In the wake of last week's official announcement video, the buzz is building for Creative Loafing's 23rd Annual Charlotte Theatre Awards. Which shows, performances, feats of technical and design derring-do have survived the initial nomination process? Who has the inside track on the prestigious awards for actor, actress, newcomer, techie, theater event, theater company, theatreperson, and show of the year?
Here is the full list of nominations for the Charlotte Theater Awards, also known as The Perrys. This distillation of the 75 homegrown shows I attended in the metro Charlotte area during 2010 is a definitive rollcall of excellence for Metrolina theater fans and artists. Has been since 1987.
Congratulations to all the nominees! Let the online vigils begin as winners, accompanied by my 2010 wrap-up, will crystallize here in the cloud on May 25.
Best Actor, Musical
Ashby Blakely – Goodnight Moon (Bunny), Into the Woods (The Baker)
Jon Parker Douglas – Five Course Love (Dean, Gino, Klaus, Gillermo, Clutch)
Jonathan Van Caudill – Reefer Madness (Jimmy Fennimore Harper)
Joseph Klosek, Jr. – Five Course Love (Matt, Carlo, Heimlich, Ernesto, Pops)
Mark Sutton – Scrooge! (Ebenezer Scrooge)
Patrick Ratchford – I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (Patrick)
Salvador Garcia – Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (Mike Mulligan)
Steve Bryan – Annie (Oliver Warbucks)
Best Actress, Musical
Alyson Lowe – Grey Gardens (Edith Bouvier Beale/Little Edie Beale)
Bettina Martin – Reefer Madness (Mary Lane)
Cassandra Howley Wood – Violet (Violet), Aladdin (Princess Jasmine)
Hannah Gundersheim – Annie (Little Orphan Annie)
Lisa Smith Bradley – I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (Lisa)
Maret Decker Seitz – Five Course Love (Barbi, Sofia, Gretchen, Rosalinda, Kitty)
Susan Roberts Knowlson – My Fair Lady (Eliza Doolittle), I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (Susan)
Whitney Drury – Evita (Eva Peron)
Best Director, Musical
Billy Ensley – I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
Craig Kolkebeck – Scrooge!
Craig Spradley – Five Course Love, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Glenn T. Grifffin – Grey Gardens, Evita, Reefer Madness
Melissa Ohlman-Roberge – Violet
Ron Chisholm – Goodnight Moon
Ron Law – Annie
Tom Hollis – Bye Bye Birdie, Into the Woods, The Drowsy Chaperone
Best Musical Director/Conductor
Brenda Lee – Black Pearl Sings
Drina Keen – Goodnight Moon, Treasure Island, Into the Woods, The Drowsy Chaperone, Scrooge!
Ellen Robison – I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
Jill O'Neill – Much Ado About Nothing
Jon Lindsay – ThomThom
Marty Gregory – Grey Gardens, Evita, Reefer Madness
Ryan Deal – Smoke on the Mountain, Annie
Ryan Stamey – Five Course Love
Best Actor, Comedy
Ashby Blakely – Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Peter)
Lamar Wilson – End Days (Arthur Stein)
Robert Crozier – Biloxi Blues (Eugene Morris Jerome)
Biniam Tekola – My First Time (Man #2), Mum's the Word (The Kid)
Jim Yost – Mum's the Word (Todd)
Dave Blamy – Embraceable Me (Edward), The 39 Steps (Richard Hannay)
Colby Davis – Uncle Vanya (Uncle Vanya)
Billy Ensley – Becky's New Car (Joe Foster)
Best Actress, Comedy
Alison Lamb – End Days (Sylvia Stein)
Andrea King – The Comedy of Errors (Dromio of Syracuse)
Catherine Smith – Becky's New Car (Becky Foster)
Donna Scott – The Dixie Swim Club (Lexie Richards)
Johanna Jowett – Embraceable Me (Allison)
Julia Grigg – ThomThom (Jean Louise)
Maret Decker Seitz – The 39 Steps (Annabella Schmidt, Pamela, Margaret)
Shon Wilson – My First Time (Woman #1), The Comedy of Errors (Dromio of Ephesus)
Best Director, Comedy
Barney Baggett – ThomThom
Chip Decker – End Days, The 39 Steps
Dave Blamy – Biloxi Blues
James Cartee – Uncle Vanya
Matt Cosper – Mum's the Word
Paige Johnston Thomas – Our Lady of 121st Street
Peter Smeal – Incorruptible
Sheila Snow Proctor – Becky's New Car
Best Actor, Drama
Aven Stephenson – The History Boys (Hector)
Berry Newkirk – Rope (Wyndham Brandon), Trainspotting (Mark Renton)
Derrick Parker – Othello (Othello)
Hank West – The Elephant Man (John Merrick)
J.R. Adduci – A Streetcar Named Desire (Stanley Kowalski)
James K. Flynn – The Lion in Winter (King Henry II)
Mark Sutton – Treasure Island (Long John Silver)
Tom Scott – The Road to Mecca (Rev. Marius Byleveld)
Best Actress, Drama
Divina Cook – The Road to Mecca (Helen)
Jennifer Lynn Barnette – Othello (Desdemona), Venus & Adonis (Venus)
Karina Roberts-Caporino – Evie's Waltz (Evie)
Kathryn Stamas – Steel Magnolias (M'Lynn Eatenton)
Meg Wood – Turn of the Screw (Governess)
Polly Adkins – The Lion in Winter (Eleanor of Aquitaine)
Terry Henry-Norman – Black Pearl Sings (Alberta "Pearl" Johnson), Home (Pattie Mae)
Tonya Bludsworth – The Road to Mecca (Elsa)
Best Director, Drama
Alan Poindexter – Treasure Island
Dennis Delamar – Black Pearl Sings
Elise Wilkinson – Othello
Glenn T. Grifffin – Rope
James Cartee – Reservoir Dogs, Trainspotting
Louise Robertson – The Road to Mecca