RAGTIME, PHILADELPHIA STORY, SUPERSTAR, CHESS Top BWW Chicago 2010 Awards!

BroadwayWorld, the biggest theater site on the web, today announces the winners of its 2010 BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards! Productions and artists representing thirteen shows have come out on top, after online voting by fans of Chicago theater from November 1 through December 20, 2010. The 121 nominees in the 25 categories were drawn from 57 different Theater Productions in the Chicago area which opened between September 1, 2009 and August 31, 2010.

The highly regarded production of RAGTIME at the Drury Lane Theater received the most awards, with four, including Best Ensemble (Resident). Cory Goodrich was recognized by fans for her performance as Mother, receiving the award for Best Actress in a Musical or Revue (Resident). The production also garnered two awards for Design at a Resident company, for the Scenic Design of Kevin Depinet and the Costume Design by Santo Loquasto and Brenda Winstead (Loquasto's costumes for the original Broadway production were used, with additional pieces by Winstead). 

Interestingly, RAGTIME did not win the award for Best Revival of a Musical (Resident Equity). That honor was taken by the late summer production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at Munster, Indiana's Theatre at the Center, which also took home the Resident Equity awards for Best Choreography (Stacey Flaster) and Best Actor in a Musical or Revue (Max Quinlan as Jesus). 

Two other productions received award recognition three times. The Resident Non-Equity revival of THE PHILADELPHIA STORY by Circle Theatre won in the categories of Best Revival of a Play, and Best Actress and Best Actor in a Play (Laura McClain and Josh Hambrock). (Circle was responsible for a fourth award as well, for Best Resident Non-Equity Costume Design going to Jesus Perez for THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS). 

And the Resident Non-Equity production of CHESS at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre won three awards as well, for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Choreography (Brenda Didier) and Best Actor in a Musical or Revue (Jeremy Trager as Anatoly). Interestingly, Trager bested two other actors from the same production, as well as two actors from the well-received Bailiwick Chicago production of AIDA. AIDA had five award nominations in all, but was shut out. So was Theo Ubique's MAN OF LA MANCHA, also with five nominations, and THE BROTHER/SISTER PLAYS at Steppenwolf Theater Company, which was nominated four times. 

Two of the losses incurred by THE BROTHER/SISTER PLAYS were in categories that went to A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at Writers' Theatre. David Cromer's summer production was named Best Revival of a Play (Resident Equity) and Natasha Lowe was named Best Actress in a Play (Resident Equity) for her depiction of Blanche DuBois. 

Two other productions won two awards: FOUR PLAY by Amanda Murphy and Jamie Campbell was named Best New Work/New Adaptation (Resident), and Heather Bodie was named Best Actress in a Musical or Revue (Resident Non-Equity) for her work as Lydia. Though Murphy and Campbell are active in the city's improv scene, FOUR PLAY was a scripted work which played at Studio BE in late spring. 

As these awards recognize excellence as voted by the fans of Chicagoland theater, and encompass all of the various forms and sizes of theater here (from tours to resident productions, large to small, Equity to Non-Equity, play, musical and revue), it is exciting to announce that the touring production of DREAMGIRLS that originated at New York's Apollo Theater and played Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre won the awards for Best Actress and Best Actor in a Touring Production. The honors went to Moya Angela, for her searing portrayal of Effie, and to Chicago native Chester Gregory, appearing as James "Thunder" Early. DREAMGIRLS did not win the award for Best Touring Production, however. That honor went to BILLY ELLIOT, which played a long but ultimately shortened run at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre. 

Besides DREAMGIRLS, the Cadillac Palace was host to another production which won a BroadwayWorld Chicago Award: AN EVENING WITH Patti LuPone AND Mandy Patinkin was named Best Special Theatrical Event. Just a couple of blocks away from the Palace is the Goodman Theatre, where the double bill of HUGHIE and KRAPP'S LAST TAPE won the nationally known Brian Dennehy the award for Best Actor in a Play (Resident Equity). The world famous Second City e.t.c. won the award for Best Revue (Resident) for the ongoing show, THE ABSOLUTE BEST FRIGGIN' TIME OF YOUR LIFE. And Bailiwick Chicago's summer production of Tony Award winner Joe DiPietro's new play f-ing MEN, nominated six times, was honored as the Best for John Rotonda's Scenic Design (Resident Non-Equity). 

There will be a live Celebration of the first annual BroadwayWorld Chicago Theatre Fans' Choice Awards, and you're invited! Winners, nominees, nominated theaters, the theater community, theater fans and everybody else can come celebrate Chicago's 2010 BroadwayWorld Awards with us!! In response to the call for an event to mark the inaugural year of these online awards, a Celebration will take place on Wednesday night, December 29, 2010, at The Call, 1547 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue in Chicago's Edgewater community. The Call, Andersonville's largest GLBT video and dance bar, hosts Showtune Wednesdays every week from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am, and Chicago.BroadwayWorld.com will be there on December 29th to welcome you. 

Come one, come all! There's no charge for admission, though you must be at least 21 years of age to attend, and regular drink prices will apply. We'll mark the end of the calendar year with this special look back at the 2009-2010 theater season, and all the fan favorites that made it so memorable. The evening is designed to be casual, fun and a great way to hang out with people you know well, to get to know folks you don't know yet, and to enjoy Andersonville's Showtune Night, to boot! 

Every half hour or so, BroadwayWorld.com's Chicago-based contributing writers, Paul W. Thompson and M. William Panek, will announce the names of the winners of a few of the 25 categories. Winners (or even nominees) who make their presence known at any time during the evening at The Call will be able to say a few words to their friends and supporters. Just let us know you are there! 

So stop by and join us in the fun on December 29th, and if you're a nominee, or you represent one of the nominated theaters, prepare a few words, come and introduce yourselves, and deliver that speech--in front of the most supportive audience you will probably ever see! Showtune videos will play in between the live remarks, bringing you the video clips of theater, film, television and the internet that you love the best! So mark your calendars, call your friends, and make it a great night to celebrate. The BroadwayWorld Chicago Theatre Fans' Choice Awards are here to stay! Celebrate! 

"A Celebration Of the 2010 BroadwayWorld Chicago Theatre Fans' Choice Awards" will take place Wednesday evening, December 29, 2010, from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am, at The Call, 1547 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60660 (773-334-2525). The Call is just steps away from the CTA Red Line's Bryn Mawr stop, the #22 Clark bus and the #50 Damen bus.  

Here's the complete list of winners. Congratulations to these individuals, shows and theater companies, and all the artists involved in making them the choice of Chicago theatre fans!  

Best Touring Production

• BILLY ELLIOT, Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre 

Best Actress in a Touring Production

• Moya Angela, DREAMGIRLS, Cadillac Palace Theatre 

Best Actor in a Touring Production

• Chester Gregory, DREAMGIRLS, Cadillac Palace Theatre 

Best Special Theatrical Event

• AN EVENING WITH Patti LuPone AND Mandy Patinkin, Cadillac Palace Theatre 

Best New Work/New Adaptation (Resident)

• Amanda Murphy and Jamie Campbell, FOUR PLAY, Studio BE 

Best Revival of a Musical (Resident Equity)

• JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, Theatre at the Center 

Best Revival of a Musical (Resident Non-Equity)

• CHESS, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre 

Best Revival of a Play (Resident Equity)

• A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, Writers' Theatre 

Best Revival of a Play (Resident Non-Equity)

• THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, Circle Theatre  

Best Revue (Resident)

• THE ABSOLUTE BEST FRIGGIN' TIME OF YOUR LIFE, The Second City e.t.c. 

Best Actress in a Musical or Revue (Resident Equity)

• Cory Goodrich, RAGTIME, Drury Lane Theatre 

Best Actor a Musical or Revue (Resident Equity)

• Max Quinlan, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, Theatre at the Center 

Best Actress in a Musical or Revue (Resident Non-Equity)

• Heather Bodie, FOUR PLAY, Studio BE

Best Actor in a Musical or Revue (Resident Non-Equity)

• Jeremy Trager, CHESS, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre 

Best Actress in a Play (Resident Equity)

• Natasha Lowe, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, Writers' Theatre 

Best Actor in a Play (Resident Equity)

• Brian Dennehy, HUGHIE/KRAPP'S LAST TAPE, Goodman Theatre  

Best Actress in a Play (Resident Non-Equity))

• Laura McClain, THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, Circle Theatre

Best Actor in a Play (Resident Non-Equity)

• Josh Hambrock, THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, Circle Theatre 

Best Ensemble (Resident)

• RAGTIME, Drury Lane Theatre 

Best Choreography (Resident Equity)

• Stacey Flaster, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, Theater at the Center

Best Choreography (Resident Non-Equity)

• Brenda Didier, CHESS, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Best Scenic Design (Resident Equity)

• Kevin Depinet, RAGTIME, Drury Lane Theatre

Best Scenic Design (Resident Non-Equity)

• John Rotonda, f-ing MEN, Bailiwick Chicago 

Best Costume Design (Resident Equity)

• Santo Loquasto and Brenda Winstead, RAGTIME, Drury Lane Theatre

Best Costume Design (Resident Non-Equity)

• Jesus Perez, THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS, Circle Theatre