Theatre Tampa Bay award winners announced
With both of St. Petersburg’s large professional theaters out of the running by choice, Tampa companies made an almost-clean sweep of Sunday’s Theatre Tampa Bay Awards. The ceremony was held in Ybor City.
12 Angry Men and Murder on the Orient Express, ensemble plays produced by the venerable Stageworks Theatre, received four and three awards, respectively. Two musicals produced in-house by the David A. Straz Center, Crowns and Nunsense: A-Men, took home three apiece.
St. Petersburg Opera Company’s production of La fille du Regiment delivered an acting prize for soprano Kelly Curtain, while The Pirates of Penzance, from Opera Tampa, received awards for Outstanding Direction of a Musical and Outstanding Choreography.
Theatre Tampa Bay sends judges into the field to review all professional productions. The St. Petersburg professional companies American Stage and freeFall Theater asked to be removed from consideration for the 2021-22 season.
And the awards went to:
Outstanding direction of a Play: Three-way tie: Claireann Despain, Murder on the Orient Express (Stageworks); Karla Hartley, The Diary of Anne Frank (Stageworks); Rosemary Orlando, 12 Angry Men (Stageworks)
Outstanding direction of a Musical: Melissa Misener, The Pirates of Penzance (Opera Tampa)
Outstanding production of a Play: 12 Angry Men
Outstanding production of a Musical: Crowns (Straz Center)
Outstanding scenic design of a Play or Musical: Frank Chavez, 12 Angry Men
Outstanding performance by the Ensemble of a Play: 12 Angry Men
Outstanding performance by the Ensemble of a Musical: Nunsense: A-Men (Straz Center)
Outstanding performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical: Matthew McGee, Nunsense: A-Men
Outstanding performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical: Kelly Curtain, La fille du Regiment (St. Pete Opera)
Outstanding performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play: Giles Davies, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Jobsite)
Outstanding performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play: Nicole Jeanine Smith, Animals Out of Paper (Jobsite)
Outstanding performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play: TR Butler, Murder on the Orient Express (Stageworks)
Outstanding performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play: Susan Haldeman, Murder on the Orient Express
Outstanding performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical: JS McLaughlin, Nunsense: A-Men
Outstanding performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical: Amanda Deady, Cavalleria Rusticana (Opera Tampa)
Outstanding Musical Direction: LaToya McCormick, Crowns
Outstanding Choreography (including Movement, Magic): Casey Hicks, The Pirates of Penzance
Outstanding Fight Direction: Giles Davies, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Jobsite)
Outstanding Costume Design of a Play or Musical: Saidah Ben Judah, Crowns
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play or Musical: Joseph P. Oshrey, Gianni Schicchi/Cavalleria Rusticana (Opera Tampa)
Outstanding Sound Design of a Play or Musical: Jeremy Douglass, The Resistible Rise of Auturo Ui