Times Theatre Tributes--2006
Greater Cleveland is blessed with a vital theatre scene. It is the purpose of the TIMES THEATRE TRIBUTES to recognize theatrical experiences that, in the mind of this reviewer, were excellent and deserve special recognition.
Only shows performed in 2006 which I reviewed were considered. Selections were limited to locally produced stagings, so none of the professional touring shows are recognized, though actors, directors and technicians who were imported by local theatres were considered. Actors are not separated by gender or leading or supporting roles.
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 “2006 Reviews.” Reviews from previous years may also be accessed.
Thanks to the following for making the 2006 theatre scene in the Cleveland area stimulating and memorable:
PLAY
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (GLTF)
A NUMBER (Dobama)
A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (Beck)
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Beck)
BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (Carousel)
CHARLOTTE’S WEB (CPH)—Alex and Noah Berko’s special children’s recognition
citation
DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (Beck)
FEFU AND HER FRIENDS (CPT)
LIES AND LEGENDS: THE MUSIC OF HARRY CHAPIN (Beck)
M4M (CPT)
MO PAS CONNIN OR TORMENT (CPT)
MY FAIR LADY (CPH)
NIGHT BLOOMERS (Dobama)
OUR TOWN (Porthouse)
RABBIT HOLE (CPH)
SORROWS AND REJOICINGS (Ensemble)
SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE (Lakeland Theatre)
THE PILLOWMAN (Dobama)
WELL (CPH)
DIRECTOR
Michael Bloom, WELL (CPH)
Raymond Bobgan, FEFU AND HER FRIENDS (CPT)
Michael Brown, RABBIT HOLE (CPH)
Vicki Bussert, BUDDY, THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (Carousel)
Victoria Bussert, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
(GLTF)
Licia Colombi, SORROWS AND REJOICINGS (Ensemble)
Amanda Dehnert, MY FAIR LADY (CPH)
Matthew Earnest, OUR TOWN (Porthouse)
Martin Friedman, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE (Lakeland Theatre)
Craig J. George, M4M (CPT)
Mark Alan Gordon, CHARLOTTE’S WEB (CPH)
Sarah May, DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (Beck)
Sonya Robbins, A NUMBER (Dobama)
William Roudebush, LIES AND LEGENDS: THE MUSIC OF HARRY CHAPIN,
(Beck)
Eric Schmiedl, NIGHT BLOOMERS (Dobama)
Scott Spence, A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (Beck)
Fred Sternfeld, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Beck)
PERFORMER
Denise Astorino, AND BABY MAKES 7 (convergence)
Starla Benford, STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (CPH)
Sonia Bishop, SORROWS AND REJOICINGS (Ensemble)
Mary Ann Black, DAMES AT SEA (Porthouse)
Lucy Bredeson-Smith, A MURDER OF CROWS (covergence)
Lucy Bredeson-Smith, ICARUS (convergence)
Jodi Brinkman, THE PARTY (Kalliope Stage)
Michael Butler, CUSTODY OF THE EYES, (CPH)
Lucas Caleb , STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (CPH)
Bernadette Clements, MRS. WARREN’S PROFESSION (BECK)
Glenn Colerider, WHEN THE WORLD WAS GREEN (Cesear’s Forum)
Aimee Collier, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE (Lakeland Theatre)
Liz Conway, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (Lakeland Theatre)
Timothy Crowe, MY FAIR LADY (CPH)
Troy Deutsch, RABBIT HOLE (CPH)
Denny Dillon, WELL, (CPH)
Nina Domingue, MO PAS CONNIN OR TORMENT (CPT)
Keith Faris, THE FULL MONTY (Beck)
Heather Farr, DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (Beck)
Dan Folino, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Beck)
Tom Ford, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
(GLTF)
Natalie Green, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Beck)
Joel Hammer, A NUMBER (Dobama)
Jeffrey C. Hawkins, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY FORUM
(GLTF)
Geoffrey Hoffman, POONA, THE ****DOG, (continuence)
Holly Holsinger, FEFU AND HER FRIENDS (CPT)
Alicia Kahn, ARMS AND THE MAN (Actors’ Summit)
Geoff Knox, M4M (CPT)
Nick Koesters, NIGHT BLOOMERS (Dobama)
Nick Koesters, GREATER TUNA (Beck)
Julia Kolibab, PACK OF LIES (Cesear’s Forum)
Todd Krispinski, A NUMBER (Dobama)
Todd Krispinski, THE PILLOWMAN (Dobama)
Emily Leonard, DAMES AT SEA (Porthouse)
Kelly Mares, STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (CPH)
William Clarence Marshall, PORGY AND BESS (Beck)
Renee Mathews-Jackson, SORROWS AND REJOICINGS (Ensemble)
Michael Mauldin, M4M (CPT)
Mitch McCarrell, HAIR (Cain Park)
Pat McRoberts, BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (Carousel)
Jason Miller, CHARLOTTE’S WEB (CPH)
Melodie Moore, THE PARTY (Kalliope Stage)
Sarah Portz, SPITFIRE GRILL (Clague Playhouse)
Angela Reed, RABBIT HOLE (CPH)
Alicia Roper, WELL (CPH)
George Roth, DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (Beck)
Wes Shofner POONA, THE ****DOG, (continuence)
Dorothy Silver, MRS. WARREN’S PROFESSION (Beck)
Clyde Simon, ICARUS (convergence)
Lenne Snively, A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (Beck)
Lenne Snively, THE FULL MONTY (Beck)
Richard Strimer, SINGING IN THE RAIN (Carousel)
Jeanne Task, FROM DOOR TO DOOR (JCC)
Lelund Durond Thompson, CHARLOTTE’S WEB (CPH)
Rachel Warren, MY FAIR LADY (CPH)
John Woodson, OUR TOWN (Porthouse)
Matthew Wright, A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (Beck)
Ensemble cast:
FEFU AND HER FRIENDS (BECK)
LIES AND LEGENDS: THE MUSIC OF HARRY CHAPIN (Beck)
M4M (CPT)
TECHNICIANS
Russ Broski, set design, NIGHT BLOOMERS, (Dobama)
Kim Brown, costume design, NITE CLUB CONFIDENTIAL (Kalliope)
Kim Brown, costume design, WILD PARTY (Kalliope)
Trad Burns, lighting design, PORGY AND BESS (Beck)
Nicole Franchiseur, costume design, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE
WAY TO THE FORUM (GLTF)
Richard Gould, set design, DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (Beck)
Joan Horvitz, costume design, FEFU AND HER FRIENDS (CPT)
Richard Ingraham, sound design, HAMLET (Beck)
Richard Ingraham, sound design, DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (Beck)
Richard Ingraham. sound design, NIGHT BLOOMERS (Dobama)
Aimee Kluiber, costume design, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Beck)
Todd Krispinski, scenic design, A NUMBER, (Dobama)
Jeff Lockshine, lighting design, DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (Beck)
Don McBride, scenic design, HAMLET (Beck)
Ben Needham, scenic design, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Beck)
Devon Painter, costume design, MY FAIR LADY (CPH)
Russell Parkman, scenic design, RABBIT HOLE (CPH)
Neil Patel, set design, RFK (CPH)
Maureen Patterson, lighting design, NIGHT BLOOMERS (Dobama)
Steven Shultz, projections, LET FREEDOM RING! (Ensemble)
Jenniver Sparano, costume design, MRS. WARREN’S PROFESSION (Beck)
Jenniver Sparano, costume design, M4M (CPT)
Nicole Franchiseur, costumes design, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE
WAY TO THE FORUM (GLTF)
Don Wadsworth, dialects, MY FAIR LADY (CPH)
Donald Wasson, costume design/hats, FEFU AND HER FRIENDS (CPT)
MUSICAL DIRECTION
John Jay Espino, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (GLTF)
John Franks, SPITFIRE GRILL (Clague Playhouse)
Larry Goodpaster, A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (Beck)
Larry Goodpaster, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Beck)
Larry Goodpaster, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE (Lakeland Theatre)
Larry Goodpaster, THE FULL MONTY (Beck)
Nancy Maier, LIES AND LEGENDS: THE MUSIC OF HARRY CHAPIN (Beck)
Nancy Maier, LET FREEDOM RING! (Ensemble)
Michael P. Hamilton, THE WILD PARTY (Kalliope)
Steve Parson, BUDDY: BUDDY HOLLY STORE (Carousel)
Tim Robertson, vocal supervision, MY FAIR LADY (CPH)
Matthew Webb. HAIR (Cain Park)
CHOREOGRAPHY
Martin Cespedes, THE FULL MONTY (Beck)
Martin Cespedes, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Beck)
Janeice Kelley-Kitely, HAIR (Cain Park)
Janet Louer, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
(GLTF)
Michael Medcalf, WILD PARTY (Kalliope)
Sean Morrissey , DAMES AT SEA (Porthouse)
Monica Olejko, LIES AND LEGENDS: THE MUSIC OF HARRY CHAPIN (Beck)
David Shimotakahara and Pandora Robertson, LET FREEDOM RING (Ensemble)
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Dean Gladden. For service to the Cleveland Play House and the Cleveland
theatre community
Julie Fogel. For outstanding public relations services at the Cleveland Play House
THE BEST OF THE BEST
I have been asked why I don’t select my “best of the best” for each season. So, to satisfy those requests, I present my selections:
2006 BEST OF THE BEST DRAMAS: DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (Beck), A NUMBER (Dobama), M4M (CPT)
2006 BEST OF THE BEST MUSICALS: A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (Beck), MY FAIR LADY (CPH), BUDDY, THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (Carousel)
