Cortland Repertory Theatre Nominated for SALT Awards

Cortland Repertory Theatre has received five nominations for the 2010 Syracuse Area Live Theatre (SALT) Awards, which recognize outstanding achievement in Central New York theatre. Hosted by the Syracuse New Times, the SALT Awards focus primarily on community theatre groups in Syracuse, but also recognize summer theatres in their own categories, which along with CRT include the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca and the Merry Go Round Playhouse in Auburn.

In the category of Best Production of the Summer Season, CRT's musical Brigadoon and the regional premiere of the comedy Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks both received nods. Brigadoon was directed by long-time CRT director Jim Bumgardner, with Markus Hauch as music director in his first CRT production. Six Dance Lessons... was directed by another long-time CRT director Bill Kincaid, who previously directed the SALT-nominated productions of Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde in 2009 and A Few Good Men in 2008. Other nominees in this category include Merry-Go-Round's The Drowsy Chaperone, Man of La Mancha, Promises, Promises and Hangar's The Piano Lesson.

For the first time, CRT was included in the Best Choreography category, with Cortland resident Cynthia Halpin receiving a nomination for her work on Brigadoon. Halpin and her husband Kevin are Dance and Musical Theatre instructors in the SUNY Cortland Department of Performing Arts, and are also the Artistic Directors of the Cortland Performing Arts Institute on Main Street.

CRT received two nominations for Best Actress of the Summer Season: Mary Williams, as the aging retiree Lily Harrison in Six Dance Lessons..., and Emily Beth Brockway for her performance as the love-struck Fiona MacLaren in Brigadoon. Other nominees all appeared in Merry Go Round productions: Stacie Bono (Promises, Promises), Kimberly Burns (Meet Me in St. Louis), Bethany Moore (Drowsy Chaperone), and Esther Stillwell (Man of La Mancha).

For Best Actor of the Summer Season, CRT's Producing Artistic Director Kerby Thompson received a nomination for his performance as the jaded dance instructor Michael Minnetti in Six Dance Lessons.... The other nominees in this category include Merry Go Round's Danny Garder (Promises, Promises) David Lutken (Man of La Mancha), Robert Moss (Drowsy Chaperone) and Hangar's Jeremy Webb (39 Steps).

The awards ceremony will be held at the Palace Theater in Syracuse on Sunday, May 1. The ceremony is open to the public and tickets may be purchased through the Syracuse New Times.

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