Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee Announces Equity Award Nominations

Casting a wide net honoring smaller off–Loop houses and suburban theatres along with downtown main stages, The Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee announced 155 nominations in 28 categories for Chicago's Equity theatrical productions which opened between August 1, 2005 and July 31, 2006. The Jeff Committee sent judges to the opening nights of 123 Equity productions offered by 51 producing organizations, and recommended 92 of these productions for further judging by the entire Committee, which made them eligible for Jeff Awards.

The Jeff Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, November 6, 2006, at the DePaul Merle Reskin Theatre, 60 Balbo Drive, Chicago, IL. A pre-show light buffet and cash bar across the street at the Hilton Chicago’s Normandie Lounge, 720 South Michigan Avenue, runs from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, and the awards ceremony at the DePaul Merle Reskin Theatre begins at 8:00 pm. Doors open at 7:30 pm for the ceremony. Tickets for both the ceremony and the pre-show buffet are $65 ($50 for members of Actors’ Equity Association, United Scenic Artists, Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and the Dramatists Guild of America). Ceremony-only tickets are $35. To purchase tickets visit the Jeff Committee’s website at www.jeffawards.org where tickets can be purchased on-line with a credit card or where mail ordering instructions can be found.

Court Theatre, Goodman Theatre and Marriott Theatre led all nominees with 13 nominations each. Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Northlight Theatre had 12 nominations each, and Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place received 11 nominations.

Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place’s Grand Hotel: The Musical, the third production of their only producing season, led all nominees with 9 total nominations. Urinetown (Blue Dog Entertainment, LLC) received 7 nominations. Court Theatre’s Man of La Mancha and August Wilson’s Fences each received 6 nominations. Goodman Theatre’s nominations were spread among 5 productions, including The Clean House and Pericles, with 3 nominations each. Marriott Theatre’s nominations include one for their new musical Once Upon a Time in New Jersey and 4 each for Oliver! and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Northlight Theatre’s season included Pride and Prejudice and A Marvelous Party: The Noel Coward Celebration, each with 5 nominations. Spelling Bee Chicago’s still-running musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee received 3 nominations.

As further testament to the strength of Chicago’s reputation as a host to new theatrical work, New Work – Musical became a separate category this season. Nominees are Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein (About Face Theatre) with 6 nominations; Sita Ram (Lookingglass Theatre Company with Chicago Children’s Choir and Natya Dance Theatre) with 3 nominations; and Once Upon a Time in New Jersey (Marriott Theatre) with 2 nominations.

Two nominations in the New Work – Play category went to 2 new efforts from playwright Lydia R. Diamond: Voyeurs de Venus at Chicago Dramatists and Stick Fly at Congo Square Theatre Company. Other individual multiple nominees include actor Greg Vinkler (recipient of two previous Jeff Awards), chosen for each of his three performances in such diverse productions as Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Henry IV, Part 1 and 2, Writers’ Theatre’s The Uneasy Chair, and Marriott Theatre’s Oliver!; director and writer Frank Galati with 3 nominations; and André Pluess with a rare 5 nominations in the Sound Design and Original Incidental Music categories.

A new category was also added for Solo Performances, with 3 nominees: Mary Beth Peil in M. Proust (About Face Theatre), Michael Patrick Thornton in The Good Thief (The Gift Theatre), and Stephen Lang in Beyond Glory (Goodman Theatre).

The mission of The Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee, founded in 1968, is to honor excellence in theatrical productions in the Chicago theatre community. Originally chartered to recognize Equity productions, the Citations (non–Equity) wing was established in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non–union Chicago theatre. The Jeff Committee, composed of theatre professionals and experienced theatergoers, evaluates approximately 250 theatrical productions and holds two awards ceremonies each year. The Citations Awards are presented in early June. The Equity ceremony will be held on Monday, November 6, 2006.

Complete list of Jeff Equity Nominations
Production – Play
Bus Stop, Writers' Theatre
The Clean House, Goodman Theatre
Dealer's Choice, Shattered Globe Theatre
Fences, Court Theatre
A Flea in Her Ear, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Pride and Prejudice, Northlight Theatre

Production – Musical
Grand Hotel: The Musical, Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place
Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein, About Face Theatre
Man of La Mancha, Court Theatre
Oliver!, Marriott Theatre
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Spelling Bee Chicago
Urinetown, Blue Dog Entertainment, LLC

Production – Revue
Iraqtile Dysfunction, The Second City
A Marvelous Party: The Noel Coward Celebration, Northlight Theatre and Geva Theatre Center
Plaid Tidings, Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place
War! Now In Its 4th Smash Year!, The Second City

Ensemble
Bus Stop, Writers' Theatre
Dealer's Choice, Shattered Globe Theatre
Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein, About Face Theatre
Man of La Mancha, Court Theatre
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Spelling Bee Chicago
War! Now In Its 4th Smash Year!, The Second City

New Work – Play
Chadwick Boseman, Deep Azure, Congo Square Theatre Company
Lonnie Carter, Wheatley, Victory Gardens Theater
Lydia R. Diamond, Stick Fly, Congo Square Theatre Company
Lydia R. Diamond, Voyeurs de Venus, Chicago Dramatists
Mary Zimmerman, M. Proust, About Face Theatre

New Work – Musical
Will Clinger & James FitzGerald, Two for the Show, Theater Wit
Susan DiLallo & Stephen Weiner, Once Upon a Time in New Jersey, Marriott Theatre
Stephen Flaherty & Frank Galati, Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein, About Face Theatre
David Kersnar & Jai Uttal, Sita Ram, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Chicago Children's Choir and Natya Dance Theatre

New Adaptation
Raymond Fox, Heidi Stillman & Laura Eason, The Old Curiosity Shop, Lookingglass Theatre Company
Frank Galati, after the quake, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Michael Halberstam, The Duchess of Malfi, Writers' Theatre
David Ives, A Flea in Her Ear, Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Director – Play
Peter Amster, Pride and Prejudice, Northlight Theatre
Gary Griffin, A Flea in Her Ear, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Michael Halberstam, The Uneasy Chair, Writers' Theatre
Shade Murray, The Chosen, Writers' Theatre
Ron OJ Parson, Fences, Court Theatre
Steve Scott, Dealer's Choice, Shattered Globe Theatre

Director – Musical
David H. Bell, Oliver!, Marriott Theatre
Frank Galati, Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein, About Face Theatre
James Lapine, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Spelling Bee Chicago
Mark Lococo, Dessa Rose, Apple Tree Theatre
Tom Mullen, Urinetown, Blue Dog Entertainment, LLC
Charles Newell, Man of La Mancha, Court Theatre
Michael Weber, Grand Hotel: The Musical, Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place

Director – Revue
David Ira Goldstein, A Marvelous Party: The Noel Coward Celebration, Northlight Theatre and Geva Theatre Center
Kurt Johns, The Water Coolers: An Office Musical, The Lakeshore Theater, Libby Adler Mages, Tony D'Angelo, Michael Hendricks and Daniel Pawlus
Stuart Ross, Plaid Tidings, Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place
Mark Warzecha, War! Now In Its 4th Smash Year!, The Second City
Ron West, Iraqtile Dysfunction, The Second City

Actor in a Principal Role – Play
A. C. Smith, Fences, Court Theatre
David Darlow, Power, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
Guy Van Swearingen, The Sea Horse, A Red Orchid Theatre
Greg Vinkler, The Uneasy Chair, Writers' Theatre
Greg Vinkler, Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Joseph Wycoff, Private Lives, First Folio Shakespeare Festival

Actor in a Principal Role – Musical
Michael Buchanan, Urinetown, Blue Dog Entertainment, LLC
Tyler Hanes, Footloose, Marriott Theatre
Michael Aaron Lindner, The Secret Garden, Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
James Rank, Grand Hotel: The Musical, Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place
Jacques C. Smith, Purlie, Goodman Theatre and Pasadena Playhouse
Greg Vinkler, Oliver!, Marriott Theatre

Actress in a Principal Role – Play
Yetide Badaki, I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda, Victory Gardens Theater
Carey Cannon, Pride and Prejudice, Northlight Theatre
Kirsten Fitzgerald, The Sea Horse, A Red Orchid Theatre
Nambi E. Kelley, Crumbs From the Table of Joy, Goodman Theatre
Rondi Reed, The Retreat From Moscow, Northlight Theatre
Ann Whitney, Three Tall Women, Apple Tree Theatre
Jacqueline Williams, Fences, Court Theatre

Actress in a Principal Role – Musical
Karla Beard, Dessa Rose, Apple Tree Theatre
Rebecca Finnegan, Gypsy, Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
Cindy Gold, Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein, About Face Theatre
Tari Kelly, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Marriott Theatre
Johanna McKenzie Miller, The Sound of Music, Theatre at the Center
Susan Moniz, Dessa Rose, Apple Tree Theatre
Yahdina U'Deen, Nina Simone: The High Priestess Speaks, Black Ensemble Theater

Solo Performance
Stephen Lang, Beyond Glory, Goodman Theatre
Mary Beth Peil, M. Proust, About Face Theatre
Michael Patrick Thornton, The Good Thief, The Gift Theatre

Actor in a Supporting Role – Play
Rick Boynton, A Flea in Her Ear, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Thomas J. Cox, The Old Curiosity Shop, Lookingglass Theatre Company
Anthony Crivello, A Flea in Her Ear, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Matt DeCaro, Romance, Goodman Theatre
Steve Haggard, Kimberly Akimbo, A Red Orchid Theatre
Scott Jaeck, Much Ado About Nothing, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Jayce Ryan, The Glass Menagerie, The Gift Theatre

Actor in a Supporting Role – Musical
Larry Adams, Oklahoma!, Theatre at the Center
Jon Frazier, Urinetown, Blue Dog Entertainment, LLC
Brian Herriott, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Marriott Theatre
Jeff Kuhl, Grand Hotel: The Musical, Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place
Roger Mueller, State Fair, Marriott Theatre

Actress in a Supporting Role – Play
Ella Joyce, Crumbs From the Table of Joy, Goodman Theatre
Linsey Page Morton, Bus Stop, Writers' Theatre
Eileen Niccolai, The House of Blue Leaves, Shattered Globe Theatre
Hollis Resnik, The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Apple Tree Theatre
Gwendolyn Whiteside, St. Scarlet, American Theater Company

Actress in a Supporting Role – Musical
E. Faye Butler, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Marriott Theatre
Dina DiCostanzo, Grand Hotel: The Musical, Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place
Roni Geva, Urinetown, Blue Dog Entertainment, LLC
Angela Ingersoll, The Secret Garden, Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
Susan Moniz, The Spitfire Grill, Provision Theater Company
Barbara Robertson, Grand Hotel: The Musical, Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place
Christine Sherrill, Once Upon a Time in New Jersey, Marriott Theatre

Actor in a Revue
Matthew Amador, The Water Coolers: An Office Musical, The Lakeshore Theater, Libby Adler Mages, Tony D'Angelo, Michael Hendricks and Daniel Pawlus
Carl Danielsen, A Marvelous Party: The Noel Coward Celebration, Northlight Theatre and Geva Theatre Center
Brian Gallivan, Iraqtile Dysfunction, The Second City
Brian Gallivan, War! Now In Its 4th Smash Year!, The Second City

Actress in a Revue Anna Lauris, A Marvelous Party: The Noel Coward Celebration, Northlight Theatre and Geva Theatre Center
Holly Stauder, The Water Coolers: An Office Musical, The Lakeshore Theater, Libby Adler Mages, Tony D'Angelo, Michael Hendricks and Daniel Pawlus

Choreography
David H. Bell, Footloose, Marriott Theatre
Brian Loeffler, Urinetown, Blue Dog Entertainment, LLC
Tammy Mader, Grand Hotel: The Musical, Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place
Krithika Rajagopalan, Sita Ram, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Chicago Children's Choir and Natya Dance Theatre
Kenneth Lee Roberson, Purlie, Goodman Theatre and Pasadena Playhouse
Marc Robin, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Marriott Theatre

Scenic Design
John Culbert, Man of La Mancha, Court Theatre
Kevin Hagan, Dealer's Choice, Shattered Globe Theatre
Jack Magaw, Bus Stop, Writers' Theatre
Jack Magaw, Fences, Court Theatre
Robert C. Martin, Grand Hotel: The Musical, Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place
Todd Rosenthal, The Clean House, Goodman Theatre
Grant Sabin, The Sea Horse, A Red Orchid Theatre

Costume Design
Mara Blumenfeld, Pericles, Goodman Theatre
Mara Blumenfeld, A Flea in Her Ear, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Gail Brassard, Pride and Prejudice, Northlight Theatre
Rachel Anne Healy, Power, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
Virgil C. Johnson, Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Nancy Missimi, Oliver!, Marriott Theatre

Sound Design
Mikhail Fiksel & André Pluess, Blind Mouth Singing, Teatro Vista
Joshua Horvath & Ray Nardelli, Fences, Court Theatre
Lindsay Jones, Hecuba, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
André Pluess, The Old Curiosity Shop, Lookingglass Theatre Company
André Pluess & Ben Sussman, Pericles, Goodman Theatre

Lighting Design
Brian Sidney Bembridge, Grand Hotel: The Musical, Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place
Chris Binder, Pride and Prejudice, Northlight Theatre
T. J. Gerckens, The Old Curiosity Shop, Lookingglass Theatre Company
T. J. Gerckens, Pericles, Goodman Theatre
Mark McCullough, Man of La Mancha, Court Theatre
Michael Philippi, A Life in the Theatre, Goodman Theatre
Marcus Stubblefield, The Glass Menagerie, Court Theatre

Musical Direction
Carl Danielsen, A Marvelous Party: The Noel Coward Celebration, Northlight Theatre and Geva Theatre Center
Margaret James, The Pirates of Penzance, Drury Lane Oakbrook
Josephine Lee, Sita Ram, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Chicago Children's Choir and Natya Dance Theatre
Tom Murray, Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein, About Face Theatre
Doug Peck, Dessa Rose, Apple Tree Theatre
Doug Peck, Man of La Mancha, Court Theatre
Michael Sobie, Urinetown, Blue Dog Entertainment, LLC

Original Incidental Music
Marc Desormeaux, Much Ado About Nothing, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Alaric Jans & Lindsay Jones, Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
André Pluess & Ben Sussman, after the quake, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
André Pluess & Ben Sussman, The Clean House, Goodman Theatre
Josh Schmidt, The Chalk Garden, Northlight Theatre

2006 Equity Nominee Statistics
PRODUCTIONS
Grand Hotel: The Musical – 9
Urinetown – 7
Fences – 6
A Flea in Her Ear – 6
Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein – 6
Man of La Mancha – 6
A Marvelous Party: The Noel Coward Celebration – 5
Pride and Prejudice – 5
Bus Stop – 4
Dealer's Choice – 4
Dessa Rose – 4
The Old Curiosity Shop – 4
Oliver! – 4
Thoroughly Modern Millie – 4
War! Now In Its 4th Smash Year! – 4
The Clean House – 3
Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 – 3
Iraqtile Dysfunction – 3
Pericles – 3
The Sea Horse – 3
Sita Ram – 3
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – 3
The Water Coolers: An Office Musical – 3
after the quake – 2
Crumbs From the Table of Joy – 2
Footloose – 2
M. Proust – 2
Much Ado About Nothing – 2
Once Upon a Time in New Jersey – 2
Plaid Tidings – 2
Power – 2
Purlie – 2
The Glass Menagerie – 2
The Secret Garden – 2
The Uneasy Chair – 2

PRODUCING ORGANIZATIONS
Court Theatre – 13
Goodman Theatre – 13 (including 2 as co-producer with Pasadena Playhouse)
Marriott Theatre – 13
Chicago Shakespeare Theater – 12
Northlight Theatre – 12 (including 5 as co-producer with Geva Theatre Center)
Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place – 11
Writers' Theatre – 8
About Face Theatre – 8
Blue Dog Entertainment, LLC – 7
Lookingglass Theatre Company – 7 (including 3 as co-producer with Chicago Children's Choir and Natya Dance Theatre)
The Second City – 7
Apple Tree Theatre – 6
Geva Theatre Center (as co-producer with Northlight Theatre) – 5
Shattered Globe Theatre – 5
A Red Orchid Theatre – 4
Chicago Children's Choir and Natya Dance Theatre as co-producers with Lookingglass Theatre – 3
Lakeshore Theater, Libby Adler Mages, Tony D'Angelo, Michael Hendricks and Daniel Pawlus – 3
Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago – 3
Spelling Bee Chicago – 3
Congo Square Theatre Company – 2
Pasadena Playhouse (as co-producer with Goodman Theatre) – 2
Remy Bumppo Theatre Company – 2
Steppenwolf Theatre Company – 2
The Gift Theatre – 2
Theatre at the Center – 2
Victory Gardens Theater – 2

INDIVIDUALS
André Pluess – 5
Frank Galati – 3
Ben Sussman – 3
Greg Vinkler – 3
David H. Bell – 2
Mara Blumenfeld – 2
Carl Danielsen – 2
Lydia R. Diamond – 2
Brian Gallivan – 2
T. J. Gerckens – 2
Michael Halberstam – 2
Jack Magaw – 2
Susan Moniz – 2
Doug Peck – 2