Carbonell nominations spread the wealth this year

[Updated with complete list of nominations]

The Carbonell nominations announced today honored the breadth of South Florida theatrical fare, ranging from the traditional musical Miss Saigon that brought patrons to their feet at one end of the spectrum to the scorching drama Blasted that both enthralled and repelled various audience members.

The Carbonells honor excellence in South Florida theater with awards similar to the Joseph Jeffersons in Chicago and the Helen Hayes awards in Washington, D.C.

Unlike some years, the nominations for the 35th annual awards were spread out among theaters and productions in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties with a third of the 69 eligible shows receiving at least one nod.

Thirteen theaters ”virtually every major troupe in the region ‘ received nominations, led by the major musical production houses, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables and the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, each with 18 nominations. In the past, one or two theaters had been shut out.

Companies that produce musicals are eligible for more awards and produce shows with larger casts. So all but one of the shows with the most nominations were musicals: 11’for Miss Saigon at Actors Playhouse, 7 for Anything Goes at the Maltz, 7 for Blasted, 6 for The Drowsy Chaperone at Broward Stage Door Theatre in Coral Springs, 6 for La Cage Aux Folles at Maltz, and 6 for Oliver! at Actors Playhouse.

As far as individuals, choreographer Chrissi Arditto, who seemed to be working everywhere this past year, received three nominations running against herself for The Drowsy Chaperone, Oliver! and Mack and Mabel at the Broward Stage Door Theatre. Thirteen other people had two nominations apiece, often running against themselves except for Dan Kelley who was tapped as both director and star for The Drowsy Chaperone.

Among the names of the usual suspects was one wild card. Motherhood the Musical, the hit shepherded by local GFour Productions but not associated with any theater, earned four nominations including best new work and best musical.

There were three surprises. One was that GableStage’s Blasted received six nominations. Although one of the most critically acclaimed works of the season, some audience members were upset by Sarah Kane’s unsparing vision of man’s predilection for violence. But Carbonells are recommended and judged by panels comprised mostly of critics and theater professionals, not general audiences.

The second surprise was that Academy, the original musical penned by Maltz artistic director Andrew Kato and John Mercurio, was tapped for best musical but not best new work ‘ even though the judges nominated four contenders instead of five.

The third was the 11 nominations captured by Broward Stage Door for Mack and Mabel and The Drowsy Chaperone. The nods are sweet vindication for the non-Equity company that struggled for years with a reputation for unchallenging fare recognizable to its condo and snowbird audiences, mounted in unimpressive productions. But recently, Dee Bunn and David Torres have been salting their seasons with meatier shows such as A Little Night Music that have been smartly directed, produced and performed.

The winners will be announced 7:30 p.m. April 4 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in a ceremony combining speeches and musical performances that insiders have nicknamed ‘theater prom.’ Details about tickets will be announced later this winter. The ceremony raises money for scholarships for South Florida arts students.

COMBINED (Plays and Musicals)

Best New Work

Christopher Demos-Brown
When the Sun Shone Brighter
Florida Stage

Sue Fabisch
Motherhood the Musical
GFour Productions

Karen Hartman
Goldie, Max & Milk
Florida Stage

Michael McKeever
Unreasonable Doubt
Actors’ Playhouse

Best Ensemble

12 Angry Men
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Completely Hollywood
Mosaic Theatre

The Dumb Waiter
The Promethean Theatre

Motherhood the Musical
GFour Productions

Speech and Debate
GableStage

PLAYS

Best Production of a Play

12 Angry Men
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

50 Words
GableStage

American Buffalo
Palm Beach Dramaworks

Blasted
GableStage

Collected Stories
Mosaic Theatre

Best Director, Play

Joseph Adler
50 Words
GableStage

Joseph Adler
Blasted
GableStage

Frank Galati
12 Angry Men
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

William Hayes
American Buffalo
Palm Beach Dramaworks

Margaret M. Ledford
Collected Stories
Mosaic Theatre

Best Actor, Play

Dennis Creaghan
Freud’s Last Session
Palm Beach Dramaworks

Todd Allen Durkin
Blasted
GableStage

David Hemphill
Equus
New Theatre

Ricky Waugh
Dying City
Mosaic Theatre

Gregg Weiner
50 Words
GableStage

Best Actress, Play

Barbara Bradshaw
Collected Stories
Mosaic Theatre

Beth Dixon
Three Tall Women
Palm Beach Dramaworks

Erin Joy Schmidt
50 Words
GableStage

Erin Joy Schmidt
Dying City
Mosaic Theatre

Karen Stephens
Bridge and Tunnel
Women’s Theatre Project

Best Supporting Actor, Play

Marckenson Charles
Groundswell
Mosaic Theatre

Will Connolly
Candida
Palm Beach Dramaworks

Erik Fabregat
A Behanding in Spokane
GableStage

Erik Fabregat
Blasted
GableStage

Michael McKeever
Distracted
Caldwell Theatre

Best Supporting Actress/Play

Kim Morgan Dean
Collected Stories
Mosaic Theatre

Angie Radosh
Three Tall Women
Palm Beach Dramaworks

Jackie Rivera
Speech and Debate
GableStage

Deborah L. Sherman
Goldie, Max & Milk
Florida Stage

Deborah L. Sherman
No Exit
Naked Stage

MUSICALS

Best Production of a Musical

Academy
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

The Drowsy Chaperone
Broward Stage Door Theatre

La Cage Aux Folles
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Mack and Mabel
Broward Stage Door Theatre

Miss Saigon
Actors’ Playhouse

Best Director, Musical

David Arisco
Miss Saigon
Actors’ Playhouse

Dan Kelley
The Drowsy Chaperone
Broward Stage Door

Michael Leeds
Mack and Mabel
Broward Stage Door

Mark Martino
La Cage Aux Folles
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Marcia Milgrom Dodge
Anything Goes
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Best Actor, Musical

Mark Jacoby
La Cage Aux Folles
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Dan Kelley
The Drowsy Chaperone
Broward Stage Door

Herman Sebek
Miss Saigon
Actors’ Playhouse

Bret Shuford
Anything Goes
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Shane R. Tanner
Mack and Mabel
Broward Stage Door

Best Actress, Musical

Irene Adjan
Dr. Radio
Florida Stage

Mara Gabrielle
Mack and Mabel
Broward Stage Door

Tari Kelly
Anything Goes
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Laura Oldham
The Drowsy Chaperone
Broward Stage Door

E.J. Zimmerman
Miss Saigon
Actors’ Playhouse

Best Supporting Actor, Musical

Tom Beckett
Anything Goes
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Ken Clement
Oliver!
Actors’ Playhouse

Nick Duckart
Dr. Radio
Florida Stage

Chris-Ian Sanchez
Miss Saigon
Actors’ Playhouse

Shane R. Tanner
Oliver!
Actors’ Playhouse

Best Supporting Actress, Musical

Eileen Faxas
The Drowsy Chaperone
Broward Stage Door

Elizabeth Dimon
Oliver!
Actors’ Playhouse

Lisa Manuli
Motherhood the Musical
GFour Productions

Amy Miller Brennan
Miss Saigon
Actors’ Playhouse

Amy Miller Brennan
Oliver!
Actors’ Playhouse

Best Musical Direction

Eric Alsford
Miss Saigon
Actors’ Playhouse

Helen Gregory
Anything Goes
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Phil Reno
La Cage Aux Folles
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Johnny Rodgers
Motherhood the Musical
GFour Productions

Alexander Rovang
Academy
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Best Choreography

Chrissi Ardito
The Drowsy Chaperone
Broward Stage Door

Chrissi Ardito
Mack and Mabel
Broward Stage Door

Chrissi Ardito
Oliver!
Actors’ Playhouse

Denis Jones
La Cage Aux Folles
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Marcia Milgrom Dodge
Anything Goes
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

DESIGN (Plays and Musicals)

Best Scenic Design

Michael Amico
American Buffalo
Palm Beach Dramaworks

Lyle Baskin
50 Words
GableStage

Tim Connolly
Blasted
GableStage

Douglas Grinn
Collected Stories
Mosaic Theatre

Sean McClelland
Miss Saigon
Actors’ Playhouse

Best Lighting

Ron Burns
The Gin Game
Palm Beach Dramaworks

Suzanne Jones
Cane
Florida Stage

Jeff Quinn
Blasted
GableStage

Jeff Quinn
The Quarrel
GableStage

Patrick Tennent
Miss Saigon
Actors’ Playhouse

Best Costume Design

Gail Baldoni
Anything Goes
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Brian O’Keefe
Candida
Palm Beach Dramaworks

Jose M. Rivera
La Cage Aux Folles
Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Ellis Tillman
Miss Saigon
Actors’ Playhouse

Ellis Tillman
Oliver!
Actors’ Playhouse

Best Sound Design

Matt Corey
Blasted
GableStage

Matt Corey
Groundswell
Mosaic Theatre

Alexander Herrin
Miss Saigon
Actors’ Playhouse

Matt Kelly
Dr. Radio
Florida Stage

Matt Kelly
Cane
Florida Stage

Carbonell Nomination Breakdown

By County

Broward: 27

Miami-Dade: 36

Palm Beach: 36

By Theatre

18 Actors’ Playhouse

18 Maltz Jupiter

16 GableStage

11 Broward Stage Door

10 Mosaic Theatre

9 Palm Beach Dramaworks

8 Florida Stage

4 GFour Productions

1 Caldwell Theatre Company

1 Naked Stage

1 New Theatre

1 The Promethean Theatre

1 The Women’s Theatre Project

By Show

11 Miss Saigon

7 Anything Goes

7 Blasted

6 The Drowsy Chaperone

6 La Cage Aux Folles

6 Oliver!

5 50 Words

5 Collected Stories

5 Mack and Mabel

4 Motherhood the Musical

3 12 Angry Men

3 American Buffalo

3 Dr. Radio

2 Academy

2 Candida

2 Cane

2 Dying City

2 Goldie, Max and Milk

2 Groundswell

2 Speech and Debate

2 Three Tall Women

1 A Behanding in Spokane

1 Bridge and Tunnel

1 Completely Hollywood

1 Distracted

1 The Dumb Waiter

1 Equus

1 Freud’s Last Session

1 The Gin Game

1 No Exit

1 The Quarrel

1 Unreasonable Doubt

1 When the Sun Shone Brighter

Double Nominees

Joseph Adler

Matt Corey

Erik Fabregat

Dan Kelley

Matt Kelly

Michael McKeever

Marcia Milgrom Dodge

Amy Miller Brennan

Jeff Quinn

Erin Joy Schmidt

Deborah L. Sherman

Shane R. Tanner

Ellis Tillman

Triple Nominee

Chrissi Ardito