After a yearlong hiatus, we welcome back Creative Loafing's Charlotte Theater Awards, a Queen City tradition since 1987. Last year, as you may know, ownership of Charlotte Theater Awards (also known as The Perrys) was in limbo, pending the outcome of litigation and the judicial evaluation of fiscal plans and projections submitted by the claimants.
"Well, now I'm back," says Awards, "eager to spread my recognition around to Charlotte's best actors, directors, designers and technicians."
Perry Tannenbaum, who claimed ownership of the CL Awards in a recent video, was unavailable for comment. A spokesperson for Tannenbaum indicated he was at a photo studio posing for this week's cover.
BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA
Cody Harding -- Killer Joe (Dottie Smith)
Cynthia Farbman -- Master Class (Maria Callas)
Heather Wilson -- The Rainmaker (Lizzie Curry)
Iesha Hoffman -- Antony and Cleopatra (Cleopatra)
Karen Abercrombie -- Blue (Peggy Clark)
Kim Watson Brooks -- Yankee Tavern (Janet)
Meg Wood -- No Exit (Inez)
Shon Wilson -- The Drama Club (Tasha)
BEST ACTOR, DRAMA
Charles LaBorde -- Metamorphoses (Bacchus, Poseidon, Philemon), Marat/Sade (Marquis de Sade)
Jeremy DeCarlos -- Blue (Reuben Clark)
Matt Cosper -- Yankee Tavern (Adam)
Michael Harris -- Someone Who'll Watch Over Me (Edward Sheridan)
Michael Nestor -- The Rainmaker (Deputy Fife)
Robert Haulbrook -- Someone Who'll Watch Over Me (Michael Waters)
Robert Lee Simmons -- Killer Joe (Killer Joe Cooper), The Rainmaker (Bill Starbuck)
Sultan Omar El-Amin -- Before It Hits Home (Wendell), In the Blood (Baby, Reverend D.)
BEST DIRECTOR, DRAMA
Carey Kugler -- The Rainmaker
Charles LaBorde -- Marat/Sade
Dennis Delamar -- Yankee Tavern
Glenn T. Griffin -- Dangerous
Matt Cosper -- Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
Michael R. Simmons -- Metamorphoses
Sidney Horton -- Blue
Tony Wright -- Killer Joe
BEST ACTRESS, MUSICAL
Candace Neal -- The Full Monty (Georgie Bukatinsky)
Caroline Bower -- Evil Dead: The Musical (Linda), Beauty and the Beast (Belle)
Erica McGee -- Grits: The Musical (Georgia)
Grace Kidd -- West Side Story (Maria)
Jes Dugger -- Bat Boy: The Musical (Shelley Parker)
Lisa Smith -- Camelot (Guenevere)
Maggie Monahan -- Bare: A Pop Opera (Ivy)
BEST ACTOR, MUSICAL
Jon Parker Douglas -- Bat Boy: The Musical (Bat Boy), Evil Dead: The Musical (Ash)
Jonathan Van Caudill -- Bare: A Pop Opera (Jason)
Matt Keffer -- The Producers (Leo Bloom)
Robbie Jaeger -- A Year With Frog and Toad (Toad)
Sean Watkins -- Beauty and the Beast (The Beast)
Steven Jepson -- Man of La Mancha (Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote)
Stuart Spencer -- The Full Monty (Dave Bukatinsky), Seussical (Horton the Elephant)
BEST DIRECTOR, MUSICAL
Alan Poindexter -- Beauty and the Beast
Ben Pierce -- Bare: A Pop Opera
Billy Ensley -- Evil Dead: The Musical
Dennis Delamar -- The Full Monty
Glenn Griffin -- Altar Boyz
Ron Chisholm -- A Year With Frog and Toad
Tom Hollis -- Man of La Mancha
BEST CONDUCTOR/MUSIC DIRECTOR
Craig Estep -- Man of La Mancha
Drina Keen -- A Year With Frog and Toad, Camelot, The Producers, Beauty and the Beast
Ellen Robison -- Seussical
Marty Gregory -- Bat Boy: The Musical, Evil Dead: The Musical, Altar Boyz
Randy Price -- Bare: A Pop Opera
Ryan Stamey -- The Full Monty
BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY
Autumn Gentile -- Suburban Motel (Denise Reynolds, Amanda Castle)
Greta Marie Zandstra -- Shakespeare in Hollywood (Olivia Darnell), Twelfth Night (Olivia)
Laura Depta -- Southern Rapture (Marjorie Winthrop)
Leslie Ann Giles -- New Kid (Mencha)
Maret Seitz -- Barefoot in the Park (Corie Bratter)
Nicia Carla -- If You Take a Mouse to the Movies (Mouse)
BEST ACTOR, COMEDY
Jerry Colbert -- Big Boys (Victor Burlington)
Mark Scarboro -- Suburban Motel (RJ Reynolds, Rolly Moore)
Mark Sutton -- If You Take a Mouse to the Movies (Boy)
Philip Robertson -- Shakespeare in Hollywood (Oberon)
Sultan Omar El-Amin -- Day of Absence (Mayor)
Tim Ross -- Southern Rapture (Winston Paxton)
BEST DIRECTOR, COMEDY
Alan Poindexter -- Barefoot in the Park, If You Take a Mouse to the Movies
Chip Decker -- Southern Rapture, Big Boys
James Yost -- Shakespeare in Hollywood
Joe Copley -- Twelfth Night
Matt Cosper -- New Kid
Quentin "Q" Talley -- Day of Absence
BEST CHOREOGRAPHER
Courtney Johnson and Alyson Lowe -- Altar Boyz
Delia Neil -- The Drama Club
Eddie Mabry -- The Full Monty, Evil Dead: The Musical
Karina Roberts-Caporino, Leslie Beckham, and Christy Edney -- Metamorphoses
Lisa Blanton -- Seussical
Ron Chisholm -- A Year With Frog and Toad, West Side Story, The Producers, Beauty and the Beast, Man of La Mancha
Tammy Fox -- Grits: The Musical
BEST LIGHTING DESIGNER
Andrew Fisher and Emily Eudy -- Altar Boyz
Chris Socha -- Master Class, Marat/Sade
Chris Timmons -- Death of a Salesman, The Woman in Black
David M. Fillmore, Jr. -- Beauty and the Beast
Gary Sivak -- The Rainmaker, The Producers
Hallie Gray -- Bat Boy: The Musical, Blue, Southern Rapture, Grits: The Musical, Big Boys, Yankee Tavern
Michael R. Simmons -- Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
Michael R. Simmons and Camara McLaughlin -- Metamorphoses
Thom Stanton -- Shakespeare in Hollywood
Trista Rothe -- Dangerous, The Full Monty, Twelfth Night, Julius Caesar
BEST SET DESIGNER
Chip Decker -- Southern Rapture, Big Boys, Yankee Tavern
Chris Timmons -- The Full Monty, Seussical, The Woman in Black
James Duke -- The Rainmaker, Man of La Mancha
Jim Gloster -- A Year With Frog and Toad, Alice in Concert
Joe Gardner -- Camelot
Mary Courtney Blake -- Killer Joe
Robert Croghan -- The Producers, If You Take a Mouse to the Movies
Robert Lee Simmons and Michael R. Simmons -- Metamorphoses
Robert Lee Simmons -- Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, Marat/Sade
Ryan Weininger -- Beauty and the Beast
BEST COSTUME DESIGNER
Alfie B. Griffin -- Dangerous
Barbara Wesselman -- West Side Story, Marat/Sade
Connie Furr Soloman -- Alice in Concert, Beauty and the Beast
Courtney Burt Scott -- A Year With Frog and Toad, If You Take a Mouse to the Movies
Erin B. Dougherty -- Twelfth Night
J. Dylan Stout, Maria Marciano, and Dot Marciano -- Metamorphoses
Jamey Varnadore -- Shakespeare in Hollywood, The Full Monty, Cinderella, Seussical
Jennifer Matthews and Heidi O'Hare -- Camelot
Myk Chambers -- Dancing at Lughnasa, The Woman in Black
Robert Croghan -- The Producers
BEST SOUND DESIGNER–COMPOSER
Alex Mauldin -- Marat/Sade
Alex Mauldin and Michael Sharpe -- Metamorphoses
Chip Decker -- Blue, Southern Rapture, Evil Dead: The Musical, Yankee Tavern
Chris Bateson -- The Woman in Black
Christy Edney -- Killer Joe
Elisheba Ittoop -- The Drama Club, Beauty and the Beast
Kristin Jann-Fischer -- Master Class
Stan Peal -- Twelfth Night, Dancing at Lughnasa
Van Coble, Jr. -- If You Take a Mouse to the Movies
BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Chip Decker -- Southern Rapture (Introductory Video), Evil Dead: The Musical (Blood Effects)
Drew Nowlin -- Evil Dead: The Musical (Zombie Moose Head)
Jay Thomas -- The Secret Life of Girls, The Drama Club, Master Class (Video Projection Design)
Lauren Crozier, Cindy Kistenberg, and Michael R. Simmons -- Marat/Sade (Makeup)
Melissa Brown and Christy Edney -- Metamorphoses (Makeup)
Melissa Brown and Martin Barry -- Evil Dead: The Musical (Special Make--Up And Effects)
Peter Smeal -- Beauty and the Beast (Props), If You Take a Mouse to the Movies (Props)
Ron Cook -- Julius Caesar (Video Editing)
Rosalyn Morris -- Someone Who'll Watch Over Me (Installation Art and Middle East Artifacts)
Tony Wright -- Killer Joe (Fight Choreography)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA
Amanda Nicastro -- Marat/Sade (Simonne Evrard)
Andrea King -- Julius Caesar (Cassius)
Cassandra Lowe Williams -- Blue (Tillie Clark)
Julie Janorschke Gawle -- Dancing at Lughnasa (Agnes Mundy)
Kaddie Sharpe -- Fight Club (Stewardess, Marla)
Karina Roberts-Caparino -- Marat/Sade (Charlotte Corday)
Kim Watson Brooks -- Blue (LaTonya Dinkins)
Paula Baldwin -- Death of a Salesman (Linda Loman)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA
Hank West -- Dangerous (Rosemonde), Dancing at Lughnasa (Uncle Jack)
Jonavan Adams -- Blue (Sam Clark III), Julius Caesar (Julius Caesar)
Kevin Campbell -- The Rainmaker (H.C. Curry)
Matt Cosper -- Killer Joe (Chris Smith)
Matthew Corbett -- Killer Joe (Ansel Smith)
Michael Sharpe -- Death of a Salesman (Happy), Marat/Sade (Claude-Romain Duperret)
Salvador Garcia -- Living Out (Bobby), Dangerous (Marcus)
Tom Scott -- Yankee Tavern (Ray)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, MUSICAL
Alyson Lowe -- Evil Dead: The Musical (Shelly)
Carmen Coulter -- Bare: A Pop Opera (Sister Chantelle)
Emily Mark -- Evil Dead: The Musical (Annie)
Lisa Smith -- Seussical (Mayzie LaBird)
Nicia Carla -- A Year With Frog and Toad (Snail/Mouse), Alice in Concert (Caterpillar, Tweedledee)
Pat Heiss -- The Full Monty (Jeanette Burmeister)
Susan Cherin Gundersheim -- Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, MUSICAL
Adam Morse -- The Producers (Franz Liebkind)
Alex Aguilar -- Altar Boyz (Juan)
Matthew Keffer -- Beauty and the Beast (Gaston)
Stephen Seay -- Evil Dead: The Musical (Scott)
Steve Bryan -- Cinderella (Stepmother), The Producers (Roger De Bris)
Steve Martin -- The Full Monty (Malcolm MacGregor)
Tyler Mercereau -- Altar Boyz (Mark)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY
Andrea King -- Twelfth Night (Sir Andrew Aguecheek), If You Take a Mouse to the Movies (Popcorn Seller, Tree Seller)
Becky Porter -- Sordid Lives (Latrelle Williamson)
Darlene Black -- New Kid (Mother)
Jes Dugger -- Sordid Lives (Juanita Bartlett)
Kristy Morley -- Suburban Motel (Helen Mackie, Shirl "The Pearl" Katakis)
Sheila Snow Proctor -- Southern Rapture (Allissa Marquand/Nyla-Jean Geisy/Laverne Jackson/Candice Overmyer)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY
Chad Calvert -- Twelfth Night (Malvolio)
Jeremy DeCarlos -- Southern Rapture (Reverend DuPree, Mickey Stedman, Anton Finewitz)
Joe Rux -- Southern Rapture (Donald Sherman)
Nathan Rouse -- Southern Rapture (Simon Larisher, Emmett Whipple, GMA Host, Franklin McManus)
Peter Smeal -- Twelfth Night (Sir Toby Belch)
Robert Haulbrook -- Shakespeare in Hollywood (Will Hayes)
BEST FEMALE CAMEO
Amanda Liles -- Sordid Lives (Dr. Eve Bolinger)
Anne Lambert -- Shakespeare in Hollywood (Louella Parsons)
Caroline Grainger -- The Woman in Black (Ghost)
Corlis Hayes -- No Exit (Valet)
Emily Hunter -- Company (April)
Kate Aberman -- Metamorphoses (Hunger)
Paula Schmitt -- Metamorphoses (Myrrha)
BEST MALE CAMEO
Brett Gentile -- Southern Rapture (Video Host)
Colby Davis -- Metamorphoses (Erysichthon)
Joe Falocco -- Antony and Cleopatra (Soothsayer)
Kevin Alderman -- AmerWrecka (Buster)
Mark Scarboro -- "Wanted: Frogs" (Frog Prince)
Salvador Garcia -- The Full Monty (Buddy "Keno" Walsh)
Sean Watkins -- The Producers (Blind Violinist, Brownshirt Tenor)
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Andy Faulkenberry -- Seussical (Cat in the Hat)
Diego Francica -- Fight Club (Jack)
Emily Mark -- Evil Dead: The Musical (Annie)
Emily Witte -- Aïda (Princess Amneris)
Heather Whittington -- Beauty and the Beast (Silly Girl, Chorus, Vocal Captain), In the Blood (Beauty, Amiga)
Kaddie Sharpe -- Fight Club (Stewardess, Marla)
Kristin Jann-Fischer -- Master Class (Sophie DePalma, Sound Design)
Luke Pizzato -- Aida (Pharoah), ThomThom (if that bird won't sing) (Heartless Thom)
Maret Seitz -- Barefoot in the Park (Corie Bratter), Tartuffe (Elmire)
Nathan Rouse -- Southern Rapture (Simon Larisher, Emmett Whipple, GMA Host, Franklin McManus), Dancing at Lughnasa (Gerry)
Philip Robertson -- Shakespeare in Hollywood (Oberon), Barefoot in the Park (Victor Velasco)
Salvador Garcia -- Living Out (Bobby), Dangerous (Marcus), The Full Monty (Buddy "Keno" Walsh), West Side Story (Bernardo)
BEST ORIGINAL SHOW
Grits: The Musical by Erica McGee -- McGee Communications
Southern Rapture by Eric Coble -- Actor's Theatre
The Crossroads Teen Theater Project by Brandon Cook, Taylor Griner, Julia Grigg, Daniel Hoilett, Adriana Jerez, Victoria Neff and others
The Drama Club by Bob Inman -- Children's Theatre
The Fairy Tale Chronicles by Iesha Hoffman, Shannon Reichley, Stan Peal, Gina Stewart, Marla Brown, and Jennifer Hubbard -- Donna Scott Productions
BEST ONE-PERSON SHOW
Drew Allison -- A Tangle of Tales (Grey Seal Puppets)
James Cartee -- Gonzo: A Brutal Chrysalis (Citizens of the Universe)
BEST DRAMA
Blue -- Actor's Theatre of Charlotte
Dangerous -- Queen City Theatre Company
Killer Joe -- Carolina Actors Studio Theatre
Marat/Sade -- Carolina Actors Studio Theatre
Master Class -- Carolina Actors Studio Theatre
Metamorphoses -- Carolina Actors Studio Theatre
The Rainmaker -- CPCC Summer Theatre
Yankee Tavern -- Actor's Theatre of Charlotte
BEST MUSICAL
A Year With Frog and Toad -- Children's Theatre of Charlotte
Altar Boyz -- Queen City Theatre Company
Camelot -- CPCC Summer Theatre
Disney's Beauty and the Beast -- Children's Theatre of Charlotte
Evil Dead: The Musical -- Actor's Theatre of Charlotte
Man of La Mancha -- CPCC Theatre
The Full Monty -- Theatre Charlotte
BEST COMEDY
Big Boys -- Actor's Theatre of Charlotte
Day of Absence -- On Q Productions
If You Take a Mouse to the Movies -- Children's Theatre of Charlotte
Shakespeare in Hollywood -- Theatre Charlotte
Southern Rapture -- Actor's Theatre of Charlotte
Twelfth Night -- Collaborative Arts Theater
THEATER EVENT OF THE YEAR
La Casa de Bernarda Alba -- Theatre Charlotte
New Companies: Citizens of the Universe & Machine Theatre
Once Upon a Festival @ Theatre Charlotte
Story Slam! @ 1401 Central Avenue
The Best of Omimeo
The Birth -- Starving Artists
The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later -- Edge Theatre Company + Story Slam!
ThomThom (if that bird won't sing) -- Machine Theatre
THEATERPERSON OF THE YEAR
Alyson Lowe, Anne Lambert, Charles LaBorde, Chip Decker, Donna Scott, Elise Wilkinson, Iesha Hoffman, Joe Copley, Karina Roberts-Caporino, Laura Depta, Matt Cosper, Michael R. Simmons, Quentin "Q" Talley, Robert Lee Simmons, Ryan Stamey, Sidney Horton