Web Original: Our Barrymore Picks

Last night, at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre on Broad Street, the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia announced their nominations for the Barrymore Awards (the Tonys of Philadelphia) in 26 categories. The winners will be declared on October 6th in the Crystal Tea Room, but, in the meantime, we thought it would be fun to declare some of our personal favorites. We employed a variety of scientific methods to arrive at these selections including our own educated opinion, the educated opinions of others, and, when it came down to the wire, the old coin toss. Here is the complete list of nominees, with our picks in bold. We’ll check back in October to see how we made out.

OUTSTANDING OVERALL PRODUCTION OF A PLAY: Frozen – InterAct Theatre Company; Skylight – Lantern Theater Company; Six Characters in Search of an Author – The People’s Light & Theatre Company; Bug – Theatre Exile; Eurydice – The Wilma Theater

OUTSTANDING OVERALL PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL: The World Goes ‘Round – 11th Hour Theatre Company; Assassins – Arden Theatre Company; Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Azuka Theatre; Les Misérables – Walnut Street Theatre; The Irish…And How They Got That Way – Walnut Street Theatre, Independence Studio on 3

HARMELIN MEDIA AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A PLAY: Dan Kern – Skylight – Lantern Theater Company; Whit MacLaughlin – Frozen – InterAct Theatre Company; Ken Marini – Six Characters in Search of an Author – The People’s Light & Theatre Company; Matt Pfeiffer – Bug – Theatre Exile; Blanka Zizka – Eurydice – The Wilma Theater

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL: Mark Clements – Les Misérables – Walnut Street Theatre; Kevin Glaccum – Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Azuka Theatre; Terrence J. Nolen – Assassins – Arden Theatre Company; Steve Pacek – The World Goes ‘Round – 11th Hour Theatre Company; Marc Robin – Peter Pan – Walnut Street Theatre

OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION: Eric Ebbenga – Assassins – Arden Theatre Company; Troy Herion – Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Azuka Theatre; Dan Kazemi – The World Goes ‘Round – 11th Hour Theatre Company; Douglass G. Lutz – Les Misérables – Walnut Street Theatre; Ethan Popp – Being Alive – Philadelphia Theatre Company

ARK MEDIA AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY: Chris Faith as Steve – Grace – Luna Theater Company; Kes Khemnu as Boy Willie – The Piano Lesson – Arden Theatre Company; Jeb Kreager as Ralph – Frozen – InterAct Theatre Company; Peter Pryor as Iago – Othello – Lantern Theater Company; Matt Saunders as Peter Evans – Bug – Theatre Exile

CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Kim Carson as The Stepdaughter – Six Characters in Search of an Author – The People’s Light & Theatre Company; Grace Gonglewski as Agnes White – Bug – Theatre Exile; Mary Martello as Nancy – Frozen – InterAct Theatre Company; Genevieve Perrier as Kyra – Skylight – Lantern Theater Company; Amanda Schoonover as Lucy – Mr. Marmalade – Theatre Exile

GARFIELD REFINING COMPANY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Jeffrey Coon as John Wilkes Booth – Assassins – Arden Theatre Company; Steve Luker as The Sewerman – Dear World – Bristol Riverside Theatre; Hugh Panaro as Jean Valjean – Les Misérables – Walnut Street Theatre; Paul Schoeffler as Javert – Les Misérables – Walnut Street Theatre; Dito van Reigersberg as Hedwig/Tommy Gnosis – Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Azuka Theatre

GARFIELD REFINING COMPANY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Kim Carson as Yitzhak – Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Azuka Theatre; Ann Crumb as Florence Foster Jenkins – Souvenir – The Media Theatre; Mary Gutzi as Countess Aurelia – Dear World – Bristol Riverside Theatre; Cary Michele Miller as Peter Pan – Peter Pan – Walnut Street Theatre; Erin Weaver as Jamie Hawkins – Treasure Island – The People’s Light & Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY: Peter DeLaurier as The Director – Six Characters in Search of an Author – The People’s Light & Theatre Company; Jeb Kreager as Mr. Marmalade – Mr. Marmalade – Theatre Exile ; Triney Sandoval as Nasty Interesting Man/Lord of the Underworld – Eurydice – The Wilma Theater; Yaegel T. Welch as Lymon – The Piano Lesson – Arden Theatre Company; William Zielinski as Jerry Goss – Bug – Theatre Exile

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Lee Ann Etzold – The Happiness Lecture – Philadelphia Theatre Company; Genevieve Perrier as Girleen – The Lonesome West – Lantern Theatre Company; Ceal Phelan as The Mother – Six Characters in Search of an Author – The People’s Light & Theatre Company; Marcia Saunders as Madame Pace – Six Characters in Search of an Author – The People’s Light & Theatre Company; Catharine K. Slusar as Margo – Mr. Bailey’s Minder – Walnut Street Theatre, Independence Studio on 3

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Jeffrey Coon as Enjolras/Ensemble – Les Misérables – Walnut Street Theatre; Chris Faith as Ezekial Machete Scabbs – Treasure Island – The People’s Light & Theatre Company; Scott Greer as Samuel Byck – Assassins – Arden Theatre Company; Scott Greer as Thénardier/Ensemble – Les Misérables – Walnut Street Theatre; James Sugg as Charles Guiteau – Assassins – Arden Theatre Company [NO PICK]

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Julie Craig as Cosette – Les Misérables – Walnut Street Theatre; Christina DeCicco as Eponine – Les Misérables – Walnut Street Theatre; Danielle Herbert as Anita – West Side Story – The New Candlelight Theatre; Gwendolyn Jones as Mme. Contance – Dear World – Bristol Riverside Theatre; Mary Martello as Sara Jane Moore – Assassins – Arden Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN: Sponsored by KieranTimberlake Associates LLP: Beowulf Boritt – Art – Delaware Theatre Company; Dirk Durossette – Skylight – Lantern Theater Company; Michael Fagin – M. Butterfly – Philadelphia Theatre Company; Mimi Lien – Eurydice – The Wilma Theater; Matt Saunders – Bug – Theatre Exile

PECO AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN: Chris Lee – M. Butterfly – Philadelphia Theatre Company; Tyler Micoleau – Eurydice – The Wilma Theater; Tyler Micoleau – Mary’s Wedding – Delaware Theatre Company; David O’Connor – Skylight – Lantern Theater Company; Joshua Schulman – Art – Delaware Theatre Company [NO PICK]

EARL GIRLS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN: Colleen Grady – Les Misérables – Walnut Street Theatre; Richard St. Clair – Sleeping Beauty – Arden Theatre Company; Janus Stefanowicz – Age of Arousal – The Wilma Theater; Charlotte Cloe Fox Wind – The Illusion – Villanova Theatre; Lisa Zinni – Go, Dog. Go! – Arden Theatre Company

CLEAR SOUND AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN: Chris Colucci – Suburban Love Songs – 1812 Productions; Jorge Cousineau – The Happiness Lecture – Philadelphia Theatre Company; Jorge Cousineau – Eurydice – The Wilma Theater; Fabian Obispo – Mary’s Wedding – Delaware Theatre Company; James Sugg – Bug – Theatre Exile [NO PICK]

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC: Michael Keck – I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda – The People’s Light & Theatre Company; Robert Maggio – M. Butterfly – Philadelphia Theatre Company; Fabian Obispo – Mary’s Wedding – Delaware Theatre Company ; Michael Ogborn – Treasure Island – The People’s Light & Theatre Company; Toby Twining – Eurydice – The Wilma Theater

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY/MOVEMENT: Samantha Bellomo – Go, Dog. Go! – Arden Theatre Company; Lee Ann Etzold & Whit MacLaughlin – Prom – New Paradise Laboratories; Karen Getz – Suburban Love Songs – 1812 Productions; Bill Irwin – The Happiness Lecture – Philadelphia Theatre Company; Chu Shan Zhu – M. Butterfly – Philadelphia Theatre Company

INDEPENDENCE FOUNDATION AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY: Wittenberg – By David Davalos – Arden Theatre Company; The Happiness Lecture – Conceived by Bill Irwin – Philadelphia Theatre Company ; House, Divided – By Larry Loebell – InterAct Theatre Company; Six Characters in Search of an Author – By Luigi Pirandello, Newly Translated and Adapted by Louis Lippa – The People’s Light & Theatre Company; Getting Near to Baby – By Y York, Based on the Novel by Audrey Couloumbis – The People’s Light & Theatre Company

CITY PAPER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE IN A PLAY: Suburban Love Songs – 1812 Productions; Go, Dog. Go! – Arden Theatre Company; Animal Farm – Mum Puppettheatre; The Happiness Lecture – Philadelphia Theatre Company; Mr. Marmalade – Theatre Exile

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE IN A MUSICAL: The World Goes ‘Round – 11th Hour Theatre Company; Assassins – Arden Theatre Company; Being Alive – Philadelphia Theatre Company; The Irish…And How They Got That Way – Walnut Street Theatre, Independence Studio on 3; Les Misérables – Walnut Street Theatre

THE TED AND STEVIE WOLF AWARD FOR NEW APPROACHES TO COLLABORATIONS: Arden Theatre Company & Christ Church – Our Town in Old City ; Philadelphia Young Playwrights & Mural Arts Program – Poetic Life and The Choices We Make; Theatre Exile & American Society of Capoeira & Arts from Brazil – Roosters

EXCELLENCE IN THEATRE EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Prize sponsored by the Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Arts Education Fund
1812 Outreach – 1812 Productions; Delaware Young Playwrights Festival – Delaware Theatre Company; Classroom Connections – Lantern Theater Company; Access Education – Montgomery Theater; The Open Door Project – Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival; PASSPORT Theater Residency Program – Philadelphia Theatre Company [NO PICK]

F. OTTO HAAS AWARD FOR AN EMERGING PHILADELPHIA THEATRE ARTIST: Kala Moses Baxter; Chris Colucci; Charlotte Cloe Fox Wind; Jeb Kreager; Rosemarie McKelvey; Matt Pfeiffer; Peter Reynolds; Sarah Sanford; Joshua Schulman; David Stradley