MTJA Unveils Nominees For 2025 Norbay Theater Awards

The Marquee Theater Journalists Association has revealed the nominees for their 2025 MTJA Norbay Theater Awards.

The Association, originally formed by a group of Sonoma County-based theater journalists in 2015 but dormant since the COVID pandemic in 2020, has reformed and restarted their awards program in affiliation with the North Bay Bohemian. There are 16 categories of awards for technical craft, performance, and production.

The MTJA was the first awards program in California to eliminate gender distinction in the performance categories and will continue to recognize outstanding supporting and lead performances in three genres - comedy, drama, and musical.

Changes to the program this year include the addition of an Outstanding Collegiate Production category. The Outstanding Choreography Award will now be inclusive of fight choreography, and the Outstanding Production Award acknowledges the director and stage manager of the respective productions.

Sonoma and Napa County productions in the 2024-2025 season attended by members Harry Duke, Cari Lynn Pace, Caitlin Strom-Martin, Beulah Vega, and Barry Willis qualified for Award consideration. Nominations were determined by ranked-choice voting of the membership with recipients determined by the Committee of a Whole.

The Awards will be presented at a gathering of the theater community on Sunday, September 28, at The California in Santa Rosa from 6:00pm - 8:00 pm. Admission is free and all supporters of local theater are invited.

Here are the nominees for the 2025 MTJA Norbay Theater Awards:

Outstanding Costume Design

Taylor Bartolucci * The Real Housewives of Napa Valley * Lucky Penny
Donnie Frank *The Pirates of Penzance * 6th Street Playhouse
Jeanine Gray * Home, I'm Darling * Raven Players
Mae Hagerty-Matos * The Importance of Being Earnest * 6th Street Playhouse
Roxanne Johnson * Rumors * Sonoma Arts Live
Jamie Smith * The Sugar Bean Sisters * Cloverdale Performing Arts Center
Allison Sutherland * Little Women * Sonoma Arts Live

Outstanding Lighting Design

April George * Lizzie the Musical * 6th Street Playhouse
April George * Six Degrees of Separation * Sonoma Arts Live
Eddy Hansen * Mary Shelley's Body * Spreckels Theatre Company
Noah Hewitt * Clyde's * 6th Street Playhouse
Wayne Hovey * Meet Me at Dawn * Mercury Theater
Levi Klouse * Hamlet * Jacobethan Theatre Workshop/6th Street Playhouse
Senya Stein/Diego Orozco * The Sugar Bean Sisters * Cloverdale Performing Arts Center

Outstanding Scenic/Set Design

Peter Crompton/Aissa Simbulan * The Pirates of Penzance * 6th Street Playhouse
Jake Hamlin * Grace and Glorie * Curtain Call Theatre
Bruce Lackovic * Clyde's * 6th Street Playhouse
Barry Martin/Gary Green/Kade Morrill * Other Desert Cities * Lucky Penny
Andrew Patton * Little Women * Sonoma Arts Live
Dan Seisdedos * The Sugar Bean Sisters * Cloverdale Performing Arts Center
Argo Thompson * Our Dear Dead Drug Lord * Left Edge Theatre

Outstanding Sound Design

Jeff Arriaga * Reefer Madness * Lucky Penny
Doug Faxon/Jessica Johnson * Mary Shelley's Body * Spreckels Theatre Company
Jared Emerson-Johnson * Meet Me at Dawn * Mercury Theater
Nick Lovato and Jessica Johnson * Beautiful: The Carole King Musical * Spreckels Theatre Company
Lauryn Malilay * Clyde's * 6th Street Playhouse

Outstanding Musical Direction

Rob Broadhurst * The Real Housewives of Napa Valley * Lucky Penny
Christina Howell * Lizzie the Musical * 6th Street Playhouse
Sherrill Peterson * Little Women * Sonoma Arts Live
Les Pfützenreuter * The Bridges of Madison County * Raven Players
Lucas Sherman * All is Calm * Spreckels Theatre Company
Lucas Sherman * Beautiful: The Carole King Musical * Spreckels Theatre Company
Brett Strader * Bright Star * Cinnabar Theater

Outstanding Choreography

Jonathen Blue & Emily Cornelius * The Pirates of Penzance * 6th Street Playhouse
Kevin Bordi * Othello * Jacobethan Theatre Workshop
Bridget Codoni * Bright Star * Cinnabar Theater
Alex Gomez * Oliver! * Lucky Penny
Karen Miles * Beautiful: The Carole King Musical * Spreckels Theatre Company
Erin Rose Solario * Four Guys Named Jose and Una Mujer Named Maria * 6th Street Playhouse
Katie Watts-Whitaker * School of Rock * Raven Players

Outstanding Collegiate Production

All in the Timing * Directed by Leslie McCauley * Santa Rosa Junior College
As You Like It * Directed by Jennifer King * Napa Valley College
Perfect Arrangement * Directed by Ely Sonny Orquiza * Sonoma State University
Rumors * Directed by Elizabeth Dale * Santa Rosa Junior College
The Rocky Horror Show * Directed by Justin J. Smith * Santa Rosa Junior College
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee * Directed by Reed Martin * Santa Rosa Junior College

Outstanding Drama Production

Clyde's * Director Marty Pistone, Stage Manager Kasey Vannoy * 6th Street Playhouse
Mary Shelley's Body * Director Sheri Lee Miller, Stage Manager Mary Jo Hamilton * STC
Meet Me at Dawn * Director Michael Fontaine, Stage Manager Cecilia Hamilton-Lee * Mercury Theater
Othello * Directors David Lear, Corissa Aaronson, Stage Manager Maddie Jennings * JTW
Other Desert Cities * Director Dana Nelson-Isaacs, Stage Manager Liv Macloud * Lucky Penny
Six Degrees of Separation * Director Libby Oberlin, Stage Manager Areya Rowan * Sonoma Arts Live
What the Constitution Means to Me * Director Bronwen Shears, Stage Manager Mateo Felix * 6SP

Outstanding Supporting Performance / Drama

Taylor Diffenderfer * Morning Sun * Spreckels Theatre Company
Lisa Flato * Heroes of the Fourth Turning * Left Edge Theatre
Lexus Fletcher * Clyde's * 6th Street Playhouse
Max Geide * Other Desert Cities * Lucky Penny
Pilar Gonzales * Hamlet * Jacobethan Theatre Workshop/6th Street Playhouse
Illana Nierenberger * Meet Me at Dawn * Mercury Theater
David Noll * Hamlet * Jacobethan Theatre Workshop/6th Street Playhouse

Outstanding Lead Performance / Drama

Isaiah Carter * Othello * Jacobethan Theatre Workshop
Keith Baker * Othello * Jacobethan Theatre Workshop
Shanay Howell * Clyde's * 6th Street Playhouse
Sandra Ish * What the Constitution Means to Me * 6th Street Playhouse
Chris Johnston * 1984 * Cloverdale Performing Arts Center
Amanda Vitiello * Meet Me at Dawn * Mercury Theater
Jessica Headington * Heroes of the Fourth Turning * Left Edge Theatre

Outstanding Comedy Production

Our Dear Dead Drug Lord * Director Serena Elize Flores, Stage Manager Kayla Hewson * LET
Rumors * Director Larry Williams, Stage Manager Cecilia Hamilton-Lee * Sonoma Arts Live
The Burdens * Director Jennifer King, Stage Manager Jenn Ruygt * The 222
The Importance of Being Earnest * Director Lauren Heney, Stage Manager Hannah Jane Dakin * 6SP
The Merry Wives of Windsor * Director Lukas Raphael, Stage Manager Maddie Jennings * JTW
The Motherfucker with the Hat * Director Serena Elize Flores, Stage Manager Kayla Hewson * LET
Women in Jeopardy * Director Alexander Gomez, Stage Manager Jeff Arriaga * Lucky Penny

Outstanding Supporting Performance / Comedy

LC Arisman * Women in Jeopardy * Lucky Penny
John Browning * Women in Jeopardy * Lucky Penny
Laura Downing-Lee * POTUS * Left Edge Theatre
Sarah Dunnavant * The Importance of Being Earnest * 6th Street Playhouse
Michael Fontaine * The Merry Wives of Windsor * Jacobethan Theatre Workshop
Jimmy Gagarin * Rumors * Sonoma Arts Live
Allison Paine * POTUS * Left Edge Theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance / Comedy

Taylor Bartolucci * Women in Jeopardy * Lucky Penny
Drew Bolander * The Importance of Being Earnest * 6th Street Playhouse
Max Geide * Rumors * Sonoma Arts Live
Brady Morales-Woolery * The Burdens * The 222
Dylan James Pereira * The Shark is Broken * Left Edge Theatre
Jenny Veilleux * Rumors * Sonoma Arts Live
Jill Wagoner * POTUS * Left Edge Theatre

Outstanding Musical Production

All is Calm * Director Sheri Lee Miller, Stage Manager Lauren Heney * Spreckels Theatre Company
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical * Director Sheri Lee Miller, Stage Manager Lauren Heney * STC
Little Women * Director Sandra Ish, Stage Manager Cecilia Hamilton-Lee * Sonoma Arts Live
Oklahoma! * Director Zachary Hasbany, Stage Manager Elise Clark * Cinnabar Theater
The Bridges of Madison County * Director Joe Gellura, Stage Manager Dori Smith * Raven Players
Pirates of Penzance * Directors Jonathen Blue, Emily Cornelius, Stage Manager Celina Kegerreis * 6SP
The Real Housewives of Napa Valley * Director Barry Martin, Stage Manager Jeff Arriaga * LPenny

Outstanding Supporting Performance / Musical

Megan Bartlett * Lizzie the Musical * 6th Street Playhouse
Ginger Beavers * The Pirates of Penzance * 6th Street Playhouse
Noah Evans * Oklahoma! * Cinnabar Theater
Tracy Freeman-Shaw * Legally Blonde * Lucky Penny
Daniela Innocenti-Beem * Little Women * Sonoma Arts Live
Laura Odette Sandoval * Bright Star * Cinnabar Theater
Emma Sutherland * Dirty Rotten Scoundrels * Sonoma Arts Live

Outstanding Lead Performance / Musical

Drew Bolander * Dirty Rotten Scoundrels * Sonoma Arts Live
Julianne Bretan * Beautiful: The Carole King Musical * Spreckels Theatre Company
Nelson Brown * Escape to Margaritaville * 6th Street Playhouse
Elliot Davis * The Bridges of Madison County * Raven Players
Kirstin Pieschke * Legally Blonde * Lucky Penny
Katie Watts-Whitaker * The Bridges of Madison County * Raven Players
Zanna Wyant * Bright Star * Cinnabar Theater

San Francisco / Bay Area Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. URINETOWN (Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble)

16.9% of votes

2. THE DAY THE SKY TURNED ORANGE (San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company / Z Space)

9% of votes

3. SWEENEY TODD (Cabrillo Stage)

8.6% of votes

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