Don Grigware Announces His Best in LA Theatre for 2012

The Best in LA Theatre for 2012

The choices I have made are based solely on the plays and performances that I actually saw. I cannot see all the great talent that is out there in LA; it is physically impossible, as there exist far too many theatre/cabaret performances for one person to cover. So if a choice of yours is not on my list, chances are, I did not see that play or performance...or, it just did not make the final cut. I also do not separate Equity from Equity waiver; I consider all the productions/performances I select to be of top-of-the-line quality/professionalism.

Based on what I did see, there was an overabundance of talent. Difficult as it always is, this year I restricted myself less to a set number in each category. If there is an overflow in some categories ...so be it! There are several people who almost made the list, but, alas, not everyone should. There has to be a limit, separating the men from the boys. What I am giving you is the very best of what I saw. The category of Best Director - Play and Musical - is new this year

I am not politically correct...never have been...so, Merry Christmas to all my readers and to all who joyously participated in LA theatre during 2012!!! May 2013 be equally blessed!! - lol Don Grigware

(alphabetical listings) (artists performing outside LA may be included in performance categories)

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

Anne Gee Byrd - The Savannah Disputation - Colony

Jonathan Cake - The Gronholm Method - Falcon

Victoria Clark/Jan Maxwell - Follies - Ahmanson

C. Stephen Foster/Michael Taylor Gray - Bitchslap!-Macha Theatre

Davis Gaines - Man of La Mancha - MTW/Silence the Musical - Hayworth Theatre

Harry Hamlin/Loretta Swit - One November Yankee - NoHo Arts Center

John Hurt - Krapp's Last Tape - Kirk Douglas Theatre

Genevieve Joy/Robert Wuhl - I Ought To Be in Pictures - Falcon

Chris Kaufmann/Mark Whitten - Avenue Q - DOMA

Diarra Kilpatrick - In the Red and Brown Water - Fountain

Christine Lakin - Silence the Musical - Hayworth

Bets Malone - Once Upon a Mattress - Cabrillo/Sweeney Todd - Vista

Lesli Margherita - Man of La Mancha -MTW

Alfred Molina/Jonathan Groff - Red - Mark Taper Forum

Kevin Odekirk - Miss Saigon - La Mirada/Riverside

Lloyd Pedersen - The Paris Letter - Group rep

Lawrence Pressman/Simon Lees - Farm Boy - Matrix Theatre

Cathy Rigby - Peter Pan -La Mirada

Ben Rovner - The Compleat Female Stage Beauty - Crown City Theatre

Christopher Sieber - La Cage Aux Folles - Pantages Theatre

Douglas Sills - The Addams Family A New Musical Comedy - Pantages

Julia Silverman/Liza de Weerd - Collected Stories - Group rep

Anthony Skordi - Onassis - Stella Adler Theatre

French Stewart - Stoneface - SacRed Fools Theatre

Dan Sykes - Cobb/The Paris Letter - Group rep

Sunny Thompson -Marilyn Forever Blonde - El Portal Mainstage

Heather Tom - The Heiress - Pasadena Playhouse

Robert Townsend - Sweeney Todd - Vista

Karen Volpe - Little Shop of Horrors - GCT

Cesili Williams - The Color Purple - Celebration

Vanessa Williams - Intimate Apparel - Pasadena Playhouse

BEST FEATURED PERFORMANCE

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