Past Winner Ken Page Hosts St. Louis Kline Awards March 26

Seventeen St. Louis theater companies are represented in the nominations for the second annual Kevin Kline Awards. Thirty-seven plays and musicals produced in the St. Louis area during 2006 now share 115 nominations in 22 different categories for the coveted award.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis received the most nominations, 49, divided among ten different productions. The Muny and Stages St. Louis tied as the second-highest recipients, with 12 nominations each. An additional fourteen theater organizations share 42 nominations.

The St. Louis Rep stagings of two musicals, Urinetown, the Musical and the world premiere of Ace, dominated the nominations with a combined total of 26. The highest non-musical vote-getters were Marija's Pictures, a drama about the ravages of war in Croatia presented by Upstream Theater and Metamorphoses, an imaginative retelling of Ovid's classic stories, from St. Louis Shakespeare. Each production garnered six nominations.

Eighty-two actors, directors, choreographers, playwrights and designers, along with an additional 11 acting ensembles, received nominations. Seven artists received multiple nominations.

"This has been a year of growth," said Steve Isom, executive director for the Professional Theatre Awards Council of Greater St. Louis (PTAC), which administers the awards. "Nine additional theater companies joined the PTAC in 2006. We judged sixteen more productions this year than last. In the long run, that has to be good for the quality of theater in St. Louis."

PTAC was formed in 2004 to heighten awareness of theater in St. Louis. During the twelve months of 2006, 95 different plays and musicals were evaluated by a floating pool of 45 judges. Each show was seen by seven judges (children's shows were seen by three 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.

Broadway star Ken Page (Cats, Ain't Misbehavin'), who is himself a Kevin Kline Awards recipient (for his performance as Herod n the Muny's staging of Jesus Christ Superstar) will return to St. Louis for the gala awards celebration on Monday, March 26, at the restored Roberts Orpheum Theater (the former American Theater), Tickets can be purchased by calling 314-421-4400. For more information call 314-276-8165 or visit www.kevinklineawards.org.

THE NOMINATIONS:
Outstanding Production of a Musical

Ace (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Aida (The Muny)

Cabaret (Stages St. Louis)

The Musical of Musicals – The Musical! (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Urinetown, the Musical (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Production of a Play

I Am My Own Wife (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Julius Caesar (Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis)

Marija's Pictures (Upstream Theater)

Metamorphoses (St. Louis Shakespeare)

Ordinary Nation (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Director of a Musical

Stafford Arima (Ace, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Michael Hamilton (Cabaret, Stages St. Louis)

Pamela Hunt (The Musical of Musicals – The Musical!, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Matt Lenz (Aida, The Muny)

Rob Ruggiero (Urinetown, the Musical, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Director of a Play

Edward Coffield (From Door to Door, New Jewish Theatre)

John Contini (Molly Sweeney, Avalon Theatre Company)

John Going (I Am My Own Wife, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Andrea Urice (Ordinary Nation, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Milton Zoth (Metamorphoses, St. Louis Shakespeare)
Outstanding Musical Direction

Kevin Farrell (The King and I, The Muny)

Andrew Graham (Aida, The Muny)

David Kreppel (Ace, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Henry Palkes (The Musical of Musicals –  The Musical!, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

F. Wade Russo (Urinetown, the Musical, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Choreography

Kelli Barclay (Cabaret, Stages St. Louis)

Kelli Barclay (White Christmas, The Muny)

Pepper Clyde (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Muny)

Pamela Hunt (The Musical of Musicals – The Musical!, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Ralph D. Perkins (Urinetown, the Musical, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Costume Design

Lou Bird (Meet Me in St. Louis, Stages St. Louis)

Marie Anne Chiment (Ace, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Teresa Doggett (Metamorphoses, St. Louis Shakespeare)

Anne Kenney (Urinetown, the Musical, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Vincent J. Scassellati (Aida, The Muny)
Outstanding Lighting Design

Chris Akerlind (Ace, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

F. Mitchell Dana (I Am My Own Wife, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Mary Jo Dondlinger (The Musical of Musicals – The Musical!, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

James Sale (Of Mice and Men, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Peter E. Sargent (Urinetown, the Musical, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Set Design

Patrick Huber (Metamorphoses, St. Louis Shakespeare)

Adrian W. Jones (The Pillowman, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

David Korins (Ace, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Tim Poertner (The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, HotCity Theatre)

Michael Schweikardt (Urinetown, the Musical, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Sound Design

Tori Meyer (Urinetown, the Musical, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Joe Payne (I Am My Own Wife, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

John H. Shivers, David Patridge (Ace, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Farshid Soltanshahi (Marija's Pictures, Upstream Theater)

Robin Weatherall (Metamorphoses, St. Louis Shakespeare)
Outstanding New Play or Musical

Chuck Harper, The Probe: An Inquiry into the Meteoric Rise and Spectacular Fall of Orson Welles in Hollywood (HotCity Theatre  Company and Theatre de la Belle Bete)

Lydia Scheuermann Hodak, Marija's Pictures (Upstream Theater)

Carter W. Lewis, Ordinary Nation (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Richard Oberacker, Robert Taylor, Ace (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Scott Miller, Johnny Appleweed (New Line Theatre)
Outstanding Ensemble in a Play

The Crucible (Muddy Waters Theatre)

Marija's Pictures (Upstream Theater)

Metamorphoses (St. Louis Shakespeare)

The Pillowman (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

The Probe: An Inquiry into the Meteoric Rise and Spectacular Fall of Orson

      Welles in Hollywood (HotCity Theatre Company and Theatre de la Belle Bete)
Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical

Ace (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Aida (The Muny)

Cabaret (Stages St. Louis)

Johnny Appleweed (New Line Theatre)

The Musical of Musicals – The Musical! (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Urinetown, the Musical (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical

Matt Bailey (The Musical of Musicals – The Musical!, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Edwin Cahill (The Musical of Musicals – The Musical!, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

David Elder (Cabaret, Stages St. Louis)

Noah Galvin (Ace, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Ben Nordstrom (Urinetown, the Musical, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play

Arnie Burton (I Am My Own Wife, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

John Contini (A Walk in the Woods, Avalon Theatre Company)

Joneal Joplin (Molly Sweeney, Avalon Theatre Company)

Andrew Long (Pirandello's Henry IV, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

David Wassilak (The Crucible, Muddy Waters Theatre)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical

Jessica Boevers (Ace, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Lisa Brescia (Aida, The Muny)

Jayne Paterson (Urinetown, the Musical, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Simone (Aida, The Muny)

Zoe Vonder Haar (Urinetown, the Musical, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play

Dana Acheson (Ordinary Nation, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Lavonne Byers (The Sisters Rosensweig, New Jewish Theatre)

Linda Kennedy (Marija's Pictures, Upstream Theater)

Donna Weinsting (From Door to Door, New Jewish Theatre)

Magan Wiles (The Sugar Syndrome, Echo Theatre Company)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical

John Alban Coughlan (Cabaret, Stages St. Louis)

Zac Halley (Meet Me in St. Louis, Stages St. Louis)

Joneal Joplin (Urinetown, the Musical, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Matthew Korinko (Johnny Appleweed, New Line Theatre)

P.J. Palmer (The King and I, The Muny)

Keldon LaVar Price (Grease, Stages St. Louis)

Jeffrey C. Wolf (Cabaret, Stages St. Louis)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play

Robert Ashton (The Crucible, Muddy Waters Theatre)

Charlie Barron (Drama at Inish, Act Inc.)

Jim Butz (Julius Caesar, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis)

Jim Butz (Troilus and Cressida, St. Louis Shakespeare)

Robert A. Mitchell (Girl Gone, The Non Prophet Theater Company)

David Wassilak (Buried Child, Muddy Waters Theatre)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical

Gabrielle Boyadjian (Ace, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Kari Ely (Cabaret, Stages St. Louis)

Alice Kinsella (Johnny Appleweed, New Line Theatre)

Reveka Mavrovitis (The King and I, The Muny)

Sandie Rosa (Urinetown, the Musical, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play

Elizabeth Birkenmeier (Marija's Pictures, Upstream Theater)

Lavonne Byers (Polish Joke, HotCity Theatre)

Sarah Cannon (The Crucible, Muddy Waters Theatre)

Ruth Heyman (Broken Glass, New Jewish Theatre)

Dale Hodges (Witness for the Prosecution, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis)

Jennifer M. Theby (Tartuffe, Stray Dog Theatre)
Outstanding Production for Young Audiences

Beowulf (Metro Theater Company)

Do Over (Spotlight Theatre)

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse (Metro Theater Company)

The Velveteen Rabbit (The Imaginary Theatre Company)

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Stages St. Louis)