Elliot Norton Award Winners Announced, Including THE COLOR PURPLE National Tour, ART's ARRABAL, and More

Awards were presented to more than two dozen outstanding actors, directors, designers, and ensembles last night, May 21, by The BostonTheater CriticsAssociation (BTCA), at The 36th Annual Elliot Norton Awards ceremony, held at the Huntington Avenue Theatre.

This year's recipient of the Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence was Leigh Barrett, who has sustained Boston theater audiences with her expressive musical theater performances, vocal range, and versatility for decades. A Special Citation was awarded to Robert J. Eagle, to honor his 50 years at Reagle Music Theatre in Waltham. The 2018 Elliot Norton Arts Education Award was given out by the BTCA with a matching grant from Broadway in Boston to the musical theater program at Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Randy Rainbow was the Guest of Honor. A comedian, actor, writer, host, and internet sensation, he is best known for his viral comedy videos. His popular series of political spoofs and song parodies have garnered international acclaim and more than 100 million views. He's been called "the best thing about the 2016 GOP race" by Dan Savage and his musical tribute to the first presidential debate of 2016 ("BRAGGADOCIOUS!") received 28 million views in its first two days. After accepting his award, Randy Rainbow turned in one of his trademark satirical video performances-live.

The 36th Annual Elliot Norton Awards continues to turn a spotlight on the importance of the arts in our country. In addition to the presentation of the awards, the evening featured performances by the casts of the nominated musical productions. These included the Huntington Theatre Company's "Merrily We Roll Along," Company One Theatre's "Hype Man: a break beat play," and Wheelock Family Theatre's "In the Heights." Students from the musical theater division of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, recipient of this year's Arts Education Award, also took the stage.

Check out a full list of winners below!

Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence
Leigh Barrett

Guest of Honor
Randy Rainbow

Outstanding Visiting Production
The Color Purple (Boch Center Shubert Theatre)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Visiting Production
Richard Thomas, The Humans (Boch Center Shubert Theatre)

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Visiting Production
Adrianna Hicks, The Color Purple (Boch Center Shubert Theatre)

Outstanding Musical Production
Arrabal (American Repertory Theater)

Outstanding Production, Large Theater
Beckett in Brief (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company)

Outstanding Production, Midsize Theater
Constellations (Underground Railway Theater)

Outstanding Production, Small Theater
Hype Man: a break beat play (Company One Theatre)

Outstanding Production, Fringe Theater
3/Fifths' Trapped in a Traveling Minstrel Show (Sleeping Weazel)

Outstanding Design, Large Theater
Home (ArtsEmerson) Scenic design by Steven Dufala, costumes by Karen Young, lighting by Christopher Kuhl, sound by Brandon Wolcott, illusions by Steve Cuiffo

Outstanding Design, Midsize, Small or Fringe Theater
A Dead Man's Diary: A Theatrical Novel (Arlekin Players Theatre) Stage design by Nikolay Simonov, lighting by Stephen Petrelli, sound by Jakov Jakoulov, video by Svetlana Vakhutinsky and Aleksey Shemyatovsky

Outstanding Actor, Large Theater
McKinley Belcher III, A Guide for the Homesick (Huntington Theatre Company)

Outstanding Actress, Large Theater
Gracyn Mix, Romeo and Juliet (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company)

Outstanding Actor, Midsize Theater
Jacob Athyal, Guards at the Taj (Underground Railway Theater)

Outstanding Actress, Midsize Theater
Caitlin Nasema Cassidy, Paradise (Underground Railway Theater)

Outstanding Actor, Small or Fringe Theater
Barlow Adamson, Elemeno Pea (Boston Playwrights' Theatre)

Outstanding Actress, Small or Fringe Theater
Lindsay Eagle, Fat Pig (Flat Earth Theatre)

Outstanding Musical Performance by an Actor
Will McGarrahan, Souvenir (Lyric Stage Company of Boston)

Outstanding Musical Performance by an Actress
Leigh Barrett, Souvenir (Lyric Stage Company of Boston) and Gypsy (Lyric Stage Company of Boston)

Outstanding Director, Large Theater
Sergio Trujillo, Arrabal (American Repertory Theater)

Outstanding Director, Midsize Theater
Summer L. Williams, Barbecue (Lyric Stage Company of Boston)

Outstanding Director, Small or Fringe Theater,
Allison Olivia Choat, The 39 Steps (Moonbox Productions)

Outstanding New Script
Idris Goodwin, Hype Man: a break beat play (Company One Theatre)

Outstanding Solo Performance
Keith Hamilton Cobb, American Moor (O.W.I. Bureau of Theatre and Phoenix Theatre Ensemble)

Outstanding Musical Direction
David Reiffel, Man of La Mancha (New Repertory Theatre) and Shakespeare in Love (SpeakEasy Stage Company)

Outstanding Ensemble
In the Heights (Wheelock Family Theatre)

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