Saluting Dayton’s 2016-17 Theater Season

Productions centered on a sadistic barber wreaking havoc in Victorian London, stubborn Iowans forever changed by a charming con artist, America coping with race relations in turn of the century New York and 1960s Baltimore, a progressive novice sending shockwaves throughout a Catholic elementary school, an iconic record company reshaping the landscape of American music, and a legendary ship deemed unsinkable were among the best of Dayton’s 2016-17 theater season.

On professional stages, the Human Race Theatre Company’s 30th anniversary season was memorably illuminated by Scott Stoney’s immersive, ensemble-friendly Sweeney Todd (attended on opening night by Academy Award nominee Jesse Eisenberg of The Social Network) and the local premiere of Hail Mary!, a pleasantly surprising and gently thought-provoking character study. Hail Mary! was specifically bolstered by Claire Kennedy’s masterfully complex portrayal of a woman challenging authority for the betterment of her students.

Elsewhere, the Victoria Theatre Association offered outstanding national tours with Motown particularly rising to the top thanks to a splendidly versatile, crowd-pleasing cast. Dare to Defy Productions gave local talent exciting platforms to rediscover and reinterpret tried and true material (Mackensie King’s Children of Eden strikingly emphasized family ties and generational repercussions as never before). Female-centric Magnolia Theatre Company offered a riveting local premiere of tense parent-teacher conference drama Gidion’s Knot. Reliably edgy Playground Theatre delivered a local premiere of Jailbait overflowing with gripping realism as its searing account of love, deceit and embracing adulthood stirred to the core.

At community theaters, strong musicals as well as a fine balance of classic and contemporary fare enticed. Dayton Theatre Guild’s eclectic impulses served them well with local premieres of The Last Lifeboat, Luna Gale and Wonder of the World (heightened by sitcom savvy knockout Kari Carter) in addition to a mesmerizing Elephant Man accented by Jared Mola’s remarkable physicality. Dayton Playhouse scored with Ragtime, The Women, Xanadu, and another enjoyably competitive FutureFest (last year’s winner Shepherd’s Bush is now titled Nonsense and Beauty; powerfully acted Memories of the Game was named audience favorite). Senior-themed Young at Heart Players delighted with the overdue return of the adorable First Kisses, a 2003 FutureFest finalist. Brookville Community Theatre supplied a whimsically entertaining Beauty and the Beast. Beavercreek Community Theatre’s artistic risks paid off with a lovely, vocally impressive Nine (brought to life by Jeffrey Murphy in the vibrantly elegant spirit of original director Tommy Tune) and a commendable local premiere of Bonnie and Clyde.

Highlights from area colleges included Wright State University’s tap-happy No, No, Nanette and beautifully staged/designed Shakespearean play-with-music Restoration!, Cedarville University’s rousing and heartwarming Music Man, and Sinclair Community College’s darkly atmospheric Dracula. Other notables across the city included the Muse Machine’s tremendously feel-good Hairspray (featuring marvelously mature newcomer Fischer Barnett), Epiphany Lutheran Church’s better-than-Broadway Big Fish (expertly conceived by Megan Wean Sears), and under-the-radar-but-dynamic Standing on Ceremony (Sinclair), Hello Again (Wright State), and Four Women: A Tribute to Nina Simone & The Black Arts Movement (Oral Funk Poetry Productions and University of Dayton).

Assessing the 80 shows I saw last season, I congratulate the following winners (in bold) and nominees.

BEST TOURING PRODUCTION 42nd Street, Victoria Theatre Association Elf, Victoria Theatre Association Jersey Boys, Victoria Theatre Association Kinky Boots, Victoria Theatre Association Motown the Musical, Victoria Theatre Association

BEST PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTION OF A PLAY Gidion’s Knot, Magnolia Theatre Company Hail Mary!, Human Race Theatre Company Jailbait, Playground Theatre This is Our Youth, Playground Theatre Thurgood, Human Race Theatre Company

BEST LOCALLY-PRODUCED PROFESSIONAL MUSICAL The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Dare to Defy Productions Children of Eden, Dare to Defy Productions Dogfight: The Musical, Dare to Defy Productions Guys and Dolls, Dare to Defy Productions Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Human Race Theatre

BEST COMMUNITY THEATER PRODUCTION OF A PLAY The Elephant Man, Dayton Theatre Guild First Kisses, Young at Heart Players The Last Lifeboat, Dayton Theatre Guild Luna Gale, Dayton Theatre Guild Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Beavercreek Community Theatre The Women, Dayton Playhouse

BEST COMMUNITY THEATER PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Brookville Community Theatre Bonnie and Clyde, Beavercreek Community Theatre Nine, Beavercreek Community Theatre Ragtime, Dayton Playhouse Xanadu, Dayton Playhouse BEST COLLEGIATE PRODUCTION OF A PLAY A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sinclair Community College Angels in America: Perestroika, Clark State Community College The Children’s Hour, Wright State University Dracula, Sinclair Community College Restoration!, Wright State University BEST COLLEGIATE PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL 9 to 5, Wright State University Heathers, Wright State University The Music Man, Cedarville University No, No, Nanette, Wright State University The Toxic Avenger, Sinclair Community College BEST SPECIAL THEATRICAL EVENT Big Fish, Epiphany Lutheran Church Four Women: A Tribute to Nina Simone & The Black Arts Movement, Oral Funk Poetry Productions and University of Dayton Hairspray, Muse Machine Hello Again, Wright State University Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, Sinclair Community College

BEST NEW WORK Daniel Goldstein’s Family Ties, Human Race Theatre Company W.L. Newkirk’s [Miss], Dayton Playhouse FutureFest Scott C. Sickles’ Shepherd’s Bush, Dayton Playhouse FutureFest Kristy Sharron Thomas’ Memories of the Game, Dayton Playhouse FutureFest Eric Ulloa’s 26 Pebbles, Human Race Theatre Company BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY Mike Beerbower as Robert, Jailbait A.J. Breslin as Dennis, This Is Our Youth Franklin Johnson as Kenneth McIntosh, Memories of the Game Alan Bomar Jones as Thurgood Marshall, Thurgood Jared Mola as John Merrick, The Elephant Man Leo Santucci as Dracula, Dracula

BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY Jenna Gomes as Claire, Jailbait Amy Handra as Heather Clark, Gidion’s Knot Claire Kennedy as Mary Wytkowski, Hail Mary! Cheryl Mellen as Caroline, Luna Gale Andréa Morales as Corryn Fell, Gidion’s Knot Marva Williams as Karen McIntosh, Memories of the Game

BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL Jamie Cordes as Sweeney Todd, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Robbie Lindmark as Harold Hill, The Music Man Ron Mauer as Tateh, Ragtime Kip Moore as Coalhouse Walker, Jr., Ragtime Timothy Ware as Lola, Kinky Boots Ray Zupp as Eddie Birdlace, Dogfight

BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL Esther Hyland as Eve, Children of Eden Rachel Jensen as Mother, Ragtime Mackensie King as Rose Fenny, Dogfight Allison Semmes as Diana Ross, Motown the Musical Maddie Vaughn as Veronica Sawyer, Heathers Rebecca Watson as Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY Ross Bloedorn as Mr. Smith/Edgar, Restoration! Geoff Burkman as Carr Gomm, The Elephant Man Christopher Hahn as Mark, Jailbait Charles Larkowski as Joe, Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays Connor Lysholm as Mr. Jo Williams/Edmund/Bastard, Restoration! Maximillian Santucci as Van Helsing, Dracula

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY Catherine A. Collins as Clemma Diggins, Proposals (Dayton Playhouse) Lisa Glover as Emmy, Jailbait Debra Kent as Sonia, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Heather Martin as Mrs. Kendal, The Elephant Man Libby Scancarello as Mrs. Sylvia Fowler, The Women Jennifer Dorr White as Mother Regina Marie, Hail Mary!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL Mark Antony Howard as Seaweed J. Stubbs, Hairspray Brett Norgaard as Leaf Coneybear, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Remy James Patterson as Marcellus Washburn, The Music Man DJ Plunkett as Tobias Ragg, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Layne Roate as Boland, Dogfight Aaron Vega as The Beadle, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL Natalie Girard as Heather Chandler, Heathers Becky Howard as Emma Goldman, Ragtime Krissy McKim-Barker as Mrs. Potts, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Tia Seay as Sarah, Ragtime Sherri Sutter as Rona Lisa Peretti, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Kimberly Warrick as Guido’s Mother, Nine

BREAKTHROUGH MALE PERFORMANCE Fischer Barnett as Edna Turnblad, Hairspray Naman Clark as Jerry, Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays Brent Hoggatt as Chip Tolentino, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee S. Francis Livisay as Tom, Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays Andrew Poplin as Peter, Luna Gale Andre Reece Tomlinson as Michael McIntosh, Memories of the Game

BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE PERFORMANCE Kari Carter as Cass Harris, Wonder of the World Kennedy Cook as Motormouth Maybelle, Hairspray Kayla Graham as Karlie, Luna Gale Abby Land as Marcy Park, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Nabachwa Ssensalo as Sharon Evans, Memories of the Game Sarah Zaffiro as Sarraghina, Nine BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY Kimberly Borst, Dracula Michelle Hayford, Gidion’s Knot W. Stuart McDowell, Restoration! Margarett Perry, Hail Mary! Jeff Sams, The Last Lifeboat Jenna Valyn, Jailbait BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL Rebecca Baker, The Music Man Joe Deer and Lula Elzy, Hairspray Mackensie King, Children of Eden Jeffrey Murphy, Nine Megan Wean Sears, Big Fish Scott Stoney, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street BEST CHOREOGRAPHY Carrie Anthony, The Music Man Michael Baxter, No, No, Nanette Lula Elzy, Hairspray Michelle Lynch, Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage (Victoria Theatre Association) Megan Wean Sears, 9 to 5 Nabachwa Ssensalo, Michael Shepherd and Michael Groomes, Ragtime

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY Chris Harmon, Dracula Chris Newman and David Shough, The Elephant Man Chris Newman, Proposals (Dayton Playhouse) Jeff Sams, The Last Lifeboat Terry Stump, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL J. Branson, Hairspray Bob Clements, The Music Man Dan Gray, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Kacie Hultgren, 42nd Street Pam Lavarnway, No, No, Nanette

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY N. Lynn Brown, The Elephant Man Carol Finley, The Last Lifeboat Kathleen Hotmer, Dracula Kathleen Hotmer, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Christie Peitzmeijer, Restoration!

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL Elizabeth Bourgeois, No, No, Nanette Maria Klueber and Lori Watamaniuk, Big Fish Janet G. Powell, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Rebekah Priebe, The Music Man Tiia E. Torchia, Toni Donato Shade and Alisa Vukasinovich, Hairspray

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY Matthew P. Benjamin, Restoration! Daniel Brunk, Dracula Travis Dwire, Gidion’s Knot John Falkenbach, The Last Lifeboat Jennifer Watson, The Children’s Hour BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL Jadon Bischoff, The Toxic Avenger Bob Clements and Megan Howell, The Music Man Jessica Ann Drayton, No, No, Nanette Derryck Menard, Dogfight John Rensel, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY Jay Brunner, Family Ties Jay Brunner, On Golden Pond Ryan Burgdorf, Restoration! Isaiah Parnell, Dracula K.L. Storer, The Last Lifeboat BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL Daniel Brunk, The Toxic Avenger Jay Brunner, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street James Dunlap, Heathers Bob Kovach, Xanadu Sam Partridge, The Music Man

BEST ORCHESTRA Children of Eden, Musical Director: Lorri Topping Hairspray, Musical Director: Sean Michael Flowers The Music Man, Musical Director: Jeff Beste; Orchestra Conductor: Carlos Elias No, No, Nanette, Musical Director: Scot Woolley Ragtime, Musical Director: Ron Kindell

BEST PROPERTIES Sarah Gomes, Dracula John Lavarnway, Restoration! Marly Masterson, The Last Lifeboat Victoria Osewski, The Elephant Man Heather Powell, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street