Feature: 2016 Louisville BroadwayWorld Awards at Vault 1031

Entire contents copyright © 2017 Arts-Louisville.com. All rights reserved.

Photos by Jodi Combs-Kalla

For the 3rd year, Arts-Louisville.com and Vault 1031 presented the Arts-Louisville.com/Broadway World Theatre Awards honoring excellence in local theatre. In a ceremony attended by over 100 people, competitive awards in 4 divisions were given out to local theatre companies and individual theatre artists after a public vote administered through the Broadway World website. The period of qualification for these categories was November 1, 2015 and October 31, 2016.

Special awards were presented to Bekki Jo Schneider of Derby Dinner Playhouse for Lifetime Achievement and Georgette Kleier of the Youth Performing Arts School (YPAS) as Theatre Educator of the Year. Adam Brown, who studied at both YPAS and Walden Theatre and who is now working professionally on Broadway, in Washington, D.C. and in Chicago, and Alaina Mills, a YPAS alumnus currently a swing and dance captain for the national tour of Beautiful-The Carole King Musical, presented the award to Ms. Kleier, and Jon Huffman, Co-Artistic Director of Vault 1031, company member at Kentucky Shakespeare, and veteran of many Derby Dinner Playhouse productions, did the honors for Ms. Schneider.

New this year was the addition of two playwriting awards: Best Full Length Play and Best Short Play. Qualifying entries must also have been produced between November 1, 2015 and October 31, 2016, and be created by writers living and working in the Metro Louisville area. The honorary and writing awards were selected by a select panel of judges.

As part of the festivities, Metro Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer's office proclaimed February 6, 2017 Bekki Jo Schneider Day in Louisville.

In a departure from previous years, winners in competitive categories were not revealed to the public until the ceremony, which was held on February 6.

Best Student Musical
42nd Street - Floyd Central Theatre Arts

Best Student Play
A Midsummer Night's Dream - Floyd Central Theatre Arts

Best Youth (under 18) performance)
Caroline Glazier - Shrek the Musical - Youth Performing Arts School

Best Actor in a Musical (professional)
Matthew Brennan - Into the Woods - Derby Dinner Playhouse

Best Actor in a Play (professional)
J.R. Stuart - Arsenic and Old Lace - Derby Dinner Playhouse

Best Actress in a Musical (professional)
Sara King - Legally Blonde - Derby Dinner Playhouse

Best Actress in a Play (professional)
Rita Thomas - Hallelujah Girls - Derby Dinner Playhouse

Best Director/Musical (professional)
Lee Buckholz - Into the Woods - Derby Dinner Playhouse

Best Musical (professional)
White Christmas - Derby Dinner Playhouse

Best Play (professional)
And Then There Were None - Derby Dinner Playhouse

Best Director/Play (professional)
Bekki Jo Schneider - Arsenic and Old Lace - Derby Dinner Playhouse

Best Choreographer
Heather Paige Folsom - Disney's Beauty and the Beast - Derby Dinner Playhouse

Best Costume Design
Sharon Murray Harrah - Disney's Beauty and the Beast - Derby Dinner Playhouse

Best Lighting Design
Casey Clark - Romeo and Juliet - Kentucky Shakespeare

Best Scenic Design
Paul Owen - Romeo and Juliet - Kentucky Shakes

Best Musical by A Regional Company (outside 15 mile radius)
Oklahoma! - Shelby County Community Theatre

Best Best Play by a Regional Company (outside 15 mile radius)
It's A Wonderful Life - Shelby County Community Theatre

Best Sound Design
David Nelson - Into The Woods - Derby Dinner Playhouse

Best Music Director
Scott Bradley - Into the Woods - Derby Dinner Playhouse

Best Short Play
Eyes in the Storm - Rachel White, produced as a part of Single Shots by the Louisville Improvisors

Best Full Length Play
Prevailing Winds - Devised script by Looking for Lilith Theatre Company

Best Director/Musical (local)

Jim Hesselman - Guys and Dolls - Indiana University Southeast

Best Director/Play (local)
Jim Hesselman - Noises Off - Indiana University Southeast

Best Actor in a Musical (local)
Eli Lucas - Hairspray - New Albany Riverstage

Best Actress in a Musical (local)
Lillie Weber - Hairspray - New Albany Riverstage

Best Musical (local)
Hairspray - New Albany Riverstage

Best Actor in a Play (local)
Cody King - Noises Off - Indiana University Southeast

Best Actress in a Play (local)
Mera Kathryn Corlett - Melancholy Play - Liminal Playhouse

Best Play (local)
Peter and the Starcatcher - Mind's Eye Theatre Company