In 2006, the regional/Equity theatres in />/>Baltimore played host to 29 major productions.  Those theatres were: CenterStage, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Everyman Theatre, RepStage, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore and Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia.  The productions under consideration were, alphabetically: Beauty and the Beast, The Boys from Syracuse, Buddy, Candida, The Cone Sister, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Crumbs from the Table of Joy, Death and the Maiden, Footloose: The Musical, Fully Committed, Hamlet, Here’s Love, The Imaginary Invalid, It’s a Wonderful Life, King Lear, Kiss Me, Kate, Love’s Labor’s Lost, The Murder of Isaac, A Number, Opus, Radio Golf, Ragtime: The Musical, The Santaland Diaries, School for Scandal, Stones in His Pockets, Taming of the Shrew, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Three Sisters, and Tintypes.  Plays and musicals were considered separately in all categories, except Outstanding Ensemble Acting, for which they were combined.  The three solo performance pieces were considered separately only for acting. 

          So, how did I get my picks?  Throughout the year, as I reviewed each show, I divided the outstanding elements of each show into the appropriate categories, and “graded” them from 0 to 100.  I kept nothing that received a score of less than 80.  The top scores in each category, except Outstanding Production, were chosen as my “Best of 2006”.  Outstanding Production was based on the top averages of each show (scores in all other categories were added up and divided by the number of entries per show).  The “winners” are arranged alphabetically, not necessarily from top best to lowest best.  I selected between 1 and 5 winners per category, depending on the scores, and numbers of possible winners.  For example, there were more possible winners for Outstanding Supporting Actors, so I picked five, while there were many fewer lighting design possibilities, so I picked fewer.  Also, when I felt so inclined, I named up to 3 honorable mentions in categories where there were so many exceptional possibilities.  Again, these are my personal picks for the best of the past year.  Comments?  Email me at jameshoward@broadwayworld.com.

Outstanding Production of a Play  

• Crumbs from the Table of Joy, CenterStage
• Death and the Maiden, CenterStage
• Opus, Everyman Theatre
• School for Scandal, Everyman Theatre
• Taming of the Shrew, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Honorable Mention

• The Cripple of Inishmaan, Everyman Theatre
• Radio Golf, CenterStage
• Stones in His Pockets, RepStage

Outstanding Production of a Musical

• The Boys from />/>Syracuse, CenterStage
• Footloose: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore
• Tintypes, RepStage

Honorable Mention

• Ragtime: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore

Outstanding Solo Performance

• Bruce Nelson, The Santaland Diaries, RepStage
• Vivienne Shub, The Cone Sister, Everyman Theatre
• Michael Stebbins, Fully Committed, RepStage

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play

• Rocky Carroll, Radio Golf, CenterStage
• BJ Gailey, Taming of the Shrew, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
• Bruce Nelson, Stones in His Pockets, RepStage

Honorable Mention

• Kyle Prue, Opus, Everyman Theatre
• Jacob Rothermel, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical

• Kurt Boehm, Footloose: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore
• Daniel McDonald/>/>/>/>, Footloose: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore
• Matthew Schleigh, It’s a Wonderful Life, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore

Honorable Mention

• Paolo Montalban/>/>/>/>, The Boys from />/>Syracuse, CenterStage
• Evan Shyer/>/>/>/>, Beauty and the Beast, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play

• Megan Anderson, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Everyman Theatre
• Amina S. Robinson, Crumbs from the Table of Joy, CenterStage
• Mhari Sandoval, Death and the Maiden, CenterStage

Honorable Mention

• Deborah Hazlett, Candida, Everyman Theatre
• Tami Moon, The Imaginary Invalid, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical

• Blair Ross/>/>/>/>, The Boys from />/>Syracuse, CenterStage
• Lauren Spencer-Harris, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia.
• Becca Vourvoulas, Footloose: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore

Honorable Mention

• Nancy Asendorf, Ragtime: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore
• Charlotte Cohn/>/>/>/>, The Boys from />/>Syracuse, CenterStage

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play

• Bruce Nelson, School for Scandal, Everyman Theatre
• Christopher Niebling, King Lear, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
• Alexander Strain, School for Scandal, Everyman Theatre
• James A. Williams, Radio Golf, CenterStage
• Wayne Willinger, King Lear, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Honorable Mention

• Anthony Chisholm/>/>/>/>, Radio Golf, CenterStage
• Kevin Costa, Taming of the Shrew, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
• Karl Kippola, Opus, Everyman Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical

• Robert Biedermann, It’s a Wonderful Life, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore
• Jason Fulmer, Ragtime: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore
• Matthew Schleigh, Ragtime: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore
• Alan Wiggins, Footloose: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore
• Michael Winther/>/>/>/>, The Boys from />/>Syracuse, CenterStage

Honorable Mention

• Evan Casey, Tintypes, RepStage
• David James, It’s a Wonderful Life, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play

• Karen Beriss, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
• McKenzie Bowling, Opus, Everyman Theatre
• Charlotte Cohn/>/>/>/>, The Murder of Isaac, CenterStage
• Valerie Fenton, King Lear, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
• Ashly Ruth Fishell, Taming of the Shrew, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Honorable Mention

• Lise Brineau, The Murder of Isaac, CenterStage
• Helen Hedman, School for Scandal, Everyman Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical

• Felicia Curry, Tintypes, RepStage
• Jamie Eacker, Footloose: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore
• Rona Figueroa/>/>/>/>, The Boys from />/>Syracuse, CenterStage
• Ashley Parker, Ragtime: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore
• Tess Rohan, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia

Honorable Mention

• Melynda Burdette, Ragtime: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore

Outstanding Ensemble in a Play or Musical

• The Boys from />/>Syracuse, CenterStage
• Ragtime: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore
• School for Scandal, Everyman Theatre

Outstanding Direction of a Play

• Joe Brady/>/>/>/>, The Santaland Diaries, RepStage
• Kenny Leon, Radio Golf, CenterStage
• Vincent M. Lancisi, School for Scandal, Everyman Theatre
• David Schweizer, Crumbs from the Table of Joy, CenterStage
• John Vreek, Opus, Everyman Theatre

Honorable Mention

• Patrick Kilpatrick, Taming of the Shrew, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
• Jenny Leopold, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

• Carole Graham Lehan, Tintypes, RepStage
• Larry Munsey, Footloose: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore
• Toby Orenstein, Daniel McDonald/>/>/>/>, Ragtime: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore

Honorable Mention

• Toby Orenstein, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia
• David Schweizer, The Boys from />/>Syracuse, CenterStage

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play

• Daniel Ettinger, School for Scandal, Everyman Theatre
• James Kronzer, Opus, Everyman Theatre
• James Noone, Crumbs from the Table of Joy,CenterStage

Honorable Mention

• Daniel Ettinger, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Everyman Theatre
• David Gallo/>/>/>/>, Radio Golf, CenterStage
• Todd Rosenthal, Death and the Maiden, CenterStage

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical

• Daniel Ettinger, Tintypes, RepStage
• David A. Hopkins, Kiss Me, Kate, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia
• Allen Moyer, The Boys from />/>Syracuse, CenterStage

Honorable Mention

• David A. Hopkins, Beauty and the Beast, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore 

Outstanding Choreography of a Musical

• Carole Graham Lehan, Tintypes, RepStage
• Ilona Kessell, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia
• Dan Knechtges/>/>/>/>, The Boys from />/>Syracuse, CenterStage

Honorable Mention

• Tina DeSimone, Footloose: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play

• Judith Daitsman, The Santaland Diaries, RepStage
• Jay Herzog, Opus, Everyman Theatre
• Michael D. Klima, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Everyman Theatre
• Alexander Nichols, Crumbs from the Table of Joy, CenterStage

Honorable Mention

• Mark McCullough, Death and the Maiden, CenterStage

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical

• Christopher Akerlind, The Boys from />/>Syracuse, CenterStage
• Lynn Joslin, Tintypes, RepStage
• Lynn Joslin, Footloose: The Musical, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore

Outstanding Costume Design of a Play

• Gail Stewart Beach, Anne Nesmith, Laura Ridgeway, School for Scandal, Everyman Theatre
• Candice Donnelly, The Three Sisters, CenterStage
• Kristina Lambdin, Taming of the Shrew, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Honorable Mention

• Melanie A. Clark, Stones in His Pockets, RepStage
• Jennifer Rade, The Santaland Diaries, RepStage

Oustanding Costume Design of a Musical

• Samn Huffer, Beauty and the Beast, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore
• Denise Umland, Tintypes, RepStage
• David Zinn, The Boys from />/>Syracuse, CenterStage

Honorable Mention

• Lawrence Munsey, Kiss Me, Kate, Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia

PHOTOS: TOP to BOTTOM: Opus, Footloose: The Musical, The Santaland Diaries, It's a Wonderful Life, The Boys from Syracuse, King Lear, Tintypes, Kiss Me, Kate, and The Three Sisters.  Photos courtesy of the presenting theatres.