- The Magician's Nephew (Jadis)

Gloria King -- On Golden Pond (Ethel Thayer)

Kim Cozort -- The Goat or Who is Sylvia? (Stevie)

Nicia Carla -- Charlotte's Web (Fern/Goose)

Tara MacMullen -- The Shakespeare Stealer (Julian)

BEST ACTOR, DRAMA

Alan England -- On Golden Pond (Norman Thayer)

Carver Johns -- Charlotte's Web (Wilbur)

David Holland -- King Lear (King Lear)

Hank West -- Amadeus (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

Jerry Colbert -- The Goat or Who is Sylvia? (Martin)

Lee Thomas -- Orange Flower Water (David)

Stephen Friedrich -- The Shakespeare Stealer (Widge)

BEST DIRECTOR, DRAMA

Alan Poindexter -- The Yellow Boat, The Shakespeare Stealer, The Magician's Nephew

Anne Marie Costa -- The Goat or Who is Sylvia?

Frank Dominguez -- On Golden Pond

Jim Yost -- Orange Flower Water

Mark Sutton -- Charlotte's Web

Michael Simmons -- The Late Henry Moss

BEST ONE-PERSON SHOW

Hank West in The Santaland Diaries

Laurie Riffe in Bad Dates

Scott Ripley in I Am My Own Wife

BEST ORIGINAL SHOW

Carrie Ann's Kiss by Tonya Shuffler

The Christmas Bus by Robert Inman

The Expanding Sky by Stan Peal

Relationships (& Other Natural Disasters) by Terri Collin

THEATER EVENT OF THE YEAR