Vicki Lewis, Kate Shindle and More Perform at South Florida's 2013 Carbonell Awards Tonight

As the South Florida theatre community prepares for the 37th annual Carbonell Awards, fondly known by locals as "Theatre Prom", details of tonight's April 1 ceremony, including the honorees of the prestigious George Abbott Award and Ruth Foreman Award, have been announced.

This year's Carbonell Awards, which honor excellence in South Florida's regional theatres, will feature a multi-media tribute the best plays of the season, a live band led by musical director Caryl Fantel, and musical performances by several nominees.

Television, film and stage actress Vicki Lewis, perhaps best known for starring in NBC's "NewsRadio" for five seasons, is nominated for her performance as Dolly Levi in Maltz Jupiter Theatre's production of Hello Dolly! and will sing "Before the Parade Passes By." Actress and former Miss America Kate Shindle, nominated for her performance as Sally Bowles in Cabaret, also at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, will perform that musical's title song. Former Carbonell Award nominee, Jodie Langel, nominated this year for her turn as a bipolar mom in Actors' Playhouse's production of Next to Normal, will perform "I Miss the Mountains." Last year's winner for Best Actor in a Musical, Matt Loehr, who is a double nominee this year for his performances in two Maltz productions, Hello Dolly! and The Music Man, will perform "Ya Got Trouble" from The Music Man. Former Carbonell winner and current nominee Wayne LeGette will perform "The Stock Exchange Song" from Cabaret Verboten, produced by the Theatre at Arts Garage.

This year's ceremony is produced by Michael McKeever, a past Carbonell Award winner who this year earned nominations for both playwriting and scenic design; and directed by Stuart Meltzer, who is nominated in the Best Director category. McKeever and Meltzer also produced the 35th annual Carbonell Awards ceremony in 2011.

A highlight of the annual Carbonell Award ceremony is honoring those who have made Each year, the Carbonell Awards sponsors the George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement In The Arts, awarded to an individual (or team) who has contributed significantly to the artistic and cultural development of the region. The award may be given for accomplishments within the year, or for a lifetime.

This year's recipient is Mario Ernesto Sanchez, founder and Producing Artistic Director of Teatro Avante and the International Hispanic Theatre Festival of Miami. An accomplished actor, director, producer, and playwright, Mario Ernesto Sanchez has worked in leading roles in several theatre productions and regularly works in film and television. He founded Teatro Avante, a non-profit, tax-exempt cultural organization, in 1979 with the goal to preserve Hispanic cultural heritage. The group has represented the United States at interNational Theatre festivals in Mexico, Costa Rica, Spain, Japan, France, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Portugal, Venezuela, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Slovenia and Peru. In the U.S., Teatro Avante has performed in New York, Buffalo, Winston-Salem, El Paso, Albuquerque, Los Angeles and in several cities of South Florida.

The company has staged works by Albee, Alomá, García Lorca, Manet, Piñera, Santana, Williams and Shakespeare, among others. Mario Ernesto and Teatro Avante have won numerous international awards and honors for its "enormous contribution to the development of Hispanic theatre in the Americas." The Ruth Foreman Award was established in 2000 and named after pioneer theater director and producer Ruth Foreman, to recognize contributions to South Florida theater development by an individual or group, for singular achievement and/or career Actors' Equity Association, the union that represents professional stage actors and stage managers across the U.S., will receive the Ruth Foreman Award in recognition of 100 years representing professional American theater on the occasion of their centennial. "Live theatre is such an integral part of American history," AEA president Nick Wyman said, "It is a portal to our past, a mirror to our present, and a crystal ball to our future.

In countless ways, the professionals who join with audiences nationwide to create each singular live stage experience have contributed to and influenced our culture and lives significantly over the past century. We are honored to accept the Ruth Foreman Award in recognition of the role we have played in elevating South Florida's respect for the craft of acting and stage management and in turn, contributing to greater appreciation for the power and impact of live professional theatre."

The Carbonell Awards Grant Scholarships to South Florida Students While the annual Carbonell Awards ceremony awards excellence in the past year and often a lifetime of achievement, the organization also has an eye on the future. Each year, the Carbonell Awards honor South Florida students pursuing an education in theatre or journalism with scholarships to help them achieve their dreams. scholarship recipients are Sammi-Jack Martincak of New World School of the Arts in Miami-Dade County; Christian Frost of J.P. Taravella High School in Broward County; and Jade Zaroff of West Boca Community High School in Palm Beach County. Each student will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

For more information, visit http://carbonellawards.org.

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