Kevin Kline Award Winners Announced!

Seventeen different stage productions were honored at the third annual Kevin Kline Awards ceremony. Ten St. Louis area theater companies - double the number of last year's recipients - were recognized with awards. Four of those ten theaters were multiple award winners.

Stages St. Louis received eight awards, the most of any individual theater. Two musicals accounted for six of those eight awards. The Full Monty received three Kevin Kline Awards, including Outstanding Production of a Musical. Crazy for You also earned three Kevin Kline Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actor [David Elder] and Actress [Julie Tolivar] in a Musical. The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis production of Altar Boyz, which received two Kevins, was the only other musical to earn multiple awards.

 Two nonmusical plays also received multiple awards. New Jewish Theatre's staging of Kindertransport received two Kevin Kline Awards, including Outstanding Ensemble in a Play. Kindertransport tied in that category with Women's Minyan, which also was produced by New Jewish. The fledgling Mustard Seed Theatre received two awards for its debut production of Remnant.  New Jewish Theatre and the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis both received four Kevin Kline Awards.

In all, 24 Kevin Kline Awards were bestowed in 22 categories. (The voting in two categories - Outstanding Director of a Musical and the aforementioned Outstanding Ensemble in a Play - resulted in ties.) Sponsored by the Professional Theatre Awards Council of Greater St. Louis to honor theater achievement in St. Louis, the March 31 ceremony was held at the Loretto-Hilton Center in Webster Groves, home of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.

The gala ceremony was hosted by Lara Teeter, star of such Broadway hits as On Your Toes. Guest presenters included Tony Award-winning director-choreographer Jerry Mitchell and famed illustrator Mary Engelbreit.

The Professional Theatre Awards Council of Greater St. Louis (PTAC) was formed in 2004 to heighten awareness of theater in St. Louis. During the twelve months of 2007, 100 different plays and musicals were evaluated by a floating pool of 45 judges. Each show was seen by seven judges, and each judge was required to submit his or her ballot within 24 hours of attending a production, thus insuring that each production was weighed on its own merits rather than in comparison to others.

   

THE WINNERS AND NOMINEES (categories listed in the order in which they were announced):
Outstanding Production for Young Audiences

Winner: SNOOPY!!! (Stages St. Louis)

Other nominees: The Ant and the Grasshopper (The Imaginary Theatre Company)

Hana's Suitcase (Metro Theater Company)

Much a Doo-wop About Nothing (Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis)

Oz in 30 (Bazoink! Entertainment)
Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical

Winner: CRAZY FOR YOU (Stages St. Louis)

Other nominees: Altar Boys (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

The Full Monty (Stages St. Louis)

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (The Playhouse at West Port Plaza)

Urinetown, the Musical (New Line Theatre)
Outstanding Ensemble in a Play - A TIE

Winners: KINDERTRANSPORT (New Jewish Theatre) … and … WOMEN'S MINYAN (New Jewish Theatre)
Other nominees: The Bomb-itty of Errors (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Playhouse Creatures (The Orange Girls)

Remnant (Mustard Seed Theatre)

You Can't Take It With You (Stray Dog Theatre)
Outstanding New Play or Musical

Winner: DAN RUBIN, Demons…and Other Blunt Objects (HotCity Theatre)

Other nominees: Philip Boehm, Return of the Bedbug (Upstream Theater)

Joe Hanrahan, Soldier Boy/The Little Frenchy Files (The Midnight Company)

Andrew Michael Nieman and Suzanne Renard, Veil of Silence (Veterans for Peace)
James Russell Wax, Insignificant Others (Hydeware Theatre)
Outstanding Sound Design

Winners: DAVID B. Smith (Dracula, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Other nominees: Matt Callahan (Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, The Repertory

      Theatre of St. Louis)

Tori Meyer (Altar Boyz, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Mike Radentz (Soldier Boy/The Little Frenchy Files, The Midnight Company)

Farshid Soltanshahi (Knives in Hens, Upstream Theater)

Robin Weatherall (Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis)
Outstanding Costume Design

Winner: DOROTHY MARSHALL ENGLIS (A Little Night Music, Stages St. Louis)

Other nominees: Ann Cailteux (Remnant, Mustard Seed Theatre)

Teresa Doggett (Playhouse Creatures, The Orange Girls)

Dorothy Marshall Englis (Kiss Me, Kate, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Vincent J. Scassellati (Hello, Dolly!, The Muny)
Outstanding Set Design

Winner: DUNSI DAI (Remnant, Mustard Seed Theatre)

Other nominees: Scott DeBroux (An American Daughter, The Orange Girls)

John Ezell (Heartbreak House, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Luke Hegel-Cantarella (The Bomb-itty of Errors, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Narelle Sissons (Bad Dates, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Lighting Design

Winner: Glenn Dunn (Remnant, Mustard Seed Theatre)

Other nominees: Kirk Bookmann (Dracula, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Jason Cannon (Hamlet, RiverCity Theatre and Vanity Theatre)

Matthew McCarthy (A Little Night Music, Stages St. Louis)

John Wylie (Bad Dates, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Choreography

Winner: Christopher Gattelli (Altar Boyz, The Repertory Theater of St. Louis)

Other nominees: Stephen Bourneuf (The Full Monty, Stages St. Louis)

Gemzi de Lappe (Oklahoma!, The Muny)

Gayle Holsman (Crazy for You, Stages St. Louis)

Ralph Perkins (Kiss Me, Kate, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Musical Direction

Winner: HENRY PALKES (Altar Boyz, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Other nominees: Lisa Campbell Albert (The Full Monty, Stages St. Louis)

Joe Dryer (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, The Playhouse at West Port Plaza)

Dan Riddle (Les Miserables, The Muny)

Dale Rieling (Kiss Me, Kate, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical

Winner: Jennifer Cody (Hello, Dolly!, The Muny)

Other nominees: Jennifer Cody (The Pajama Game, The Muny)

Julie Foldesi (A Little Night Music, Stages St. Louis)

Leah Hocking (Oklahoma!, The Muny)

Diana Kaarina (Les Miserables, The Muny)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical

Winner: Keith Tyrone (The Full Monty, Stages St. Louis)

Other nominees: Zachary Halley (The Full Monty, Stages St. Louis)

Jimmy McEvoy (Les Miserables, The Muny)

Ken Page (Les Miserables, The Muny)

Matthew Skrincosky (The Full Monty, Stages St. Louis)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play

Winner: TERESA DOGGETT (Enchanted April, Act, Inc.)

Other nominees: Melissa Rae Brown (Stop Kiss, Hydeware Theatre)

Kari Ely (Return of the Bedbug, Upstream Theater)

Nancy Lewis (Women's Minyan, New Jewish Theatre)

Meg Rodd (Kindertransport, New Jewish Theatre)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play

Winner: JOHN KINNEY (What's Wrong with This Picture?, New Jewish Theatre)

Other nominees: Adam Flores (Second, The Nonprophet Theater Company)

Christopher Hickey (Greetings!, St. Louis Actors Studio)

Nicolas Pavlos (Enchanted April, Act, Inc.)

Steve Routman (Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical

Winner: Julie Tolivar (Crazy for You, Stages St. Louis)

Other nominees: Kate Baldwin (The Pajama Game, The Muny)

Catherine Brunell (Oklahoma!, The Muny)

Kari Ely (A Little Night Music, Stages St. Louis)

Lee Anne Mathews (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, The Playhouse at West Port

                                                                  Plaza)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical

Winner: David Elder (Crazy for You, Stages St. Louis)

Other nominees: Michael Halling (The Full Monty, Stages St. Louis)

Nicholas Kohn (The Full Monty, Stages St. Louis)

Jeff McCarthy (Les Miserables, The Muny)

Shua Potter (Altar Boyz, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play

Winner: LAVONNE BYERS (A Delicate Balance, St. Louis Actors' Studio)

Other nominees: Kari Ely (Kindertransport, New Jewish Theatre)

Annie Fitzpatrick (Bad Dates, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Meghan Maguire (Standing On My Knees, The Orange Girls)

Julie Venegoni (Enchanted April, Act, Inc.)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play

Winner: Jason Babinsky (The Bomb-itty of Errors, The Repertory Theatre of St.

      Louis)

Other nominees: Jim Butz (A Number, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Jason Cannon (Hamlet, RiverCity Theatre and Vanity Theatre)

Joel Lewis (Death of a Salesman, Muddy Waters Theatre)

Peter Mayer (Death of a Salesman, Muddy Waters Theatre)

Gregory Wooddell (Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis)
Outstanding Director of a Musical - A TIE

Winners: MICHAEL HAMILTON (The Full Monty, Stages St. Louis) … and …

Bobby Miller (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, The Playhouse at West

      Port Plaza)

Other nominees: Stafford Arima (Altar Boyz, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Ron Gibbs (Closer Than Ever, Avalon Theatre Company)

Michael Hamilton (Crazy for You, Stages St. Louis)

Fred Hanson (Les Miserables, The Muny)
Outstanding Production of a Musical

Winner: THE FULL MONTY (Stages St. Louis)
Other nominees: Altar Boyz (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Crazy for You (Stages St. Louis)

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (The Playhouse at West Port Plaza)

Les Miserables (The Muny)

A Little Night Music (Stages St. Louis)
Outstanding Director of a Play

Winner: DOUG FINLAYSON (Kindertransport, New Jewish Theatre)

Other nominees: Jason Cannon (Hamlet, RiverCity Theatre and Vanity Theatre)

Susan Gregg (A Number, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Deanna Jent (Playhouse Creatures, The Orange Girls)

Deanna Jent (Remnant, Mustard Seed Theatre)

Deanna Jent (Women's Minyan, New Jewish Theatre)
Outstanding Production of a Play

Winner: STANDING ON MY KNEES (The Orange Girls)

Other nominees: The Bomb-itty of Errors (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis)

A Number (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Playhouse Creatures (The Orange Girls)

Remnant (Mustard Seed Theatre)

Women's Minyan (New Jewish Theatre)
 

* * *

Ten of the participating theater companies in the Professional Theatre Awards Council consortium are represented:

Stages St. Louis (8 awards)

      Outstanding Production of a Musical - The Full Monty

      Outstanding Director of a Musical - Michael Hamilton, The Full Monty

      Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical - Keith Tyrone, The Full Monty

      Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical - Crazy for You

      Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical - David Elder, Crazy for You

      Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical - Julie Tolivar, Crazy for You

      Outstanding Costume Design - Dorothy Marshall Englis, A Little Night Music

      Outstanding Production for Young Audiences - Snoopy!!!

New Jewish Theatre (4 awards)

      Outstanding Director of a Play - Doug Finlayson, Kindertransport

      Outstanding Ensemble in a Play - Kindertransport

      Outstanding Ensemble in a Play - Women's Minyan

      Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play - John Kinney, What's Wrong with this

            Picture?

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (4 awards)

      Outstanding Choreography - Christopher Gattelli, Altar Boyz

      Outstanding Musical Direction - Henry Palkes, Altar Boyz

      Outstanding Sound Design - David B. Smith, Dracula

      Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play - Jason Babinsky, The Bomb-itty of Errors

Mustard Seed Theatre (2 awards)

      Outstanding Lighting Design - Glenn Dunn, Remnant

      Outstanding Set Design - Dunsi Dai, Remnant

Act, Inc. (1 award)

      Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play - Teresa Doggett, Enchanted April

HotCity Theatre (1 award)

      Outstanding New Play or Musical - Dan Rubin, Demons…and Other Blunt Objects

The Muny (1 award)

      Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical - Jennifer Cody, Hello, Dolly!

The Orange Girls (1 award)

      Outstanding Production of a Play - Standing On My Knees

The Playhouse at West Port Plaza (1 award)

      Outstanding Director of a Musical - Bobby Miller, I Love You, You're Perfect,
            Now Change
 

St. Louis Actors' Studio (1 award)

      Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play - Lavonne Byers, A Delicate Balance