Theater News

Cloned! Wins Best of Fest at the 2014 New York Musical Theatre Festival

The festival draws to a close with the annual awards presentation.

Jennifer Simard (top) as Chrystal McCutter and Alyse Alan Louis  as Maggie McCutter in Academia Nuts.
Jennifer Simard (top) as Chrystal McCutter and Alyse Alan Louis as Maggie McCutter in Academia Nuts.
(© Micah Joel)

The New York Musical Theatre Festival has announced the winners of the NYMF 2014 Awards for Excellence. Awards are voted on by the NYMF jury and were presented at the closing-night celebration on July 27 at Arena Events Space. This year's Best New Musical Award was presented to Academia Nuts, featuring a book and lyrics by Becca Anderson and Dan Marshall and music by Julian Blackmore. The Best of Fest Audience Prize, voted on by NYMF audience members, was awarded to Cloned!, which featured a book by Jacey Powers and Dan Wolpow, music by Adam Spiegel, lyrics by Dan Wolpow, and additional story by Spiegel. Take a look below at the complete list of winners from this year's festival season.

Excellence in Writing (music)
*Douglas J. Cohen, The Gig

Honorable Mention
Cardozie Jones & Sean Willis, Madame Infamy

Excellence in Writing (lyrics)
*Douglas J. Cohen, The Gig

Honorable Mention
Becca Anderson & Dan Marshall, Academia Nuts

Excellence in Writing (book)
*Rick Kunzi & Justin Zeppa, Bayonets of Angst

Honorable Mention
Becca Anderson & Dan Marshall, Academia Nuts

Excellence in Direction
*Thomas Caruso, Academia Nuts

Honorable Mentions
Igor Goldin, The Gig
Michelle Tattenbaum, Mother Jones and the Children's Crusade

Excellence in Choreography (tie)
*Jason Sparks, Propaganda! The Musical
*Staś Kmieć, The Mapmaker's Opera

Honorable Mention
Jeffry Denman, Valueville

Excellence in Overall Design
*The Snow Queen
Frances Nelson McSherry, Costume Design; David Lee Cuthbert, Lighting Design/Projection Design, Haddon Kime & Rick Lombardo, Sound Design

Honorable Mention
Bayonets of Angst
Seth Easter, Scenic Design; Candida K. Nichols, Costume Design; Zach Blane, Lighting Design; Harrison Adams, Sound Design

Outstanding Orchestrations or Arrangements
*Michael Gibson, The Gig

Honorable Mention
Mark Buys, The Mapmaker's Opera

Outstanding Musical Direction
*Jonathan Smith, The Gig

Honorable Mention
Anna Ebbesen and Dolores Duran-Cefalu, The Snow Queen

Outstanding Ensemble Performance
*Bayonets of Angst
Michael Abbott Jr., Ryan Andes, Herndon Lackey, Ian Lowe, Brian Charles Rooney, J. Robert Spencer, Paul Whitty

Honorable Mention
The Gig
Stephen Berger, Larry Cahn, Doug Eskew, Kate Fahrner, Nick Gaswirth, Michael Minarik, Kevin Pariseau, Dee Roscioli, Steve Routman, Bruce Sabath, Donna Vivino

Outstanding Individual Performances
Larry Cahn, The Gig
Rachel Dunham, Oprahfication
Alexis Fishman, Der Gelbe Stern (The Yellow Star)
Alyse Alan Louis, Academia Nuts
Kenita Miller, Propaganda! The Musical
Erin Leigh Peck, Mr. Confidential
Brian Charles Rooney, Bayonets of Angst
Jennifer Simard, Academia Nuts
J. Robert Spencer, Bayonets of Angst
Lynne Wintersteller, Mother Jones and the Children's Crusade

Play-by-Play Best New Musical Award
*Academia Nuts
Book and Lyrics by Becca Anderson & Dan Marshall; Music by Julian Blackmore

Best of Fest Audience Prize
*Cloned!
Book by Jacey Powers & Dan Wolpow; Music by Adam Spiegel; Lyrics by Dan Wolpow; Additional Story by Adam Spiegel

First Runner-Up
Deployed
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jessy Brouillard

Second Runner-Up
Mother Jones and the Children's Crusade
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Cheryl E. Kemeny

Eric Mann (l) as Clone Wally and Alex Goley as Wally in Cloned!
Eric Mann (l) as Clone Wally and Alex Goley as Wally in Cloned!
(© Andrew Barry Fritz/BarryMore Photography)