2005 Barrymore Award Nominations Announced

Tony Award winner Bill Irwin, Obie Award winner Jayne Houdyshell, and television favorite Bronson Pinchot are among the nominees for the 2005 Barrymore Awards, which honor the best of Philadelphia-area theater.

The awards are presented by the Theater Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, whose nominators review over 100 productions each year. The ceremony will take place on October 10 at the Merriam Theater.

The Arden Theater Company led the pack with 25 nominations, 13 of them for its production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The Philadelphia Theater Company earned 14 nominations (six for its production of Take Me Out), as did the Wilma Theater, which produced The Clean House, Outrage, and Raw Boys. The Prince Music Theater’s production of Chasing Nicolette earned 10 nominations, including one for Pinchot as Best Actor in a Musical.

In addition to the 22 categories for theatrical productions, awards wil be presented for Emerging Theatre Artist, Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service, and New Approaches to Collaborations. Dr. James J. Christy, Professor of Theatre at Villanova University for nearly 40 years, will receive the group’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Two scholarships for incoming students at the University of the Arts will also be awarded on October 10.

A complete list of nominees follows:

Outstanding Overall Production of a Play
Recent Tragic Events (1812 Productions)
String of Pearls (The People’s Light & Theatre Company)
Take Me Out (Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Trumbo (Philadelphia Theatre Company)
The Clean House (The Wilma Theater)

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
The Big Bang (Act II Playhouse)
Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Arden Theatre Company)
A Year with Frog and Toad (Arden Theatre Company)
Elegies: A Song Cycle (Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Chasing Nicolette (Prince Music Theater)

Harmelin Media Award for Outstanding Direction of a Play
James J. Christy: Take Me Out
Daniel Fish: The Clean Houser
Maria Mileaf: The Story
Pete Pryor: Recent Tragic Events
Jiri Zizka:Outrage

Harold Prince Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Joe Calarco: Elegies: A Song Cycle
Whit MacLaughlin: A Year with Frog and Toad
Ethan McSweeny: Chasing Nicolette
Terrence J. Nolen:Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Richard M. Parison, Jr.:The Big Bang

Outstanding Music Direction
Eric Ebbenga :Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Charles Gilbert : A Year with Frog and Toad
Kimberly Grigsby : Elegies: A Song Cycle
Robert K. Mikulski: Chasing Nicolette
Jim Ryan: The Big Bang

Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play
Jamie Harris: Raw Boys
Bill Irwin: Trumbo
John Keating: Raw Boys
Jered McLenigan: The Elephant Man
Ernest Perry, Jr: Fences

Charlotte Cushman Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play
Stephanie Berry: Fences
Madi Distefano: Eden
Juliette Dunn: Recent Tragic Events
Jilline Ringle: Always a Lady: A celebration of funny women for the holidays
Catharine K. Slusar: The Syringa Tree

Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical
Richard Amelius: Cabaret
Tony Braithwaite: The Big Bang
Ben Dibble: The Big Bang
Bronson Pinchot: Chasing Nicolette
Thom Sesma: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical
Audri T. Dalio: Miss Saigon
Sherri L. Edelen: Elegies: A Song Cycle
Mary Martello: Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Donna Migliaccio: Elegies: A Song Cycle
Jasika Nicole Pruitt: Chasing Nicolettebr

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play
James Gale: Raw Boys
Jeb Kreager: Recent Tragic Events
Pete Pryor: The Miser
Josh Shirley: Take Me Out
Kraig Swartz : Take Me Out
Ray Anthony Thomas: Fences

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play
Jennifer Childs: The Underpants
Alda Cortese: The Miser
Emmanuelle Delpech: Hell Meets Henry Halfway
Jayne Houdyshell: The Clean House
Karen Peakes: Noises Off

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical
Todd Buonopane: Gemini, the Musical
Ben Dibble: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street y
Christopher Kale Jones: Olympus on My Mind
Joshua Lamon: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Joshua Lamon: A Year with Frog and Toad

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical
Rebecca Bellingham: Chasing Nicolette
Anne DeSalvo: Gemini, the Musical
Sarah Doherty: Grease and Desist
SuEllen Estey: Olympus on My Mind
Denise Whelan: Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Outstanding Set Design
David Gallo: Fences
David P. Gordon: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Andrew Lieberman: The Clean House
Mimi Lien: Outrage
Todd Rosenthal: Take Me Out

PECO Energy Award for Outstanding Lighting Design
Russell H. Champa: Raw Boys
Jerold R. Forsyth: Outrage
Ac Hickox : The Syringa Tree
John Stephen Hoey : Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Chris Lee: Elegies: A Song Cycle

Outstanding Costume Design
Constance Hoffman: Chasing Nicolette
Marla Jurglanis: Sleeping Beauty: A Comic Panto in the British Style
Marla Jurglanis: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Richard St. Clair: A Year with Frog and Toad
Linda Bee Stockton: Holiday

Clear Sound Award for Outstanding Sound Design
Jorge Cousineau: Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Nick Kourtides: Chasing Nicolette
John Mock : Looking Over the President’s Shoulder
Bill Moriarty, Adriano Shaplin, and James Sugg : Hell Meets Henry Halfway
James Sugg: all wear bowlers

Outstanding Original Music
Charles Gilbert :Gemini, the Musical
David Friedman: Chasing Nicolette
Jim Ryan: Grease and Desist
Adriano Shaplin and James Sugg: Hell Meets Henry Halfway
Adam Wernick: Outrage

Outstanding Choreography/Movement
Richard Amelius: Cabaret
Karen Getz : The Big Bang
Trey Lyford & Geoffrey Sobelle: all wear bowlers
Jewel Walker: Tuesday
Dorothy Wilke : Death and the King’s Horseman

Independence Foundation Award for Outstanding New Play
Bruce Graham: The Philly Fan
Dael Orlandersmith : Raw Boys
Pamela Parker : A Higher Place in Heaven
Adriano Shaplin: Hell Meets Henry Halfway
John Wolfson: The Lives of Bosie

Outstanding Ensemble in a Play
Recent Tragic Events
Tuesday
Hell Meets Henry Halfway
Take Me Out
The Art of War

Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
A Year with Frog and Toad
Forever Plaid
Elegies: A Song Cycle
Chasing Nicolette