By Michael J. Toscano
Special to the Washington Post
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Little Theatre of Alexandria topped the list of nominees for the eighth annual Washington Area Theatre Community Honors, or WATCH awards.
With 19 nominations in performance and technical categories, the Alexandria troupe edged out the Reston Community Players, with 17, and Herndon's Elden Street Players, with 16 nods.
The Northern Virginia theater companies will compete against Maryland's Kensington Arts Theatre, 17 nominations, and Silver Spring Stage, 13, including three of six nominations for outstanding play.
In all, 109 productions -- 30 musicals and 79 plays -- were judged in 2007, and 29 community theater companies in Virginia, the District and Maryland participated. The awards will be announced at a March 2 gala at the Birchmere in Alexandria.
The nominations represented a setback for the Elden Street Players, which dominated many of the top categories in recent years. They also show continued recognition of Silver Spring Players for their intimate dramas, and the emergence of the Kensington Arts Players as a top community-based producer of musicals in the region.
Here are the nominations in the top performance categories.
Outstanding Musical"Into the Woods" by Rockville Musical Theatre
"Nevermore" by Kensington Arts Theatre
"Seussical" by Reston Community Players
"Sweeney Todd" by Kensington Arts Theatre
"Thoroughly Modern Millie" by Arlington Players
Outstanding Play"Agnes of God" by Silver Spring Stage
"The Drawer Boy" by Silver Spring Stage
"Greater Tuna" by Elden Street Players
"Intimate Apparel" by Little Theatre of Alexandria
"Never the Sinner" by Silver Spring Stage
"Taking Leave" by Vienna Theatre Company
Outstanding Lead Actor/MusicalEvan Hoffmann as Edgar Allan Poe in "Nevermore" -- Kensington Arts Theatre
Harv Lester as Baker in "Into the Woods" -- Rockville Musical Theatre
Harv Lester as Will Rogers in "The Will Rogers Follies" -- Little Theatre of Alexandria
John Loughney as Gordon Schwinn in "A New Brain" -- Foundry Players
Michael Nansel as Sweeney Todd in "Sweeney Todd" -- Kensington Arts Theatre
Outstanding Lead Actress/MusicalAllison Block as Millie Dillmount in "Thoroughly Modern Millie"-- Arlington Players
Lisa-Marie Cabrelli as Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls" -- Reston Community Players
Jennifer Lambert as Daisy Hilton in "Side Show" -- Elden Street Players
Katie McManus as Violet Hilton in "Side Show" -- Elden Street Players
June Schreiner as JoJo in "Seussical" -- Reston Community Players
Outstanding Lead Actor/PlayItzy Friedman as Mr. Green in "Visiting Mr. Green" -- Silver Spring Stage
Joe Jenckes as Willy Clark in "The Sunshine Boys" -- Little Theatre of Alexandria
Rick Kenney as Eliot in "Taking Leave" -- Vienna Theatre Company
Steve LaRocque as Angus in "The Drawer Boy" -- Silver Spring Stage
Dan Yount as Henry Drummond in "Inherit the Wind"-- Prince William Little Theatre
Outstanding Lead Actress/PlayShannon Khatcheressian as Anna in "Boston Marriage" -- Elden Street Players
Lory Levitt as Esther in "Intimate Apparel" -- Little Theatre of Alexandria
TiaJuana Rountree as Clemma Diggins in "Proposals" -- Bowie Community Theatre
Kelley Slagle as Josie Hogan in "A Moon for the Misbegotten" -- Colonial Players
Jaclyn Young as Agnes in "Agnes of God" -- Silver Spring Stage
Nominations for Alexandria and Arlington County theater groups:
Arlington PlayersOutstanding Choreography -- John K. Monnett for "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Outstanding Direction of a Musical -- John K. Monnett for "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical -- Patrick McMahan as Mr. Trevor Graydon in "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical -- Allison Block as Millie Dillmount in "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Outstanding Makeup Design -- Avery Burns for "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Outstanding Music Direction -- John Michael d'Haviland for "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Outstanding Musical -- "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Outstanding Set Design -- Juan Felipe Rincon for "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Outstanding Choreography -- Richelle "Rikki" Howie for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"
Outstanding Set Painting -- Jared Davis for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"
Dominion StageOutstanding Cameo in a Play -- Patrick Doneghy as Raphael in "Say You Love Satan"
Little Theatre of AlexandriaOutstanding Cameo in a Play -- Carlyn Lightfoot as Nurse O'Neill in "The Sunshine Boys"
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play -- Joe Jenckes as Willy Clark in "The Sunshine Boys"
Outstanding Choreography -- Amy Carson and Catherine Weinraub for "The Will Rogers Follies"
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical -- Krissy Silvestro as Z's Favorite in "The Will Rogers Follies"
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical -- Harv Lester as Will Rogers in "The Will Rogers Follies"
Outstanding Light Design -- Ken and Patti Crowley for "The Will Rogers Follies"
Outstanding Music Direction -- David Howard Boyer and Cathy Manley for "The Will Rogers Follies"
Outstanding Special Effects -- Ken and Patti Crowley for "The Will Rogers Follies"
Outstanding Direction of a Play -- Frank Pasqualino for "Intimate Apparel"
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play -- Nader Tavangar as Mr. Marks in "Intimate Apparel"
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play -- Paul Morton as George in "Intimate Apparel"
Outstanding Hair Design -- Paul Morton and Bette Williams for "Intimate Apparel"
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play -- Lory Levitt as Esther in "Intimate Apparel"
Outstanding Light Design -- Ken and Patti Crowley for "Intimate Apparel"
Outstanding Play -- "Intimate Apparel"
Outstanding Properties -- Kira Simon and Joanne Tompkins for "Intimate Apparel"
Outstanding Light Design -- Ken and Patti Crowley for "Visit to a Small Planet"
Outstanding Special Effects -- Ken and Patti Crowley, Michael and Stephen Kharfen and Mike Schlabach for "Scotland Road"
Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography -- Steve Lada for "The Philadelphia Story"
Port City PlayhouseOutstanding Properties -- Pat Jannell for "Smell of the Kill"
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