The 36th Annual Robby Awards were presented in a boisterous, music-filled ceremony on Sunday, February 5. Theatre West in Hollywood was filled to near capacity with the creators and participants of Los Angeles. They gathered to enjoy the feeling and excitement of being in an audience of their peers, celebrating the joy of creating and viewing live theatre after the many dark months of Covid lockdown. This was the first live Robby Awards show since 2019 and the audience was in the mood to party. Long time Southern California theatre reviewer Rob Stevens chooses the nominees from the plays and musicals he has seen in the previous year. He then chooses the winners and the evening’s entertainers and presenters. If the show often turns into a roast of himself, he encourages it.
Steve Nevil and Michael Van Duzer hosted the show, often in their Robby Award-winning characters of President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger from Theatre West’s recent off-Broadway production of Our Man in Santiago. Bruce Kimmel got right into the spirit of the evening with his song parody “Rob Can Drive a Person Crazy” to the tune of Sondheim’s trio song from Company. Sondheim, who died in 2021, was the musical theme of the evening, and his songs were sung by Robert Yacko, Eileen Barnett, Teri Ralston, and the husband-and-wife duo of Kirsten and Stan Chandler. Married performers Kim Huber and Roger Befeler added to the fun with their rendition of “Big D”. Bruce Vilanch had the audience guffawing with his Sophie Tucker inspired rendition of “You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow” while Sharon McNight led the audience through a rousing “Spirit of New Orleans”. Del Shores offered a tribute to the late Carole Cook, often a Robby Award show hostess, before presenting two awards. Two-time Robby Award winner Heather Lee was also a presenter. Paul Cady served as musical director for the show.
The touring production of Hadestown at the Ahmanson Theatre won a total of four awards, including a tie for Best Musical with the National Tour of Moulin Rouge The Musical at the Pantages Theatre. Geffen Playhouse’s production of The Inheritance also won four awards including Best Drama. Best Comedy was won by Rogue Machine’s Little Theatre which added a second award with a win for Best Actress for Jenny O’Hara. International City Theatre was the producing entity taking away the most awards with five spread over its productions of A Doll’s House, Part 2, The Legend of Georgia McBride and Marry Me a Little. A complete list of winners follows.
TERI RALSTON AWARD FOR BEST MUSICAL (Tie)
Hadestown, Center Theatre Group-Ahmanson Theatre
Moulin Rouge The Musical, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
VIRGINIA CAPERS AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown, Center Theatre Group-Ahmanson Theatre
Wild Party
MICHAEL G. HAWKINS AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Hamilton Davis, Wild Party, Morgan-Wixson Theatre
MICHELLE NICASTRO AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Shannon Warne, Brigadoon, Musical Theatre Guild
GARY BEACH AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Levi Kreis, Hadestown, Center Theatre Group-Ahmanson Theatre
Brigadoon
LISA ROBINSON AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (Tie)
Joan Almedilla, Assassins, East West Players
Dana Meller, Brigadoon, Musical Theatre Guild
DOM SALINARO AWARD FOR BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge The Musical, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
ELAN MCMAHON AWARD FOR BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION
Dianne King Vann, Marry Me A Little, International City Theatre
JOHN RAITT AWARD FOR BEST MUSIC & LYRICS
Anais Mitchell, Hadestown, Center Theatre Group-Ahmanson Theatre
The Inheritance
NAN MARTIN AWARD FOR BEST DRAMA
The Inheritance, Geffen Playhouse
MARTIN BENSON AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR OF A DRAMA
Mike Donahue, The Inheritance
RAY STRICKLYN AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Gregory Blair, Angels in America, Foolish Production Co.
A Doll’s House, Part 2
SALLY KEMP AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Jennifer Shelton, A Doll’s House, Part 2, International City Theatre
RICHARD DOYLE AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Bill Brochtrup, The Inheritance, Geffen Playhouse
BELINDA BALASKI AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Eileen T’Kaye, A Doll’s House, Part 2, International City Theatre
CAROLE COOK AWARD FOR BEST COMEDY
Little Theatre, Rogue Machine
RON LINK AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR OF A COMEDY
Jamie Torcellini, The Legend of Georgia McBride, International City Theatre
TOM TROUPE AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Taubert Nadalini, The Legend of Georgia McBride, International City Theatre
Little Theatre
LU LEONARD AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Jenny O’Hara, Little Theatre, Rogue Machine
ALBERT LORD AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Dean Hermansen, Marvin’s Room, Actors Co-Op
DEE CROXTON AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Mandy Fason, The Metromaniacs, Theatre 40
MICHAEL DEVEREAUX AWARD FOR BEST PLAYWRITING
Matthew Lopez, The Inheritance, Geffen Playhouse
JOHN IACOVELLI AWARD FOR BEST SCENIC DESIGN
Derek McLane, Moulin Rouge The Musical, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
Metamorphoses
PAULIE JENKINS AWARD FOR BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Ken Booth, Metamorphoses, A Noise Within
GARLAND RIDDLE AWARD FOR BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Michael Mullen, Wild Party, Morgan-Wixson Theatre
STEVE “CANYON” KENNEDY AWARD FOR BEST SOUND DESIGN
Salvador Zamora, Everybody, Antaeus Theatre Company
LIES AND LEGENDS AWARD FOR BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
Alexander Aguirre, Daniel Amerman, Olivia Echegaray, Quincey Lou Huerter, Dagney Kerr, Charlie Manoukian and Danika Masi, Housewife ‘52, Kick Boom Theatre
ROBBY LIVING LEGEND AWARD
Barbara Beckley