2011 BroadwayWorld Chicago Award Winners Announced! FOLLIES, PUSSY ON THE HOUSE, CATS and More To Be Honored at 12/28 Celebration at The Call

BroadwayWorld.com is proud to announce the results of the second annual BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards, voted on by fans of Chicagoland theater over the past six weeks. The Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier is the big winner overall, with six Broadies in the Resident Equity categories, including four for Gary Griffin's celebrated fall production of "Follies." The production picks up four awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, and the Best Actor, Actress and Choreography awards as well (Brent Barrett, Caroline O'Connor and Alex Sanchez, respectively). CST's "The Madness Of George III" is being honored as Best Revival of a Play, and Scott Davis wins the Scene Design award for "Murder For Two," the musical that played an extended run in the upstairs space.

Other productions being honored by the fans of Chicago theater with multiple awards include the Steppenwolf Theatre Company production of "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf," which supplied Amy Morton and Tracy Letts with acting honors for Resident Equity Plays. Not to be outdone, three productions from Resident Non-Equity companies are receiving multiple awards. Three BWW Awards will go to "Pussy On The House," from Hell In A Handbag Productions (the gender-bending re-imagining of Tennessee Williams' "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" is winning performance awards for Jeremy Myers and Honey West and the Best Costume Design award for John Nasca). Also, two awards each will go to "Cats" from Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre (Best Revival of a Musical and Best Choreography by Brenda Didier) and "Violet" from Bailiwick Chicago (Best Actress to Harmony France and Best Scene Design to John Zuiker). (Note that Hell In A Handbag's musical "Rudolph The Red-Hosed Reindeer," 2010 edition, won Michael Hampton the award for Best Actor.)

Porchlight Music Theatre productions were responsible for two awards. Bill Morey won in the Equity Best Costume category for "The King And I," and the company's production of "Putting It Together" has won Best Revue (Resident). Speaking of Stephen Sondheim productions, the lauded revival of "Sweeney Todd" at the Drury Lane Theatre has been awarded the coveted Best Ensemble prize. Other winners include the play "Old Times" from Strawdog Theatre Company (Best Revival of a Play, Resident Non-Equity) and the recurring concert experience "Alien Queen," winner of Best Theatrical Event from producer The Scooty and JoJo Show.

Besides Barrett and O'Connor, other prominent theater artists who don't live in Chicago, but whose work graced our stages during the eligibility period of September 2010 through October of 2011, are winners of the BCAs. These include the Best Actress and Actor in a Touring Production  (Tony winner Alice Ripley in "Next To Normal" at the Bank of America Theatre and Logan Denninghoff for his Gaston in the Oriental Theatre's "Beauty And The Beast"), and the writing team of the StarKid Productions new musical "Starship," which includes Hollywood and "Glee" star Darren Criss in addition to his Chicago-based co-writers Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Brian Holden and Joseph Walker. Also note that the winner for Best Touring Production was the return visit of Chicago favorite "Wicked," at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.

Everyone, winners, nominees, professionals and theater fans alike, should make plans to attend the BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards Celebration at The Call nightclub in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood on Wednesday evening, December 28th, beginning at 9:00 pm! It will be a fun night of seeing old and new theater friends and colleagues, and all nominees for the awards (and everyone affiliated with nominated productions) will be given a yellow nominees' ribbon at check-in. Winners will receive certificates (new this year), and many theater folk will be given the opportunity to address the crowd. Awards coordinator Paul W. Thompson will be hosting the event, assisted by The Call's Ashley Morgan, along with BroadwayWorld Chicago contributors M. William Panek and Misha Davenport. The Call is at 1547 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue, and owner and VJ Michael Hogan will be spinning his regular Wednesday Showtune videos! It's free, and open to those 21+. So come on to The Call! It really will be a great night. I look forward to seeing you there.

Here is a complete list of the winners of the 2011 BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards:

Best Touring Production: WICKED, Cadillac Palace Theatre

Best Actress in a Touring Production:  Alice Ripley, NEXT TO NORMAL, Bank Of America Theatre

Best Actor in a Touring Production: Logan Denninghoff, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, Oriental Theatre

Best Special Theatrical Event: ALIEN QUEEN, The Scooty And JoJo Show

Best New Work/New Adaptation (Resident): Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Brian Holden, Joseph Walker and Darren Criss, STARSHIP, StarKid Productions

Best Revival of a Musical (Resident Equity): FOLLIES, Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier

Best Revival of a Musical (Resident Non-Equity): CATS, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Best Revival of a Play (Resident Equity): THE MADNESS OF GEORGE III, Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier

Best Revival of a Play (Resident Non-Equity): OLD TIMES, Strawdog Theatre Company

Best Revue (Resident): PUTTING IT TOGETHER, Porchlight Music Theatre

Best Actress in a Musical or Revue (Resident Equity): Caroline O'Connor, FOLLIES, Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier

Best Actor in a Musical or Revue (Resident Equity): Brent Barrett, FOLLIES, Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier

Best Actress in a Musical or Revue (Resident Non-Equity): Harmony France, VIOLET, Bailiwick Chicago

Best Actor in a Musical or Revue (Resident Non-Equity): Michael Hampton, RUDOLPH, THE RED-HOSED REINDEER, Hell In A Handbag Productions

Best Actress in a Play (Resident Equity): Amy Morton, WHO'S AFRAID OF Virginia Woolf, Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Best Actor in a Play (Resident Equity): Tracy Letts, WHO'S AFRAID OF Virginia Woolf, Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Best Actress in a Play (Resident Non-Equity): Honey West, PUSSY ON THE HOUSE, Hell In A Handbag Productions

Best Actor in a Play (Resident Non-Equity): Jeremy Myers, PUSSY ON THE HOUSE, Hell In A Handbag Productions

Best Ensemble (Resident): SWEENEY TODD, Drury Lane Theatre

Best Choreography (Resident Equity): Alex Sanchez, FOLLIES, Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier

Best Choreography (Resident Non-Equity): Brenda Didier, CATS, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Best Scenic Design (Resident Equity): Scott Davis, MURDER FOR TWO, Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier

Best Scenic Design (Resident Non-Equity): John Zuiker, VIOLET, Bailiwick Chicago

Best Costume Design (Resident Equity): Bill Morey, THE KING AND I, Porchlight Music Theatre

Best Costume Design (Resident Non-Equity): John Nasca, PUSSY ON THE HOUSE, Hell In A Handbag Productions