Voting has ended and winners have been decided in the inaugural BroadwayWorld Best of Boston Theatre Awards. Results for 2010 underscore the breadth and depth of the region's outstanding theatre community, with favorites ranging from Broadway luminaries to fringe newcomers.
The Ogunquit Playhouse in Ogunquit, Maine, the historic summer theater located one hour north of Boston, was the big winner, earning top spots in 10 Large Theatre categories. Its critically acclaimed and hilarious production of Spamalot took eight of those honors, including Best Musical and Best Ensemble. Other top vote getters from that show were Charles Shaughnessy, Best Actor in a Musical; Scott Taylor and Mike Nichols, Best Direction of a Musical; Tim Hatley, Best Costume Design; Richard Latta, Best Lighting Design; Tim Hatley, Best Scenic Design; and Rick Bertone, Best Music Direction.
Other winners for Ogunquit were Gerry McIntyre, Best Choreographer for Chicago, and television star Stefanie Powers, Best Actress in a Musical for her powerful portrayal of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Close behind Powers in a hotly contested category were Amanda Palmer for her gender-bending performance as the Emcee in Cabaret at the A.R.T. and Rachel York for her alternately funny and touching turns in Spamalot at Ogunquit and Into the Woods with the Reagle Music Theatre. Also in close competition with Charles Shaughnessy was Broadway and local favorite George Dvorsky, who positively slithered across the Ogunquit stage in Chicago as Billy Flynn.
The Huntington Theatre Company dominated the Large Theatre grouping in terms of non-musicals, competing against itself in virtually every play category. Will Lyman and Karen MacDonald were runaway favorites as Best Actor and Actress for their stunning portrayals in All My Sons. Best Direction of a Play went to Melia Bensussen for her skillful interpretation of Annie Baker's Circle Mirror Transformation, which also won as Best Play.
The Small Theatre grouping was more evenly divided, with long-standing companies SpeakEasy Stage (3), the New Rep (1), and Lyric Stage (2) sharing honors with relative newcomers the Independent Drama Society (2), Metro Stage Company (1), and Blue Spruce Theatre Company (4). The latter's Once on This Island scored victories for Lindsay Hurley, Best Costume Design; PJ Strachman, Best Lighting Design; Dan Rodriguez, Best Music Direction; and Best Musical.
The most hotly contested category in the Small Theatre grouping was Best Actress in a Play. It's no wonder considering the exceptional roster of leading ladies who bless the Boston theatre scene. 
Stage stalwart Anne Gottleib edged out the competition for her fine work in SpeakEasy Stage's daring Best Play In the Next Room. Close in contention were her co-star Marianna Bassham, Leigh Barrett in Indulgences at New Rep, and Megan Cooper in Romeo and Juliet with the Independent Drama Society.
