CT Critics Give “A View From the Bridge” and “Summer Stock” Top Honors at 32nd Awards Ceremony

New Haven — A innovative production of Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge” at Long Wharf Theatre and a high-spirited, buoyant production of “Summer Stock” at Goodspeed Musicals took top honors at the 32nd annual Connecticut Critics Circle Awards (ctcritics.org) held on Monday, June 24.

 

The event, which celebrates the work from the state’s professional theaters during the 2023 – 2024 season, was held at the Iseman Theater, part of Yale Repertory Theatre, in downtown New Haven.

 

Connecticut Critics Circle President Stuart Brown presiding over the 32nd Annual Awards Ceremony.  Photo by Meredith Longon.

This year the awards were spread out to many productions throughout the state, with Goodspeed Musicals’ “Summer Stock” and “Private Jones” earning the most honors.  In addition to Best Musical, “Summer Stock” took the awards for Best Choreography (Donna Feore) and Best Actor in a Musical (Corbin Bleu).  Their production of “Private Jones” received Best Director of a Musical (Marshall Pailet) and Best Sound (Jay Hilton).  The Long Wharf Theatre’s staging of “A View From the Bridge” received the award for Best Director of a Play (James Dean Palmer) and Best Set Design (You-Shin Chen).

 

The awards for outstanding actress in a musical went to Andrea Fleming for Ivoryton Playhouse’s “The Color Purple.”

 

Awards for outstanding actor and actress in a play went to Michael Gatson and Marsha Mason for Hartford Stage’s production of Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons.”

Killen Award winner Jacques Lamarre (center in yellow sports coat) at the 32nd Annual Awards Ceremony.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

Jacques Lamarre was honored with the Tom Killen Award for lifetime service to the theater.  A long-time Connecticut arts supporter, Lamarre has worked with many of top theater companies in the state.  He is a renowned playwright and marketing specialist who focuses on arts and culture.

 

Outstanding ensemble award went to the cast of TheaterWorks Hartford’s “Clyde’s” - Ayanna Bria Bakari, Michael Chenevert, Samuel María Gómez, David T. Patterson, and Latonia Phipps.

 

The outstanding featured actress award in a musical went to LaDonna Burns in Music Theatre of Connecticut’s production of “Ghost.” Outstanding featured actor in a musical honors went to Nicholaus Colón for A Contemporary Theatre’s “Kinky Boots.”

 

Connecticut Critic Circles member Karen Isaacs introducing awards at the 32nd Annual Awards Ceremony.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

The award for outstanding featured actors in a play went to David Shih for Yale Repertory Theatre’s “The Far Country” and to Anne Scurria for the Hartford Stage production of “Pride and Prejudice.”

 

Design awards went to Kurt Alger (costumes) for A Contemporary Theatre’s “Kinky Boots;” Rob Denton (lighting) for TheaterWorks Hartford’s “Lizzie;” and Hana S. Kim (projections) for Yale Repertory Theatre’s “The Far Country.”

 

Helping to present the awards were Connecticut Critic Circle members Karen Isaacs, Nancy Sasso Janis, and Tim Leininger.

 

The Connecticut Critics Circle was founded in 1990. The statewide organization is comprised of reviewers, writers, and broadcasters that cover the professional theaters throughout the entire state. The annual awards honor the actors, directors, designers and others who help make our professional theater so highly regarded in and outside the state.

“A View From the Bridge?” and “Kinky Boots” Top 2024 Connecticut Critics Circle Nominations

 

 

Long Wharf Theatre’s innovative staging of the Arthur Miller classic, “A View From the Bridge” and A Contemporary Theatre’s (ACT of CT) rousing production of “Kinky Boots” lead the shows nominated for the 32nd annual Connecticut Critics Circle Awards.

 

The awards event, which celebrates the best in professional theater in the state, will be held Monday, June 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Yale Repertory Theater’s Iseman Theatre in downtown New Haven.

 

“A View From the Bridge” earned nine nominations, including outstanding play production, director, and best actor. “Kinky Boots” received eight nods, including outstanding musical production, director, choreographer, leading actor and two best featured actor nominations.

 

Other outstanding play nominees are “All My Sons,” Hartford Stage; “Clyde’s,” Theaterworks Hartford;  “The Far Country,” Yale Repertory Theater; and Sharon Playhouse’s production of “Our Town.”

 

Also earning outstanding musical nods are “Bandstand,” Playhouse on Park; “The Color Purple,” Ivoryton Playhouse; “Private Jones,” Goodspeed; and “Summer Stock,” Goodspeed.

 

Receiving the annual Tom Killen Award for lifetime achievement in Connecticut theater is Jacques Lamarre, playwright, theatrical marketing professional, former theater critic, and tireless supporter of theater in the Nutmeg State.

Other nominees are:

 

Actor in a play: Dominic Fumusa, “A View from the Bridge,” Long Wharf Theatre; Grant Kennedy Lewis, “Sanctuary City,” TheaterWorks Hartford; Michael Gaston, “All My Sons,” Hartford Stage; Hao Feng, “The Far Country,” Yale Repertory Theatre; and Bjorn DuPaty, “The Hot Wing King,” Hartford Stage.

 

Actress in a play: Renata Eastlick, “Pride and Prejudice,” Hartford Stage; Charlotte Northeast, “The Complete Works of Jane Austen (Abridged),” Playhouse on Park; Sara Gutierrez, “Sanctuary City,” TheaterWorks Hartford; Annie Parisse, “A View from the Bridge,” Long Wharf Theatre; Marsha Mason, “All My Sons,” Hartford Stage.

 

Actor in a musical: Corbin Bleu, “Summer Stock,” Goodspeed; Johnny Link, “Private Jones,” Goodspeed; Lenny Wolpe, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Goodspeed; Topher J. Babb, “Kinky Boots,” ACT of CT; Joe Barbara, “A Bronx Tale,” Seven Angels.

 

Actress in a musical: Katie Luke, “Bandstand,” Playhouse on Park; Andrea Fleming, “The Color Purple,” Ivoryton Playhouse; Sydney Shepherd, “Lizzie,” TheaterWorks Hartford; Trejah Bostic, “Dreamgirls,” Goodspeed; Danielle Wade, “Summer Stock,” Goodspeed.

 

Director of a play: Mikael Burke, “Clyde’s,” TheaterWorks Hartford; Melia Bensussen, “All My Sons,” Hartford Stage; Melia Bensussen, “Simona’s Search,” Hartford Stage; James Dean Palmer, “A View from the Bridge,” Long Wharf Theatre; Ralph B. Peña, “The Far Country,” Yale Repertory Theatre.

 

Director of a musical: Sean Harris, “Bandstand,” Playhouse on Park; Donna Feore, “Summer Stock,” Goodspeed; Marshall Pailet, “Private Jones,” Goodspeed; Nathan Peck, “Kinky Boots,” ACT of CT; Rob Ruggiero, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Goodspeed.

 

Choreography: Darlene Zoller and Robert Mintz, “Bandstand,” Playhouse on Park; Donna Feore, “Summer Stock,” Goodspeed; Nathan Peck, “Kinky Boots,” ACT of CT; Breon Arzell, “Dreamgirls,” Goodspeed; Jeff Calhoun, “A Complicated Woman,” Goodspeed.

Featured actor in a play: Christopher Bannow, “Simona’s Search,” Hartford Stage; David Shih, “The Far Country,” Yale Repertory Theatre; Julian Elijah Martinez, “The Salvagers,” Yale Repertory Theatre; Antonio Magro, “A View from the Bridge,” Long Wharf Theatre; Nick Roesler, “Clybourne Park,” Music Theatre of CT.

 

Featured actress in a play: Anne Scurria, “Pride and Prejudice,” Hartford Stage; Kate Burton, “Dial M for Murder,” Westport Country Playhouse; Fiona Robberson, “All My Sons,” Hartford Stage; Zoë Kim, “Pride and Prejudice,” Hartford Stage; Paten Hughes, “A View from the Bridge,” Long Wharf Theatre.

Featured actor in a musical: Will Roland, “Summer Stock,” Goodspeed; Wesley Taylor, “The 12,” Goodspeed; Nickolaus Colón, “Kinky Boots,” ACT of CT; Jeff Williams, “Kinky Boots,” ACT of CT; Cedrick Ekra, “The Color Purple,” Ivoryton Playhouse.

 

Featured actress in a musical: Adrienne Walker, “The 12,” Goodspeed; Claire Neumann, “Private Jones,” Goodspeed; Veanne Cox, “Summer Stock,” Goodspeed; Mairys Joaquin, “The Color Purple,” Ivoryton Playhouse; LaDonna Burns, “Ghost,” Music Theatre of CT.

 

Ensemble: Casts of “Clyde’s,” TheaterWorks Hartford; “Escaped Alone,” Yale Repertory Theatre; “Million Dollar Quartet,” ACT of CT; “The Play That Goes Wrong,” Legacy Theatre; “Wish You Were Here,” Yale Repertory Theatre.

 

Set design: Omid Akbari, “Wish You Were Here,” Yale Repertory Theatre; You-Shin Chen, “A View from the Bridge,” Long Wharf Theatre; Ann Beyersdorfer, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Goodspeed; Marcelo Martínez García, “The Garbologists,” TheaterWorks Hartford; Riw Rakkulchon, “All My Sons,” Hartford Stage.

 

Costume design: Fabian Fidel Aguilar, “Dial M For Murder,” Westport Country Playhouse; Elizabeth A. Saylor, “The Color Purple,” Ivoryton Playhouse; Kurt Alger, “Kinky Boots,” ACT of CT; Hunter Kaczorowski, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Goodspeed; Samantha C. Jones, “Dreamgirls,” Goodspeed.

 

Lighting design: Jen Schriever, “Private Jones,” Goodspeed; Rob Denton, “Lizzie,” TheaterWorks Hartford; Japhy Weidman, “The 12,” Goodspeed; Yichen Zhou, “The Far Country,” Yale Repertory Theatre; Kate McGee, “A View from the Bridge,” Long Wharf Theatre.

 

Sound design: Jay Hilton, “Private Jones,” Goodspeed; Sarah Goodman, “Kinky Boots,” ACT of CT; Jane Shaw, “A View from the Bridge,” Long Wharf Theatre; Alan Piotrowicz, “The Color Purple,” Ivoryton Playhouse; Germán Martinez, “The Garbologists,” TheaterWorks Hartford.

 

Projections: Sam Skynner, “Wish You Were Here,” Yale Repertory Theatre; Camilla Tassi, “Lizzie,” TheaterWorks Hartford; Hana S. Kim, “The Far Country,” Yale Repertory Theatre; Yana Biryukova, “Simona’s Search,” Hartford Stage; Shawn Lovell-Boyle, “Escaped Alone,” Yale Repertory Theatre.

 

MUSICALS (Number of Nominations)

The 12 – 3

A Bronx Tale – 1

A Complicated Woman – 1

Bandstand – 4

The Color Purple – 6

Dreamgirls – 3

Ghost – 1

Kinky Boots - 8

Lizzie - 3

Million Dollar Quartet  -1

Mystery of Edwin Drood - 4

Private Jones - 6

Summer Stock – 7

 

PLAYS (Number of Nominations)

A View from the Bridge  - 9

All My Sons – 6

Clybourne Park – 1

Clyde’s- 3

Complete Works of Jane Austen – 1

Dial M For Murder – 2

Escaped Alone -2

The Far Country - 6

The Garbologists- 2

The Hot Wing King – 1

Our Town – 1

Pride and Prejudice (Hartford Stage) – 3

The Salvagers – 1

Sanctuary City – 2

Simona’s Search – 3

The Play That Goes Wrong - 1

Wish You Were Here - 3