STRANGEST THINGS! and THE WIZ Lead 2017 Chicago Theatre Award Nominations

Today, The Hawk Chicago announced nominations for the inaugural Chicago Theatre Awards, a contest in which all winners are chosen entirely by audience vote. The first round, which invited write-in submissions, ended June 23rd. The official nominees were decided by almost 1,600 voters.

Leading the pack is breakout hit Strangest Things! The Musical, which scored ten nominations including Best Production of a Musical, Best Ensemble, Best Director (Tommy Rivera-Vega) and Best New Work (Bryan Renaud and Emily Schmidt). The Wiz from Kokandy came in with 9 nominations, including Best Production of a Musical, Best Director, and acting nominations for almost all of the principal cast.

Other companies that were received well by audiences include Other Theatre, which landed 7 nominations for Threesome, Haven Theatre's How We Got On (5 nominations) and BoHo Theatre, which landed 5 nominations between productions of Urinetown and Next to Normal.

Overall, one thing is clear: a larger voting pool invites more diversity. Of the 76 individuals nominated, 32 are female-identified and 30 are individuals of color - a drastically different story from most other award ceremonies. The Chicago Theatre Awards categories are not gendered, inviting nominations for artists of all gender identities.

The final round of voting will close July 16. Winners will be announced July 19. In the eight hours since announcing the nominees, The Hawk Chicago has received over 4,000 votes. Chicago is the best theatre city in the world - and the winners of the Chicago Theatre Awards are in YOUR hands!

Nominees Now Playing in Chicago:

Strangest Things! The Musical runs at the Greenhouse Theater Center through July 8th. Tickets: www.RandomActsChicago.com.

At the Table will be remounted this summer at The Den Theatre. Tickets: www.BrokenNoseTheatre.com.

War Paint is now playing on Broadway. Tickets: www.WarPaintMusical.com.

Hamilton and Aladdin continue their extended runs in Chicago. Tickets: www.BroadwayinChicago.com

The 2017 Chicago Theatre Award Nominees:

Best Production of a Play
Threesome - Other Theatre
Men on Boats - American Theatre Company
How We Got On - Haven Theatre
At the Table - Broken Nose Theatre
Death of a Salesman - Redtwist Theatre

Best Production of a Musical
Strangest Things! The Musical - Random Acts
The Wiz - Kokandy Productions
High Fidelity - Refuge Theatre Project
Next to Normal - BoHo Theatre
Northanger Abbey - Lifeline Theatre

Best Ensemble
Parachute Men - Teatro Vista
Strangest Things! The Musical - Random Acts
Threesome - Other Theatre
How We Got On - Haven Theatre
Death of a Salesman - Redtwist Theatre

Best Actor in a Play
Adam Bitterman - Death of a Salesman - Redtwist Theatre
Demetrios Troy - Threesome - Other Theatre
J. Salome Martinez, Jr. - Parachute Men - Teatro Vista
Malic White - Picnic - American Theater Company
Eamonn Walker - Between Riverside and Crazy - Steppenwolf Theatre
Larry Yando - Shakespeare in Love - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
George Seegebrecht - Hauptmann - City Lit Theater Co.
Suzanne Faycurry - Threesome - Other Theatre
Linda Reiter - Shakespeare in Love - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Best Actor in a Musical
Colette Todd - Next to Normal - BoHo Theatre
Patti LuPone - War Paint - Goodman Theatre
Christine Ebersole - War Paint - Goodman Theatre
Molly LeCaptain - Strangest Things! - Random Acts
Kevin O'Connell - Strangest Things! - Random Acts
Sydney Charles - The Wiz - Kokandy Productions
Henry McGinniss - Urinetown - BoHo Theatre
Amanda Horvath - Tonya and Nancy: The Rock Opera - Underscore Theatre Company
WilLiam Roberts - The Most Happy Fella - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Stephanie Stockstill - Northanger Abbey - Lifeline Theatre

Best Supporting Actor in a Play
Tommy Rivera-Vega - Parachute Men - Teatro Vista
Mike Tepeli - Threesome - Other Theatre
Eddie Martinez - Parachute Men - Teatro Vista
Echaka Agba - At the Table - Broken Nose Theatre
Joshua Servantez - The History Boys - Eclectic Theater Co.
Angela Alise - How We Got On - Haven Theatre
Deanna Reed-Foster - Even Longer and Farther Away - The New Colony
Kendra Thulin - Wastwater - Steep Theatre

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
Honey West - Priscilla: Queen of the Desert - Pride Films & Plays
Veronica Garza - Tonya and Nancy: The Rock Opera - Underscore Theatre Company
Jennifer Tyler - Northanger Abbey - Lifeline Theatre
Anne SheriDan Smith - Bat Boy: the Musical - Griffin Theater Co.
Alexandra Alontaga - Strangest Things! - Random Acts
Colleen DeRosa - Strangest Things! - Random Acts
Christian Siebert - Strangest Things! - Random Acts
Nicole Michelle Haskins - The Wiz - Kokandy Productions
Chuckie Benson - The Wiz - Kokandy Productions
Gilbert Domally - The Wiz - Kokandy Productions

Best Touring Production
Hamilton
The Spongebob Musical
Aladdin
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Best Director
Scott Weinstein - Bat Boy: The Musical - Griffin Theatre
Carla Stillwell - Never the Milk and Honey - MPAACT
Jason Gerace - Threesome - Other Theatre
Lili-Anne Brown - The Wiz - Kokandy Productions
Tommy Rivera-Vega - Strangest Things! - Random Acts

Best Special Event
Daughters of Ire - Beverly Arts Center & Other Theatre
Unbound - Random Acts
The Midnight Society Awakens - Oracle Theater
The 44th Annual Jeff Awards - The Joseph Jefferson Committee

Best Solo Performance
Philip Dawkins - The Happiest Place on Earth - Greenhouse Theater Center & Sideshow Theatre
Savanna Rae - Daughters of Ire - Beverly Arts Center & Other Theatre
Brian Quijada - Where Did We Sit on the Bus? - Victory Gardens
Sarah Gise - The Amish Project - Interrobang Theater
Carin Silkaitis - I Do Today - Greenhouse Theater Center & Other Theatre

Best New Work
The Wolf at the End of the Block - Ike Holter
Strangest Things! - Bryan Renaud and Emily Schmidt
Never the Milk and Honey - Shepsu Aakhu
Northanger Abbey - Robert Kauzlaric and George Howe

Best Choreography
Breon Arzel - The Wiz - Kokandy Productions
Aubrey Adams - Urinetown - BoHo Theatre
Christopher Pazdernik - High Fidelity - Refuge Theater Project
Jon Martinez - Priscilla: Queen of the Desert - Pride Films & Plays
Tommy Rivera-Vega - Strangest Things! - Random Acts

Best Costumes
Virginia Varland - The Wiz - Kokandy Productions
Catherine Zuber - War Paint - Goodman Theatre
Bill Morey - Side Show - Porchlight Music Theater
John Nasca - Priscilla: Queen of the Desert - Pride Films & Plays
Rachel M. Sypniewski - The Resistable Rise of Arturio Ui - Trap Door Theater

Best Scenic Design
Arnel Sancianco - The Wiz - Kokandy Productions
Lizzie Bracken - Threesome - Other Theatre
Jeffrey D. Kmiec - The Assembled Parties - Raven Theatre
Ashley Ann Woods - Miss Holmes - Lifeline Theatre
Kevin Hagan - Our Lady of 121st Street - Eclipse Theater Co.

Best Lighting Design
Kevin Adams - The Spongebob Musical - Oriental Theater
Alexander Ridgers - Winterset - Griffin Theater
Brandon Wardell - Bat Boy: The Musical - Griffin Theater
G. Maxin IV - Urinetown - BoHo Theatre

Best Sound Design
Stephen Ptacek - How We Got On - Haven Theatre
Thomas Dixon - Peerless - First Floor Theater
Thomas Dixon - Wastwater - Steep Theater
Eric Brackus - A Wrinkle in Time - Lifeline Theater
Matt Reich - The Promise of a Rose Garden - Babes With Blades

Cast your ballot today! Click here.

www.TheHawkChicago.com