2013 BroadwayWorld Chicago Award Winners Announced! Celebration Honors MENAGERIE, SWEENEY, DeShields, Menzel And More

BroadwayWorld.com and BroadwayWorld Chicago are proud to announce the winners of the fourth annual BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards, the only comprehensive, fan-voted theater awards system in the Chicago area. And the big winner at the 2013 BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards Celebration, held on Wednesday evening, January 8, 2014 at The Call Bar, was the Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company production of "The Glass Menagerie," which carried off five of the coveted award Certificates. "Menagerie" won the highly competitive Best Ensemble award, as well as four more in the Resident Non-Equity Play categories: Best Revival, Best Actress (Joanne Dubach) and two awards for Hans Fleischmann, Best Actor and Best Direction. Fleischmann was the evening's only double award winner.

Hosted by BroadwayWorld Chicago Regional Editor Paul W. Thompson, the casual, nearly four-hour event was co-hosted by The Call's resident drag entertainer, Ashley Morgan, with showtune videos by VJ Michael Hogan. And both Chicago-based Mary-Arrchie Theatre and the theater with the second highest number of awards, Crystal Lake's Williams Street Repertory, were amply represented in the enthusiastic crowd. Williams Street won four of the Resident Non-Equity awards in the Musical or Revue categories for its production of "Sweeney Todd": Best Direction (Mark R. Mahallak), Best Musical Direction (Mike Potts), Best Scenic Design (Stephen H. Carmody) and Best Lighting Design (Steven Spera).

Two of Chicago's biggest Resident Equity theaters also won four awards apiece, but for multiple productions. The Goodman Theatre won Best Revival of a Play for "Measure for Measure," and three awards for its world premiere adaptation of "The Jungle Book." These, in the Musical or Revue categories, were for Best Actor (Andre De Shields), Best Direction (Mary Zimmerman) and Best Costume Design (Mara Blumenfeld). The Chicago Shakespeare Theatre won two awards for "Othello: The Remix" (Jesse Klug's Best Lighting Design and James Savage's Best Sound Design). Also, its production of "Cyrano de Bergerac" won Best Scenic Design honors for Kevin Depinet, and its production of "Shrek" won an award as Best Theater Production for Young Audiences.

Four different musicals won a pair of awards apiece. The Drury Lane Theatre's "Next to Normal" was awarded Best Revival of a Musical (Resident Equity), and its director, William Osetek, tied with Zimmerman for Best Direction of a Resident Equity Musical or Revue. Mercury Theater Chicago and its "The Color Purple" won Best Actress in a Musical or Revue (Resident Equity) for Trisha Jeffrey and Best Choreography (Resident Equity) for Brenda Didier, Didier's amazing fourth straight year to win a BroadwayWorld Chicago Award.

The Highland Park Players' production of "Cats" provided Jennifer Cupani with the award for Best Choreography (Resident Non-Equity) and Denise Tamburrino with the award for Best Actress in a Musical or Revue (Resident Non-Equity). And the production of "The Book of Mormon" that played the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago's Loop for most of the year won both Best Touring Production and Best Actor in a Touring Production (Ben Platt).

In addition to De Sheilds, Zimmerman and Platt, theater artists with a national profile who proved victorious at the BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards included Michael Shannon (Best Actor in a Resident Equity Play for A Red Orchid Theatre's "Simpatico"), Rachel York (Best Actress in a Touring Production for the Cadillac Palace Theatre's "Anything Goes") and Idina Menzel, whose summer concert at Aurora's RiverEdge Park won for Best Special Theatrical Event.

The BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards, for productions opening between November 1, 2012 and October 31, 2013, included thirty-six categories this year, up from thirty the year before with the addition of four awards for Best Direction and two for Best Sound Design. Twenty-one theaters won at least one award, and twenty-three productions were honored.

Three individuals other than Didier were also winners one year ago: scenic designer Kevin Depinet, lighting designer Jesse Klug and costume designer Theresa Ham.

Congratulations to all involved for a great year of theater! And thank you to all the readers of BroadwayWorld.com for voting.

Here is a list of all of the winners of the 2013 BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards:

Best Actor in a Musical or Revue (Resident Equity)
André De Shields - The Jungle Book - Goodman Theatre

Best Actor in a Musical or Revue (Resident Non­-Equity)
Ryan Lanning - Hedwig and the Angry Inch - Haven Theatre Chicago

Best Actor in a Play (Resident Equity)
Michael Shannon - Simpatico - A Red Orchid Theatre

Best Actor in a Play (Resident Non-­Equity)
Hans Fleischmann - The Glass Menagerie - Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company

Best Actor in a Touring Production
Ben Platt - The Book of Mormon - Bank of America Theatre

Best Actress in a Musical or Revue (Resident Equity)
Trisha Jeffrey - The Color Purple - Mercury Theater Chicago

Best Actress in a Musical or Revue (Resident Non­-Equity)
Denise Tamburrino - Cats - Highland Park Players

Best Actress in a Play (Resident Equity)
Gwendolyn Whiteside - Collected Stories - American Blues Theater

Best Actress in a Play (Resident Non-­Equity)
Joanne Dubach - The Glass Menagerie - Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company

Best Actress in a Touring Production
Rachel York - Anything Goes - Cadillac Palace Theatre

Best Choreography (Resident Equity)
Brenda Didier - The Color Purple - Mercury Theater Chicago

Best Choreography (Resident Non-­Equity)
Jennifer Cupani - Cats - Highland Park Players

Best Costume Design (Resident Equity)
Mara Blumenfeld - The Jungle Book - Goodman Theatre

Best Costume Design (Resident Non-Equity)
Theresa Ham - Pygmalion - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble and Stage Left Theatre

Best Direction of a Musical or Revue (Resident Equity)
William Osetek - Next to Normal - Drury Lane Theatre TIE
Mary Zimmerman - The Jungle Book - Goodman Theatre

Best Direction of a Musical or Revue (Resident Non-Equity)
Mark R. Mahallak - Sweeney Todd - Williams Street Repertory

Best Direction of a Play (Resident Equity)
Ron OJ Parson - A Raisin in the Sun - TimeLine Theatre Company

Best Direction of a Play (Resident Non-Equity)
Hans Fleischmann - The Glass Menagerie - Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co

Best Ensemble (Resident)
The Glass Menagerie - Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company

Best Lighting Design (Resident Equity)
Jesse Klug - Othello: The Remix - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Best Lighting Design (Resident Non-­Equity)
Steven Spera - Sweeney Todd - Williams Street Repertory

Best Musical Direction (Resident Equity)
Tom Vendafreddo - In the Heights - Paramount Theatre

Best Musical Direction (Resident Non-Equity)
Mike Potts - Sweeney Todd - Williams Street Repertory

Best New Work/New Adaptation (Resident)
Adam Pasen - Tea with Edie and Fitz - Dead Writers Theatre Collective

Best Revival of a Musical (Resident Equity)
Next to Normal - Drury Lane Theatre

Best Revival of a Musical (Resident Non-­Equity)
Parade - Harper Ensemble Theatre Company

Best Revival of a Play (Resident Equity)
Measure for Measure - Goodman Theatre

Best Revival of a Play (Resident Non-Equity)
The Glass Menagerie - Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company

Best Revue (Resident)
Old Jews Telling Jokes - Royal George Theatre

Best Scenic Design (Resident Equity)
Kevin Depinet - Cyrano de Bergerac - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Best Scenic Design (Resident Non-Equity)
Stephen H. Carmody - Sweeney Todd - Williams Street Repertory

Best Sound Design (Resident Equity)
James Savage - Othello: The Remix - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Best Sound Design (Resident Non-­Equity)
Christopher Kriz - Mahal - Bailiwick Chicago

Best Special Theatrical Event
Idina Menzel - RiverEdge Park

Best Theater Production for Young Audiences
Shrek - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Best Touring Production
The Book of Mormon - Bank of America Theatre

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