A scene from Les Miserables at The Maltz Jupiter Theatre.
Palm Beach County residents did not have far to drive to see the best professional resident theater in South Florida last year. Of the 20 Carbonell Awards for theater excellence given out at the Broward Center on Monday evening, 13 went to companies in the county. And of those 13 awards, seven were picked up by the Maltz Jupiter Theatre.
Les Miserables at the Maltz took in four Carbonells, the most for a single production. They were best production of a musical, best director (Mark Martino), best actor/musical (Aloyius Gigl) and best sound design (Marty Mets). Close behind Les Miz was Island City Stage’s Daniel’s Husband, by Michael McKeever, named best new work, best production/play and best actor/play (Antonio Amadeo). They were the only three wins in Broward County, since Slow Burn Theatre, which moved to the Broward Center in mid-year, was completely shut out even though it received 15 nominations.
The Maltz’s seven Carbonell wins were spread among three productions. In addition to its awards for Les Miz, it pulled in two for Billy Elliot – best choreography (Greg Graham) and best supporting actress/musical (Beth Dimon) – and one for Glengarry Glen Ross (best ensemble). Palm Beach Dramaworks also had a good night, taking home five statues: Buried Child, best director/play (J. Barry Lewis) and best supporting actor/play (Paul Tei); Picnic, best supporting actress/play (Margery Lowe); The History Boys, best scenic design (Victor Becker) and Les Liaisons Dangereuses, best costume design (Brian O’Keefe).
Boca Raton’s Wick Theatre earned one Carbonell for its production of Oklahoma!, recognized for supporting actor/musical (Shane Tanner). The Arts Garage and MNM Productions each went into Monday’s ceremony with one nomination, but failed to convert either to a win.
Miami-Dade’s Actors’ Playhouse, traditionally a big winner at the Carbonells, earned 11 nominations, but had to settle with only two awards – for Ragtime, best actress/musical (Melissa Minyard) and best musical direction (David Nagy). GableStage also frequently hauls in the Carbonells, but it only had six nominations and one win – for Jeff Quinn’s lighting of Constellations. The fourth Miami-Dade Carbonell went to Zoetic Stage for Lindsey Corey, best actress/play in Stripped.
Antonio Amadeo, Laura Turnbull and Alex Alvarez in Daniel’s Husband at Island City Stage. (Photo by Roberto Figueroa)
Below is the complete list of nominees for the 40th annual Carbonell Awards, with the winners in bold face:
BEST NEW WORK (play or musical)
Daniel’s Husband, Michael McKeever, Island City Stage
Stripped, Christopher Demos-Brown, Zoetic Stage
Tsunami, Nilo Cruz and Michiko Kitayama Skinner, South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, University of Miami and Arca Images
Uncertain Terms, Allison Gregory, Theatre at Arts Garage
Women Playing Hamlet, New Theatre
BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
Buried Child, Palm Beach Dramaworks
Daniel’s Husband, Island City Stage
Glengarry Glen Ross, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
The History Boys, Palm Beach Dramaworks
Stripped, Zoetic Stage
BEST DIRECTOR / PLAY
J. Barry Lewis, Buried Child, Palm Beach Dramaworks
J. Barry Lewis, Glengarry Glen Ross, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Stuart Meltzer, Betrayal, Zoetic Stage
Stuart Meltzer, Stripped, Zoetic Stage
Andy Rogow, Daniel’s Husband, Island City Stage
BEST ACTOR / PLAY
Antonio Amadeo, Daniel’s Husband, Island City Stage
Rob Donohoe, Buried Child, Palm Beach Dramaworks
Colin McPhillamy, The History Boys, Palm Beach Dramaworks
John Manzelli, Fully Committed, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Chaz Mena, Betrayal, Zoetic Stage
BEST ACTRESS / PLAY
Katherine Amadeo, Constellations, GableStage
Lindsey Corey, Stripped, Zoetic Stage
Mia Matthews, The Little Dog Laughed, Island City Stage
Ann Marie Olson, Always, Patsy Cline, Thinking Cap Theatre
Barbara Sloan, Vita and Virginia, Thinking Cap Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR / PLAY
Alex Alvarez, Daniel’s Husband, Island City Stage
Kristian Bikic, Octopus, Island City Stage
Rob Donohoe, Glengarry Glen Ross, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Michael McKeever, Picnic, Palm Beach Dramaworks
Paul Tei, Buried Child, Palm Beach Dramaworks
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS / PLAY
Elizabeth Dimon, Summer Shorts, City Theatre
Niki Fridh, Vita and Virginia, Thinking Cap Theatre
Patti Gardner, Casa Valentina, GableStage
Margery Lowe, Picnic, Palm Beach Dramaworks
Laura Turnbull, Daniel’s Husband, Island City Stage
BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
Big Fish, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Billy Elliot, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Bonnie & Clyde, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Les Miserables, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Ragtime, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
BEST DIRECTOR / MUSICAL
David Arisco, Ragtime, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
Patrick Fitzwater, Big Fish, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Patrick Fitzwater, Bonnie & Clyde, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Matt Lenz, Billy Elliot, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Mark Martino, Les Miserables, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
BEST ACTOR / MUSICAL
Bruno Faria, Bonnie & Clyde, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Aloysius Gigl, Les Miserables, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Gregg Goodbrod, Les Miserables, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Don Juan Seward Jr., Ragtime, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
Shane Tanner, Big Fish, Slow Burn Theatre Company
BEST ACTRESS / MUSICAL
Amy Miller Brennan, Little Shop of Horrors, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Anne Chamberlain, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Slow Burn Theatre Company and Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Melissa Minyard, Ragtime, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
Ann Marie Olson, Big Fish, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Alix Paige, Man of La Mancha, The Wick
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR / MUSICAL
Lewis J. Stadlen, Hello Dolly!, The Wick
Shane Tanner, Oklahoma!, The Wick
Christian Vandepas, Bonnie & Clyde, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Richard Vida, Les Miserables, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Conor Walton, First Date, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS / MUSICAL
Elizabeth Dimon, Billy Elliot, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Laura Hodos, The Toxic Avenger, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
Margot Moreland, Les Miserables, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Leah Marie Sessa, Oklahoma!, The Wick
Stephanie White, Ragtime, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION / MUSICAL
Eric Alsford, Les Miserables, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
David Nagy, Ragtime, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
Emmanuel Schvartzman, Big Fish, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Brian P. Whitted, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, Palm Beach Dramaworks
Ana Flavia Zuim, Billy Elliot, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY / MUSICAL
Patrick Fitzwater, Big Fish, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Ron Hutchins, Ragtime, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
Greg Graham, Billy Elliot, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Angela Morando-Taylor, Dames At Sea, The Wick
Jennifer Werner, The Wiz, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
BEST SCENIC DESIGN / PLAY OR MUSICAL
Michael Amico, Picnic, Palm Beach Dramaworks
Victor Becker, The History Boys, Palm Beach Dramaworks
Tim Bennett, Ragtime, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
Michael McClain, Octopus, Island City Stage
Sean McClelland, Big Fish, Slow Burn Theatre Company
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN / PLAY OR MUSICAL
Preston Bircher, Octopus, Island City Stage
Paul Black, Les Miserables, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Kirk Bookman, Buried Child, Palm Beach Dramaworks
Paul Miller, Billy Elliot, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Jeff Quinn, Constellations, GableStage
BEST COSTUME DESIGN / PLAY OR MUSICAL
Gail Baldoni, Les Miserables, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Brian O’Keefe, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Palm Beach Dramaworks
Rick Pena, Big Fish, Slow Burn Theatre Company
Ellis Tillman, Casa Valentina, GableStage
Ellis Tillman, Ragtime, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
BEST SOUND DESIGN / PLAY OR MUSICAL
Steve Brush, Picnic, Palm Beach Dramaworks
David Hart, Octopus, Island City Stage
Erik T. Lawson, Tsunami, South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, University of Miami and Arca Images
Marty Mets, Les Miserables, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Richard Szczublewski, Big Fish, Slow Burn Theatre Company
BEST ENSEMBLE PRODUCTION / PLAY OR MUSICAL
Casa Valentina, GableStage
Choir Boy, GableStage
Glengarry Glen Ross, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Side By Side By Sondheim, MNM Productions
Summer Shorts, City Theatre