Dessa Rose, Birdie Blue, Merkerson and Moore Among AUDELCO Award Winners

The winners of the 33rd Annual Vivian Robinson/ AUDELCO Recognition Awards have been announced; they include S. Epatha Merkerson, Billy Porter, Norm Lewis and Melba Moore, as well as the play Birdie Blue (Second Stage Theatre), a revival of Melvin Van Peebles' Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death (Classical Theatre of Harlem) and the Ahrens and Flaherty musical Dessa Rose (Lincoln Center Theater).

The AUDELCO Awards, which were given out in New York on November 21nd at Aaron Davis Hall's Marian Anderson Theater, honor "excellence in Black Theatre." Kim Fields and Ralph Carter served as co-hosts.

The list of winners is as follows:

The list of winners is as follows:

Musical Production of the Year
Dessa Rose

Dramatic Production of the Year
Birdie Blue

Outstanding Performance in a Musical/ Female
Lizan Mitchell, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death

Outstanding Performance in a Musical/ Male
Norm Lewis, Dessa Rose

Lead Actor
Rob Bobb-Semple, A Freeman's Hope

Lead Actress
S. Epatha Merkerson, Birdie Blue

Supporting Actor
Billy Porter, Birdie Blue

Supporting Actress
Peggy Alston, A Freeman's Hope

Solo Performance
Melba Moore, Sweet Songs of the Soul

Outstanding Ensemble Performance
Home (Hadley Players)

Playwright
Joyce Sylvester, A Freeman's Hope

Director/ Dramatic Production
Lillie Marie Redwood, The Old Settler

Director/ Musical Production
Alfred Preisser, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death

Choreographer
Bruce Heath, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death

Outstanding Musical Director
William Patterson, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death

Set Design
Troy Hourie, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death

Lighting Design
Don Holder, Birdie Blue

Costume Design
Kimberly Glennon, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death

Sound Design
Toure Harris, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death

Outstanding Pioneer Awards
Graham Brown, Earle Hyman, Glory Van Scott and Rev. Malika Lee Whitney

Board of Directors Awards
Elmyria Hull, Sara E. Morgan and Ademola Olugebefola

Visit www.audelco.org for more information.