 |
Razzle Dazzle
Chicago breezes through the 16th Annual Big Easy Entertainment Awards with eight theatre nominations.
By
David Lee Simmons
 |
|
Karen Hebert and John Grimsley earned two of the eight nominations for Chicago.
|
Le Petit's mounting of Chicago almost did to the 16th Annual Big Easy Entertainment Awards what the recent film version did to the Oscars. The local production of the popular Broadway musical earned eight nominations, while the film version had 13. Whether the Big Easy Entertainment Awards will be swept away by the musical homage to the Windy City won't be known until the awards are handed out at 6 p.m. Monday, April 21, in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Riverside New Orleans Hotel. National Public Radio and The Simpsons co-star (and part-time New Orleanian) Harry Shearer will return as host for the awards, which also honor achievement in music. (Music nominees will be announced in next week's issue.)
Shearer will be assisted by Honorary Theatre Chairman Bob Bruce of the NORD Theatre. Veteran New Orleans actor Harold Evans will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in Theatre.
V.I.P. tickets are $125 and include an open bar, buffet dinner, special reserved seating for the awards ceremonies and the Celebration Bash at Club 360 that follows. Tables for 10 are $1,000 if purchased by March 31. To purchase tickets contact Lindsay Moylan at 486-5900, ext. 160. The Big Easy Entertainment Awards benefit the Foundation for Entertainment Development and Education, which supports projects that nurture the future talent of New Orleans in the performing arts. The sponsors for the event include Absolut Vodka, Harrah's New Orleans Casino, John Jay, Gambit Weekly,
Barefoot Wine Cellars and Coleman E. Adler & Sons.
2003 THEATRE AWARDS NOMINATIONS
Best Musical
Chicago, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux
Carré
Crazy for You, Rivertown Repertory Theatre
Leader of the Pack, Le Petit Theatre
du Vieux Carré
1776, Rivertown Repertory Theatre
Best Drama
Earl Long in Purgatory, Robert Couhig and The Evangeline Theatre Company
No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs, Anthony Bean Community Theater
 |
|
Karl Lengel received a nomination for Gross Indeceny.
|
Spinning Into Butter, Southern Repertory Theatre
Visiting Mr. Green, Coliseum Productions
Best Comedy
Dirty Blonde, All Kinds of Theatre/Director's Studio of Le Petit Theatre
du Vieux Carré
Fully Committed, All Kinds of Theatre
The Ritz, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux
Carré
Best Director (Comedy or Drama)
John Grimsley, Gross Indecency, Dog & Pony Theatre Company and the Contemporary
Arts
Center
Perry Martin, Earl Long in Purgatory, Robert Couhig and The Evangeline Theatre
Company
Carl Walker, Dirty Blonde, All Kinds
of Theatre/Director's Studio of Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
 |
|
Lara Grice and Liz Argus scored nominations for their work in Victor/Victoria.
|
Best Director (Musical)
Sonny Borey and Derek Franklin, Chicago, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
Alton Geno and Kelly Fouchi, Crazy for You, Rivertown Repertory Theatre
Diane Lala, Victor/Victoria, Tulane Summer Lyric Theater
Best
Choreography
Alton Geno and Kelly Fouchi, , Rivertown Repertory Theatre
Karen Hebert, and Anything Goes, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
Ed Kresley, Annie Get Your Gun, Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre
Best Set Design
Hugh Lester, Love's Labour's Lost, The Shakespeare Festival at Tulane
 |
|
Gwendolyn Foxworth, Oliver Thomas, Lauren Blanchard, Anastacia Scott in Anthony Bean's No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs which scored five nominations.
|
Rick Paul, Annie Get Your Gun, Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre
Chad Talkington, No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs,
Anthony Bean Community Theater
Bill Walker, Leader of the Pack, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
Best Lighting Design
Hugh Lester, Love's Labour's Lost, The Shakespeare Festival at Tulane
Martin Sachs, Dirty Blonde, All Kinds
of Theatre/Director's Studio of Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
Bill Walker, Leader of the Pack, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
Best Costume Design
Cecile Casey Covert, Suddenly Last Summer,
Dog & Pony
Theatre Company, Southeastern Louisiana University, Tennessee Williams/New
Orleans Literary
Festival, and the Contemporary Arts Center
Linda Fried, Anything Goes, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
 |
|
Crazy for You copped six nominations, including one for Gary Rucker (pictured) and the costumes.
|
Trish McLain, Crazy for You and 1776, Rivertown Repertory Theatre
Best Performance by a Child
Gabrielle Porter, Flora the Red Menace, NORD Theatre
Katherine Raymond, No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs, Anthony Bean Community Theater
Anastacia Scott, No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs, Anthony
Bean Community Theater
Bryan Wagar, Schoolhouse Rock!, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
Best Actress in a Play (Comedy or Drama)
Becky Allen, Dirty Blonde, All Kinds
of Theatre/Director's Studio of Le Petit Theatre
du Vieux Carré
Adriana Bate, Wit, Theatricks
Gwendolyne Foxworth, No Niggers, No Jews, No
Dogs, Anthony Bean Community Theater
 |
|
Fully Committed, which reopens this weekend at Le Petit, earned nominations for Best Comedy and Best Actor (Sean Patterson, pictured).
|
Diana Shortes, Suddenly Last Summer Dog & Pony Theatre Company, Southeastern
Louisiana University, Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, and
the Contemporary Arts Center
Best Actor in Play (Comedy or Drama)
Karl Lengel, Gross Indecency, Dog & Pony Theatre Company and the Contemporary
Arts
Center
John McConnell, Earl Long in Purgatory, Robert Couhig and The Evangeline Theatre
Company
Sean Patterson, Full Committed, All Kinds of Theatre
Best Actress in a Musical
Liz Argus, Victor/Victoria, Tulane Summer Lyric Theater
Karen Hebert, Chicago, Le Petit Theatre
du Vieux Carré
Cynthia Owen, Leader of the Pack, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
Best Actor in a Musical
 |
|
Dirty Blonde earned six nominations, including acting nods to Becky Allen (center) and Bob Edes.
|
John Grimsley, Chicago, Le Petit Theatre
du Vieux Carré
Jimmy Murphy, Anything Goes, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
Gary Rucker, Crazy for You, Rivertown Repertory Theatre
Best Supporting Actress in a Play (Comedy or Drama)
Lara Grice, The Ritz, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
Charlotte Schully, Wit, Theatricks
Carol Sutton, Jar the Floor, Anthony Bean Community Theatre
Best Supporting Actor in a Play (Comedy or Drama)
Bob Edes Jr., Dirty Blonde, All Kinds of Theatre/Director's Studio of
Le Petit Theatre
du Vieux Carré
Gavin Mahlie, Spinning Into Butter, Southern Repertory Theatre
 |
|
John McConnell earned one of three nominations for Earl Long in Purgatory.
|
Patrick Mendelson, The Ritz, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
Terri Gervais, 1776, Rivertown Repertory Theatre
Lara Grice, Victor/Victoria, Tulane Summer Lyric Theater
Heidi Junius, Black & White Blues, The Producers Circle
Cathie Chopin Weinstein, Chicago,
Le Petit
Theatre du Vieux Carré
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
Rendell DeBose, Songs in the Key of Life, Dog & Pony Theatre Company
Greg DiLeo, Smoke on the Mountain, Rivertown Repertory Theatre
Dane Rhodes, Chicago,
Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
Best Musical Director
Brandt Blocker, Leader of the Pack, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
Derek Franklin, Chicago, Le Petit
Theatre du Vieux Carré
Harry Mayronne Jr., Dirty Blonde,
All Kinds of Theatre/Director's Studio of Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
Flo Presti, , Rivertown Repertory Theatre
Best Original Work in Theatre
Black & White Blues, Ricky Graham, The Producers Circle
Earl Long in Purgatory, Jason Berry; Robert Couhig and The Evangeline Theatre
Company
Trust Fund Babies, R.J. Tsarov, self-produced
Best University Theatre Production
Dreamgirls, Delgado University
Glengarry Glen Ross, University of New Orleans
Moonchildren, Loyola University

Other Stories This Week in Features:
Cover Story
Inside the Mind of R.J. Tsarov
Feature Story
Street Regal
The Stuff of Legend
Blake Pontchartrain
New Orleans Know-It-All
Shoptalk
The Beauty of Relaxation
Recently in Feature Story:
Health Talk 03 04 03
Health News 03 04 03
The Mackie Report 03 04 03
Feature Story Archives
Other Stories by David Lee Simmons:
The Cockettes 03 04 03
Perfect Ten 02 11 03
Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bete) 02 11 03
David Lee Simmons Archives

|
 |