2010 Column Awards results announced

by John Garcia of John Garcia's The Column

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Uptown Players, Plaza Theatre Company came away the big winners of the night.

The Column Awards, a 501(c)3 nonprofit honoring excellence in theater in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, presented its 11th annual awards Monday night in Carpenter Hall at the Irving Arts Center. Uptown Players and Plaza Theatre Company tied for most wins with 10 each. In all, 17 theaters companies shared 62 awards, divided between Equity and non-Equity productions.

Monday night's gala also made history by having its largest audience turnout ever in their eleven year history. The gala actually doubled its audience attendance, thereby breaking their own attendance record set last year.

The evening, hosted by The Column Awards founder and President John Garcia and Broadway leading man Ron Bohmer, kicked off with the largest opening production number in the show's history. "Sing, Sing, Sing," choreographed by C. Nicholas Morris, featured more than 20 dancers and actors and was set in "The Column Club," the theme for the evening. Following a humorous entrance for Mr. Garcia set to the song "Sit Down, John" performed by the cast of Greater Carnegie Players upcoming production of 1776, Mr. Bohmer wowed the crowd with "This is the Moment" from Jekyll & Hyde. He closed the evening with "Music of the Night" from The Phantom of the Opera, a role played by Mr. Bohmer in the long-running Los Angeles company of the Andrew Lloyd Webber megahit musical. The evening also included performances from many of the nominees for Best Musical in both the Equity and non-Equity divisions.

The evening's top play honors were taken by OnStage in Bedford's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Best Play-Non-Equity) and The History Boys from Dallas's Uptown Players, which, in addition to winning Best Play-Equity, was the evening's most-honored play with nine awards. In the musical categories, Aida, from Cleburne-based Plaza Theatre Company, also took home nine trophies, including Best Musical-Non-Equity, to make it the year's most decorated musical. The Best Musical-Equity award went to The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, produced by Theatre Three in Dallas. A complete list of winners is listed below.

Nominees and winners are selected by readers of "The Column," a national entertainment newsletter distributed via the Internet. From a pool of 80 eligible musicals and 140 eligible plays, six nominees were chosen in 59 categories, split into Equity and non-Equity divisions. The majority of subscribers are local theater artists — actors, producers, designers, choreographers, etc. — but the subscribership also includes many theatergoers and lovers of the art of theater.

More than an awards show, the organization is the only awards organization in the United States to be a major fundraiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA), the nation's leading industry-based HIV/AIDS fundraising and grant-making organization. Each year all money raised (after operating costs) goes to BC/EFA.

2010 COLUMN AWARD WINNERS

Best Musical – Equity -- The 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Theatre Three)

Best Musical - Non-Equity -- AIDA (Plaza Theatre Company)

Best Play – Equity -- HISTORY BOYS (Uptown Players)

Best Play - Non-Equity -- ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (OnStage in Bedford)

Steve Lovett Outstanding New Work by a Local Playwright Award -- Scott A. Eckert, DEATH – THE MUSICAL (Pocket Sandwich Theatre)

Best Director of a Musical - Equity -- Bruce R. Coleman, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Theatre Three)

Best Director of a Musical - Non-Equity -- JaceSon and Tina Barrus, AIDA (Plaza Theatre Company)

Best Director of a Play – Equity -- Bruce R. Coleman, HISTORY BOYS (Uptown Players)

Best Director of a Play - Non-Equity -- Bill Fountain & Lisa Long, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (OnStage in Bedford)

Best Music Director of a Musical – Equity -- Jay Dias, FUNNY GIRL (Lyric Stage)

Best Music Director of a Musical - Non-Equity -- Dick Helmcamp, AIDA (Plaza Theatre Company)

Best Choreography of a Musical – Equity -- Kelly McCain, BREATHE (Uptown Players)

Best Choreography of a Musical – Non-Equity -- Eddie Floresca, WEST SIDE STORY (Artisan Center Theater)

Best Stage Manager of a Musical – Equity -- Doug Miller, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Theatre Three)

Best Stage Manager of a Musical - Non-Equity -- Stefanie Glenn, Monica Glenn, Karen Trahan, AIDA (Plaza Theatre Company)

Best Stage Manager of a Play – Equity -- Amy Fisher Hughes, THE HISTORY BOYS (Uptown Players)

Best Stage Manager of a Play - Non-Equity -- Tom Ortiz, ALL MY SONS (ICT Mainstage)

Best Actor in a Musical – Equity -- Dennis Canright, RUTHLESS! THE MUSICAL (Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre)

Best Actor in a Musical - Non-Equity (TIE) -- Stan Graner, MY FAIR LADY (Artisan Center Theater) and Tom DeWester, MAN OF LA MANCHA (OnStage in Bedford)

Best Actor in a Play – Equity (TIE) -- Bradley Campbell, THE HISTORY BOYS (Uptown Players) and Chris Robinson, GREATER TUNA (Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre)

Best Actor in a Play - Non-Equity (TIE) -- Jeff Swearingen, HELLO HUMAN FEMALE (Audacity Theatre Lab) and Elias Taylorson, TALK RADIO (Upstart Productions)

Best Actress in a Musical – Equity -- Diana Sheehan, GREY GARDENS (WaterTower Theatre)

Best Actress in a Musical - Non-Equity -- Feleceia Benton, AIDA (Plaza Theatre Company)

Best Actress in a Play – Equity -- Liz Mikel, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (Dallas Theater Center)

Best Actress in a Play - Non-Equity -- Arianna Movassagh, HELLO HUMAN FEMALE (Audacity Theatre Lab)

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical – Equity -- Darius-Anthony Robinson, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Theatre Three)

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical - Non-Equity -- Shane Strawbridge, EVIL DEAD THE MUSICAL (Level Ground Arts)

Best Supporting Actor in a Play – Equity -- Alexander Ross, THE HISTORY BOYS (Uptown Players)

Best Supporting Actor in a Play - Non-Equity -- Brad Stephens, ALL MY SONS (ICT Mainstage)

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical – Equity -- Megan Kelly-Bates, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Theatre Three)

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical - Non-Equity -- Courtney Sikora, AIDA (Plaza Theatre Company)

Best Supporting Actress in a Play – Equity -- Wendy Welch, THE HISTORY BOYS (Uptown Players)

Best Supporting Actress in a Play - Non-Equity -- Dana Harrison, STEEL MAGNOLIAS (Richardson Theatre Centre)

Best Featured Actor in a Musical – Equity -- Alexander Ross, FUNNY GIRL (Lyric Stage)

Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Non-Equity -- Alex Rodriguez, CHICAGO (Music Theatre of Denton)

Best Featured Actor in a Play – Equity -- John Venable, THE ROYAL FAMILY (Theatre Three)

Best Featured Actor in a Play - Non-Equity -- JaceSon Barrus, CASH ON DELIVERY (Plaza Theatre Company)

Best Featured Actress in a Musical – Equity -- Pam Dougherty, GREY GARDENS (WaterTower Theatre)

Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Non-Equity -- Crystal Hires, AIDA (Plaza Theatre Company)

Best Featured Actress in a Play – Equity -- Carrie Slaughter, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (Contemporary Theatre of Dallas)

Best Featured Actress in a Play - Non-Equity -- Lulu Ward, TALK RADIO (Upstart Productions)

Best Costume Design of a Musical – Equity -- Bruce R. Coleman, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Theatre Three)

Best Costume Design of a Musical – Non-Equity -- Tina Barrus, AIDA (Plaza Theatre Company)

Best Costume Design of a Play – Equity -- Ryan Matthieu Smith, GREATER TUNA (Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre)

Best Costume Design of a Play - Non-Equity -- Ande Bewley, PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE (Level Ground Arts)

Best Lighting Design of a Musical – Equity -- Amanda West, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Theatre Three)

Best Lighting Design of a Musical - Non-Equity -- Julie Moroney, ALTAR BOYZ (Uptown Players)

Best Lighting Design of a Play – Equity -- Tyler Micoleau, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (Dallas Theater Center)

Best Lighting Design of a Play - Non-Equity -- Sam Nance, ALL MY SONS (ICT Mainstage)

Best Scenic Design of a Musical – Equity -- Jeffrey Schmidt, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Theatre Three)

Best Scenic Design of a Musical - Non-Equity -- Dennis Canright and Jason Leyva, WEST SIDE STORY (Artisan Center Theater)

Best Scenic Design of a Play – Equity -- Clare Floyd DeVries, THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF A TRAILER TRASH HOUSEWIFE (Uptown Players)

Best Scenic Design of a Play - Non-Equity -- Wade Giampa, ALL MY SONS (ICT Mainstage)

Best Sound Design of a Musical - Equity -- Bill Eickenloff, FUNNY GIRL (Lyric Stage)

Best Sound Design of a Musical - Non-Equity -- G. Aaron Siler, AIDA (Plaza Theatre Company)

Best Sound Design of a Play – Equity -- Andi Allen, THE HISTORY BOYS (Uptown Players)

Best Sound Design of a Play - Non-Equity -- Bill Fountain, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (OnStage in Bedford)

Chita Rivera Dance Award – Male -- Michael Sylvester, WEST SIDE STORY (Artisan Center Theater)

Chita Rivera Dance Award – Female -- Gina Gwozdz, WEST SIDE STORY (Artisan Center Theater)

Kathleen Freeman Award: Delynda Johnson Moravec

Rudy Seppy Volunteer Award: Richard S. Blake

Ben Brettell Youth Award – Male --Cayman Mitchell and Seth Cunningham

Ben Brettell Youth Award – Female -- Mary McElree and Mandy Smith

2010 WADE GIAMPA SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT: Patrick Griffin

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