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2012 Marlowe Awards: Recognizing a year of Colorado theatre

2012 Marlowe Awards: Recognizing a year of Colorado theatre

Getting a production from page to stage is a daunting task. The collaborative nature of every endeavor to produce a play requires a network of artists, many of whom are unseen and unsung. This reviewer would like to express gratitude to each and all who helped make this past year the artistic triumph that it was. 

Since there was so much outstanding work done this past year, I have listed the top three or four in each category. It’s a humbling task to attempt to choose the best performances and the best technical achievements of the Denver Theatre community in 2012.


Best Actor, Drama

Left to right: Theresa Dwyer-Reid and James O’Hagan-Murphy in ‘A Doll’s House,’ Byers-Evans House Theatre Company

Paul Page, ‘The Cider House Rules’, Vintage Theatre Productions
Ed Baierlein, ‘The Play About the Baby,’ Germinal Stage Denver
Larry Hecht, ‘Red,’ Curious Theatre Company
James O’Hagan-Murphy, ‘A Doll’s House,’ Byers-Evans House Theatre Company

Best Actress, Drama

Deborah Persoff, ‘The Play About the Baby,’ Germinal Stage Denver
Billie McBride, ‘Driving Miss Daisy,’ Senior Housing Project
Theresa Dwyer Reid, ‘A Doll’s House,’ Byers-Evans House Theatre Company
Anne Oberbroeckling, ‘August: Osage County,’ Abster Productions

Best Supporting Actor, Drama

Paul Page in The Edge Theater Company’s production of ‘Glengarry Glen Ross.’

Benjamin Bonenfant, ‘Red’, Curious Theatre Company
Paul Page, ‘Glengarry Glen Ross,’ The Edge Theatre Company
Jose Zuniga, ‘The Cider House Rules,’ Vintage Theatre Productions
Matthew Blood-Smythe, ‘Miss Julie,’ Paragon Theatre

Best Supporting Actress, Drama

Kelly Reeves, ‘The Cider House Rules,’ Vintage Theatre Productions
Mare Trevathan, ‘Richard III,’ Colorado Shakespeare Festival
Timmi Ann Lasley, ‘Three Sisters,’ Spark Theater
Åbby Apple Boes, ‘August: Osage County,’ Abster Productions

Best Actor, Musical

Brian Merz-Hutchinson, ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman,’ Vintage Theatre Productions
Bernie Cardell, ‘The Producers,’ Town Hall Arts Center
Brian Norber, ‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ Boulder’s Dinner Theatre
Russell Mernagh, ‘The Who’s Tommy,’ Town Hall Arts Center

Megan Van De Hey as Aurora in Vintage Theatre’s production of ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman.’

Best Actress, Musical

Megan Van De Hey, ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman,’ Vintage Theatre Productions
Ellen Kaye, ‘Avenue Q,’ Boulder’s Dinner Theatre
Boni McIntyre, ‘Sweeney Todd,’ Ignite Theatre
Brianna Firestone, ‘Sweet Charity,’ Town Hall Arts Center

Best Supporting Actress, Musical

Deborah Persoff, ‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ Vintage Theatre Productions
Alicia Dunfee, ‘Cinderella,’ Boulder’s Dinner Theatre,
Ronni Gallup, ‘Sweet Charity,’ Town Hall Arts Center
Sara Closson Mertz, ‘Sweeney Todd,’ Ignite Theatre

Best Supporting Actor, Musical

Matthew La Fontaine, ‘The Who’s Tommy,’ Town Hall Arts Center
Tim Howard, ‘Sweeney Todd,’ Ignite Theatre
Travis Risner, ‘Camelot,’ Performance Now
Johnny Stewart, ’42nd Street’, Boulder’s Dinner Theatre

Best Actor, Comedy

Terry Burnsed, ‘The Misanthrope,’ Germinal Stage Denver
Jake Walker, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest,’ The Arvada Center
Zach Andrews, ‘Leading Ladies,’ Backstage Theatre
Michael Shaloub, ‘Don Juan in Hell,’ Germinal Stage Denver

Best Actress, Comedy

Pamela Clifton, ‘Naked in Encino,’ And Toto too Theatre Company
Leslie O’Carroll, ‘Noises Off,’ Colorado Shakespeare Festival
Michelle Grimes, ‘Becky’s New Car,’ Vintage Theatre Productions
Caitlin Wise, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest,’ The Arvada Center

Best Supporting Actor, Comedy

Matt Zambrano, ‘The Taming of the Shrew,’ Denver Center Theatre Company
Sam Gregory, ‘When We Are Married,’ Denver Center Theatre Company
Kurt Brighton, ‘Picasso at the Lapin Agile,’ Ashton Productions
Eric Victor, ‘The Misanthrope,’ Germinal Stage Denver

Best Supporting Actress, Comedy

Edith Weiss, ‘Leading Ladies,’ Backstage Theatre
Jan Cleveland, ‘Becky’s New Car,’ Vintage Theatre Productions
Bev Newcomb-Madden, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest,’ The Arvada Center
Kathleen Brady, ‘When We Are Married,’ The Denver Center Theatre Company

Best Actor in a Touring Company

Christopher Sieber as Albin in ‘La Cage Aux Folles’ Denver Center Attractions
Andy Kelso, ‘Wicked,’ Denver Center Attractions

Best Actress in a Touring Company

Alli Mauzey as Galinda in ‘Wicked,’ Denver Center Attractions
Mamie Parris as Elphaba in ‘Wicked,’ Denver Center Attractions

Outstanding Opera Diva

Marcia Ragonetti, ‘Master Class,’ Miners Alley Playhouse
Michelle Capalbo, ‘Il Trovatore,’ Opera Colorado
Elisabeth Caballero, ‘La Boheme,’ Central City Opera
Sinead Mulhern, ‘The Turn of the Screw,’ Central City Opera

Outstanding Male Opera Singer

Matthew Worth, Curley in ‘Oklahoma,’ Central City Opera
Curt Olds, Will Parker in ‘Oklahoma’ Central City Opera
Wayne Tigges, ‘Il Trovatore,’ Opera Colorado
Troy Cook, ‘La Boheme,’ Central City Opera


Most innovative stagecraft

Tommy Lee Jones in ‘Tommy Lee Jones Goes to Opera Alone,’ Buntport Theater

Best Sound

Jason Ducat, ‘When We Are Married,’ Denver Center Theatre Company
John Rivera, ‘The Who’s Tommy,’ Town Hall Arts Center
Wayne Kennedy, ‘Avenue Q,’ Boulder’s Dinner Theatre
Luke Allen Terry, ‘August: Osage County,’ Abster Productions

Best Lighting Design

Shannon McKinney, ‘Red,’ Curious Theatre Company
David Martin Jacques, ‘The Turn of the Screw, Central City Opera
Shannon McKinney, ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,’ The Arvada Center
Jonathan Scott-McKean, ‘The Who’s Tommy,’ Town Hall Arts Center

Best Scenic Designer

Richard H. Pegg, ‘Visiting Mr. Green,’ Cherry Creek Theatre Company
Ed Baierlein, ‘Don Juan in Hell,’ Germinal Stage Denver
Vicki Smith, ‘When We Are Married,’ Denver Center Theatre Company
Brian Mallgrave, ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,’ The Arvada Center

Best Costume Designers

Sallie Diamond, ‘Don Juan in Hell,’ Germinal Stage Denver
Kevin Brainerd, ‘A Doll’s House,’ Byers-Evans House Theatre Company
‘The Roast Beef Situation,’ Buntport Theater
Melinda Lacy, ‘Three Sisters,’ Spark Theater

Best Director, Musical

Bob Wells, ‘The Producers,’ Town Hall Arts Center
Rod Lansberry, ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,’ Arvada Center
Nick Sugar, ‘The Who’s Tommy,’ Town Hall Arts Center
Michael Duran, ‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ Boulder’s Dinner Theatre

Kurt Olds as Will Parker in Central City Opera’s production of ‘Oklahoma.’

Best Director, Drama

Christy Montour-Larson, ‘Red,’ Curious Theatre Company
Tad Baierlein, ‘The Play About the Baby,’ Germinal Stage Denver
Angela Astle, ‘A View From the Bridge,’ The Edge Theatre Company
Maggie Stillman and Brandon Palmer co-directors, ‘A Doll’s House,’ Byers-Evans House Theatre Company

Best Director, Comedy

Missy Moore, ‘Leading Ladies,’ Backstage Theatre
Sarah Mae Johnson, ‘Becky’s New Car,’ Vintage Theatre Productions
Susan Lyles, ‘Naked in Encino,’ And Toto too Theatre Company
Kent Thompson, ‘The Taming of the Shrew,’ Denver Center Theatre Company

Best Choreography

Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck, ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,’ The Arvada Center
Nick Sugar, ‘Sweet Charity,’ Town Hall Arts Center
Kelly Kates, ‘The Producers,’ Town Hall Arts Center
Daniel Pelzig,’ Oklahoma,’ Central City Opera

Best Musical Direction

David Nehls, ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,’ The Arvada Center
Donna Debreceni, ‘Tommy,’ Town Hall Arts Center
Neal Dunfee, ‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ Boulder’s Dinner Theatre
Midge McMoyer-Smith, ‘The Great American Trailer Park Musical,’ Ignite Theatre

Most outstanding orchestrations for a New Musical

Mitch Samu, ‘Scarlet Letter, the Musical,’ Slingshot Artist Productions and PACE Center

Best Production of a Musical

‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,’ The Arvada Center
‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ Boulder’s Dinner Theatre
‘The Producers,’ Town Hall Arts Center
‘The Who’s Tommy,’ Town Hall Arts Center

Best Production of a Play, Comedy

‘Becky’s New Car,’ Vintage Theatre Productions
‘Naked In Encino,’ And Toto too Theatre Company
‘Leading Ladies,’ Backstage Theatre
‘Picasso at the Lapin Agile,’ Ashton Productions

Best Production of a Play, Drama

‘The Play About the Baby,’ Germinal Stage Denver
‘August: Osage County,’ Abster Productions
‘Red,’ Curious Theatre Company
‘A View From the Bridge,’ The Edge Theatre Company

Best Production of a Ballet

‘Peter Pan,’ Colorado Ballet

Best Touring Company

‘Wicked,’ Denver Center Attractions


Best New Play

‘Naked in Encino’ by Wendy Kout, And Toto too Theatre Company
‘Tommy Lee Jones Goes to Opera Alone,’ Buntport Theater

Best Opera

‘Il Trovatore,’ Opera Colorado
‘Oklahoma,’ Central City Opera
‘The Turn of the Screw,’ Central City Opera

Best Ensemble Drama

‘Visiting Mr. Green,’ Cherry Creek Theatre Company
‘Glengarry Glenn Ross,’ The Edge Theatre Company
‘Love! Valour! Compassion!’ Vintage Theatre Productions

Best Play, Drama

‘The Play about the Baby,’ Germinal Stage Denver
‘Red,’ Curious Theatre Company
‘The Cider House Rules,’ Vintage Theatre Productions
‘August: Osage County,’ Abster Productions

Best Solo Performance by an actress

Paige Lynne Larson, ‘The Belle of Amherst,’ Miners Alley Playhouse

Best Ensemble Comedy

‘Love Child,’ The Avenue Theater

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