Maltz Jupiter Theatre leads Carbonell nominations

Written by Hap Erstein on 17 January 2012.

If you have the impression that 2011 was a particularly good year for Palm Beach County’s professional theater, you are right.

Or at least you agree with the judges -- full disclosure: that includes myself -- of the Carbonell Awards, now in its 36th season of recognizing excellence in South Florida stage productions.

Of the 98 nominations announced on Monday, 43 came from Palm Beach County shows. (Miami-Dade accounted for 28 and Broward was a close third at 27 nominations. Of those 43, the Maltz Jupiter Theatre copped an impressive 25.

The north county playhouse not only earned more nominations than any other company, but its recent production of the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat tied for the most nominations for a single show (9). Its stiffest competition for the awards may well come from the Maltz’s other popular and acclaimed musicals -- Crazy for You (8) and The Sound of Music (7).

Also well-positioned to receive some Carbonells is Palm Beach Dramaworks, which got eight nominations for its All My Sons, the inaugural production in its new Clematis Street home. It earned 10 nominations in all, with the other two coming for Beauty Queen of Leenane, the final production in its former theater.

The Caldwell Theatre’s six nominations were split between two productions -- Stuff (4) and Clybourne Park (2) -- which will be competing against each other for Best Production of a Play. Stuff is also up for Best New Work and Clybourne Park is in the running for Best Ensemble.

Bankrupt Florida Stage managed to receive two nominations, both for its final production ever, Carter W. Lewis’s The Cha-Cha of the Camel Spider, which will compete for Best New Work.

Beyond Palm Beach County, Actors’ Playhouse of Coral Gables walked off with 14 nominations, the second most of a single company. Seven of those came for its production of Hairspray, which failed to earn a slot in the Best Production of a Musical category. This marks the first time in many years that Actors’ Playhouse is not vying for the top musical award.

Similarly, Coral Gables’ GableStage did not land in the Best Production of a Play category for the first time in memory, even though its area premiere of Red was cited for director Joseph Adler and its two actors (Gregg Weiner, Ryan Didato).

The big nomination-getter in Broward County was Broward Stage Door, with 11 mentions, nine of them for its production of the musical Light in the Piazza. Also notable is the emergence of Promethean Theatre as a major competitor in the musical categories with its blood-drenched tuner, Song of the Living Dead. It has five nominations, including one for Best Production of a Musical.

In all, 13 professional companies received nominations, and 28 of the 68 eligible shows that opened during 2011 were recognized. The complete list of nominations for the 2012 Carbonells follows:

Best New Work

Brothers Beckett, David Michael Sirois, Alliance Theatre Lab

Captiva, Christopher Demos Brown, Zoetic Stage

The Cha-Cha of the Camel Spider, Carter W. Lewis, Florida Stage

Stuff, Michael McKeever, Caldwell Theatre Company

Best Production of a Play

All My Sons, Palm Beach Dramaworks

August: Osage County, Actors’ Playhouse

Clybourne Park, Caldwell Theatre Company

The Pillowman, Infinite Abyss

Stuff, Caldwell Theatre Company

Best Director of a Play

Joseph Adler, Red, GableStage

Jeffrey D. Holmes, The Pillowman, Infinite Abyss

J. Barry Lewis, All My Sons, Palm Beach Dramaworks

Stuart Meltzer, Captiva, Zoetic Stage

Richard Jay Simon, Side Effects, Mosaic Theatre

Best Actor in a Play

Ken Clement, Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, Actors’ Playhouse

Scott Douglas Wilson, The Pillowman, Infinite Abyss

Avi Hoffman, Superior Donuts, GableStage

Kenneth Tigar, All My Sons, Palm Beach Dramaworks

Gregg Weiner, Red, GableStage

Best Actress in a Play

Kati Brazda, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Palm Beach Dramaworks

Elizabeth Dimon, All My Sons, Palm Beach Dramaworks

Annette Miller, August: Osage County, Actors’ Playhouse

Deborah Sherman, Side Effects, Mosaic Theatre

Laura Turnbull, August: Osage County, Actors’ Playhouse

Best Supporting Actor in a Play

Antonio Amadeo, The Cha-Cha of a Camel Spider, Florida Stage

Marckenson Charles, Superior Donuts, GableStage

Mark Della Ventura, Brothers Beckett, Alliance Theatre Lab

Ryan Didato, Red, GableStage

Todd Allen Durkin, Captiva, Zoetic Stage

Best Supporting Actress in a Play

Barbara Bradshaw, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Palm Beach Dramaworks

Renata Eastlick, Eclipsed, The Women’s Theatre Project

Elvire Emmanuelle, Eclipsed, The Women’s Theatre Project

Angie Radosh, Stuff, Caldwell Theatre Company

Laura Turnbull, Lombardi, Mosaic Theatre

Best Production of a Musical

Crazy for You, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

The Light in the Piazza, Broward Stage Door Theatre

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

The Sound of Music, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Song of the Living Dead, Promethean Theatre

Best Director, Musical

Michael Leeds, The Light in the Piazza, Broward Stage Door Theatre

Margaret M. Ledford, Song of the Living Dead, Promethean Theatre

Mark Martino, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Mark Martino, Crazy for You, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Marc Robin, The Sound of Music, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Best Actor in a Musical

Matt Loehr, Crazy for You, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

John Pinto, Jr., Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Michael Sharon , The Sound of Music, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Dylan H. Thompson, The Light in the Piazza, Broward Stage Door Theatre

Best Actress in a Musical

Colleen Amaya, The Music Man, Broward Stage Door Theatre

Joline Mujica, Hairspray, Actors’ Playhouse

Vanessa Sonon, Crazy for You, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Gabrielle Visser, The Light in the Piazza, Broward Stage Door Theatre

Catherine Walker, The Sound of Music, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical

Clay Cartland, Song of the Living Dead, Promethean Theatre

Michael Brian Dunn, Crazy for You, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Avi Hoffman, Hairspray, Actors’ Playhouse

Bruce Rebold, The Light in the Piazza, Broward Stage Door Theatre

Ryan Williams, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical

Julie Kleiner, Hairspray, Actors’ Playhouse

Avery Sommers, Hairspray, Actors’ Playhouse

Lara Hayhurst, The Light in the Piazza, Broward Stage Door Theatre

Natalie Ramirez, The Light in the Piazza, Broward Stage Door Theatre

April Woodall, The Sound of Music, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Best Musical Direction

Helen Gregory, Crazy for You, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Kim Douglas Steiner , Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Aaron McAllister, The Sound of Music, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

David Nagy, Hairspray, Actors’ Playhouse

Garrett Taylor, The Light in the Piazza, Broward Stage Door Theatre

Best Choreography

Chrissy Ardito, The Music Man, Broward Stage Door Theatre

Chrissy Ardito, Song of the Living Dead, Promethean Theatre

Barbara Flaten, Hairspray, Actors’ Playhouse

Mark Martino, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Shea Sullivan, Crazy for You, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Best Scenic Design (Play or Musical)

Michael Amico, All My Sons, Palm BeachDramaworks

Tim Bennett, Stuff, Caldwell Theatre Company

Douglas Grinn, Lombardi, Mosaic Theatre

Sean McClelland, August: Osage County, Actors’ Playhouse

Michael Schweikardt, The Sound of Music, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Best Lighting Design (Play or Musical)

Paul Black, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

John Hall, All My Sons, Palm Beach Dramaworks

Andrew Myers, The Light in the Piazza, Broward Stage Door Theatre

Jeff Quinn, Red, GableStage

Patrick Tennent, Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, Actors’ Playhouse

Best Costume Design (Play or Musical)

Brian O’Keefe, All My Sons, Palm Beach Dramaworks

Jose M. Rivera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Ellis Tillman, Hairspray, Actors’ Playhouse

Ellis Tillman, In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), GableStage

Ellis Tillman, Song of the Living Dead, Promethean Theatre

Best Sound Design (Play or Musical)

Victoria Deiorio, Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Alexander Herrin, Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, Actors’ Playhouse

Keith Kohrs, Crazy for You, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Marty Mets, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Rich Szczublewski, All My Sons, Palm Beach Dramaworks

Best Ensemble

Brothers Beckett, Alliance Theatre Lab

The Brothers Size, GableStage

Clybourne Park, Caldwell Theatre Company

The Irish Curse, Mosaic Theatre

Masked, GableStage

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