The Alliance Theatre, the Southeast’s largest company, tops this year’s Suzi Bass Award nominations with 51. The awards, Atlanta professional theater’s more-or-less equivalent to Broadway’s Tonys, will be handed out Nov. 2. Nominations were made public Monday.
Theatrical Outfit and Actor’s Express earned 24 and 21 nominations, respectively. Aurora Theatre (20) and Serenbe Playhouse (11) rounded out the Top 5.
Five musicals led nominations for individual shows: Memphis, an Aurora Theatre/Theatrical Outfit co-production had 13, followed by the Alliance’s Tuck Everlasting (12), Serenbe’s Evita (9), Actor’s Express’ Rent (8) and True Colors Theatre’s Chasin’ dem Blues (7). Atlanta Lyric Theatre, which does musicals exclusively, was shut out.
Memphis just ended its run at Aurora Theatre; it moves intown to Theatrical Outfit (at the Rialto Center for the Arts) on Sept. 10 for a nine-day run, for those of you who’ve yet to see it.
Multiple nominations also went to Georgia Ensemble and True Colors theaters (both 8), Horizon Theatre (5), the Center for Puppetry Arts (3), Legacy Theatre (2) and Synchronicity Theatre (2).
Scenic-design siblings Isabel Curley-Clay and Moriah Curley-Clay earned an unprecedented six nominations in a single season for their work at five theaters: Clybourne Park (Aurora), Detroit (Horizon), Silent Sky (Theatrical Outfit), Evita (Serenbe) and Murder Ballad (Actor’s Express).
Actor’s Express Artistic Director Freddie Ashley was a crossover hit with judges. He was nominated for best actor, for playing a 600-pound man in The Whale, and for directing the musical Rent. Both shows are nominated for “best of” honors in their categories.
The 11th annual Suzi awards ceremony will be held at the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center in DeKalb County.
THE NOMINEES:
Play
- Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage at the Alliance Theatre
- Edward Foote by Phillip DePoy at the Alliance
- The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance at Georgia Ensemble Theatre
- Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson at Theatrical Outfit
- The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter at Actor’s Express
Direction / play
- Chris Coleman for Edward Foote at the Alliance
- David Crowe for The Elephant Man at Georgia Ensemble
- David Crowe for Silent Sky at Theatrical Outfit
- Heidi Cline McKerley for The Whale at Actor’s Express
- Gary Yates for My Children! My Africa! at Theatrical Outfit
Lead actress / play
- Cynthia D. Barker for Uprising at Horizon Theatre
- Danielle Deadwyler for The C.A. Lyons Project at the Alliance
- Crystal Fox for Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Alliance
- Ann Marie Gideon for Edward Foote at the Alliance
- Park Krausen for Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Actor’s Express
Lead actor / play
- Freddie Ashley for The Whale at Actor’s Express
- Terry Guest for Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet at Actor’s Express
- Tyrone Mitchell Henderson for Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Alliance
- Jonathan Horne for The Elephant Man at Georgia Ensemble
- Eugene Lee for How I Learned What I Learned at True Colors
Featured actress / play
- Carolyn Cook for Silent Sky at Theatrical Outfit
- Bethany Anne Lind for Edward Foote at the Alliance Theatre
- Deadra Moore for Silent Sky at Theatrical Outfit
- Tiffany Porter for The Whale at Actor’s Express
- Maria Rodriquez-Sager for My Children! My Africa! at Theatrical Outfit
Featured actor / play
- Neal A. Ghant for Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Alliance
- Enoch King for Uprising at Horizon
- Joe Knezevich for Storefront Church at Theatrical Outfit
- Doyle Reynolds for Sylvia at Stage Door Players
- Dane Troy for My Children! My Africa! at Theatrical Outfit
Ensemble / play
- Bad Jews at Actor’s Express (Galen Crawley, Rachel DeJulio, Wyatt Fenner, Louis Gregory)
- Clybourne Park at Aurora (Robin Bloodworth, Tess Malis Kincaid, Danielle Deadwyler, Eric J. Little, Bobby Labartino, Joe Sykes, Cara Mantella)
- The Explorers Club at Aurora (Courtney Patterson,Tony Larkin, Chris Kayser, Chad Martin, George Contini, Al Stilo, Jacob York, Steve Hudson, Tim Whitson)
- Pericles, Prince of Tyre at the New Shakespeare Tavern (Drew Reeves, Matt Felton, Andrew Houchins, Chris Schulz, J. Tony Brown, Troy Willis, Kevin Roost, Nicholas Faircloth, Miranda Wilson, Kati Grace Brown, Mary Russell, Hayley Platt, Mary Ruth Ralston, Andy Offutt Irwin)
- Steel Magnolias at the Alliance (Becky Ann Baker, Beth Broderick, David de Vries, Mary Pat Gleason, Deirdre Lovejoy, Sarah Stiles, Zoë Winters)
Costume design / play
- Deyah Brenner for The Whale at Actor’s Express
- Lex Liang for Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Alliance
- Elizabeth Rasmusson for The Explorers Club at Aurora
- Elizabeth Rasmusson for Silent Sky at Theatrical Outfit
- Erik Teague for Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Actor’s Express
Lighting design / play
- Liz Lee for The C.A. Lyons Project at the Alliance
- Rebecca M.K. Makus for Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet at Actor’s Express
- Mike Post for Silent Sky at Theatrical Outfit
- Seth Reiser for Edward Foote at the Alliance
- Diane Ferry Williams for A Christmas Carol at the Alliance
Scenic design / play
- D. Martyn Brookwalter for A Christmas Carol at the Alliance
- Kat Conley for Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet at Actor’s Express
- Isabel Curley-Clay & Moriah Curley-Clay for Clybourne Park at Aurora
- Isabel Curley-Clay & Moriah Curley-Clay for Detroit at Horizon
- Isabel Curley-Clay & Moriah Curley-Clay for Silent Sky at Theatrical Outfit
Sound design / play
- Clay Benning for Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Alliance
- Clay Benning for Edward Foote at the Alliance
- Clay Benning for Native Guard at the Alliance
- Thom Jenkins for Uprising at Horizon
- David Wilson for The C.A. Lyons Project at the Alliance
Musical
- Chasin’ dem Blues at True Colors
- Evita at Serenbe Playhouse
- Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
- Rent at Actor’s Express
- Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
Direction of a musical
- Freddie Ashley for Rent at Actor’s Express
- Brian Clowdus for Evita at Serenbe
- Tom Key for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
- Casey Nicholaw for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
- Kevin Ramsey for Chasin’ dem Blues at True Colors
Musical direction
- Rob Berman for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
- Jeremy Cohen for Chasin’ dem Blues at True Colors
- Chris Brent Davis for Evita at Serenbe
- Alli Lingenfelter for Rent at Actor’s Express
- Ann-Carol Pence for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
Choreography
- Joshua Bergasse for Bull Durham at the Alliance
- Bubba Carr for Evita at Serenbe
- Dell Howlett for The C.A. Lyons Project at the Alliance
- Waverly Lucas for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
- Casey Nicholaw for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
Lead actress / musical
- Molly Coyne for My Fair Lady at Georgia Ensemble
- Randi Garza for Evita at Serenbe
- Sarah Charles Lewis for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
- Naima Carter Russell for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
- Julissa Sabino for Rent at Actor’s Express
Lead actor / musical
- Charlie Brady for Evita at Serenbe
- Carey Curtis Smith for My Fair Lady at Georgia Ensemble
- Travis Smith for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
- Will Swenson for Bull Durham at the Alliance
- Jeremy Varner for Rocket Boys at the Legacy Theatre
Featured actress / musical
- Jennifer Alice Acker for Rent at Actor’s Express
- Shannon Eubanks for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
- Jeanette Illidge for Rent at Actor’s Express
- Beth Leavel for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
- Megan McFarland for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
Featured actor / musical
- Mark Cabus for My Fair Lady at Georgia Ensemble
- Eric Moore for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
- Eugene Russell IV for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
- Austin Tijerina for Rent at Actor’s Express
- Cecil Washington Jr. as Delray Jones for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
Ensemble / musical
- Chasin’ dem Blues at True Colors
- Hands on a Hardbody at Aurora
- Murder Ballad at Actor’s Express
- Pump Boys & Dinettes at Georgia Ensemble
- Ring of Fire at the Legacy Theatre
Costume design /musical
- Gregg Barnes for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
- Shilla Benning for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
- Emmie Childers for My Fair Lady at Georgia Ensemble
- Toni-Leslie James for Bull Durham at the Alliance
- Erik Teague and Abby Parker for Evita at Serenbe
Lighting design / musical
- André Allen for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
- Jeff Croiter for Bull Durham at the Alliance
- Kevin Frazier for Evita at Serenbe
- Joseph Futral for Chasin’ dem Blues at True Colors Theatre
- Kenneth Posner for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
Scenic design / musical
- Kat Conley for Chasin’ dem Blues at True Colors
- Isabel Curley-Clay and Moriah Curley-Clay for Evita at Serenbe
- Isabel Curley-Clay and Moriah Curley-Clay for Murder Ballad at Actor’s Express
- Derek McLane for Bull Durham at the Alliance
- Walt Spangler for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
Sound design / musical
- Angie Bryant for Rent at Actor’s Express
- Bobby Johnston for Chasin’ dem Blues at True Colors
- Brian Ronan for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
- Leon Smith for Black Nativity at Dominion Entertainment Group
- Daniel Terry for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
World premiere
- Bull Durham at the Alliance
- The C.A. Lyons Project at the Alliance
- Edward Foote at the Alliance
- Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
- Uprising at Horizon
Theatre for Young Audiences
- Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type at the Center for Puppetry Arts
- James and the Giant Peach at the Alliance
- Knuffle Bunny at the Alliance
- The Lizard and El Sol at the Alliance
- The 3 Little Pigs at Aurora
Direction / Theatre for Young Audiences
- Courage at at the Alliance, director Rosemary Newcott
- Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type at the Center for Puppetry Arts, director Jon Ludwig, music director Dolph Amick
- James and the Giant Peach at the Alliance, director Rosemary Newcott, choreographer Ricardo Aponte, music director Christopher Cannon
- The Lizard and El Sol at the Alliance, director Rosemary Newcott, choreographer Ricardo Aponte
- The Secret Garden at Serenbe, director Ryan Oliveti
Design / Theatre for Young Audiences
- Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type at Center for Puppetry Arts
- James and the Giant Peach at at the Alliance
- Lyle the Crocodile at Synchronicity Theatre
- The Secret Garden at Serenbe
- The 3 Little Pigs at Aurora
Performance / Theatre for Young Audiences
- Courage at the Alliance (ensemble – Lauren Boyd, Matt Felton, Stephanie Lloyd, J.L. Reed
- James and the Giant Peach at the Alliance (ensemble – Caleb Clark, Molly Coyne, Benjamin Harding, Wendy Melkonian, Brandon O’Dell, Julissa Sabino, Googie Uterhardt, Jeremy Varner, Minka Wiltz
- Knuffle Bunny at the Alliance, Devon Hales
- The Lizard and El Sol at the Alliance, Julissa Sabino
- Lyle the Crocodile at Synchronicity, Matt Baum
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Slide-show photo on homepage: The “Memphis” ensemble at Aurora Theatre. Photo by Chris Bartelski
