Goodspeed Musicals’ one singular sensation of “A Chorus Line” and their high-energy jukebox musical “All Shook Up” lead the musical nominations for the 34th annual Connecticut Critics Circle Awards. The Hartford Stage production of the thriller “Rope” is the top-nominated play.
The awards event, which celebrates the best in professional theater in the state, will be held Monday, June 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Hartford Stage in downtown Hartford. The event is free and open to the public. Click here to reserve a ticket to the ceremony.
Both “A Chorus Line” and “All Shook Up” received 8 nods, including outstanding musical production and director. “Rope” earned seven nominations, including outstanding play production and director.
Other outstanding play nominees are “All is Calm” – Playhouse on Park, “Circus Fire” – Theaterworks Hartford, “Death of a Salesman” – Hartford Stage, and “Rhinoceros” – Yale Repertory Theatre.
Also earning outstanding musical nods are “Annie “– Sharon Playhouse, “Waitress” – A.C.T. of CT, and “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” - Goodspeed Musicals.
Receiving the annual Tom Killen Award for lifetime achievement in Connecticut theater is Donna Lynn Hilton of Goodspeed Musicals.. She is the current Artistic Director and has been with the theater since 1988, where she has a significant record of developing and producing new musicals.
Receiving a special award is James Bundy, who is retiring as Artistic Director at the Yale Repertory Theatre. Also receiving special awards are Rebecka Jones and Noble Shropshire for their continuous involvement with the Hartford Stage’s production of A Christmas Carol.
The complete nominees are:
Outstanding Production – Musical
A Chorus Line – Goodspeed Musicals
All Shook Up – Goodspeed Musicals
Annie – Sharon Playhouse
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas - Goodspeed Musicals
Waitress – A.C.T. of CT
Outstanding Production - Play
All is Calm – Playhouse on Park
Circus Fire – Theaterworks Hartford
Death of a Salesman – Hartford Stage
Rhinoceros – Yale Repertory Theatre
Rope – Hartford Stage
Outstanding Actor in a play:
Peter Jacobson - Death of a Salesman – Hartford Stage
Tim DeKay – The Counter – Theaterworks Hartford
Reg Rogers – Rhinoceros – Yale Repertory Theatre
Daniel Neale – Rope - Hartford Stage
J. Quinton Johnson – Spunk - Yale Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Actress in a play:
Justis Bolding – The Counter – Theaterworks Hartford
Marianna Gailus - Hedda Gabler - Yale Repertory Theatre
Bernadette Sefic – Hurricane Diane – Hartford Stage
Christina Acosta Robinson – Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill – Ivoryton Playhouse
Sara Koviak – Your Name Means Dream – TheaterWorks Hartford
Outstanding Actor in a musical:
Trevor Martin – My Fair Lady – Ivoryton Playhouse
Ryan Mac – All Shook Up – Goodspeed Musicals
Clyde Alves – Irving Berlin’s White Christmas - Goodspeed Musicals
Justin Matthew Sargent – Jesus Christ Superstar – Goodspeed Musicals
Omar Lopez-Cepero – Irving Berlin’s White Christmas - Goodspeed Musicals
Outstanding Actress in a musical:
Kerstin Anderson – All Shook Up – Goodspeed Musicals
Avery Hope - Annie – Sharon Playhouse
Laura Renee Mehl - Little Mermaid – STONC
Abigail Sparrow – Waitress – A.C.T. of CT
Outstanding Director of a play:
Sasha Bratt - All is Calm – Playhouse on Park
Jared Mezzocchi – Circus Fire – Theaterworks Hartford
Rob Ruggiero – The Counter – Theaterworks Hartford
Liz Diamond – Rhinoceros – Yale Repertory Theatre
Melia Bensussen – Rope - Hartford Stage
Outstanding Director of a musical:
Rob Ruggiero - A Chorus Line – Goodspeed Musicals
Daniel Goldstein – All Shook Up – Goodspeed Musicals
Arbender J. Robinson - Little Mermaid – STONC
Brian Feehan – My Fair Lady – Ivoryton Playhouse
Sara Brians – Waitress – A.C.T. of CT
Outstanding Choreography:
Parker Esse and Baayork Lee - A Chorus Line – Goodspeed Musicals
Byron Easley – All Shook Up – Goodspeed Musicals
Robert Mintz - Singin’ in the Rain – Playhouse on Park
nicHi douglas – Spunk - Yale Repertory Theatre
Kelli Barclay – Irving Berlin’s White Christmas - Goodspeed Musicals
Outstanding Featured actor in a play:
Samuel H. Levine – Death of a Salesman – Hartford Stage
Terrence Riggins – Gem of the Ocean – Long Wharf Theatre
Kurt Fuller - Noises Off – Legacy Theatre
Jimmy Johansmeyer – Noises Off – Legacy Theatre
Alaman Diadhiou – Spunk - Yale Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Featured actress in a play:
Adrianne Krstansky – Death of a Salesman – Hartford Stage
Missy Dowse – Fox on the Fairway – Music Theatre of CT
Grace Porter – Gem of the Ocean – Long Wharf Theatre
Felicity Jones Latta – Hedda Gabler – Yale Repertory Theatre
Jeannette Baryardelle – Spunk - Yale Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Featured actor in a musical:
Diego Guevara - A Chorus Line – Goodspeed Musicals
Jack Rasmussen – Almost Famous - A.C.T. of CT
Cory Candelet - Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Ivoryton Playhouse
Scott Mikita – My Fair Lady – Ivoryton Playhouse
John Alejandro Jeffords – Waitress – A.C.T. of CT
Outstanding Featured actress in a musical:
Karli Dinardo - A Chorus Line – Goodspeed Musicals
Mikaela Secada - A Chorus Line – Goodspeed Musicals
Tess Marshall – Almost Famous – A.C.T. of CT
Jessica Crouch - All Shook Up – Goodspeed Musicals
Shaylen Harger – Waitress – A.C.T. of CT
Outstanding Ensemble – Casts of:
All is Calm – Playhouse on Park
Circus Fire - TheaterWorks Hartford
English – TheaterWorks Hartford
The Great Emu War – Goodspeed Musicals
The Mousetrap – Sharon Playhouse
Outstanding Set design:
Beowulf Boritt – All Shook Up – Goodspeed Musicals
Tijana Bjelajac – The Counter – Theaterworks Hartford
Christopher & Justin Swader – The Mousetrap – Sharon Playhouse
Riw Rakkulchon – Rope - Hartford Stage
David L. Arsenault – Irving Berlin’s White Christmas - Goodspeed Musicals
Outstanding Costume design:
Tilly Grimes - All Shook Up – Goodspeed Musicals
Jimmy Johansmeyer - The Baroness – Playhouse on Park
Risa Ando – Rope - Hartford Stage
Lyle Laize Qin - Hedda Gabler - Yale Repertory Theatre
Elizabeth Saylor – My Fair Lady – Ivoryton Playhouse
Outstanding Lighting design:
John Lasiter - A Chorus Line – Goodspeed Musicals
Matthew Richards – Death of a Salesman – Hartford Stage
Mary Louise Geiger – Rope - Hartford Stage
Dalton Hamilton - Waitress - A.C.T. of CT
Kirk Bookman & Nathan W. Scheuer - Irving Berlin’s White Christmas – Goodspeed Musicals
Sound design:
Jay Hilton – A Chorus Line – Goodspeed Musicals
Darron L. West – Death of a Salesman – Hartford Stage
Joyce Ciesil - Hurricane Diane – Hartford Stage
Xi (Zoey) Lin – Rhinoceros – Yale Repertory Theatre
Jane Shaw - Rope – Hartford Stage
Projections:
Doaa Ouf – All is Calm – Playhouse on Park
Camilla Tassi – Almost Famous – A.C.T. of CT
Jared Mezzocchi - Circus Fire - TheaterWorks Hartford
Camilla Tassi – Dear Evan Hansen – A.C.T. of CT
Ke Xu – Rhinoceros – Yale Repertory Theatre
PLAYS (Number of Nominations)
Rope – 7
Death of a Salesman – 6
Rhinoceros – 5
All is Calm – 4
Circus Fire - 4
The Counter – 4
Spunk – 4
Hedda Gabler – 3
Gem of the Ocean – 2
Hurricane Diane – 2
The Mousetrap – 2
Noises Off - 2
The Baroness – 1
English – 1
Fox on the Fairway – 1
The Great Emu War – 1
Lady Day in Emerson’s Bar & Grill – 1
Your Name Means Dream – 1
MUSICALS (Number of Nominations)
A Chorus Line – 8
All Shook Up - 8
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas - 6
Waitress - 6
My Fair Lady – 4
Almost Famous – 3
Annie – 2
Little Mermaid – 2
Dear Evan Hansen – 1
Jesus Christ Superstar – 1
Joseph and the Amazing – 1
Singin’ in the Rain - 1
