Nominees announced for Wilmington Theater Awards

The nominees for the 2019 StarNews Wilmington Theater Awards were announced Tuesday during a presentation at Tails Piano Bar in downtown Wilmington.

Leading all shows in nominations with 10 is "The Bridges of Madison County," which Thalian Association Community Theatre staged in March.

Steve Vernon and Randy Davis will host this year's awards show March 20 at Thalian Hall. Michael Lauricella will serve as music director. In addition to awards presentation, the show will feature performances from the nominated plays and musicals. Tickets go on sale Jan. 23.

Winners are determined by a combination of theater company, theater award committee and public votes. The public can vote for their favorites at StarNewsOnline.com/Contests.

Also announced Tuesday were this year's recipients of the Lela Thompson Award for Enduring Contribution to Wilmington Theater. The lifetime achievement award will be presented to Scott Davis and Jeff Loy, both longtime designers and technicians on Wilmington's theater scene. They will be presented with the award during the show at Thalian Hall in March.

Contact John Staton at 910-343-2343 or John.Staton@StarNewsOnline.com.

2019 StarNews Wilmington Theater Awards nominees

BEST PLAY

• “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Blanket Fort Entertainment, Opera House Theatre Co., the Cucalorus Festival and Big Dawg Productions
• “Fences,” Big Dawg Productions
• “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” Big Dawg Productions
• “Twelfth Night, or What You Will,” Alchemical Theatre Co. and UNCW Lumina Festival of the Arts
• “Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins,” Thalian Hall Cube Theatre

BEST MUSICAL

• “The Bridges of Madison County,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• “Fun Home,” Panache Theatrical Productions
• “Mamma Mia!”, Opera House Theatre Co.
• “Sweet Charity,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• “Violet,” Opera House Theatre Co.

DIRECTOR, PLAY

• Tom Briggs, “Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins,” Thalian Hall Cube Theatre
• Shane Fernando, “Buyer & Cellar,” Thalian Hall Cube Theatre
• Christopher Marino, “Twelfth Night, or What You Will,” Alchemical Theatre Co. and UNCW Lumina Festival of the Arts
• Heather Setzler, “Steel Magnolias,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Steve Vernon, “Inside Job,” Big Dawg Productions and Ken Vest

DIRECTOR, MUSICAL

• Jason Aycock, “Violet,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• Wesley Brown, “Cannibal: The Musical!”, Pineapple-Shaped Lamps
• Chandler Davis, “The Bridges of Madison County,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Judy Greenhut, “Sweet Charity,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Ray Kennedy, “Mamma Mia!”, Opera House Theatre Co.

ACTOR, PLAY

• Bradley Coxe as Ransome Foster in “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence,” Panache Theatrical Productions
• Tyler Crittenden as Alex More in “Buyer & Cellar,” Thalian Hall Cube Theatre
• Burt Grinstead as Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde in “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Blanket Fort Entertainment, Opera House Theatre Co., the Cucalorus Festival and Big Dawg Productions
• Fracaswell Hyman as Troy Maxson in “Fences,” Big Dawg Productions
• Woody Stefl as Will in “Inside Job,” Big Dawg Productions and Ken Vest

ACTOR, MUSICAL

• Patrick Basquill as Alferd Packer in “Cannibal: The Musical!”, Pineapple-Shaped Lamps
• Chris Rickert as Henry Higgins in “My Fair Lady,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• Tony Rivenbark as Ebenezer Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol: The Musical,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Robin Dale Robertson as Guido Contini in “Nine,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• Brenton Schraff as Robert Kincaid in “The Bridges of Madison County,” Thalian Association Community Theatre

ACTRESS, PLAY

• Susan Auten as Eve in “The Diary of Adam and Eve,” Keepin’ On Productions
• Cindy Colucci as Florence Foster Jenkins in “Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins,” Thalian Hall Cube Theatre
• Courtney Rickert as Shelby in “Steel Magnolias,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Anna Stromberg as multiple roles in “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Blanket Fort Entertainment, Opera House Theatre Co., the Cucalorus Festival and Big Dawg Productions
• Ester Williamson as Viola/Caesario in “Twelfth Night, or What You Will,” Alchemical Theatre Co. and UNCW Lumina Festival of the Arts

ACTRESS, MUSICAL

• Kendra Goehring-Garrett as Charity Hope Valentine in “Sweet Charity,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Kendra Goehring-Garrett as Violet Karl in “Violet,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• Heather Setzler as Francesca Johnson in “The Bridges of Madison County,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Kire Stenson as Sara in “Murder Ballad,” Second Star Theatre Co.
• Emilia Torello as Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady,” Opera House Theatre Co.

SUPPORTING ACTOR, PLAY

• Matt Carter as Mercutio in “Romeo and Juliet,” Dram Tree Shakespeare
• Charles Calhoun as Griff in “Inside Job,” Big Dawg Productions and Ken Vest
• Tommy Goodwin as Bennie in “Getting Out,” UNCW Department of Theatre
• Ashley Strand as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in “Twelfth Night, or What You Will,” Alchemical Theatre Co. and UNCW Lumina Festival of the Arts
• Kenny Rosander as Albert Einstein in “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” Big Dawg Productions

SUPPORTING ACTOR, MUSICAL

• Dick Bunting as Alfred P. Doolittle in “My Fair Lady,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• George Domby as Col. Pickering in “My Fair Lady,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• Brenton Schraff as Oscar Lindquist in “Sweet Charity,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Jamey Stone as Fagin in “Oliver!”, Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Justin Allen Tate as Flick in “Violet,” Opera House Theatre Co.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, PLAY

• Beth Corvino as Helene in “Who Am I This Time?”, Big Dawg Productions
• Jessica Farmer as Abby in “In Sanity,” Pineapple-Shaped Lamps
• Anna Gamel as Valerie in “The Weir,” TheatreNOW
• Debra Gillingham as Clairee in “Steel Magnolias,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Tamica Katzmann as various roles in “Baskerville,” Big Dawg Productions

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, MUSICAL

• Rebekah Carmichael as Medium Alison in “Fun Home,” Panache Theatrical Productions
• Cindy Colucci as Luisa Contini in “Nine,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• Coleman Cox as Betty Schaefer in “Sunset Boulevard,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• LaRaisha DiEvelyn Dionne as Fastrada in “Pippin,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Sydney Smith Martin as Sophie Sheridan in “Mamma Mia!”, Opera House Theatre Co.

BEST NEWCOMER

• Grace Carlyle Berry, “King Lear” for Dram Tree Shakespeare, “Fun Home” for Panache Theatrical Productions and “Agnes of God” for Big Dawg Productions
• Rebekah Carmichael, “Fun Home” for Panache Theatrical Productions and “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” for Big Dawg Productions
• J. Robert Raines, “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” and “Baskerville,” Big Dawg Productions
• Brenton Schraff, “The Bridges of Madison County” and “Sweet Charity,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Cathy Street, “Fun Home” for Panache Theatrical Productions and “A Christmas Cactus” for TheatreNOW

ENSEMBLE

• “The Bridges of Madison County,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• “Mamma Mia!,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• “Nine,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• “Sweet Charity,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• “Violet,” Opera House Theatre Co.

BEST CHILDREN'S THEATER PRODUCTION

• “Aladdin,” Pied Piper Theatre
• “Godspell,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• “Make a Better Choice,” Luv2act
• “Tarzan,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• “13,” Performance Club Kids

MUSIC DIRECTION

• Angela Burns, “Nine,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• Billy Heathen, “Murder Ballad,” Second Star Theatre Co.
• Denice Hopper, “The Bridges of Madison County,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Michael Stringer, “The Hot Mikado,” Brunswick Little Theatre
• Lorene Walsh, “Violet,” Opera House Theatre Co.

CHOREOGRAPHY

• Ron Chisholm, “Smokey Joe’s Café,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• Judy Greenhut, “Sweet Charity,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Ray Kennedy, “Mamma Mia!”, Opera House Theatre Co.
• Tina Leak, “My Fair Lady,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• Beth Swindell, “Oliver!” Thalian Association Community Theatre

SET DESIGN

• Terry Collins, “Mamma Mia!”, Opera House Theatre Co.
• Benedict Fancy, “Steel Magnolias,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Lance Howell, “The Bridges of Madison County,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Eddie Key, “In Sanity,” Pineapple-Shaped Lamps
• “Max Lydy, “Twelfth Night, or What You Will,” Alchemical Theatre Co. and UNCW Lumina Festival of the Arts

SOUND DESIGN

• Katie Deese, “The Bridges of Madison County,” Thalian Association Community Theatre
• John DeVeaux, “My Fair Lady,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• Burt Grinstead, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Blanket Fort Entertainment, Opera House Theatre Co., the Cucalorus Festival and Big Dawg Productions
• David Heck, “Murder Ballad,” Second Star Theatre Co.
• David Lorek, “In Sanity,” Pineapple-Shape Lamps

COSTUMES

• Jessica Gaffney, “Twelfth Night, or What You Will,” Alchemical Theatre Co. and UNCW Lumina Festival of the Arts
• Juli Harvey, “Nine,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• Selina Harvey, “My Fair Lady,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• Mark Sorensen, “Dr. Faustus,” UNCW Department of Theatre
• Debbie Scheu, “Mamma Mia!”, Opera House Theatre Co.

LIGHTING DESIGN

• Nicholas Fenner, “Oliver!”, Thalian Association Community Theatre
• Dallas LaFon, “Mamma Mia!”, Opera House Theatre Co.
• Jeff Loy, “Nine,” Opera House Theatre Co.
• John McCall, “Twelfth Night, or What You Will,” Alchemical Theatre Co. and the Lumina Festival of the Arts
• Joshua Zieseniss, “The Bridges of Madison County,” Thalian Association Community Theatre

ORIGINAL PRODUCTION

• “Dr. Faustus,” adapted by Christopher Marino with original songs by Adrian Varnam, UNCW Department of Theatre
• “Flytrap,” by Julia Janssen
• “In Sanity,” by Chase Harrison, Pineapple-Shaped Lamps
• “Inside Job,” by Ken Vest, Big Dawg Productions and Ken Vest
• “Southern Fried Bitch,” by Celia Rivenbark, with Kevin Parker, TheatreNOW

Want to go?

What: The eighth annual StarNews Wilmington Theater Awards

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 20

Where: Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St., Wilmington

Info: Tickets are $20. Vote for your favorites at StarNewsOnline.com/Contests.

Details: 910-632-2285 or ThalianHall.org