2013 Helen Hayes Award Nominations Announced!

theatreWashington just announced the 29th Helen Hayes Awards nominees today, January 28th, 2013 in The National Theatre's Helen Hayes Gallery. Scroll below for the full list of the 2013 nominees!

The culmination of a year-long judging process and rigorous statistical analysis, the nominations announcement will kick off this year's Helen Hayes Awards celebration, to be held on Monday, April 8.

One of the country's most prestigious cultural honors, The Helen Hayes Awards recognizes and celebrates outstanding achievement in over 80 professional theatres throughout the Washington metropolitan area. Named for the legendary First Lady of the American Theatre, nominated artists and companies exemplify the excellence found on all Washington stages, which, in turn, propel Washington as a nationally and internationally recognized thriving theatre town.

Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Musical

Matthew A. Anderson
Seussical
Imagination Stage

Brooks Ashmanskas
1776
Ford's Theatre

James Gardiner
Little Shop of Horrors
Olney Theatre Center

Doug Kreeger
Brother Russia
Signature Theatre

Paul Scanlan
Spring Awakening
The Keegan Theatre

Bobby Smith
Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
MetroStage

Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Musical

Mary Bridget Davies
One Night with Janis Joplin
Arena Stage

Natascia Diaz
Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
MetroStage

Nova Y. Payton
Dreamgirls
Signature Theatre

Dayna Quincy
The Color Purple
Toby's Dinner Theatre

Erin Weaver
Xanadu
Signature Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Musical

Christopher Bloch
1776
Ford's Theatre

Michael John Casey
Rapunzel
Imagination Stage

Robert Cuccioli
1776
Ford's Theatre

David Little
The Color Purple
Toby's Dinner Theatre

Cedric Neal
Dreamgirls
Signature Theatre

Nicholas Rodriguez
My Fair Lady
Arena Stage

Bobby Smith
Little Shop of Horrors
Olney Theatre Center

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Musical

Priscilla Cuellar
Legally Blonde the Musical
Toby's Dinner Theatre

Theresa Cunningham
The Color Purple
Toby's Dinner Theatre

Sherri L. Edelen
Xanadu
Signature Theatre

Crystal Joy
Dreamgirls
Signature Theatre

Donna Migliaccio
The Music Man
Arena Stage

Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Musical

Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
MetroStage
Josephine Tonight

MetroStage
The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe
Imagination Stage

Puerto Rico...
GALA Hispanic Theatre
Rapunzel

Imagination Stage
Spring Awakening
The Keegan Theatre

The Robert Prosky Award for Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Play

Teagle F. Bougere
Invisible Man
The Studio Theatre

Steven Epp
The Servant of Two Masters
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Larry Marshall
Pullman Porter Blues
Arena Stage

Cody Nickell
The Taming of the Shrew
Folger Theatre

Jose Joaqu Perez
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Play

Rena Cherry Brown
August: Osage County
The Keegan Theatre

Helen Carey
Long Day
Arena Stage

Francesca Faridany
Strange Interlude
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Lee Mikeska Gardner
Side Man
1st Stage

Kathryn Kelley
The Belle of Amherst
The Bay Theatre Company

Kate Eastwood Norris
The Taming of the Shrew
Folger Theatre

Kathleen Turner
Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins
Arena Stage

Holly Twyford
Dirt
The Studio Theatre

The James MacArthur Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Play

Adam Green
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Adi Hanash
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Matthew McGee
Taking Steps
Constellation Theatre Company

Danny Scheie
The Taming of the Shrew
Folger Theatre

Bradley Foster Smith
Suite Surrender
1st Stage

Outstanding Lead Actress, Non-Resident Production

Emily Behny
Disney's Beauty and the Beast
The National Theatre

Felicia Boswell
Memphis
The Kennedy Center

Mara Davi
Irving Berlin's White Christmas
The Kennedy Center

Ashley Blair Fitzgerald
Come Fly Away
The Kennedy Center

Helen Russell
Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie
Theater J

Outstanding Supporting Performer, Non-Resident Production

Robert Jack
Black Watch
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Julie Johnson
Memphis
The Kennedy Center

Tom Lawrence
Hamlet
Folger Theatre

Adam McNamara
Black Watch
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Christopher Saul
Hamlet
Folger Theatre

Chris Starkie
Black Watch
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident Production

Colin K. Bills
Brother Russia
Signature Theatre

Colin K. Bills
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Chuan-Chi Chan
The Servant of Two Masters
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Mary Louise Geiger
Invisible Man
The Studio Theatre

Keith Parham
Red
Arena Stage

Justin Townsend
One Night with Janis Joplin
Arena Stage

Thom Weaver
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Outstanding Director, Resident Play

Christopher Bayes
The Servant of Two Masters
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Robert Falls
Red
Arena Stage

Kirsten Kelly
Big Love
The Hub Theatre

Christopher McElroen
Invisible Man
The Studio Theatre

Ethan McSweeny
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Aaron Posner
The Taming of the Shrew
Folger Theatre

John Vreeke
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Michael Kahn
The Government Inspector
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Outstanding Director, Resident Musical

Kathryn Chase Bryer
Rapunzel
Imagination Stage

Matthew Gardiner
Dreamgirls
Signature Theatre

Toby Orenstein
The Color Purple
Toby's Dinner Theatre

Lawrence B. Munsey
The Color Purple
Toby's Dinner Theatre

Mark A. Rhea
Spring Awakening
The Keegan Theatre

Susan Marie Rhea
Spring Awakening
The Keegan Theatre

Serge Seiden
Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
MetroStage

Janet Stanford
The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe
Imagination Stage

Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production

Christopher Baine
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Cliff Eberhardt, Original Music; and Christopher Baine, Sound Design
The Taming of the Shrew
Folger Theatre

Matthew Nielson
The Illusion
Forum Theatre

David Remedios
Invisible Man
The Studio Theatre

Brendon Vierra
Hum
Theater Alliance

The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical

Matthew R. Wilson, adaptor; based on the novel by Charles Dickens
A Commedia Christmas Carol
Faction of Fools Theatre Company

Jason Gray Platt
Crown of Shadows: the wake of odysseus
Round House Theatre

Bryony Lavery
Dirt
The Studio Theatre

Kathryn Chase Bryer, David Palmer, Janet Stanford, Septime Webre, concept by; libretto & lyrics by Janet Stanford with additional lyrics by Bari Biern; music by Matthew Pierce
The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe
Imagination Stage

Cheryl L. West
Pullman Porter Blues
Arena Stage

Paul Downs Colaizzo
Really Really
Signature Theatre

Renee Calarco
The Religion Thing
Theater J

Outstanding Choreography, Resident Production

Parker Esse
The Music Man
Arena Stage

Joe Isenberg
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Erika Chong Shuch
The Conference of the Birds
Folger Theatre

Rick Sordelet
Sucker Punch
The Studio Theatre

Anwar Thomas
The Color Purple
Toby's Dinner Theatre

Septime Webre
The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe
Imagination Stage

David Palmer
The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe
Imagination Stage

Outstanding Production, Theatre For Young Audiences

A Little House Christmas
Adventure Theatre MTC

The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe
Imagination Stage

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg
The Kennedy Center

Rapunzel
Imagination Stage

The Snowy Day
Adventure Theatre

Outstanding Non-Resident Production

The Animals and Children Took to the Streets
Studio Theatre

Black Watch
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Hamlet
Folger Theatre

Memphis
The Kennedy Center

Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie
Theater J

Outstanding Resident Play

A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare Theatre Company

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Invisible Man
The Studio Theatre

Our Class
Theater J

The Taming of the Shrew
Folger Theatre

Outstanding Resident Musical

1776
Ford's Theatre

The Color Purple
Toby's Dinner Theatre

Dreamgirls
Signature Theatre

Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
MetroStage

Spring Awakening
The Keegan Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Play

E. Faye Butler
Pullman Porter Blues
Arena Stage

Sarah Marshall
The Taming of the Shrew
Folger Theatre

Natalia Payne
Dirt
The Studio Theatre

Nancy Robinette
The Government Inspector
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Holly Twyford
The Taming of the Shrew
Folger Theatre

Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production

Michael Benz
Hamlet
Folger Theatre

Ryan Fletcher
Black Watch
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Martin Kaye
Million Dollar Quartet
The Kennedy Center

David M. Lutken
Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie
Theater J

Christopher Sieber
La Cage Aux Folles
The Kennedy Center

Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play

August: Osage County
The Keegan Theatre

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

The Government Inspector
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Invisible Man
The Studio Theatre

The Taming of the Shrew
Folger Theatre

Pullman Porter Blues
Arena Stage

Outstanding Set Design, Resident Production

Riccardo Hernandez
Pullman Porter Blues
Arena Stage

Troy Hourie
Invisible Man
The Studio Theatre

Misha Kachman
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Todd Rosenthal
Red
Arena Stage

Lee Savage
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Outstanding Costume Design, Resident Production

Judith Bowden
My Fair Lady
Arena Stage

Murell Horton
The Government Inspector
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Frank Labovitz
Dreamgirls
Signature Theatre

Jennifer Moeller
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare Theatre Company

Lawrence B. Munsey
The Color Purple
Toby's Dinner Theatre

Outstanding Musical Direction, Resident Production

Jenny Cartney
Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
MetroStage

Jonathan Tuzman
Mr. Burns, a post-electric play
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Lawrence Goldberg
The Music Man
Arena Stage

Jon Kalbfleisch
Dreamgirls
Signature Theatre

Jake Null
Spring Awakening
The Keegan Theatre

Christopher Youstra
The Color Purple
Toby's Dinner Theatre

Jmichael
Pullman Porter Blues
Arena Stage

WTOP's Bob Madigan and Rebecca Sheir of WAMU's Metro Connection hosted the announcement and live webcast from The National Theatre's Helen Hayes Gallery. Tom Lee, National Theatre Executive Director, welcomed guests to the historic playhouse, which is embarking on an exciting new chapter of bringing theatre and music attractions to Washington.

Victor Shargai, Chairman of the theatreWashington Board of Directors, sharing a glimpse into the breadth and scope of Washington theatre, announced that the 2013 John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company will be presented to Dizzy Miss Lizzie's Roadside Revue. He further said "the recognition of just some of the work with Helen Hayes Awards nominations cannot possibly tell the story of the phenomenon that is Washington theatre." He punctuated that point when he introduced a video presentation illustrating the magnitude of the 2012 Washington theatre season.

Fifty judges, specifically endorsed for the purpose by a panel of Washington area artistic directors, submitted ­­­24,216 scores in consideration of 3,027 pieces of work (performances, designs, productions, directions, etc.). Of all the work considered, 1,572 were acting performances alone. The complete list of nominees for the 29th Helen Hayes Awards is available at www.theatreWashington.org. The nominations announcement was webcast live, drawing in an estimated 8,500 views over the course of the evening.

Now presented for the sixth year, The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company was established in memory of John Aniello, a devoted and enthusiastic champion of young, promising theatre artists. The Award recognizes theatre companies who are just getting started, yet have produced a body of work that is groundbreaking and compelling.

The 2013 Recipient of the John Aniello Award, for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company, Dizzy Miss Lizzie's Roadside Revue, was founded in 2009 and draws on theatre, rock and roll, and the traditions of American music and storytelling to bridge the gap between a night at the theatre and a night at a rock concert.