Saluting Dayton’s 2014-15 Theater Season

Friendship among witches, a delightful journey to Neverland, a Boston single mother awaiting opportunity, a modern family attempting connection at a New York hospital, an ogre in love, and African-American stories of faith and redemption were some of the key contributors to Dayton’s engaging 2014-15 theater season.

The Human Race Theatre Company’s roof-raising production of Crowns was a hallmark for professional offerings, but the organization was equally blessed by a luminous world premiere of Michael Slade’s Broadway-worthy dramedy Family Shots, John Murrell’s engrossing two-hander Taking Shakespeare, and Caleb Damschroder and Eric Ulloa’s lovely new musical Molly Sweeney. The Victoria Theatre Association notably scored with the popular return of Wicked and the pleasantly surprising and impressive spoof America’s Got Downton, Luke Kempner’s tour-de-force salute to hit TV drama Downton Abbey. Dare to Defy Productions, a troupe on the rise, certainly flexed its artistic muscles with a string of strong shows heightened by savvy casting. Emerging, female-driven Magnolia Theatre Company arrived with aplomb in the form of an excellent Parallel Lives.

Further, Playhouse South reminded theatergoers of the unbridled, inclusive joy of community theater in its absolutely radiant Shrek The Musical, one of the finest shows produced by the organization closely followed by its sharp staging of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Dayton Theatre Guild’s admiration for Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire surfaced once more with a fantastic local premiere of the blue-collar Good People, which contained elements that matched the original Broadway production. Newly formed Playground Theatre commendably premiered with a nostalgic staging of The Breakfast Club. Undercroft Players, another emerging company with promise, brought great laughs and heartfelt warmth to Weekend Comedy. Beavercreek Community Theatre definitely succeeded with Sweeney Todd and Avenue Q. Dayton Playhouse, bolstered by the presence of scenic designer Chris Newman throughout the season, provided an attractive look at The Fantasticks.

On collegiate stages, Wright State University tremendously hit the mark as expected. In addition to WSU’s stellar Fences which provided the long-awaited directorial return of Sheila Ramsey in collaboration with WSU chair W. Stuart McDowell, director Joe Deer spearheaded a marvelously magical Peter Pan and a breathtaking musical showcase starring Tony Award-winning legend Leslie Uggams. Elsewhere, Sinclair Community College dazzled with its stunning, non-traditional Pride and Prejudice and vibrantly feel-good Charlie Brown Christmas. The University of Dayton thoroughly charmed with A New Brain.

Nationally, it was particularly thrilling to see Muse Machine and Oakwood High School alum Micah Stock take the New York theater community by storm thanks to his hilarious Broadway debut as Gus P. Dowd in the revival of Terrence McNally’s comedy It’s Only a Play. The 26-year-old Stock, a gifted artist, received a Tony nomination and Theatre World Award for his outstanding performance.
Assessing the 75 shows I saw this season, I congratulate the following winners (in bold) and nominees.

 

BEST TOURING PRODUCTION
4 Girls 4, Springfield Arts Council
America’s Got Downton, Victoria Theatre Association
Nice Work If You Can Get It, Victoria Theatre Association
Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Victoria Theatre Association
Wicked, Victoria Theatre Association

BEST PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
Crowns, Human Race Theatre Company
Family Shots, Human Race Theatre Company
Parallel Lives, Magnolia Theatre Company
Taking Shakespeare, Human Race Theatre Company
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Human Race Theatre Company and Victoria Theatre Association

BEST LOCALLY-PRODUCED PROFESSIONAL MUSICAL,
Altar Boyz, Dare to Defy Productions
The Last Five Years, Dare to Defy Productions
Molly Sweeney: A Musical, Human Race Theatre Company
Nunsense, Dare to Defy Productions
Rent, Dare to Defy Productions

BEST COMMUNITY THEATER PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
4000 Miles, Dayton Theatre Guild
The Breakfast Club, Playground Theatre
Good People, Dayton Theatre Guild
Heartbreak House, Dayton Theatre Guild
Weekend Comedy, Undercroft Players

BEST COMMUNITY THEATER PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
Avenue Q, Beavercreek Community Theatre
The Fantasticks, Dayton Playhouse
Shrek The Musical, Playhouse South
Sweeney Todd, Beavercreek Community Theatre
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Playhouse South

BEST COLLEGIATE PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
A Charlie Brown Christmas, Sinclair Community College
 Fences, Wright State University
Pride and Prejudice, Sinclair Community College
Romeo and Juliet, Wright State University

BEST COLLEGIATE PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
A New Brain, University of Dayton
bare: a pop opera, Sinclair Community College
Hot Mikado, Wright State University
Peter Pan, Wright State University
Sondheim on Sondheim, Wright State University

BEST NEW WORK
Caleb Damschroder and Eric Ulloa’s Molly Sweeney: A Musical, Human Race Theatre Company
Luke Kempner’s America’s Got Downton, Victoria Theatre Association
Linda Ramsay-Detherage’s Sugarhill, Dayton Playhouse FutureFest
Michael Slade’s Family Shots, Human Race Theatre Company

BEST SPECIAL THEATRICAL EVENT
America’s Got Downton, Victoria Theatre Association
An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Dayton Performing Arts Alliance
An Evening with Leslie Uggams, Wright State University and Victoria Theatre Association
Oliver!, Muse Machine
Once On This Island, Epiphany Lutheran Church

BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Corbin Bleu as Aaron Baker, Family Shots
Law Terrell Dunford as Troy Maxson, Fences
David Hallowren as Jim Stools, Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music (Dayton Theatre Guild)
Luke Kempner in multiple roles, America’s Got Downton
Jon Kovach as Murph, Taking Shakespeare
Jared Mola as Leo Joseph-Connell, 4000 Miles

BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Gina Handy in multiple roles, Parallel Lives
Barbara Jorgensen as Vera Joseph, 4000 Miles
Johanna Leister as Prof, Taking Shakespeare
Andréa Moralés in multiple roles, Parallel Lives
Rachel Wilson as Margaret Walsh, Good People
Colleen Zenk as Marsha Baker, Family Shots

BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Ian Benjamin as Jamie Wellerstein, The Last Five Years
Mark Beyer as Roger Davis, Rent
A.J. Breslin as Peter, bare
Bruce Cromer as Captain Hook and Mr. Darling, Peter Pan
Rollie Fisk as Fagin, Oliver!
Bobby Mitchum as Jason, bare

BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Kelsey Pohl as Cathy Hiatt, The Last Five Years
Angelé Price as Sister Hubert, Nunsense
Brianna Russ as Nancy, Oliver!
Alyson Snyder as Peter Pan, Peter Pan
Carrie St. Louis as Glinda, Wicked
Lindsie VanWinkle as Molly Sweeney, Molly Sweeney

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY
A.J. Breslin as Snoopy, A Charlie Brown Christmas
Randy Brooks as Sam Baker, Family Shots
David Jennings as Man, Crowns
Stephen Kell as Mercutio, Romeo and Juliet
Jared Mola as Roy Manual, Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music (Dayton Theatre Guild)
Jeff Sams as Hector Hushabye, Heartbreak House

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Joilet F. Harris as Mother Shaw, Crowns
Wendi Michael as Jean, Good People
Annie Pesch as Joyce Anderson, Family Shots
Lorrie Sparrow-Knapp as Lady Utterword, Heartbreak House
Shyra Thomas as Kate, Good People
Torie Wiggins as Mabel, Crowns

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Drew Bowen as Mark, Altar Boyz
Jim Brown as Lord Farquuad, Shrek The Musical
Charles Larkowski as Judge Turpin, Sweeney Todd
Nathan Pecchia as himself, Sondheim on Sondheim
Tyler Simms as Smee, Peter Pan
Michael Stockstill as Adolfo Pirelli, Sweeney Todd

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Jasmine Easler as Katisha, Hot Mikado
Jenna Gomes as Mimi Schwinn, A New Brain
Megan Kuchan as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Cassi Mikat as herself, Sondheim on Sondheim
Tia Seay as Donkey, Shrek The Musical
Shawn Storms as Joanne Jefferson, Rent

BREAKTHROUGH MALE PERFORMANCE
Christopher Delanis as Gordon Michael Schwinn, A New Brain
Austin DeVaughn as Mr. Collins, Pride and Prejudice
Jose Gutierrez del Arroyo as Leaf Coneybear and Carl Dad, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Zach King as Shrek, Shrek The Musical
Alan Ruddy as Princeton, Avenue Q
Isaac Tobler as Tom Collins, Rent

BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE PERFORMANCE
Ariqa Bowens as Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice
Jasmine Easler as Rose, Fences
Esther Hyland as Princess Fiona, Shrek The Musical
Kirsten Johnson as Allison Reynolds, The Breakfast Club
Pamela Matheson-Jones as Mrs. Nellie Lovett, Sweeney Todd
Meghan Rupper as Mama Euralie, Once On This Island

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Debbie Blunden-Diggs and Scott Stoney, Crowns
Kimberly Borst, Pride and Prejudice
Debra A. Kent, Good People
W. Stuart McDowell and Sheila Ramsey, Fences
Kevin Moore, Family Shots

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Joe Deer, Peter Pan
Greg Hellems, Hot Mikado
Becki Norgaard, Shrek The Musical
JJ Parkey, Rent
Megan Wean Sears, Once On This Island

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Debbie Blunden-Diggs, Crowns
Lula Elzy, Oliver!
Greg Graham, Peter Pan
Teressa Wylie McWilliams, Hot Mikado
Megan Wean Sears, Once On This Island

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
David A. Centers, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Chris Harmon, Pride and Prejudice
Chris Newman, Heartbreak House
Ryan Sess, Fences
Terry Stump, A Charlie Brown Christmas

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Chris Harmon, Sweeney Todd
Pam Knauert Lavarnway, Hot Mikado
Pam Knauert Lavarnway, Peter Pan
Chris Newman, The Fantasticks
Ray Zupp, Rent

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
David J. Castellano, Pride and Prejudice (Wright State)
David M. Covach, Crowns
Patrick Allyn Hayes and Kelsey Shaffer, Heartbreak House
Kathleen Hotmer, Pride and Prejudice
Mary Beth McLaughlin, Fences

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Carol Finley, Sweeney Todd
Jeremy W. Floyd, Hot Mikado
Maria Klueber and Lori Watamaniuk, Once On This Island
Lead costumer Meagan Kuchan and costume team (Melissa Fogle, Kathleen Carroll, Donna Cason, Summer Lehman, Rachel Annabo Smith, Maggie Carroll, Mary Nunnery, Aurora Nunnery, Rachel LaFountain Earich, Jordan Norgaard, Jenni Cypher, Tonia Scearce, Ian Meadows, Jess Evans), Shrek The Musical
Janet G. Powell, The Fantasticks

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
Daniel Brunk, Pride and Prejudice
Sammy Jelinek, Fences
Tim Mascall, America’s Got Downton
John Rensel, Taking Shakespeare
Nick Vanderpool, George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead – Live (Dayton Playhouse)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Anita Bachmann, The Fantasticks
Matthew P. Benjamin, Hot Mikado
John Falkenbach, Sweeney Todd
Sammy Jelinek, Peter Pan
Bryan Miller, Once On This Island

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY
Daniel Brunk, Pride and Prejudice
Jay Brunner, Taking Shakespeare
Jay Brunner, Crowns
Emily Hutton, Fences
K.L. Storer, George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead – Live (Dayton Playhouse)

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Keith Caggiano, Nice Work If You Can Get It
James Dunlap, Sondheim on Sondheim
Matt Korb, Hot Mikado
Chris Pentecost, Once On This Island
Mason Wisecup, Peter Pan

BEST ORCHESTRA
Hot Mikado (Music Director: Scot Woolley)
The Last Five Years (Music Director: Dean Brown)
Nice Work If You Can Get It (Music Director: Charlie Reuter)
Oliver! (Music Director: Claude Thomas)
Once On This Island (Music Director: David Brush)

BEST PROPERTIES
Heather Campbell Martin, The Fantasticks
John Lavarnway, Peter Pan
Heather Powell, Taking Shakespeare
Blake Senseman and Deidre Bray Root, Good People
Shannon Sellars, Oliver!

ADDITIONAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

• Tango dancers Sarah Agar and Adam Soniak in Mame (Human Race Theatre Company)
• Christine Andreas, Faith Prince, Andrea McArdle, and Maureen McGovern in 4 Girls 4 with music direction by John McDaniel
• Director/choreographer Katie Arber, leading players Isaac Ingle (Seymour) and Cecily Dowd (Audrey), scenic designer Mike Cordonnier, and the cast of Little Shop of Horrors (Centerville High School)
• Becky Barrett-Jones as Diana Goodman and Desmond Thomas as Gabe Goodman in Next to Normal (Beavercreek Community Theatre)
• Lyn Baudendistel, Robin Brown, Patty Peters, Toni Donato Shade, and Alisa Vukasinovich’s costumes for Oliver!
• Keely Beirne’s renditions of “Don Juan” and “Some Cats Know” in Smokey Joe’s Cafe
• Matthew P. Benjamin’s projections for Hot Mikado
• Matthew Boston as Vanya, Sherman Fracher as Sonia, Jennifer Johansen as Masha, Ben Palacios as Spike, Alex Sunderhaus as Nina, Torie Wiggins as Cassandra, and director Margarett Perry for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
• Gary Briggle, Laura Portune, Gabriel Preisser, and Christina Baldwin in An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein
• Jay Brunner’s incidental music for Taking Shakespeare
• Alexander Chilton as Stevie, Shawn Hooks as Mike and Heather Martin as Dottie in Good People
• Megan Cooper as Margaret “Maggie” Pollitt and Chris Harmon’s scenic design for Cat On a Hot Tin Roof (Beavercreek Community Theatre)
• Bruce Cromer’s fight choreography for Romeo and Juliet
• Tristan Cupp’s scenic design for Once On This Island
• Jasmine Easler as Velma, Joy Lynn Jacobs as Wanda, Monette McKay as Yolanda, and Debra Walton as Jeanette in Crowns
• Sean Michael Flowers’ incidental music for Family Shots and his music direction of Sondheim on Sondheim (featuring a band consisting of guitarist Mark Beyer and cellist Emsie Hapner)
• Alyssa Fox as Elphaba in Wicked
• Jill Lynott as Barbara and Geoff Turner and Eric Specht’s special effects for George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead – Live (Dayton Playhouse)
• Ellie Margolis as Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride and Prejudice (Wright State)
• Chris Newman’s scenic design and Kathleen Carroll’s costumes for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Dayton Playhouse)
• Natalie Sanders’ rendition of “All Grown Up” in bare: a pop opera
• Parisa Samavati’s rendition of “Forever” in Shrek The Musical
• Renditions of “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (Tia Seay and ensemble), “Easy to Be Hard” (Emma Jordan), “Where Do I Go?” (Mark Beyer and ensemble), “White Boys” (Raven Thomas), and “Good Morning Starshine” (Mackensie Vonderbrink) in The Music of Hair (Dare to Defy Productions)
• Michael Stockstill’s makeup design for Shrek The Musical
• Leslie Uggams and featured performers Jasmine Easler, Mimi Klipstine, Cassandra Mikat, Katie Momenee, Kelsey Pohl, Alyson Snyder, and Abby Murray Vachon with music directors Don Rebic and Scot Woolley in An Evening with Leslie Uggams
• Scot Woolley’s piano accompaniment for Crowns and Molly Sweeney