NUTTY PROFESSOR, Blackbird Theatre, Feehely Claim Top Honors at Midwinter's First Night

The world premiere of a brand-spanking new musical with Broadway in its sights, a relatively young but awe-inspiring theater company and a sparkling, witty new play about Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald led the list of Tennessee's outstanding theatrical achievements in 2012 that was revealed Sunday night at Midwinter's First Night.

The Nutty Professor-the Jerry Lewis-directed musical that features a sterling pedigree, along with the late Marvin Hamlisch's final score and a libretto by the much-heralded Rupert Holmes-was named First Night's Theatrical Event of 2012 at the annual event, presented by BroadwayWorld.com Nashville's contributing editor Jeffrey Ellis.

Named as First Night's Outstanding Theatre Company of 2012 was Blackbird Theatre-founded by Wes Driver and Greg Greene-which claimed the award in its third season as the professional theater in residence at Nashville's David Lipscomb University. Playwright/director/acting teacher Bill Feehely took the third of the night's most coveted awards for First Night's Outstanding Original Work of 2012 for his new play Outside Paradise, a stylish retelling of the life and times of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre, the Southern belle who stole his heart.

Claiming the First Night Award for Top Touring Show of 2012 was Anything Goes, starring Rachel York and Erich Bergen, which played at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in November.

With Franklin's Boiler Room Theatre filled to capacity, members of Tennessee's theater community gathered Sunday night, January 6, for Midwinter's First Night-the annual salute to the very best in live theater in the Volunteer State that featured the presentation of the BroadwayWorld.com Nashville Theatre Awards and the Tennessee Theatre Awards, along with the announcement of First Night's Top Ten of 2012, critic Jeffrey Ellis' annual lists of the performances and productions he deemed to be the very best on Tennessee stages.

Midwinter's First Night, which was hosted by Ellis and actress Angela Gimlin, featured performances by The Divas, four women known throughout the theater community for their tremendous talents both onstage and off-, including Mallory Gleason, Amanda Lamb, Memory Strong and Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva. Accompanied by longtime First Night musical director Jane Kelley, the Divas were also joined onstage by Jaclyn Lisenby Brown (who accompanied Lamb on the guitar, including one original song written by Brown) and Jill Sissel, who joined Whitcomb-Oliva onstage for a crowd-pleasing performance of "Pure Imagination."

Amelia Young, introduced as a "diva-in-training" and a member of the 2013 Class of First Night Most Promising Actors, sang "Wonderland" from the Frank Wildhorn musical during the show.

Presenters of the evening's awards were Cody Rutledge, Kate Byrd, Jessica Storvik, LaToya Gardner, Leila Nelson, Weslie Webster, Lauren Marshall Murphy, Ron Murphy and Joshua Stephen Lowery.

Rutledge, Byrd, Storvik, Lowery and Young are joined in the first group of Most Promising Actors announced in 2013 by Emily Marie Hughes and Paige Brouilette. The remainder of the 2013 Class of Most Promising Actors will be introduced in July when the First Night Honorees are revealed.

First Night's Top Ten of 2012 (some categories include more than 10 honorees) include:

• THE MUSICALS
  Avenue Q, Street Theatre Company
  Caroline, or Change, Street Theatre Company
  The Color Purple, Circle Players and Tennessee State University
  Fiddler on the Roof, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre
  Into The Woods, The Larry Keeton Theatre
  Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cumberland County Playhouse
  Kiss Me, Kate, The Larry Keeton Theatre
  The Music Man, Cumberland County Playhouse
  next to normal, Boiler Room Theatre
  The Nutty Professor, World Premiere Production
  Pacific Overtures, Blackbird Theatre
  Smokey Joe's Café, Studio Tenn
  Spring Awakening, Roxy Regional Theatre
  A Year With Frog and Toad, Boiler Room Theatre
  WINNER: JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT
• THE PLAYS
  Boom, Sideshow
  Clybourne Park, Tennessee Repertory Theatre
  The Disappearance of Janey Jones, Tennessee Women's Theatre Project
  God of Carnage, Tennessee Repertory Theatre
  The House of Bernarda Alba, Actors Bridge Ensemble/Belmont University
  Le Belle et la Bete, Nashville Children's Theatre
  The Miracle Worker, Studio Tenn
  The Mountaintop, SistaStyle Productions
  Of Mice and Men, Boiler Room Theatre
  Outside Paradise, Actors Bridge Ensemble/Belmont University
  Pride's Crossing, Lipscomb University Theatre
  Red, Blackbird Theatre
  Time Stands Still, Actors Bridge Ensemble
  The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963, Nashville Children's Theatre
  WINNER: RED
• ACTRESSES IN A MUSICAL
  KLea Blackhurst, The Nutty Professor, World Premiere Production
  Janette Bruce, Kiss Me Kate, The Larry Keeton Theatre
  Megan Murphy Chambers, next to normal, Boiler Room Theatre
  Brooke Davis, Caroline, or Change, Street Theatre Company
  Melinda Doolittle, Smokey Joe's Café, Studio Tenn
  Kaitlin Doughty, The Wedding Singer, Roxy Regional Theatre
  LaToya Gardner, The Color Purple, Circle Players/Tennessee State University
  Mallory Gleason, Into the Woods, The Larry Keeton Theatre
  Jessica Grove, The Sound of Music, Studio Tenn
  Katie Ladner, Hairspray, Belmont University Musical Theatre
  Lindy Pendzick, The Music Man, Cumberland County Playhouse
  Jennifer Richmond, Avenue Q, Street Theatre Company
  Taylor Tracey, Legally Blonde, The Larry Keeton Theatre
  Jessica Wockenfuss, Backwards in High Heels, Cumberland County Playhouse
  WINNER: BROOKE LEIGH DAVIS
• ACTORS IN A MUSICAL
  Michael Andrew, The Nutty Professor, World Premiere Production
  Tyler Ashley, The Pajama Game, Lipscomb University Theatre
  Mike Baum, next to normal, Boiler Room Theatre
  Ryan Bowie, The Sound of Music, The Roxy Regional Theatre
  Travis Brazil, Pacific Overtures, Blackbird Theatre
  Ryan Brennan, Footloose, Belmont University Musical Theatre
  Colin Cahill, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cumberland County Playhouse
  Ben Davis, The Sound of Music, Studio Tenn
  Matt DuMont, Spring Awakening, Roxy Regional Theatre
  Michael Holder, Miss Saigon in Concert, Street Theatre Company
  Tyson Laemmel, Pacific Overtures, Blackbird Theatre
  Greg Pendzick, Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge, Cumberland County Playhouse
  Michael Slayton, Pacific Overtures, Blackbird Theatre
  Patrick Waller, Little Shop of Horrors, Tennessee Repertory Theatre
  Derek Whittaker, Fiddler on the Roof, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre
  WINNER: Matt DuMont
• ACTRESSES IN A PLAY
  Holly Allen, Pride's Crossing, Lipscomb University Theatre
  Leah Fincher, The Disappearance of Janey Jones, Tennessee Women's Theater Project
  Vali Forrister, The House of Bernarda Alba, Actors Bridge Ensemble/Belmont University
  Vali Forrister, Time Stands Still, Actors Bridge Ensemble
  Shannon Hoppe, Clybourne Park, Tennessee Repertory Theatre
  Emily Landham, The Miracle Worker, Studio Tenn
  Mary McCallum, The Mountaintop, SistaStyle Productions
  Marin Miller, Le Belle et la Bete, Nashville Children's Theatre
  Shelean Newman, God of Carnage, Tennessee Repertory Theatre
  Pat Rulon, Master Class, ACT 1
  Jennifer Richmond, Outside Paradise, Actors Bridge Ensemble/Belmont University
  WINNER: Holly Allen
• ACTORS IN A PLAY
  David Alford, God of Carnage, Tennessee Repertory Theatre
  Justin Boccitto, Red, Blackbird Theatre
  Ross Bolen, Of Mice and Men, Boiler Room Theatre
  David Compton, Julius Caesar, Nashville Shakespeare Festival
  John Mauldin, Of Mice and Men, Boiler Room Theatre
  Ronnie Meek, Red, Blackbird Theatre
  Eric Pasto-Crosby, Le Belle et la Bete, Nashville Children's Theatre
  Rashad "ThaPoet" Rayford, The Mountaintop, SistaStyle Productions
  Brian Russell, Superior Donuts, Tennessee Repertory Theatre
  J.P. Schuffman, boom, Sideshow
  Clay Steakley, Outside Paradise, Actors Bridge Ensemble/Belmont University
  Shawn Whitsell, The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963, Nashville Children's Theatre
  Derek Whittaker, Clybourne Park, Tennessee Repertory Theatre
• WINNER: RASHAD 'THAPOET' RAYFORD

• MUSICAL ENSEMBLES
  Backwards in High Heels, Cumberland County Playhouse
  Caroline, or Change, Street Theatre Company
  Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge, Cumberland County Playhouse
  Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cumberland County Playhouse
  next to normal, Boiler Room Theatre
  The Last Five Years, Street Theatre Company
  The Nutty Professor, World Premiere Production
  Pacific Overtures, Blackbird Theatre
  Pippin, Boiler Room Theatre
  Smokey Joe's Café, Studio Tenn
  Spring Awakening, Roxy Regional Theatre
  The Wedding Singer, Roxy Regional Theatre
  Xanadu, The Arts Center of Cumberland County
  WINNER: THE NUTTY PROFESSOR
• PLAY ENSEMBLES
  Clybourne Park, Tennessee Repertory Theatre
  God of Carnage, Tennessee Repertory Theatre
  The House of Bernarda Elba, Actors Bridge Ensemble/Belmont University
  The Miracle Worker, Studio Tenn
  The Odd Couple, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre
  Of Mice and Men, Boiler Room Theatre
  Pride's Crossing, Lipscomb University Theatre
  The Shadow Box, ACT 1
  Time Stands Still, Actors Bridge Ensemble
  The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963, Nashville Children's Theatre
  WINNER: THE ODD COUPLE
• DIRECTORS
  Kate Adams, Into the Woods, The Larry Keeton Theatre
  Beki Baker, Julius Caesar, Nashville Shakespeare Festival
  Beki Baker, Pride's Crossing, Lipscomb University Theatre
  Jeremy Benton, Backwards in High Heels, Cumberland County Playhouse
  Kim Bretton, Time Stands Still, Actors Bridge Ensemble
  Rene Copeland, Clybourne Park, Tennessee Repertory Theatre
  Darryl Deason, Xanadu, The Arts Center of Cannon County
  Mike Fernandez, Red, Blackbird Theatre
  Britt Hancock, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cumberland County Playhouse
  Elizabeth Hayes, The Man From Earth, ACT 1
  Matt Logan, Smokey Joe's Café, Studio Tenn
  Matt Logan, The Sound of Music, Studio Tenn
  Jessika Malone, The House of Bernarda Alba, Actors Bridge Ensemble/Belmont University
  Leila Nelson, The Music Man, Cumberland County Playhouse
  Tom Thayer, Spring Awakening, The Roxy Regional Theatre
  Martha Wilkinson, Fiddler on the Roof, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre
  WINNER: MIKE FERNANDEZ and TOM THAYER
• CHOREOGRAPHERS
  Kate Adams, Kiss Me, Kate, The Larry Keeton Theatre
  Kate Adams and David Williams, Legally Blonde, The Larry Keeton Theatre
  Pam Atha, Little Shop of Horrors, Tennessee Repertory Theatre
  Jeremy Benton, Backwards in High Heels, Cumberland County Playhouse
  Justin Boccitto, The Pajama Game, Lipscomb University Theatre
  JoAnn M. Hunter, The Nutty Professor, World Premiere Production
  Leila Nelson, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cumberland County Playhouse
  Leila Nelson, The Music Man, Cumberland County Playhouse
  Holly Shepard, Pippin, Boiler Room Theatre
  Emily Tello Speck, Footloose, Belmont University Musical Theatre
  WINNER: Jeremy Benton
• TOURING SHOWS OF 2012
  Anything Goes
  Mary Poppins
  Rain
  South Pacific
  White Christmas
  WINNER: ANYTHING GOES
• THEATRICAL EVENT OF 2012
  8, Rhubarb Theater Company
  The Color Purple, Circle Players and Tennessee State University
  Ingram New Works Series, Tennessee Repertory Theatre
  Julius Caesar, Nashville Shakespeare Festival
  Miss Saigon in Concert, Street Theatre Company
  The Nutty Professor, World Premiere Production
  Playhouse Nashville
  Pressure Cooker, Boiler Room Theatre
  Stand by Jim Reyland
  Titanic the Musical, Circle Players
  WINNER: THE NUTTY PROFESSOR
• PEOPLE TO WATCH
  Delaney Amatrudo
  Ryan Brennan
  Paige Broullette
  Kaitlyn Dobbins
  Hope Dyra
  Sydni Hayes
  Katie Ladner
  Josh Lowery
  Mary-Claire Lutz
  Calvin David Malone
  Kristi Mason
  Wes Matthews
  Carrington Pitts
  Maya Riley
  Dalton Tilghman
  Whitney Vaughn
  Jack Williams
  Amelia Young

Pictured: (top) Mac Pirkle, Jennifer Richmond, Jeffrey Ellis, Wes Driver and Greg Greene; (middle) Wes Driver, Greg Greene, Jeffrey Ellis; and (bottom) Mallory Gleason, Memory Strong, Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva and Amanda Lamb/photos by Rick Malkin