Review: Cleveland Theater Tributes 2016

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)

Greater Cleveland is blessed with a vital theater scene. It has been the purpose of the TIMES THEATER TRIBUTES, now known as BROADWAY WORLD-CLEVELAND REGIONAL PROFESSIONAL THEATER TRIBUTES (BWW-Cle Theater Tributes), to recognize theatrical experiences that, in the subjective view of this reviewer, were excellent and deserve recognition.

These awards are separate and distinct from the Broadwayworld.com--Cleveland (non-professional theater awards) which were open to public nominations and voting.

Only shows performed in 2016 which I reviewed were considered. With the exception of Outstanding National Touring Production, selections were limited to local presentations though actors, directors and technicians who were imported by local theatres for their productions were considered. Actors are separated by gender, but not equity or lack of union affiliation, or leading or supporting roles.

Nominees designated by a * indicates my recognition as the most proficient in that category. In rare cases more than one person is designated as "most proficient." Special recognition designees are listed in alphabetical order, not in a rank order.

2016 OUTSTANDING NON-MUSICAL PRODUCTIONS

*THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, none-too-fragile

ALL THE WAY, Cleveland Play House

CLYBOURNE PARK, CWRU/CPA MFA Acting Program

LINES IN THE DUST, Cleveland Public Theatre

LUNA GALE, Cleveland Play House

OBJECTIVELY/REASONABLE (A COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO THE SHOOTING OF TAMIR RICE), Playwrights Local

SANS MERCI, none-too-fragile

SEX WITH STRANGERS, Cleveland Play House

THE MOUNTAINTOP, Cleveland Play House

THE NIGHT THOREAU SPENT IN JAIL, Ensemble Theatre

THE REALISTIC JONESES, Dobama

THE REVISIONIST, Dobama

THE WHIPPING MAN, none-too-fragile

2016 OUTSTANDING MUSICAL Theater Productions

*MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater

FOOTLOOSE, Porthouse

IN THE HEIGHTS, Beck Center/Baldwin Wallace University

RING OF FIRE, Porthouse

THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center

THE TOXIC AVENGER, Cain Park

2016 OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A NON-MUSICAL

*Sean Derry, THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, none-too-fragile

Austin Pendleton, LUNA GALE, Cleveland Play House

Beth Woods, LINES IN THE DUST, Cleveland Public Theatre

Celeste Cosentino, THE NIGHT THOREAU SPENT IN JAIL, Ensemble Theatre

Donald Carrier, CLYBOURNE PARK, CWRU/CPA MFA Acting Program

Giovanna Sardelli, ALL THE WAY, Cleveland Play House

Joanie Schulz, SEX WITH STRANGERS, Cleveland Play House

Katori Hall, THE MOUNTAINTOP, Cleveland Play House

Leighann Delorenzo, THE REVISIONIST, Dobama

Sean Derry and Brian Kenneth Armour, ANNAPURNA, none-too-fragile

Sean Derry, THE WHIPPING MAN, none-too-fragile

Shannon Sindelar, THE REALISTIC JONESES, Dobama

2016 OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL

*Victoria Bussert, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater

Amanda Dehnert, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Cleveland Play House

Nathan Motta, THE TOXIC AVENGER, Cain Park

Scott Spence, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center

Steven C. Anderson, RING OF FIRE, Porthouse

Terri Kent, FOOTLOOSE, Porthouse

Victoria Bussert, IN THE HEIGHTS, Beck Center/Baldwin Wallace University

2016 OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY IN A THEATER PRODUCTION

*Martin Céspedes, Billy Elliot, Beck Center

Greg Daniels, IN THE HEIGHTS, Beck Center/Baldwin Wallace University

Gregory Daniels, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater

Martin Céspedes, HEATHERS the musical, Beck Center

Martin Céspedes, RUTHLESS!, Beck Center

Martin Céspedes, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center

MaryAnn Black, FOOTLOOSE, Porthouse

2016 OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE IN A NON-MUSICAL

*Geoff Knox, THE NIGHT THOREAU SPENT IN JAIL, Ensemble Theatre

Andrew Gobmas, THE REVISIONIST, Dobama

Chris Richards, THE REALISTIC JONESES, Dobama

Jeffrey Grover, ANNAPURNA, none-too-fragile

Keith Stevens, TALLY'S FOLLY, Actors' Summit

Michael Mauldin, MARGIN OF ERROR, Ensemble Theatre

Ro Boddie, THE MOUNTAINTOP, Cleveland Play House

Sean Booker, Landford Wilson: TAKE 5, Cesear's Forum

Sean Hudock, SEX WITH STRANGERS, Cleveland Play House

Skip Corris, LINES IN THE DUST, Cleveland Public Theatre

Steve Vinovich, ALL THE WAY, Cleveland Play House

2016 OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE IN A NON-MUSICAL

*Derdriu Ring, THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, none-too-fragile

*Dorothy Silver, THE REVISIONIST, Dobama

Ashley Aquilla, OBJECTIVELY/REASONABLE (A COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO THE SHOOTING OF TAMIR RICE), Playwrights Local

Carly Germany, MARIE ANTOINETTE @ Dobama

Derdriu Ring, ANNAPURNA, none-too-fragile

Holly Holsinger, FRANKENSTEIN'S WAKE, Cleveland Public Theatre

Juliet Brett, MR. WOLF, Cleveland Play House

Maya Jones, HARBOR, convergence-continuum

Monette Magrath, SEX WITH STRANGERS, Cleveland Play House

Nicole Sumlin, LINES IN THE DUST, Cleveland Public Theatre

Rachel Lee Kolis, A KID LIKE JAKE, none-too-fragile

2016 OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE IN A MUSICAL

*Matthew Wright, RUTHLESS!, Beck Center

Ellis C. Dawson III, THE TOXIC AVENGER, Cain Park

Jason Leupold, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, Lakeland Civic Theatre

M. A. Taylor, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater

Paul Schwensen, FOOTLOSE, Porthouse

Tom Ford, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater

RISING STAR (PROMISING NEWCOMER)

*J. R. Heckman, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center

*Calista Zajac, RUTHLESS!, Beck Center

2016 OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES BY A FEMALE IN A MUSICAL

*Natalie Green, THE TOXIC AVENGER, Cain Park

Calista Zajac, RUTHLESS!, Beck Center

Colleen Longshaw, SISTER ACT, Porthouse

Jillian Kates, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater

Katharine DeBoer, BILLY ELLIOT, Beck Center

Kathleen Rooney, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center

Neely Gavaart, THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, Lakeland Civic Theatre

Trinidad Snider, INTO THE WOODS, Lakeland Civic Theatre

2016 OUTSTANDING SCENIC DESIGN OF A NON-MUSICAL or MUSICAL

*Philip Whitcomb, THE GOOD PEACHES, Cleveland Play House/Cleveland

Orchestra

Douglas Puskas, LINES IN THE DUST, Cleveland Public Theatre

Douglas Puskas, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center

Jeff Herman, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater

Michael Schweikardt, LUNA GALE, Cleveland Play House

Robert Mark Morgan, ALL THE WAY, Cleveland Play House

Russell Metheny, AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, Great Lakes Theater

Timothy R. Mackabee, MR. WOLF, Cleveland Play House

Trad A Burns, HEATHERS the musical, Beck Center

Trad Burns, INTO THE WOODS, Lakeland Civic Theater

2016 OUTSTANDING MUSICAL DIRECTION

*Larry Goodpaster, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center

Jennifer Korecki, SISTER ACT, Porthouse

Joel Mercier, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater

Jonathan Swoboda, FOOTLOOSE, Porthouse

Jordan Cooper, INTO THE WOODS, Lakeland Civic Theatre

Jordan Cooper, THE TOXIC AVENGER, Cain Park

Larry Goodpaster, HEATHERS the musical, Beck Center

Travis Smith, RING OF FIRE, Porthouse

2016 OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN IN A NON-MUSICAL OR MUSICAL

*Beau Reinker THE KNIFE IS MONEY, THE FORK IS LOVE, convergence

continuum

Carlton Guc, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center

Daniel McNamara, LINES IN THE DUST, Cleveland Public Theatre

James C. Swonger, THE GOOD PEACHES, Cleveland Play

House/Cleveland Orchestra

Jeremy Dobbins, THE REALISTIC JONESES, Dobama

Joe Court, AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, Great Lakes Theater

Josh Horvath, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Cleveland Play House

Kevin Rutan, SAME TIME NEXT YEAR, Actors' Summit

Richard Ingraham, MARIE ANTOINETTE, Dobama

Trad A Burns, INTO THE WOODS, Lakeland Civic Theatre

2016 OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN IN A NON-MUSICAL OR MUSICAL

*Charlotte M. Yetman, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater

Andrea Hood, LOVE'S LABOURS LOST, Great Lakes Theater

Anne Medlock, FOOTLOOSE, Porthouse

Tesia Dugan Benson, MARIE ANTOINETTE, Dobama

2016 OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN IN A NON-MUSICAL OR MUSICAL

*Jeff Hermann, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center

Kevin Ozan, THE WHIPPING MAN, none-too-fragile

Marcus Dana, MARIE ANTOINETTE, Dobama

Marcus Dana, THE REALISTIC JONESES, Dobama

Rick Martin, AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, Great Lakes Theater

2016 OUTSTANDING ELECTRONIC MEDIA IN A NON-MUSICAL OR MUSICAL

*Adam Zeek, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center

Ben Gantose, INCENDARIES, Cleveland Public Theatre/Ohio City Theatre

Project

Dan Scully, ALL THE WAY, Cleveland Play House

Dan Scully, THE MOUNTAINTOP, Cleveland Play House

Mike Tuta and Jeremy Dobbins, MARIE ANTOINETTE, Dobama

Perren Hedderson and Zac Hudak, THE 39 STEPS, Blank Canvas

Val Kozlenko, 44 PLAYS FOR 44 PRESIDENTS, Cleveland Public Theater

2016 OUTSTANDING NATIONAL TOURING PRODUCTION

*FUN HOME, Play House Square

KINKY BOOTS, Play House Square

WRESTLING JERUSALEM, Cleveland Public Theatre

LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

David Frazier, the beloved stage performer who appeared in more than 150 Cleveland productions, made his earthly curtain call on March 13, 2016.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Cleveland Play House and the Cleveland Orchestra on their impressive world premiere production of THE GOOD PEACHES.

Playwrights Local for creating a venue for local playwrights to develop their works.

Raymond Bobgan on the occasion of his 10 years of creative leadership at Cleveland Public Theatre.

Victoria Bussert on her 30th anniversary with Great Lakes Theatre.

Near West Theatre for its commitment to empowering children, teens and adults through transformational arts

If you would like to read any of my reviews for the year, please go to www.royberko.info, enter the blog and click on "2016 Reviews" or click on the name of the producing theatre and scroll through their performances. Reviews from previous years may also be accessed.