List of 2011 Equity Jeff Award winners
Goodman, Court and Chicago Shakespeare theaters took top honors at Monday's 43rd Annual Equity Jeff Awards at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace. The awards honor the best of Chicago-area theater productions.
Goodman earned best musical honors in the large tier category for best revival of “Candide,” produced in conjunction with Shakespeare Theatre Company. The production also earned awards for actors Geoff Packard, Hollis Resnik and Larry Yando and for Mary Zimmerman's adaptation. Court Theatre's bold, restaging of the Gershwin classic “Porgy and Bess” earned awards for director Charless Newell and music director Doug Peck. American Theater Company's revival of “The Original Grease,” earned an award for best musical from a mid-size theater.
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's “The Madness of George III” earned five Jeff Awards for play (large tier theater), director Penny Metropulos, actor Harry Groener, costume designer Susan E. Mickey and wig and makeup designer Melissa Veal. Remy Bumppo Theatre Company's revival of Edward Albee's “The Goat, or Who is Sylvia” was named best production, while one of its stars Annabel Armour, earned the Jeff Award for actress in a principal role.
Drury Lane Theatre picked up one award for best supporting actor Mike Nussbaum's turn as an endearingly irascible Socialist in Neil Simon's “Broadway Bound.” Tammy Mader, currently co-starring in Lincolnshire's Marriott Theatre production of “White Christmas” earned a Jeff Award for her choreography for “42nd Street.”
Faring best among suburban theaters was Glencoe's Writers' Theatre. Local favorite Jessie Mueller won a lead actress in a musical Jeff for her performance in “She Loves Me” and Barbara Robertson won for her solo performance in “The Detective's Wife” by Arlington Heights native Keith Huff. Sound designer Mikhail Fiksel also won a Jeff for Writers' production of “Travels with My Aunt.”
Below is a complete List of 2011 Jeff Equity Award recipients:
PRODUCTION PLAY — LARGE
“The Madness of George III” — Chicago Shakespeare Theater
PRODUCTION PLAY — MIDSIZE
“Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?” - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
PRODUCTION MUSICAL — LARGE
“Candide” — Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company
PRODUCTION MUSICAL — MIDSIZE
“The Original Grease” — American Theater Company
PRODUCTION — REVUE
“Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting)” - The Second City e.t.c.
DIRECTOR — PLAY
Penny Metropulos — “The Madness of George III” — Chicago Shakespeare Theater
DIRECTOR — MUSICAL
Charles Newell — “The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess” — Court Theatre
ENSEMBLE
“The Big Meal” — American Theater Company
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — PLAY
Harry Groener — “The Madness of George III” — Chicago Shakespeare Theater
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — MUSICAL
Geoff Packard — “Candide” — Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — PLAY
Annabel Armour — “Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?” - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — MUSICAL
Jessie Mueller — “She Loves Me” — Writers' Theatre
ACTOR OR ACTRESS IN A REVUE
Tim Baltz — “Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting)” - The Second City e.t.c.
SOLO PERFORMANCE
Barbara Robertson — “The Detective's Wife” — Writers' Theatre
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — PLAY
Mike Nussbaum — “Broadway Bound” — Drury Lane Productions
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — MUSICAL
Larry Yando — “Candide” — Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — PLAY
Diana Simonzadeh — “Scorched” — Silk Road Theatre Project
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — MUSICAL
Hollis Resnik — “Candide” — Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company
NEW WORK — PLAY
Bruce Graham — “The Outgoing Tide” — Northlight Theatre
David Henry Hwang — “Chinglish” — Goodman Theatre
NEW WORK — MUSICAL OR REVUE
Tim Baltz, Aidy Bryant, Jesse Case, Matt Hovde, Brendan Jennings, Jessica Joy, Michael Lehrer, and Mary Sohn — “Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting)” - The Second City e.t.c.
Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair — “Murder for Two — A Killer Musical” — Chicago Shakespeare Theater
NEW ADAPTATION — PLAY OR MUSICAL
Mary Zimmerman -”Candide” — Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company
CHOREOGRAPHY
Tammy Mader — “42nd Street” — Marriott Theatre
ORIGINAL INCIDENTAL MUSIC
Andrew Hansen — “To Master the Art” — TimeLine Theatre Company
MUSIC DIRECTION
Doug Peck — “The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess” — Court Theatre
SCENIC DESIGN — LARGE
David Korins — “Chinglish” — Goodman Theatre
SCENIC DESIGN — MIDSIZE
Collette Pollard — “The Front Page” — TimeLine Theatre Company
LIGHTING DESIGN — LARGE
Jason Lyons — “White Noise” — Holly Way, Jay Strommen, Jimmy Mack, Deborah Taylor/Chris Bensinger, Tom Leonardis and Whoopi Goldberg
LIGHTING DESIGN — MIDSIZE
Sarah Hughey — “Scorched” — Silk Road Theatre Project
COSTUME DESIGN — LARGE
Susan E. Mickey — “The Madness of George III” — Chicago Shakespeare Theater
COSTUME DESIGN — MIDSIZE
Bill Morey — “The King and I” — Porchlight Music Theatre
SOUND DESIGN — LARGE
Mikhail Fiksel — “Travels with My Aunt” — Writers' Theatre
SOUND DESIGN — MIDSIZE
Peter J. Storms — “Scorched” — Silk Road Theatre Project
FIGHT / MOVEMENT DIRECTION
Rick Sordelet — “Romeo and Juliet” — Chicago Shakespeare Theater
PROJECTIONS / VIDEO DESIGN
John Boesche — “A Twist of Water” — Route 66 Theatre Company
Mike Tutaj — “In Darfur” — TimeLine Theatre Company
ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION
Tracy Otwell — Toy Theatre Design — “The Last Act of Lilka Kadison” — Lookingglass Theatre Company
Melissa Veal — Wig and Makeup Design — “The Madness of George III” — Chicago Shakespeare Theater
SPECIAL AWARD
Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times theater and dance critic
TRIBUTE AWARD
Kathryn V. Lamkey