Carbonell Award Winners Announced - S. Florida Celebrates Outstanding Theater

(Barbara Bradshaw, Best Actress In A Play -- Photo By Ian Ibbetson)

South Florida Celebrates Outstanding Theater
Achievement at the 35th Annual Carbonell Awards

South Florida revelers gathered on Monday evening to celebrate an artistic standard in the community - the region's theatrical talent. The 35th Annual Carbonell award ceremony played out amongst theatre-goers, actors, producers, directors and cast and crew members from some of South Florida's most renowned stages at the Amaturo Theater at Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

"Tonight we celebrated the artistry of live theatre through camaraderie, laughter and reflection...and honored the creativity of powerful stage and costume design, fabulous music and unsurpassed talent," says Scott Shiller, Vice Chairman, Carbonell Awards Board of Directors and Executive Vice President of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. "It's been a fabulous evening!"

Barbara Bradshaw, from Collected Stories, Mosaic Theatre in Broward County walked away with Best Actress in a Play; Gregg Weiner from Fifty Words, GableStage in Miami-Dade County with Best Actor in a Play; Tari Kelly, from Anything Goes, Maltz Jupiter Theatre in Palm Beach County walked away with Best Actress in a Musical; Herman Sebek from Miss Saigon, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre in Miami-Dade County won Best Actor in a Musical; and Blasted, GableStage, Miami-Dade County's cherished theater stole the award for Best Play; Christopher Demos-Brown of When the Sun Shone Brighter, Florida Stage, Palm Beach County is the recipient for Best New Work; and Mack and Mabel, Broward Stage Door Theatre of Broward County received the honor of Best Musical. A full listing of winners is below.

The prestigious 2011 George Abbott Award was presented to Patrice Bailey, Dean of Theater at Miami's New World School of the Arts. Ms. Bailey has been responsible for the expansion and growth of a program that is today among the premiere centers of theater training in Florida. She has helped lead New World graduates to success in South Florida, New York and around the country. Each year, the George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts presented for significant contributions to the artistic and cultural development of the region.

The Ruth Foreman Award, which recognizes significant contributions to theater development in South Florida, was presented to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in its 20th anniversary season for its collaborative approach to regional presentations and its long-standing commitment to the development of the artists and audiences of tomorrow.

Carbonell Scholarships were presented to Abby Jaras, Boca Raton Community High School; Jennifer Jaroslavsky, American Heritage School of Boca/Delray; Kimberlee Johnson, JP Taravella High School; Valerie Novakoff, Pine Crest School; and Mario Pavón, Boca Raton Community High School. These scholarships recognize emerging talent in the South Florida theatrical community.

The evening featured performances from each of the productions nominated for Best Musical including a musical about a war-time romance; a controversial play that took audiences to the depths of humanity were just a few on the list of nominees for the 35th Annual Carbonell Awards, celebrating the best shows and performances in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Miss Saigon at Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables led the pack with 11 nominations; Blasted at GableStage in Coral Gables garnered 7 nominations.

The celebration continued into the wee hours of the morning at the after-party, hosted by South Florida Theatre League at The Green Room.

South Florida's answer to the Tony Awards and a highlight of each arts season, the Carbonell Awards pay tribute to the very best theatrical productions on local stages and features the area's top entertainers and theater insiders as they step out from behind their roles in an unforgettable behind-the-scenes celebration. Companies in Broward County received 27 nominations, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties tied with 36 nominations each.

The annual Carbonell Awards ceremony is designed to raise scholarships for students in the tri-county area to study at accredited colleges and universities for careers in the visual and performing arts, and in journalism. Along with New York's Drama Desk and Chicago's Joseph Jefferson Awards, the Carbonell Awards are among the nation's senior regional arts awards and predate others including Washington, D.C.'s Helen Hayes and Philadelphia's Barrymore Awards.

Internationally-renowned sculptor Manuel Carbonell is the creator, namesake and Grand Benefactor of South Florida's Carbonell Awards. Mr. Carbonell designed the original solid bronze-and-marble award in 1976. Born in 1918 in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba and educated throughout Europe, he fled Cuba's totalitarian regime in 1959. His art works now adorn museums, galleries, private collections and public projects throughout the free world.

For additional information visit the Carbonell Awards website www.carbonellawards.org.   

Best New Work
Christopher Demos-Brown, When the Sun Shone Brighter, Florida Stage (Palm Beach County)

Best Production of a Play
Blasted, GableStage (Miami-Dade County)

Best Director, Play
Joseph Adler, Blasted, GableStage (Miami-Dade County)

Best Actor, Play
Gregg Weiner, Fifty Words, GableStage (Miami-Dade County)

Best Actress, Play
Barbara Bradshaw, Collected Stories, Mosaic Theatre (Broward County)

Best Supporting Actor, Play
Will Connolly, Candida, Palm Beach Dramaworks (Palm Beach County)

Best Supporting Actress, Play
Deborah L. Sherman, Goldie, Max & Milk, Florida Stage (Palm Beach County)

Best Production of a Musical
Mack and Mabel, Broward Stage Door Theatre (Broward County)

Best Director, Musical
David Arisco, Miss Saigon, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre (Miami-Dade County)

Best Actor, Musical
Herman Sebek, Miss Saigon, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre (Miami-Dade County)

Best Actress, Musical
Tari Kelly, Anything Goes, Maltz Jupiter Theatre (Palm Beach County)

Best Supporting Actor, Musical
Nick Duckart, Dr. Radio, Florida Stage (Palm Beach County)

Best Supporting Actress, Musical
Lisa Manuli, Motherhood the Musical, GFOUR Productions (Broward County)

Best Musical Direction
Eric Alsford, Miss Saigon, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre (Miami-Dade County)

Best Choreography
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Anything Goes, Maltz Jupiter Theatre (Palm Beach County)

Best Scenic Design, Play or Musical
Tim Connolly, Blasted, GableStage (Miami-Dade County)

Best Lighting, Play or Musical
Jeff Quinn, Blasted, GableStage (Miami-Dade County)

Best Costume Design, Play or Musical
Jose M. Rivera, La Cage Aux Folles, Maltz Jupiter Theatre (Palm Beach County)

Best Sound Design
Matt Corey, Blasted, GableStage (Miami-Dade County)

Best Ensemble, Play or Musical
12 Angry Men, Maltz Jupiter Theatre (Palm Beach County)

SPECIAL AWARDS

George Abbott Award
Patrice Bailey, Dean of Theater at Miami's New World School of the Arts

Ruth Foreman Award
Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Carbonell Scholarship Winners
Abby Jaros, Boca Raton Community High School
Jennifer Jaroslavsky, American Heritage School of Boca/Delray
Kimberlee Johnson, JP Taravella High School
Valerie Novakoff, Pine Crest School
Mario Pavón, Boca Raton Community High School

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