Greater Cleveland is blessed with a vital theater scene. It has been the purpose of the TIMES THEATER TRIBUTES, now known as BROADWAYWORLD-CLEVELAND REGIONAL PROFESSIONAL THEATER TRIBUTES (BWW-Cle Theater Tributes), to recognize theatrical experiences that, in the subjective view of this reviewer, were excellent and deserve recognition.
These awards are separate and distinct from the Broadwayworld.com awards which were open to public nominations and voting.
Only shows performed in 2016 which I reviewed were considered. With the exception of Outstanding National Touring Production, selections were limited to local presentations though actors, directors and technicians who were imported by local theatres for their productions were considered. Actors are separated by gender, but not equity or lack of union affiliation, or leading or supporting roles.
Nominees designated by a * indicates my recognition as the most proficient in that category. In rare cases more than one person is designated as “most proficient.” Special recognition designees are listed in alphabetical order, not in a rank order.
2016 OUTSTANDING NON-MUSICAL PRODUCTIONS
*THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, none-too-fragile
ALL THE WAY, Cleveland Play House
ANNAPURNA, none-too-fragile
CLYBOURNE PARK, CWRU/CPA MFA Acting Program
LINES IN THE DUST, Cleveland Public Theatre
LUNA GALE, Cleveland Play House
OBJECTIVELY/REASONABLE (A COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO THE SHOOTING OF TAMIR
RICE), Playwrights Local
SANS MERCI, none-too-fragile
SEX WITH STRANGERS, Cleveland Play House
THE MOUNTAINTOP, Cleveland Play House
THE NIGHT THOREAU SPENT IN JAIL, Ensemble Theatre
THE REALISTIC JONESES, Dobama
THE REVISIONIST, Dobama
THE WHIPPING MAN, none-too-fragile
2016 OUTSTANDING MUSICAL THEATER PRODUCTIONS
*MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater
FOOTLOOSE, Porthouse
IN THE HEIGHTS, Beck Center/Baldwin Wallace University
RING OF FIRE, Porthouse
THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center
THE TOXIC AVENGER, Cain Park
2016 OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A NON-MUSICAL
*Sean Derry, THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, none-too-fragile
Austin Pendleton, LUNA GALE, Cleveland Play House
Beth Woods, LINES IN THE DUST, Cleveland Public Theatre
Celeste Cosentino, THE NIGHT THOREAU SPENT IN JAIL, Ensemble Theatre
Donald Carrier, CLYBOURNE PARK, CWRU/CPA MFA Acting Program
Giovanna Sardelli, ALL THE WAY, Cleveland Play House
Joanie Schulz, SEX WITH STRANGERS, Cleveland Play House
Katori Hall, THE MOUNTAINTOP, Cleveland Play House
Leighann Delorenzo, THE REVISIONIST, Dobama
Sean Derry, ANNAPURNA, none-too-fragile
Sean Derry, THE WHIPPING MAN, none-too-fragile
Shannon Sindelar, THE REALISTIC JONESES, Dobama
2016 OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
*Victoria Bussert, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater
Amanda Dehnert, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Cleveland Play House
Nathan Motta, THE TOXIC AVENGER, Cain Park
Scott Spence, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center
Steven C. Anderson, RING OF FIRE, Porthouse
Terri Kent, FOOTLOOSE, Porthouse
Victoria Bussert, IN THE HEIGHTS, Beck Center/Baldwin Wallace University
2016 OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY IN A THEATER PRODUCTION
*Martin Céspedes, Billy Elliot, Beck Center
Greg Daniels, IN THE HEIGHTS, Beck Center/Baldwin Wallace University
Gregory Daniels, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater
Martin Céspedes, HEATHERS the musical, Beck Center
Martin Céspedes, RUTHLESS!, Beck Center
Martin Céspedes, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center
MaryAnn Black, FOOTLOOSE, Porthouse
2016 OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE IN A NON-MUSICAL
*Geoff Knox, THE NIGHT THOREAU SPENT IN JAIL, Ensemble Theatre
Andrew Gobmas, THE REVISIONIST, Dobama
Chris Richards, THE REALISTIC JONESES, Dobama
Jeffrey Grover, ANNAPURNA, none-too-fragile
Keith Stevens, TALLY’S FOLLY, Actors’ Summit
Michael Mauldin, MARGIN OF ERROR, Ensemble Theatre
Ro Boddie, THE MOUNTAINTOP, Cleveland Play House
Sean Booker, LANDFORD WILSON: TAKE 5, Cesear’s Forum
Sean Hudock, SEX WITH STRANGERS, Cleveland Play House
Skip Corris, LINES IN THE DUST, Cleveland Public Theatre
Steve Vinovich, ALL THE WAY, Cleveland Play House
2016 OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE IN A NON-MUSICAL
*Derdriu Ring, THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, none-too-fragile
*Dorothy Silver, THE REVISIONIST, Dobama
Ashley Aquilla, OBJECTIVELY/REASONABLE (A COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO THE SHOOTING OF TAMIR RICE), Playwrights Local
Carly Germany, MARIE ANTOINETTE @ Dobama
Derdriu Ring, ANNAPURNA, none-too-fragile
Holly Holsinger, FRANKENSTEIN’S WAKE, Cleveland Public Theatre
Juliet Brett, MR. WOLF, Cleveland Play House
Maya Jones, HARBOR, convergence-continuum
Monette Magrath, SEX WITH STRANGERS, Cleveland Play House
Nicole Sumlin, LINES IN THE DUST, Cleveland Public Theatre
Rachel Lee Kolis, A KID LIKE JAKE, none-too-fragile
2016 OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE IN A MUSICAL
*Matthew Wright, RUTHLESS!, Beck Center
Ellis C. Dawson III, THE TOXIC AVENGER, Cain Park
Jason Leupold, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, Lakeland Civic Theatre
M. A. Taylor, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater
Paul Schwensen, FOOTLOSE, Porthouse
Tom Ford, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater
RISING STAR (PROMISING NEWCOMER)
*J. R. Heckman, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center
*Calista Zajac, RUTHLESS!, Beck Center
2016 OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES BY A FEMALE IN A MUSICAL
*Natalie Green, THE TOXIC AVENGER, Cain Park
Calista Zajac, RUTHLESS!, Beck Center
Colleen Longshaw, SISTER ACT, Porthouse
Jillian Kates, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater
Katharine DeBoer, BILLY ELLIOT, Beck Center
Kathleen Rooney, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center
Neely Gavaart, THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, Lakeland Civic Theatre
Trinidad Snider, INTO THE WOODS, Lakeland Civic Theatre
2016 OUTSTANDING SCENIC DESIGN OF A NON-MUSICAL or MUSICAL
*Philip Whitcomb, THE GOOD PEACHES, Cleveland Play House/Cleveland
Orchestra
Douglas Puskas, LINES IN THE DUST, Cleveland Public Theatre
Douglas Puskas, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center
Jeff Herman, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater
Michael Schweikardt, LUNA GALE, Cleveland Play House
Robert Mark Morgan, ALL THE WAY, Cleveland Play House
Russell Metheny, AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, Great Lakes Theater
Timothy R. Mackabee, MR. WOLF, Cleveland Play House
Trad A Burns, HEATHERS the musical, Beck Center
Trad Burns, INTO THE WOODS, Lakeland Civic Theater
2016 OUTSTANDING MUSICAL DIRECTION
*Larry Goodpaster, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center
Jennifer Korecki, SISTER ACT, Porthouse
Joel Mercier, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater
Jonathan Swoboda, FOOTLOOSE, Porthouse
Jordan Cooper, INTO THE WOODS, Lakeland Civic Theatre
Jordan Cooper, THE TOXIC AVENGER, Cain Park
Larry Goodpaster, HEATHERS the musical, Beck Center
Travis Smith, RING OF FIRE, Porthouse
2016 OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN IN A NON-MUSICAL OR MUSICAL
*Beau Reinker THE KNIFE IS MONEY, THE FORK IS LOVE, convergence
continuum
Carlton Guc, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center
Daniel McNamara, LINES IN THE DUST, Cleveland Public Theatre
James C. Swonger, THE GOOD PEACHES, Cleveland Play
House/Cleveland Orchestra
Jeremy Dobbins, THE REALISTIC JONESES, Dobama
Joe Court, AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, Great Lakes Theater
Josh Horvath, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Cleveland Play House
Kevin Rutan, SAME TIME NEXT YEAR, Actors’ Summit
Richard Ingraham, MARIE ANTOINETTE, Dobama
Trad A Burns, INTO THE WOODS, Lakeland Civic Theatre
2016 OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN IN A NON-MUSICAL OR MUSICAL
*Charlotte M. Yetman, MY FAIR LADY, Great Lakes Theater
Andrea Hood, LOVE’S LABOURS LOST, Great Lakes Theater
Anne Medlock, FOOTLOOSE, Porthouse
Tesia Dugan Benson, MARIE ANTOINETTE, Dobama
2016 OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN IN A NON-MUSICAL OR MUSICAL
*Jeff Hermann, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center
Kevin Ozan, THE WHIPPING MAN, none-too-fragile
Marcus Dana, MARIE ANTOINETTE, Dobama
Marcus Dana, THE REALISTIC JONESES, Dobama
Rick Martin, AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, Great Lakes Theater
2016 OUTSTANDING ELECTRONIC MEDIA IN A NON-MUSICAL OR MUSICAL
*Adam Zeek, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Beck Center
Ben Gantose, INCENDARIES, Cleveland Public Theatre/Ohio City Theatre
Project
Dan Scully, ALL THE WAY, Cleveland Play House
Dan Scully, THE MOUNTAINTOP, Cleveland Play House
Mike Tuta and Jeremy Dobbins, MARIE ANTOINETTE, Dobama
Perren Hedderson and Zac Hudak, THE 39 STEPS, Blank Canvas
Val Kozlenko, 44 PLAYS FOR 44 PRESIDENTS, Cleveland Public Theater
2016 OUTSTANDING NATIONAL TOURING PRODUCTION
*FUN HOME, Play House Square
KINKY BOOTS, Play House Square
WRESTLING JERUSALEM, Cleveland Public Theatre
LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
David Frazier, the beloved stage performer who appeared in more than 150 Cleveland productions, made his earthly curtain call on March 13, 2016.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Cleveland Play House and the Cleveland Orchestra on their impressive world premiere production of THE GOOD PEACHES.
Playwrights Local for creating a venue for local playwrights to develop their works.
Raymond Bobgan on the occasion of his 10 years of creative leadership at Cleveland Public Theatre.
Victoria Bussert on her 30th anniversary with Great Lakes Theatre.
Near West Theatre for its commitment to empowering children, teens and adults through transformational arts
If any names are spelled incorrectly, or there are errors in identifications, please let me know so I can change the permanent record on www.royberko.info.
If you would like to read any of my reviews for the year, please go to www.royberko.info, enter the blog and click on “2016 Reviews” or click on the name of the producing theatre and scroll through their performances. Reviews from previous years may also be accessed.
