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