Corrected List of Carbonell Noms Has Many Changes

By Bill Hirschman

A significantly corrected list of 2021-22 Carbonell Awards nominations was released Monday encompassing numerous additions, subtractions, substitutions and recalculations from the list distributed locally and nationally last Friday.

Among the changes: Some nominees were added, bumping lists up to seven nominees instead of six; some names removed when they had not been fully responsible for the work in the nomination; three nominees were moved from one category to another; one show that was judged was not included in the calculations and is now part of the mix.

The awards will be presented at the annual “theater prom” gala on Nov. 7, at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center,  the first time the event will be held live since 2019.

The cause of the problem appeared to be in transferring the results on score sheets to Friday’s news release, wrote Gary Schweikhart, president of the board of directors.

“After announcing this year’s list of Carbonell Award nominations last Friday, the organization quickly realized that clarifications and additions were necessary. This invariably happens with any complicated, first-time process, so the nonprofit organization ordered a recalculation of the scores in all 20 categories,” he wrote.

The awards recognizing excellence in South Florida theater overhauled its judging and calculation process during the height of the pandemic after strenuous complaints from theater producers, directors and artists, some of whom had dropped out of the competition in protest.

“The Carbonell’s new (system) … is based on a well-respected system used by a similar awards program in Arizona,” Schweikhart wrote. “Despite problems in transcription from score sheet to press release, we remain confident in the point system and the math—and we look forward to working more closely with participating theatres in finetuning the judging guidelines for each production.”

Some theaters gained nominations in the recalculations, others lost. The current tallies are topped by Miami New Drama with 24 nominations; followed by Area Stage and Slow Burn Theatre Company with 15 each; Ronnie Larsen Presents (13); Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre and Palm Beach Dramaworks (12 each), and Zoetic Stage with 10. (Full list below)

Area Stage’s Beauty & the Beast was the production earning the most individual nominations (14), with Miami New Drama earning nine for A Wonderful World, eight for The Cuban Vote, and seven for Papá Cuatro.  Because Papá Cuatro is described by the theater as “a play with music,” it received nominations in both Play and Musical categories. (Full list below),

A total of 62 productions at 21 different theatres were evaluated by a group of 30 judges, some of them new. Some former judges have left.

The new list, with changes explained, follows:

Outstanding New Work, Play or Musical
+ A Wonderful World, by Aurin Squire, Annastasia Victory and Michael O. Mitchell (Miami New Drama)
+ Come Out! Come Out!, by Ronnie Larsen (Ronnie Larsen Presents)
+ Papá Cuatro, by Juan Souki (Miami New Drama)
+ The Code,
by Michael McKeever (Ronnie Larsen Presents)
+ The Cuban Vote, by Carmen Pelaez (Miami New Drama)
+ The Duration, by Bruce Graham (Palm Beach Dramaworks)

Outstanding Production, Play
+ GringoLandia (Zoetic Stage)
+ Intimate Apparel (Palm Beach Dramaworks)     
+ One in Two (Island City Stage)      
+ Papá Cuatro (Miami New Drama)
+ The Cuban Vote
(Miami New Drama)     
+ The Code
(Ronnie Larsen Presents)

(While Papá Cuatro is suffused with music and two performers are nominated for work in it as a musical category, Miami New Drama asked it be considered a play).

Outstanding Direction, Play 
+ Lydia Fort, The White Card (GableStage)
+ Loretta Greco, The Cuban Vote (Miami New Drama)
+ Stuart Meltzer, GringoLandia (Zoetic Stage)
+ Stuart Meltzer, The Actors (Ronnie Larsen Presents)
+ Christopher Renshaw, The Code (Ronnie Larsen Presents)
+ Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, One in Two (Island City Stage)
+ Juan Souki, Papá Cuatro (Miami New Drama)

(As just mentioned, Souki is being considered the director of a play for the same reason. Stuart Meltzer, who was not listed Friday, has been added as a seventh nominee because the play, The Actors, had not initially been included in the calculations.)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Male Role, Play
+ Tom Hewitt, I Hate Hamlet (Maltz Jupiter Theatre)
+ Jovon Jacobs, Intimate Apparel (Palm Beach Dramaworks)
+ Colin McPhillamy, Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol (City Theatre)
+ Nathaniel J. Ryan, One in Two (Island City Stage)
+ Gabriell Salgado, Frankenstein (Zoetic Stage )
+ Randall Swinton, One in Two (Island City Stage)

(Michael McKeever was initially nominated in this category for The Code and has since moved to supporting actor category. Jovon Jacobs was added.)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Female Role, Play
+ Rita Cole, Intimate Apparel (Palm Beach Dramaworks)
+ Natalie Cordone, I Hate Hamlet (Maltz Jupiter Theatre)
+ Lindsey Corey, Overactive Letdown (Theatre Lab at FAU)
+ Jeanine Gangloff Levy, Suddenly Last Summer (Island City Stage)
+ Peggy Linker, The God of Isaac (West Boca Theatre)
+ Mia Matthews, The Code (Ronnie Larsen Presents)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Male Role, Play
+ Kristian Bikic, Now and Then (Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre)
+ Christopher Dreeson, Water by the Spoonful (New City Players)
+ Michael McKeever, The Code (Ronnie Larsen Presents)
+ Jonathan Nichols-Navarro, The Cuban Vote (Miami New Drama)
+ James Puig, GringoLandia (Zoetic Stage)
+ Gabriell Salgado, GringoLandia (Zoetic Stage)
+ Jordan Sobel, Intimate Apparel (Palm Beach Dramaworks)

(Michael McKeever was added as a seventh nominee after being transferred from the lead role category at the producer’s request.)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Female Role, Play
+ Alicia Cruz, GringoLandia (Zoetic Stage)
+ Gina Fonseca, Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (Zoetic Stage)
+ Jeni Hacker, The Actors (Ronnie Larsen Presents)
+ Maha McCain, Overactive Letdown (Theatre Lab at FAU)
+ Katlin Svadbik, Rapture, Blister, Burn (Main Street Players)
+ Laura Turnbull, Now and Then (Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre)
+ Stephanie Vazquez, GringoLandia (Zoetic Stage)

(Jeni Hacker was added as a seventh nomination because The Actors’ figures had not been initially included. Gina Fonseca had initially been nominated as an actress for Overactive Letdown, in which she did not appear, but actually had been nominated for Our Dear Dead Drug Lord.)

Outstanding Production, Musical 
+ A Wonderful World     (Miami New Drama)
+ Beauty & the Beast (Area Stage)
+ Come Out!, Come Out! (Ronnie Larsen Presents)
+ Kinky Boots (Slow Burn Theatre Company)      
+ Once on This Island (Slow Burn Theatre Company)    
+ On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan (Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre)

Outstanding Direction, Musical 
+ Patrick Fitzwater, Kinky Boots (Slow Burn Theatre Company)
+ Patrick Fitzwater, Matilda (Slow Burn Theatre Company)
+ Ronnie Larsen, Come Out! Come Out! (Ronnie Larsen Presents)
+ Christopher Renshaw, A Wonderful World (Miami New Drama)
+ Giancarlo Rodaz, Beauty & the Beast (Area Stage)
+ Giancarlo Rodaz, Be More Chill  (Area Stage)

(Juan Souki had been double-nominated Friday for direction of Papá Cuatro both for director of a musical and director of a play. His musical nomination was removed Monday and Patrick Fitzwater was added Monday for Matilda.)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Male Role, Musical
+ Frank Montoto, Beauty & the Beast (Area Stage)
+ Maxime Prissert, Beauty & the Beast (Area Stage)
+ Nate Promkul, Head Over Heels (Slow Burn Theatre Company)
+ Chaz Rose, Hank Williams: Lost Highway (Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre)
+ Ben Sandomir, Something Rotten (Pembroke Pines Theatre of the Performing Arts)
+ Elijah Word, Kinky Boots (Slow Burn Theatre Company)

(On Friday, Bryan Austermann had been nominated in this category Friday for his role as the abusive headmistress Agatha Trunchbull in Matilda – a woman’s part traditionally played by a man. His nomination was moved to actor in a lead female role because Agatha is a woman. His slot was filled by Ben Sandomir. Montoto had been nominated Friday in the supporting category in the double roles of Lumiere and Gaston. He was reclassified Monday after the voting as a lead role.)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Female Role, Musical
+ Bryan Austermann, Matilda (Slow Burn Theatre Company)
+ Yarden Barr, Beauty & the Beast (Area Stage)
+ Lindsey Corey, Hank Williams: Lost Highway (Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre)
+ Katie Duerr, Beauty & the Beast (Area Stage)
+ Gabi Gonzalez, Evita (Pembroke Pines Theatre of the Performing Arts)
+ Sabrina Lynn Gore, Head Over Heels (Slow Burn Theatre Company)
+ Mariaca Semprún, Papá Cuatro (Miami New Drama)

(Austermann’s addition increased the field to seven nominations)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Male Role, Musical
+ Anthony Cataldo, Matilda (Slow Burn Theatre Company)
+ Adolfo Hererra, Papá Cuatro (Miami New Drama)
+ Imran Hylton, Beauty & the Beast (Area Stage)
+ Matthew Korinko, Something Rotten (Pembroke Pines Theatre of the Performing Arts)
+ John Luis, Beauty & the Beast (Area Stage)
+ H. Drew Perkins, Hank Williams: Lost Highway (Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre)

(Matthew Korinko was listed Friday for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in which he had not appeared. He had played Nostradamus in Something Rotten.  As noted earlier, Montoto had been nominated Friday in the supporting category in the double roles of Lumiere and Gaston. He was reclassified Monday after the voting as a lead role. His slot here was filled by John Luis as Lefou and Cogsworth.)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Female Role, Musical
+ Alma Cuervo, On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan (Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre)
+ Sara Grant, Something Rotten (Pembroke Pines Theatre of the Performing Arts)
+ Jade Jones, Once on This Island (Slow Burn Theatre Company)
+ Mallory Newbrough, Matilda (Slow Burn Theatre Company)
+ Karen Stephens, Matilda (Slow Burn Theatre Company)
+ Lillie Thomas, Matilda (Slow Burn Theatre Company)

Outstanding Music Direction
+ Steven G. Anthony, Hank Williams: Lost Highway (Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre)
+ Caryl Fantel, Side by Side by Sondheim (Zoetic Stage)
+ Rick Kaydas, Beauty & the Beast (Area Stage)
+ Michael O. Mitchell & Annastasia Victory, A Wonderful World (Miami New Drama)
+ Clay Ostwald, On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estafan (Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre)
+ Bobby Peaco, Come Out! Come Out! (Ronnie Larsen Presents)

Outstanding Choreography
+ Irma Becker, Beauty & the Beast (Area Stage)
+ Jerel Brown, Once on This Island (Slow Burn Theatre Company)
+ Natalie Caruncho, On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan! (Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre)
+ Oren Korenblum, Come Out! Come Out! (Ronnie Larsen Presents)
+ Mark Martino, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Maltz Jupiter Theatre)
+ Rickey Tripp, A Wonderful World (Miami New Drama)

(Peter Darling, the famed original Broadway choreographer for Matilda, had been nominated Friday, but was removed Monday because he did not participate in Slow Burn’s production, although the production closely modeled its choreography on his original work. Patrick Fitzwater had been nominated for Kinky Boots, on Friday, but that work also had been closely based on the original Broadway work. Mark Martino and Jerel Brown’s work were substituted in Monday’s nominations. Mitchell Aaron’s name was removed as co-choreographer with Korenblum.)

Outstanding Scenic Design, Play or Musical
+ Michael Amico, Intimate Apparel (Palm Beach Dramaworks)
+ Tim Bennett, Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express (Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre)
+ Adam Koch, A Wonderful World (Miami New Drama)
+ Frank Oliva, Beauty & the Beast (Area Stage)
+ Michael Schweikardt, I Hate Hamlet (Maltz Jupiter Theatre)
+ Christopher and Justin Swader, The Cuban Vote (Miami New Drama)

Outstanding Lighting Design, Play or Musical
+ Kirk Bookman, Intimate Apparel (Palm Beach Dramaworks)
+ Kirk Bookman, The Duration (Palm Beach Dramaworks)
+ Kirk Bookman, The Belle of Amherst (Palm Beach Dramaworks)
+ Joe Naftal, Beauty & the Beast (Area Stage)
+ Cory Pattak, A Wonderful World (Miami New Drama)
+ Mary Ellen Stebbins, The Cuban Vote (Miami New Drama)

Outstanding Sound Design, Play or Musical
+ Javier Casas, Papá Cuatro (Miami New Drama)
+ Matt Corey, Frankenstein (Zoetic Stage)
+ Matt Corey, Overactive Letdown (Theatre Lab at FAU)
+ Obadiah Eaves, The Cuban Vote (Miami New Drama)
+ Kai Harada, A Wonderful World (Miami New Drama)
+ Rob Rick, Beauty & the Beast (Area Stage)

Outstanding Costume Design, Play or Musical
+ Nicole Alcaro, Come Out! Come Out! (Ronnie Larsen Presents)
+ Ari Fulton, A Wonderful World (Miami New Drama)
+ Maria Banda-Rodaz, Beauty & the Beast (Area Stage)
+ Lenora Nikitin, Head Over Heels (Slow Burn Theatre Company)
+ Brian O’Keefe, Intimate Apparel (Palm Beach Dramaworks)
+ Ellis Tillman, Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express (Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre)

(Andrea Luna was incorrectly listed Friday for the costumes for Beauty & The Beast; Maria Banda-Rodaz’s name was substituted for her work on that show.)

Outstanding Achievement of an Artistic Specialty
+ Steve Covey for Projection-Mapping, Side by Side by Sondheim (Zoetic Stage)
+ Yuki Isumihara for Projection Design, The Cuban Vote (Miami New Drama)
+ Fernando Mendoza for Projection Design, Papá Cuatro (Miami New Drama)
+ Rebecca Pancoast for Scenic Artist, Almost Maine (Palm Beach Dramaworks)
+ Rebecca Pancoast for Scenic Artist, The Duration (Palm Beach Dramaworks)
+ Nicole Perry for Intimacy Direction, To Fall in Love (Theatre Lab at FAU)

The breakdown reported by the Carbonell Awards:

Carbonell Nominations by Theater
Miami New Drama (24)
Area Stage (15)
Slow Burn Theatre Company (15)
Ronnie Larsen Presents (13)
Actors Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre (12)
Palm Beach Dramaworks (12)
Zoetic Stage (10)
Island City Stage (5)
Maltz Jupiter Theatre (4)
Pembroke Pines Theatre of the Performing Arts (4)
Theatre Lab at FAU (4)
City Theatre (1)
GableStage (1)
Main Street Players (1)
New City Players (1)
West Boca Theatre Company (1)

Carbonell Nominations by Production
Beauty & the Beast (14)
A Wonderful World (9)
The Cuban Vote (8)
Intimate Apparel (7)
Papá Cuatro (7)
Come Out! Come Out! (6)
GringoLandia (6)
Matilda (6)
The Code (5)
Hank Williams: Lost Highway (4)
One in Two (4)
On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan (4)
Head Over Heels (3)
I Hate Hamlet (3)
Kinky Boots (3)
Once on This Island (3)
Overactive Letdown (3)
Something Rotten (3)
The Duration (3)
Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express (2)
Frankenstein (2)
Now and Then (2)
Side by Side by Sondheim (2)
The Actors (2)
Almost Maine (1)
Be More Chill
(1)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1)
Evita (1)
Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol (1)
Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (1)
Rapture, Blister, Burn
(1)
Suddenly Last Summer (1)
The Belle of Amherst (1)
The God of Isaac
(1)
The White Card (1)
To Fall in Love (1)
Water by the Spoonful (1)

Judging for the program went on official “hiatus” in November 2020 due to Covid shutting much if not all live theater on stage. Judging resumed in October last year. Shows that opened during the interim (going back to that January of 2020) were not in competition for an award.

During that dark period, the board made changes to the structure of the award including injecting more diversity into the board and nominating panels, plus other changes sought by producers and directors who have accused the program of favoritism and a lack of diversity in several areas.

The annual gala was slated for April 2021, but Covid forced the non-profit board to postpone the event until August 2021 when the ceremony was created online and broadcast over YouTube. The last in-person Carbonell event was the spring of 2019.

For many years, the celebration was held at the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, which had a smaller seating capacity than the current proposed Lauderhill venue at 3800 NW 11th Place, and required attendees to pay for parking whereas the Lauderhill lot is free.

As before, 20 competitive awards will be presented as well as a handful of special awards such as the highest honor, the George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts honoring an individual or team who has contributed significantly to the artistic and cultural development of the region. The list is available at https://tinyurl.com/2p9de6na.

Another change was the elimination of the ensemble category – one that judges have said for years was difficult to appropriately define – and the addition of Outstanding Achievement of an Artistic Specialty. The latter has been recommended by judges for years to include such evolving theatrical elements as computer-animated projections being used increasingly in local productions.

But this year, the board also will present its first Vinnette Carroll Award, named for the nationally-known pioneering Black actress, playwright, producer and director who spent the last years of her life managing a theater in an old Fort Lauderdale church. The award will recognize “honoring an individual, theater or organization for significant achievement in advancing the cause of diversity, equality, and inclusion in South Florida theater.”

But deciding who wins the competitive awards has been greatly changed in ways that some people have cheered as long overdue and others have questioned as far as accuracy of process.

Previously, a rotating list of at least six “recommenders” based in each county told a Carbonell administrator if they thought a production or any of its elements were worth of consideration. Those companies and artists were then viewed by a panel of “judges” who saw nearly every one of the recommended material and artists, comparing them across the county lines. Then they debated the entries in a closed session and then voted in a two-tiered ballot.

Some producers and artists alleged, among a laundry list of issues, that the secret meetings of the judges lacked transparency and allowed friendships and other biases to taint the results, something the judges adamantly denied.

Now, in a one-tier system, judges are now assigned primarily — but not exclusively — to their home counties “thus maintaining the regional integrity of the awards,” a previous news release stated. But in essence, roughly two-thirds of the judges haven’t seen two-thirds of the eligible shows in competition.

The precise process is outlined at https://tinyurl.com/4y6k8pu9.

The changeover alienated some judges and nominators who quit, but the Carbonells recruited several others including BIPOC members of the theater community.

The 45th Annual Carbonell Awards will be presented on Monday, November 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center at 3800 NW 11th Place, Lauderhill,. Tickets are $32 (including facility fee) and that can be purchased by calling (954) 777-2055 or online at https://www.showpass.com/annual-carbonell-awards.

“Although we held a virtual awards ceremony in mid-2020, this will be our first live, in-person event since April 2019,” said Schweikhart. “We’re looking forward to a truly joyous celebration at our new and larger location as we recognize more members of our theatre community while including even more friends, fans, family members, and local theater lovers.”

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