With the end of the year 2023 upon us, it is time to announce the 37th Annual Robby Award nominations. Transportation and health issues limited my time spent in theatre seats during the past year and I reviewed fewer shows than normal.
Twenty-three shows-Musicals, Dramas and Comedies-produced by 16 different entities share the 137 nominations. Leading them all is the Pasadena Playhouse with 29 nominations spread over three productions. Three productions at Long Beach’s International City Theatre gathered 19 nominations. Pasadena’s A Noise Within received 13 nominations for two of their productions while La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts garnered 12 for one production. Of the smaller theatres, Atwater’s Open Fist Theatre Company and Beverly Hills’s Theatre 40 both received 9 nominations.
Pasadena Playhouse’s A Little Night Music led all productions with 15 nominations. 3Gems Productions’ Accommodation and ICT’s Exit Wounds led the Drama categories with 7 nominations each. A Noise Within’s The Book of Will was the leading Comedy production, picking up 10 nominations.
The 37th Annual Robby Awards will be presented in a live show featuring the talents of many performers from our local musical theatre talent pool. Sharon McNight and Bruce Vilanch will co-host the show and Gregory Nabours will serve as musical director. Save the date! Sunday, February 4, 2024, at 7pm. Theatre West at 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West in Los Angeles will be the site. Congratulations to all. Seating is non-reserved, tickets are $30 and can be purchased at
https://ci.ovationtix.com/35048/production/1188374
Sunday in the Park with George
TERI RALSTON AWARD FOR BEST MUSICAL
A Little Night Music, Pasadena Playhouse
Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today?, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & MB ARTISTS, Inc.
Follies, Musical Theatre Guild
Starmites, Open Fist Theatre Company
Sunday in the Park with George, Pasadena Playhouse
tick, tick…BOOM!, International City Theatre
Starmites
VIRGINIA CAPERS AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Jason Graae, Follies
Kari Hayter, tick, tick…BOOM!
Sarna Lapine, Sunday in the Park with George
David Lee, A Little Night Music
BT McNicholl, Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today?
Scott Peterman, Starmites
Ernesto Figueroa
MICHAEL G. HAWKINS AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Roger Befeler, Follies
Steven Booth, Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today?
Ernesto Figueroa, tick, tick…BOOM!
Michael Hayden, A Little Night Music
Graham Phillips, Sunday in the Park with George
Brent Schindele, Follies
Merle Dandridge
MICHELLE NICASTRO AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Krystina Alabado, Sunday in the Park with George
Anastasia Barzee, Follies
Teri Bibb, Follies
Carlin Castellano, Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today?
Merle Dandridge, A Little Night Music
Emily Jewel Hoder, The Secret Garden, Center Theatre Group-Ahmanson Theatre
Derrick Davis, Sierra Boggess and Aaron Lazar
GARY BEACH AWARD BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Chase Del Rey, A Little Night Music
Aaron Lazar, The Secret Garden
Kingsley Leggs, Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today?
Ryan Silverman, A Little Night Music
Kathy Fitzgerald
LISA ROBINSON AWARD BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Sarah Uriarte Berry, A Little Night Music
Kathy Fitzgerald, Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today?
Helen Geller, Follies
Liz Larsen, Sunday in the Park with George
Ruby Lewis, A Little Night Music
Samantha M. Lawrence, tick, tick…BOOM!
Kaley Ann Voorhees, A Little Night Music
Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today?
DOM SALINARO AWARD FOR BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Mark Esposito A Little Night Music
Connor Gallagher, Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today?
Lee Martino, Follies
Becca Sweitzer, Starmites
A Little Night Music
ELAN MCMAHON AWARD FOR BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION
Andy Einhorn, Sunday in the Park with George
Brad Ellis, Follies
Alby Potts, A Little Night Music
Dan Redfeld, The Secret Garden
Jan Roper, Starmites
Anthony Zediker, tick, tick…BOOM!
The Sound Inside
NAN MARTIN AWARD FOR BEST DRAMA
Accommodation, 3Gems Productions
The Bluest Eye, A Noise Within
Exit Wounds, International City Theatre
The Laramie Project, The Group Rep
The Red Suitcase, P3 Theatre Company
The Sound Inside, Pasadena Playhouse
The Red Suitcase
MARTIN BENSON AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR OF A DRAMA
Brandon Baer & Garrett Baer, Accommodation
Andi Chapman, The Bluest Eye
Kathleen Delaney, The Laramie Project
caryn desai, Exit Wounds
Del Shores, The Red Suitcase
Cameron Watson, The Sound Inside
Isaac W. Jay and Jordan Morgan
RAY STRICKLYN AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Emerson Collins, The Red Suitcase
Aaron Costa Ganis, Ava The Secret Conversations, Geffen Playhouse
Isaac W. Jay, Back Porch, Bluestem Productions
Anders Keith, The Sound Inside
Hayden Kharrazi, Exit Wounds
Jordan Morgan, Back Porch
Elizabeth McGovern
SALLY KEMP AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Sandy Bainum, Accommodation
Amy Brenneman, The Sound Inside
Elizabeth McGovern, Ava The Secret Conversations
Romy Nordlinger, Garden of Alla: The Alla Nazimova Story, Theatre West
Suanne Spoke, Exit Wounds
The Book of Will
ALBERT LORD AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Jacob Cherry, Accommodation
JD Cullum, The Tempest
Kasey Mahaffy, The Book of Will
Peter Mendoza, The Tempest
Alex Morris, The Book of Will
Michael Polak, Exit Wounds
Frederick Stuart, The Book of Will
Meghan Lloyd
BELINDA BALASKI AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Elinor Gunn, The Tempest
Michelle Holmes, Deathtrap
Nicole Javier, The Book of Will
Meghan Lloyd, The Revolutionists
Ashlee Olivia, The Revolutionists
Jill Remez, Deathtrap
Deborah Strang, The Book of Will
Deathtrap
CAROLE COOK AWARD FOR BEST COMEDY
The Book of Will, A Noise Within
Deathtrap, International City Theatre
The Revolutionists, Theatre 40
The Tempest, Antaeus Theatre Company
This is Not a True Story, Artists at Play & Latino Theater Company
This is Not a True Story
RON LINK AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR OF A COMEDY
Nike Doukas, The Tempest
Reena Dutt, This Is Not a True Story
Melanie MacQueen, The Revolutionists
Julia Rodriguez-Elliott & Geoff Elliott, The Book of Will
Jamie Torcellini, Deathtrap
Landon Beatty
TOM TROUPE AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Landon Beatty, Harold and Maude, Group Repertory Theatre
Geoffrey Lower, Deathtrap
Coby Rogers, Deathtrap
David Hunt Stafford, Doris and Ivy in the Home, Theatre 40
Peter Van Norden, The Tempest
Diana Angelina and Ann Hearn
LU LEONARD AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Diana Angelina, Doris and Ivy in the Home
Julia Cho, This Is Not a True Story
Zandi De Jesus, This Is Not a True Story
Ann Hearn, Doris and Ivey in the Home
Kat Kemmet, The Revolutionists
Clara Rodriguez, Harold and Maude
Exit Wounds
MICHAEL DEVEREAUX AWARD FOR BEST PLAYWRITING
Greg Burdick, Accommodation
Jiggs Burgess, The Red Suitcase
Lauren Gunderson, The Book of Will
Wendy Graf, Exit Wounds
Elizabeth McGovern, Ava The Secret Conversations
Adam Rapp, The Sound Inside
Randy Rogel, Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today?
A Little Night Music
JOHN IACOVELLI AWARD FOR BEST SCENIC DESIGN
Wilson Chin, A Little Night Music
Stephen Gifford, Accommodation
John Iacovelli, Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today?
Fred Kinney, Deathtrap
David Meyer, Ava The Secret Conversations
Yuri Okahana-Benson, Exit Wounds
The Secret Garden
PAULIE JENKINS AWARD FOR BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Ken Billington, Sunday in the Park with George
Ken Billington and Brian Monahan, The Secret Garden
Ken Booth, The Book of Will
Jared A. Sayeg, A Little Night Music
Gavan Wyrick, Starmites
The Revolutionists
GARLAND RIDDLE AWARD FOR BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Kate Bergh, A Little Night Music
Angela Balogh Calin, The Book of Will
Ann Closs-Farley, Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today?
Toni-Leslie James, Ava The Secret Conversations
Linda Muggeridge, Starmites
Michael Mullen, The Revolutionists
Clint Ramos, Sunday in the Park with George
The Tempest
STEVE “CANYON” KENNEDY AWARD FOR BEST SOUND DESIGN
Danny Erdberg & Ursula Kwong-Brown, Sunday in the Park with George
Danny Erdberg & Ursula Kwong-Brown, A Little Night Music
Nick T Moore, Garden of Alla: The Alla Nazimova Story
Cricket Myers, Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today?
M Glenn Schuster, This Is Not a True Story
Kurt Vanza, Starmites
Garden of Alla: The Alla Nazimova Story
PROJECTION DESIGN
Adam Jesse Burns, Garden of Alla: The Alla Nazimova Story
Ryan Marsh, Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today?
David Murakami, Accommodation
Scott Peterman, Starmites
The Bluest Eye
LIES AND LEGENDS AWARD FOR BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
Kamal Bolden, Julanne Chidi Hill, Crystal Jackson, Mildred Marie Langford, Alexandra Metz, Alex Morris, Kacie Rogers, Akilah Walker, The Bluest Eye
Landon Beatty, Paul Cady, Roslyn Cohn, Julie Davis, Marc Antonio Pritchett, Stephen Rockwell, Jackie Shearn, Margaret Rose Staedler, Cathy Diane Tomlin, Amelia Vargas, Kay Vermeil, The Laramie Project
Mat Hayes, Kristen McCullough, Bruce Melena, Tiago Santos, Pam Trotter, Charlotte Louise White, The Red Suitcase
SPECIAL AWARDS
Puppet Design, Aran De La Pena, Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today?
Foley Design, Jeff Gardner & Nike Doukas, The Tempest
ROBBY LIVING LEGEND AWARD
Eileen Barnett