The Cleveland Critics Circle Awards 2012

 

By Roy Berko

It is the purpose of THE CLEVELAND CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS to recognize outstanding Cleveland area productions, performers, directors and others who were involved in those offerings during the 2012 year. Awards are considered for those theatres which the members review and the categories agreed upon by the members of the organization. (For a listing of these theatres go to: ClevelandTheaterAwards.com)

Best Musical Production: SPRING AWAKENING, Beck Center for the Arts/with Baldwin Wallace University Music Theater Program.

Finalists: BLOODY, BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, Beck Center for the Arts; AVENUE Q, Cain Park.

Best Non-musical Production: THE NORMAL HEART, Ensemble Theatre.

Finalists: THE WHIPPING MAN, Cleveland Play House; IN THE NEXT ROOM, Cleveland Play House; PROOF, Lakeland Civic Theatre.

Best Actor in a Musical: Jesse Markowitz, AVENUE Q; Cain Park.

Finalists: Dan Folino, BLOODY, BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, Beck Center for the Arts; Zach Adkins, SPRING AWAKENING, Beck Center for the Arts/with Baldwin Wallace University Music Theater Program.

Best Actor in a Non-musical: Brian Zoldessy, THE NORMAL HEART, Ensemble Theatre.

Finalists: Russell Jones, THE WHIPPING MAN, Cleveland Play House; Tom Woodward, BRIGHT NEW BOISE, Dobama Theater; Dana Hart, STANDING ON CEREMONY, Cleveland Public Theatre; Patrick Ciamacco, OF MICE AND MEN, Blank Canvas Theatre.

Best Actress in a Musical: Mary Bridget Davies, ONE NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, Cleveland Play House.

Finalists: Kyra Kennedy, SPRING AWAKENING, Beck Center for the Arts; Kayce Cummings, SOUND OF MUSIC, Porthouse Theatre; Kelvette Beacham, ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, Mercury Summer Stock; Kelvette Beacham, ALL SHOOK UP, Mercury Summer Stock.

Best Actress in a Non-musical: Laura Perrotta, THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED, Beck Center for the Arts

Finalists: Liz Conway, PROOF, Lakeland Civic Theatre; Dorothy Silver, 4000 MILES, Dobama Theater; Dorothy Silver, THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN, Beck Center for the Arts.

Best Director of a Musical: Victoria Bussert, SPRING AWAKENING, Beck Center for the Arts/with Baldwin Wallace University Music Theater Program

Finalists: Russ Borski, AVENUE Q, Cain Park; Scott Spence, BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, Beck Center for the Arts; Victoria Bussert, LIZZIE BORDEN, Playhouse Square/Baldwin Wallace University Music Theater Program

Best Director of a Non-musical: Sarah May, THE NORMAL HEART, Ensemble Theatre

Finalists: Giovanna Sardelli, THE WHIPPING MAN, Cleveland Play House; Martin Friedman, PROOF, Lakeland Civic Theatre; Joel Hammer, MIDDLETOWN, Dobama Theatre; Raymond Bobgan, AKARUI, Cleveland Public Theatre; Patrick Ciamacco, NEXT FALL, Blank Canvas Theatre

Best Choreographer: Gregory Daniels, SPRING AWAKENING, Beck Center

Finalists: Martin Céspedes, ANNIE, Beck Center; Martin Céspedes, BLOODY, BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, Beck Center for the Arts; Martin Céspedes, LEGALLY BLONDE, Beck Center for the Arts; Martin Céspedes, XANADU, Beck Center for the Arts

Best National Touring Production: ANYTHING GOES, Playhouse Square

Finalists: MEMPHIS, Playhouse Square

Best Regional Touring Production:* ONE NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, Cleveland Play House

Finalists: RED, Cleveland Play House; THE IMAGINARY INVALID, Great Lakes Theatre; THE MOUSETRAP, Great Lakes Theatre

*(a production that performed in any other city in addition to Cleveland but was sponsored by a local Cleveland producing theatre)

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS:

Lifetime Achievement Award: Reuben and Dorothy Silver for outstanding contributions to the Cleveland theatre scene for producing, acting, directing and theatre education

Outstanding Body of Work, 2012: Martin Céspedes, choreographer

Groundbreaking New Theater: Blank Canvas Theatre and its founder, artistic director, and actor Patrick Ciamacco

Outstanding Commitment to Multi-dimensional Theater Production and Education: Cleveland Public Theatre and Executive Artistic Director Raymond Bobgan

Members of the CCC are: Bob Abelman (News Herald, Chagrin Valley Times), Roy Berko (CoolCleveland.com, ArtsAmerica.com, BroadwayWorld.com, royberko.info), Kerry Clawson (Akron-Beacon Journal), Fran Heller (Cleveland Jewish News), Christine Howey (Cleveland Scene, raveandpan.blogspot.com), Kory (New102.com and CBS Radio Cleveland), Marjorie Preston (marjoriepreston.com), Andrea Simakis (The Plain Dealer), Art Thomas (West Life).

For additional information about the CLEVELAND CRITICS CIRCLE, including reviewing summaries, links to members’ full reviews, and details about the CCC Speaker’s Bureau, go to: clevelandtheaterreviews.com.

 

From Cool Cleveland contributor Roy Berko. Berko’s blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2012, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://RoyBerko.info. His reviews can also be found on NeOHIOpal and CoolCleveland.com.

Roy Berko, who is a life-long Clevelander, is a Renaissance man. Believing the line in Robert Frost’s poem “Road Not Taken,” each time he comes to a fork in the road, he has taken the path less traveled. He holds degrees, thought the doctorate from Kent State, University of Michigan and The Pennsylvania State University. His present roles, besides husband and grandfather, are professor, crisis counselor, author and entertainment reviewer… Read Roy Berko’s complete bio here

 

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