The Maltz Jupiter Theatre led all Palm Beach County professional theaters with 14 nominations for the 39th annual Carbonell Awards, recognizing production excellence throughout South Florida.
Nine of those nominations were for the Jupiter company’s new look at the 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The King and I. The other five were for its season opener, Larry Shue’s Southern-fried farce, The Foreigner.
In all, Palm Beach County theaters garnered 44 nods, second only to Miami-Dade, which received 50, when the nominations were announced Jan. 21. Broward County, the traditional also-ran, mustered only four nominations, an imbalance that may change this year when Slow Burn and Outré Theatre both move their operations to the Broward Center.
The Maltz’s King and I tied with Murder Ballad, a steamy love triangle rock musical produced by Coral Gables’ Actors’ Playhouse. Both nine-time nominees will vie for the Best Production of a Musical Carbonell, along with Assassins (Zoetic Stage), Parade (Slow Burn) and The Trouble with Doug (Theatre at Arts Garage).
Miami’s Zoetic Stage earned the most nominations for a single company with 16 – half of them for Assassins, the Stephen Sondheim musical about the disgruntled men and women throughout history who tried to kill the U.S. president. Another five nominations were for Michael McKeever’s backstage farce, Clark Gable Slept Here, and three for Lissa L’Amour’s urban drama, Detroit.
Clark Gable Slept Here could bring the Carbonell-laden McKeever another win for Best New Work. Other world premieres in the category include two from last year’s big winner, Island City Stage of Fort Lauderdale. It has been recognized for Josh Mesnick’s Have I Got a Girl for You and Michael Amin’s POZ. The fourth nominee is Vanessa Garcia for her play, Cuban Spring.
Two plays tied for most nominations, Maltz Jupiter’s The Foreigner and Zoetic’s Clark Gable Slept Here, each with five nods. They will be competing head-to-head for the Best Production of a Play Carbonell, alongside Miss Julie at The Naked Stage, Mothers and Sons at GableStage and Palm Beach Dramaworks’ Our Town. Our Town copped four of Dramaworks’ five nominations, with its production of My Old Lady pulling in the fifth, for lighting design.
Slow Burn, which earned its first ever Carbonell last year, will be vying for 12 statuettes this year. Seven of those are for Parade, the company’s entry in the Best Musical category. Another three are for Chess and two more for the area premiere of Carrie, The Musical. Boca Raton’s Wick Theatre walked off with five nominations — 42nd Street (two) and one each for Ain’t Misbehavin’, Mame and Swing! Delray Beach’s Theatre at Arts Garage also received five nods, all for Daniel Maté’s new musical adaptation of Kafka’s Metamorphosis, called The Trouble with Doug.
Other Palm Beach County troupes with nominations were Outré Theatre Company (two for Thrill Me) and Boca Raton Theatre Guild (one for Pippin).
Carbonell recipients will be announced on Monday, March 30, at a ceremony at the Broward Center’s Amaturo Theater in Fort Laudeerdale.
Ticket income goes to scholarships awarded to graduating high school seniors in the tri-county area who plan to pursue a degree in theater or journalism. Single tickets are $31.86 and can be purchased by calling 954-462-0222, by visiting the Broward Center’s box office or online at www.browardcenter.org.
Below is a complete list of this year’s Carbonell Award nominees:
Best New Work (Play or Musical)
Clark Gable Slept Here, Michael McKeever, Zoetic Stage
Cuban Spring, Vanessa Garcia, New Theatre
Have I Got a Girl for You, Josh Mesnick, Island City Stage
Poz, Michael Amin, Island City Stage
Best Production of a Play
Clark Gable Slept Here, Zoetic Stage
The Foreigner, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Miss Julie, The Naked Stage
Mothers and Sons, GableStage
Our Town, Palm Beach Dramaworks
Best Director/Play
Joseph Adler, Mothers and Sons, GableStage
Margaret M. Ledford, Miss Julie, The Naked Stage
Matt Lenz, The Foreigner, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
J. Barry Lewis, Our Town, Palm Beach Dramaworks
Stuart Meltzer, Clark Gable Slept Here, Zoetic Stage
Best Actor/Play
Matthew William Chizever, Miss Julie, The Naked Stage
John Manzelli, The Gospel According to Jerry, New Theatre
Michael McKeever, Mothers and Sons, GableStage
Nicholas Richberg, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and the University of Miami
Andrew Sellon, The Foreigner, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Best Actress/Play
Katherine Amadeo, Miss Julie, The Naked Stage
Natalia Coego, Bad Jews, GableStage
Makeba Pace, Sunset Baby, Primal Forces
Angie Radosh, Mothers and Sons, GableStage
Karen Stephens, The Mountaintop, GableStage
Best Supporting Actor/Play
Alex Alvarez, Visiting Hours, New Theatre
Mark Della Ventura, Bad Jews, GableStage
Colin McPhillamy, End of the Rainbow, Actors’ Playhouse
Chaz Mena, Detroit, Zoetic Stage
Matthew Minor, The Foreigner, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Best Supporting Actress/Play
Elizabeth Dimon, Miracle on South Division Street, Actors’ Playhouse
Lela Elam, Clark Gable Slept Here, Zoetic Stage
Vanessa Elise, Clark Gable Slept Here, Zoetic Stage
Christina Groom, Have I Got a Girl for You, Island City Stage
Arielle Hoffman, The Whale, GableStage
Best Production of a Musical
Assassins, Zoetic Stage
The King and I, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Murder Ballad, Actors’ Playhouse
Parade, Slow Burn Theatre Company
The Trouble with Doug, Theatre at Arts Garage
Best Director/Musical
David Arisco, Murder Ballad, Actors’ Playhouse
Patrick Fitzwater, Parade, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Margaret M. Ledford, The Trouble with Doug, Theatre at Arts Garage
Stuart Meltzer, Assassins, Zoetic Stage
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, The King and I, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Best Actor/Musical
Clay Cartland, The Trouble with Doug, Theatre at Arts Garage
Wayne Hu, The King and I, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Matthew Korinko, Chess, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Nicholas Richberg, Assassins, Zoetic Stage
Mike Westrich, Thrill Me, Outre Theatre Company
Best Actress/Musical
Amy Miller Brennan, Chess, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Anne Chamberlain, Carrie, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Julie Kleiner, 42nd Street, The Wick
Ann Marie Olson, Parade, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Michele Ragusa, The King and I, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Best Supporting Actor/Musical
Jerel Brown, Parade, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Chris Crawford, Murder Ballad, Actors’ Playhouse
Chaz Mena, Assassins, Zoetic Stage
Shane Tanner, The Trouble with Doug, Theatre at Arts Garage
Gabriel Zenone, Assassins, Zoetic Stage
Best Supporting Actress/Musical
Patti Gardner, Pippin, Boca Raton Theatre Guild
Shelley Keelor, Carrie, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Kaitlyn O’Neill, Parade, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Lourelene Snedeker, Mame, The Wick
Mariand Torres, Murder Ballad, Actors’ Playhouse
Best Musical Direction/Musical
Eric Alsford, Murder Ballad, Actors’ Playhouse
Caryl Fantel, Assassins, Zoetic Stage
Helen Gregory, The King and I, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Paul Reekie, The Trouble with Doug, Theatre at Arts Garage
Manny Schvartzman, Parade, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Best Choreography/Musical
Patrick Fitzwater, Chess, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Ron Hutchins, 42nd Street, The Wick
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, The King and I, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Kelly Shook, Swing, The Wick
Best Scenic Design/Play or Musical
Gene Seyffer, Murder Ballad, Actors’ Playhouse
Narelle Sissons, The King and I, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Michael McKeever, Detroit, Zoetic Stage
Rob Odorisio, The Foreigner, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Yashinori Tankura, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and the University of Miami
Best Lighting Design/ Play or Musical
Ron Burns, My Old Lady, Palm Beach Dramaworks
Eric Haugen, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and the University of Miami
Stefanie Howard, Thrill Me, Outré Theatre Company
Eric Nelson, Murder Ballad, Actors’ Playhouse
Jeff Quinn, The Mountaintop, GableStage
Best Costume Design/Play or Musical
Alberto Arroyo, Assassins, Zoetic Stage
Robin L. McGee, Our Town, Palm Beach Dramaworks
Rick Pena, Parade, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Ellis Tillman, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and the University of Miami
Leon Weibers, The King and I, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Best Sound Design/Play or Musical
Matt Corey, The Mountaintop, GableStage
Matt Corey, Our Town, Palm Beach Dramaworks
Mitch Furman, Murder Ballad, Actors’ Playhouse
Stuart Meltzer, Assassins, Zoetic Stage
Marty Mets, The King and I, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Best Ensemble Production /Play or Musical
Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Wick
Centralia, Mad Cat Theatre
Detroit, Zoetic Stage
Gidion’s Knot, New Theatre
Murder Ballad, Actors’ Playhouse