2015 BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards: AMERICAN IDIOT, BOY FROM OZ, Drury Lane Theatre Head the Winners List; Paparelli Posthumously Honored

The Chicagoland theater world showed its strength last night, when the musical productions "American Idiot," "Billy Elliot" and "Les Miserables," and plays like "Direct from Death Row the Scottsboro Boys" and "The Glass Protégé," took home top honors at the sixth annual BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards Celebration, held from 7-10 pm at The Call nightclub in the Andersonville neighborhood.

BroadwayWorld Chicago's outgoing editor, Paul W. Thompson, hosted the Celebration along with The Call 's drag hostess, Ashley Morgan. Assisting at the sign-in table were Michael Mosley, Jason Sanicki and Jose Alarcon, with incoming editor Misha Davenport.

Theater professionals and fans, seemingly seated in cheering sections by the production of their choice, cheered loudly for nominees as names were announced. And all in attendance cheered for the winners, who included both expected names and surprising outcomes. It was a great night for Chicago theater.

The Up and Coming Theatre and its regional premiere production of the musical "American Idiot" took home 5 of the 36 award certificates, including the covered Ensemble award and for four resident non-Equity categories: Actress in a Musical (Leah Davis), Choreography (Carly Vadnais), Direction (Jim Shedd) and Musical Direction (Kelly Fitzgerald).

The award for Revival of a Musical (Resident Non-Equity) went to Pride Films and Plays' regional premiere production of "The Boy from Oz." which also picked up nods for Chris Logan as Actor in a Musical or Revue, Costume Design (John Nasca) and Lighting Design (Cat Wilson).

The Drury Lane Theatre's production of "Billy Elliot" also picked up 4 certificates, including Revival of a Musical (Equity), Actor (Nicholas Dantes), and 2 for Rachel Rockwell's Direction and Choreography (making her the only double winner of the evening). Drury Lane's production of "Peter and the Starcatcher" was also represented by a win in the category of Best Actress in a Play (Resident Equity) for Emma Rosenthal.

The other local musical production with multiple wins was the Paramount Theatre's "Les Miserables," with nods in Equity categories for Musical Direction (Tom Vendafreddo), Scenic Design (Kevin Depinet and Jeffrey D. Kmiec) and Lighting Design (Jesse Klug). And the Paramount's "Mary Poppins" was honored with a Costume Design award for Theresa Ham.

Prominent wins for plays included a posthumous honor in the category of Best Direction of a Play (Resident Equity) for the late PJ Paparelli, who directed, conceived and co-authored the timely "The Project(s)" for American Theater Company this past spring.

Another production this year whose topic is all-too-familiar from newspapers was Raven Theatre's "Direct from Death Row the Scottsboro Boys," which picked up three awards in resident non-Equity play categories: for Revival, Direction (Michael Menendian) and Actor (Andrew Malone).

Also picking up three BroadwayWorld Chicago Award certificates was Glitterati Productions' non-Equity "The Glass Protégé," honored for Actress in a Play (Michelle McKenzie-Voigt), Scenic Design (Tianyu Qiu) and Sound Design (Robert Hornbostel).

In the touring categories, last winter's stop by "Newsies" at the Oriental Theatre won acting honors for leads Dan DeLuca and Stephanie Styles, but the award for Best Touring Production went to July's visit by "Kinky Boots" to the Cadillac Palace Theatre.

Two local Equity theater companies also picked up a pair of awards each. Porchlight Music Theatre was honored for Best Revue ("Sondheim on Sondheim") and saw Britt-Marie Sivertsen honored as Best Actress in a Musical or Revue for "Side Show." Chicago Shakespeare Theater was honored for Best Theatrical Production for Young Audiences ("The Little Mermaid") and saw Larry Yando honored as Best Actor in a Play for "The Tempest."

In other resident categories, the Marriott Theatre's production of "October Sky" by Michael Mahler and Aaron Thielen, directed by Rachel Rockwell, was named Best New Work/New Adaptation. The Best Revival of a Play (Equity) was Writers Theatre's "The Diary of Anne Frank," and the Best Special Theatrical Event was Broken Nose Theatre's "Bechdel Fest 3: Find Your Voice." Lindsay Jones won for Best Sound Design (Equity) for "Marie Antoinette" at Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

Here's a complete list of all the winners of the 2015 BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards:

Best Actor in a Musical or Revue (Resident Equity) - Nicholas Dantes Billy Elliot Drury Lane Theatre

Best Actor in a Musical or Revue (Resident Non­-Equity) - Chris Logan The Boy from Oz Pride Films andPlays

Best Actor in a Play (Resident Equity) - Larry Yando The Tempest Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Best Actor in a Play (Resident Non-­Equity) - Andrew Malone Direct from Death Row the Scottsboro Boys Raven Theatre

Best Actor in a Touring Production - Dan DeLuca Newsies Oriental Theatre

Best Actress in a Musical or Revue (Resident Equity) - Britt-Marie Sivertsen Side Show Porchlight Music Theatre

Best Actress in a Musical or Revue (Resident Non­-Equity) - Leah Davis American Idiot Up and Coming Theatre

Best Actress in a Play (Resident Equity) - Emma Rosenthal Peter and the Starcatcher Drury Lane Theatre

Best Actress in a Play (Resident Non-Equity) - Michelle McKenzie-Voigt The Glass Protege Glitterati Productions

Best Actress in a Touring Production - Stephanie Styles Newsies Oriental Theatre

Best Choreography (Resident Equity) - Rachel Rockwell Billy Elliot Drury Lane Theatre

Best Choreography (Resident Non-­Equity) - Carly Vadnais American Idiot Up and Coming Theatre

Best Costume Design (Resident Equity) - Theresa Ham Mary Poppins Paramount Theatre

Best Costume Design (Resident Non-­Equity) - John Nasca The Boy From Oz Pride Films and Plays

Best Direction of a Musical or Revue (Resident Equity) - Rachel Rockwell Billy Elliot Drury Lane Theatre

Best Direction of a Musical or Revue (Resident Non-Equity) - Jim Shedd American Idiot Up and Coming Theatre

Best Direction of a Play (Resident Equity) - PJ Paparelli The Project(s) American Theater Company

Best Direction of a Play (Resident Non-Equity) - Michael Menendian Direct From Death Row the Scottsboro Boys Raven Theatre

Best Ensemble (Resident) - American Idiot Up and Coming Theatre

Best Lighting Design (Resident Equity) - Jesse Klug LES MISERABLES Paramount Theatre

Best Lighting Design (Resident Non-­Equity) - Cat Wilson The Boy from Oz Pride Films and Plays

Best Musical Direction (Resident Equity) - Tom Vendafreddo Les Miserables Paramount Theatre

Best Musical Direction (Resident Non-Equity) - Kelly Fitzgerald American Idiot Up and Coming Theatre

Best New Work/New Adaptation (Resident) - October Sky Marriott Theatre

Best Revival of a Musical (Resident Equity) - Billy Elliot Drury Lane Theatre

Best Revival of a Musical (Resident Non-­Equity) - The Boy From Oz Pride Films and Plays

Best Revival of a Play (Resident Equity) - The Diary of Anne Frank Writers Theatre

Best Revival of a Play (Resident Non-Equity) - Direct from Death Row the Scottsboro Boys Raven Theatre

Best Revue (Resident) - Sondheim on Sondheim Porchlight Music Theatre

Best Scenic Design (Resident Equity) - Kevin Depinet and Jeffrey D. Kmiec Les Miserables Paramount Theatre

Best Scenic Design (Resident Non-Equity) - Tianyu Qiu The Glass Protege Glitterati Productions

Best Sound Design (Resident Equity) - Lindsay Jones Marie Antoinette Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Best Sound Design (Resident Non-Equity) - Robert Hornbostel The Glass Protege Glitterati Productions

Best Special Theatrical Event - Bechdel Fest 3: Find Your Voice Broken Nose Theatre

Best Theater Production for Young Audiences - The Little Mermaid Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Best Touring Production - Kinky Boots Cadillac Palace Theatre

Theaters with multiple awards:

Up and Coming Theatre - 5

Drury Lane Theatre - 5

Pride Films and Plays - 4

Paramount Theatre - 4

Raven Theatre - 3

Glitterati Productions - 3

Oriental Theatre - 2

Chicago Shakespeare Theater - 2

Porchlight Music Theatre - 2

Productions with multiple awards:

American Idiot - 5

Billy Elliot - 4

The Boy from Oz - 4

Direct from Death Row the Scottsboro Boys - 3

The Glass Protégé - 3

Les Miserables - 3

Newsies - 2

Individuals with multiple awards:

Rachel Rockwell - 2

To post a comment, you must register and login.