DCMetroTheaterArts: Best of 2015 #10: Best Performances in a Musical in Professional Theatres and Special Awards

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is honored to announce that their 2015 Best Performances in Musicals in Professional Theatres honors go to:

  Best Actor in a Musical

Andrew Lloyd Baughman as Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd (Prog-Metal Version) at Landless Theatre Company.

Danny Bertaux as Melchior in Spring Awakening at Red Branch Theatre Company.

Paul Binotto as Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls at Olney Theatre Center. 

Steven Booth as Charlie in Kinky Boots at The Hippodrome Theatre.

Mitchell Brunings as Bob Marley in Marley at Centerstage.

Evan Casey as Garfield in Garfield, The Musical With Cattitude at Adventure Theatre MTC.

Austin Colby as Tony in West Side Story at Signature Theatre.

Dino P. Coppa, Sr. as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof at Way Off Broadway.

Tiziano D’Affuso as Birdlace in Dogfight at The Keegan Theatre.

Mo Dutterer as King Arthur in Monty Python’s Spamalot at Silhouette Stages.

Kevin Early as Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden at Centerstage.

Mark Evans as Cal in The Fix at Signature Theatre.

Matt Faucher as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls at Olney Theatre Center.

Rick Hammerly as Fagin in Oliver! at Adventure Theatre MTC.

Corey Hennessey as Edgar/Bat Boy in Bat Boy: The Musical at StillPointe Theatre Initiative.

Christian Hoff as Eddie in Dogfight at Red Branch Theatre Company.

John Loughney as Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden at NextStop Theatre Company.

Kevin McAllister as Coalhouse Walker in Ragtime: The Musical at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia.

Jeff McCarthy as Fagin in Oliver! at Arena Stage.

Mike McLean as Tommy Albright in Brigadoon at Compass Rose Theater.

Brian Patrick McNally as Peter Rabbit in Peter Rabbit at Red Branch Theatre.

Lawrence B. Munsey as Gomez Addams in The Addams Family at Toby’s Dinner Theatre.

Kyle Taylor Parker as Lola in Kinky Boots at The Hippodrome Theatre.

Ben Platt as Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen at Arena Stage.

Russell Rinker as Harold Hill in The Music Man at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre.

Paul Scanlan as Fred Graham/Petruchio in Kiss Me Kate at NextStop Theatre Company.

Scott Ruble as The Emcee in Cabaret at Washington County Playhouse Dinner Theater and Children’s Theater.

Tally Sessions as Billy Bigelow in Carousel at Olney Theatre Center.

Tally Sessions as Hannibal Lecter in Silence! the Musical at Studio’s 2nd Stage.

Jeffrey Shankle as John Adams in 1776 at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of  Columbia. 

A.J. Shively as Billy Cane in Bright Star at The Kennedy Center.

Douglas Sills as Fred Graham/Petruchio in Kiss Me Kate at Shakespeare Theatre Company. 

Joshua Simon as Tateh in  Ragtime: The Musical at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia.

Jordan B. Stocksdale as Gomez Addams in The Addams Family at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre.

Wesley Taylor as The Emcee in Cabaret at Signature Theatre.

Stuart Ward as Guy in Once at The Kennedy Center.

Anthony Warlow in Man of La Mancha at Shakespeare Theatre Company.

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Best Actress in a Musical

 Rachel Bailey as Wendla in Spring Awakening at Red Branch Theatre Company.

Sandy Bainum as Mame Dennis in Mame at Riverside Center of the Performing Arts.

Jessica Lauren Ball as Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls at Olney Theatre Center.

Courtney Branch as Rose in Dogfight at Red Branch Theatre Company.

Brandi Burkhardt as Lily Craven  in The Secret Garden at Centerstage.

Caitlin Cohn as Mary Lennox  in The Secret Garden at Centerstage.

Allison Comotto as Toffee in Zombie Prom at Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre.

Priscilla Cuellar as Morticia Addams in The Addams Family at Toby’s Dinner Theatre.

Priscilla Cuellar as the Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods at Toby’s Dinner Theatre.

Carmen Cusack as Alice Murphy in Bright Star at The Kennedy Center.

 Felicia Curry as Deloris Van Cartier/ Sister Mary Clarence in Sister Act at Riverside Center of the Performing Arts.

Felicia Curry as Nancy in Oliver! at Adventure Theatre MTC.

Kaitlyn Davidson as Cinderella in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella at The National Theatre.

Dani de Waal as The Girl in Once at The Kennedy Center.

Zoe D’heedene as Sally Bowles in Cabaret at Washington County Playhouse Dinner Theater and Children’s Theater.

Sherri L. Edelen as Rita Gaw in Cake Off at Signature Theatre.

Eleasha Gamble as Nancy in Oliver! at Arena Stag

MaryJoanna Grisso as Maria in West Side Story at Signature Theatre.

Jessie Hooker as Dorothy in The Wiz at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre.

Amber Iman as Aldonza in Man of La Mancha at Shakespeare Theatre Company.

Gracie Jones as Betty Thorpe AKA Cynthia in code name: Cynthia at Pallas Theatre Collective.

Laura Jordan as Clarice in Silence! the Musical at Studio’s 2nd Stage.

Bernardine Mitchell as Bessie Smith in Bessie’s Blues at MetroStage.

Abby Mueller as Carole King in Beautiful-The Carole King Musical at The Kennedy Center.

Mackenzie Norris as Marian Paroo in The Music Man at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre.

Nina Osegueda as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd (Prog-Metal Version) at Landless Theatre Company.

Elizabeth Rayca as Mother in Ragtime: The Musical at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia.

Katherine Riddle as Fiona in Brigadoon at Compass Rose Theater.

 Bryce Ryness as Miss Trunchbull in Matilda the Musical at The Kennedy Center.

Saycon Sengbloh as Rita in Marley at Centerstage.

Christine Sherrill as Lilli Vanessi/Kate in Kiss Me Kate at Shakespeare Theatre Company. 

Maggie Slivka as Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden at NextStop Theatre Company.

Mabel Tyler as Matilda Wormwood in Matilda the Musical at The Kennedy Center.

Isabelle (Izzy) Smelkinson as Rose in Dogfight at The Keegan Theatre.

Nia Simone Smith as Meredith Parker in Bat Boy: The Musical at StillPointe Theatre Initiative.

Sarah Summerwell as Morticia Addams in The Addams Family at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre.

Karen Vincent as Lilli Vanessi/Katherine in Kiss Me Kate at NextStop Theatre Company.

Lauren Weinberg as Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls at Olney Theatre Center.

Tiara N. Whaley as Ti Moune in Once on This Island at Creative Cauldron.

Barrett Wilbert Weed as Sally Bowles in Cabaret at Signature Theatre.

Brittany Williams as Petite Rouge in Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood at Adventure Theatre MTC.

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Best Featured Actor in a Musical

Clyde Alves as Bill Calhoun/Lucentio in Kiss Me Kate at Shakespeare Theatre Company.

Ian Anthony as Daniel in Once on This Island at Creative Cauldron.

 Bob Ari (First Man) and Raymond Jaramillo McLeod (Second Man) in Kiss Me Kate at Shakespeare Theatre Company. 

Jeff Blumenkrantz as Daryl Ames in Bright Star at The Kennedy Center.

Stephen Bogardus as Daddy Cane in Bright Star at The Kennedy Center.

Jordan Coughtry as Jesus in Godspell at Olney Theatre Center.

Lawrence D. Bryant IV as Princeton in Avenue Q at Stillpointe Theatre Initiative. 

Kyle Coffman as The Artful Dodger in Oliver! at Arena Stage.

Javier del Pilar as Princeton as Avenue Q at Red Branch Theatre Company.

Javier del Pilar as Moritz in Spring Awakening at Red Branch Theatre Company.

Nick DeVito as Danny Hooper in Baby, The Musical at Infinity Theatre Company.

Anthony Frederickson as Colin Craven in The Secret Garden at Centerstage.

Rick Foucheux as Herr Schultz in Cabaret at Signature Theatre.

Tyson Francis as Winthrop in The Music Man at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre.

Willie Garner as The Tinman in The Wiz at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre.

Ray Hatch as Soapy Smith in The Gifts of the Magi at Maryland Ensemble Theatre.

Jason Hentrich as William Stephenson in code name: Cynthia at Pallas Theatre Collective.

Stephen Edwards Horst as Toad in A Year With Frog and Toad at Imagination Stage.

David James as Grandma in The Addams Family at Toby’s Dinner Theatre.

Andy Huntington Jones as Prince Topher in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella at The National Theatre.

Nehal Joshi as Sancho Panza in Man of La Mancha at Shakespeare Theatre Company.

Eric Jones as Jim Dillingham in The Gifts of the Magi at Maryland Ensemble Theatre.

Jon Kevin Lazarus as Trekkie Monster in Avenue Q at Stillpointe Theatre Initiative. 

Malcolm Lee as Ague, God of Water and others in Once on This Island at Creative Cauldron.

Bobby Libby as Neville Cravin in The Secret Garden at NextStop Theatre Company.

Rafael Martinez-Salgado as Uncle Fester in The Addams Family at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre.

Jimmy Mavrikes as Jack in Into the Woods at Toby’s Dinner Theatre.

Ethan Miller as Miles in The Turn of the Screw at Creative Cauldron.

Stephen Russell Murray as Bill Calhoun/Lucentio in Kiss Me Kate at NextStop Theatre Company.

Vaughn Ryan Midder as Rod and Trekkie Monster in Avenue Q at Constellation Theatre Company.

Jarran Muse as Marvin Gaye in Motown The Musical at The National Theatre.

Dylan Ngo and Alexis Turbat as Tobias in Sweeney Todd (Prog-Metal Version) at Landless Theatre Company.

Jobari Parker-Namdar as Frog in A Year With Frog and Toad at Imagination Stage.

Jobari Parker-Namdar as The Scarecrow in The Wiz at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre.

David Porterfield as Herr Schultz in Cabaret at Washington County Playhouse Dinner Theater and Children’s Theater.

Nygel Robinson as The Cowardly Lion in The Wiz at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre.

Russell Silber as Georgia Cracker in code name: Cynthia at Pallas Theatre Collective.

Josh Simon as Arthur Pack in code name: Cynthia at Pallas Theatre Collective.

Bobby Smith as Doc in West Side Story at Signature Theatre.

Bobby Smith as Senator Reed Chandler in The Fix at Signature Theatre.

John Stevenson as Ben Franklin in 1776 at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of  Columbia. 

Jordan B. Stocksdale as Motel in Fiddler on the Roof at Way Off Broadway.

Tom Story as Buffalo Bill in Silence! the Musical at Studio’s 2nd Stage.

Ethan Theriot as Young  Patrick in Mame at Riverside Center of the Performing Arts.

Matthew Thompson as Horton in Seussical The Musical at NextStop Theatre Company.

Ethan Van Slyke as Colin in The Secret Garden at NextStop Theatre Company.

Gregory Woodell as Clifford Bradshaw in Cabaret at Signature Theatre.

Tobias Young as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls at Olney Theatre Center.

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Best Featured Actress in a Musical

Iyona Blake as Mother of the Earth in Once on This Island at Creative Cauldron.

Shayna Blass as Lulu in Cabaret at Signature Theatre.

Ellie Borzilleri as Ilse in Spring Awakening at Red Branch Theatre Company.

MaryKate Brouillet as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family at Toby’s Dinner Theatre.

Coby Kay Callahan as Emma Goldman in Ragtime: The Musical at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia.

Cheryl J. Campo as Christmas Eve in Avenue Q at Red Branch Theatre Company.

Katy Carkuff as Kate Monster in Avenue Q at Constellation Theatre Company.

Josy Christian as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre.

Susan Derry as Miss Giddens in  The Turn of the Screw at Creative Cauldron.

Natascia Diaz as Anita in West Side Story at Signature Theatre.

Laura Dreyfuss as Zoe Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen at Arena Stage.

Sherri L. Edelen as Mrs. Grose in The Turn of the Screw at Creative Cauldron.

Leah Gesouras as Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act at Riverside Center of the Performing Arts.

Becky Gulsvig as Cynthia Weil in Beautiful-The Carole King Musical at The Kennedy Center.

Kathy Halenda as Vera Charles in Mame at Riverside Center of the Performing Arts.

Renata Hammond as Lucy in Jekyll & Hyde at Spotlighters Theatre.

Shelley Hierstetter as Della Dillingham in The Gifts of the Magi at Maryland Ensemble Theatre.

Robyn Hurder as Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me Kate at Shakespeare Theatre Company. 

Naomi Jacobson as Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret at Signature Theatre.

Jade Jones as Mama Euralie in Once on This Island at Creative Cauldron.

Rachel Bay Jones as Heidi Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen at Arena Stage.

Katie Keyser as Lily Craven in The Secret Garden at NextStop Theatre Company.

Shaina Kuhn as The Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd (Prog-Metal Version) at Landless Theatre Company.

Karen Lange as Cora Wells in code name: Cynthia at Pallas Theatre Collective.

Emily Levey as Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me Kate at NextStop Theatre Company.

Kendra Lucas as Evillene in The Wiz at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre.

Cierra Monae as Reverend Hightower in Bat Boy: The Musical at StillPointe Theatre Initiative.

Justine Icy Moral as Christmas Eve in Avenue Q at Constellation Theatre Company.

Emily Padgett as Lucy in Bright Star at The Kennedy Center.

Barbara Pinolini as Mother Superior in Sister Act at Riverside Center of the Performing Arts.

Jackie Rebok as Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret at Washington County Playhouse Dinner Theater and Children’s Theater.

Ada Satterfield as Sarah in Ragtime: The Musical at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia.

Dorea Schmidt as Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel at Olney Theatre Center.

Ella Schnoor as Amaryllis in The Music Man at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre.

Caitlin Shea as Miss Jessle in The Turn of the Screw at Creative Cauldron.

Christine Sherrill as Violet Chandler in The Fix at Signature Theatre.

Dani Stoller as Marci in Dogfight at The Keegan Theatre.

Sally Struthers as Agnes Gooch in Mame at Riverside Center of the Performing Arts.

Janine Sunday as The Witch in Into the Woods at Toby’s Dinner Theatre.

Delores King Williams as Nettie in Carousel at Olney Theatre Center.

Tori Weaver as Golde in Fiddler on the Roof at Way Off Broadway.

Lori Williams as Passion in Bessie’s Blues at MetroStage.

Jaclyn Young as Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical The Musical at NextStop Theatre Company.

Rachel Zampelli as John the Baptist and Judas in Godspell at Olney Theatre Center.

Emily Zickler as Arlene the Cat in Garfield, The Musical With Cattitude at Adventure Theatre MTC.

SPECIAL AWARDS:

The Cast of The World Goes ‘Round at Creative Cauldron.

The five performers featured in the revue are a diverse group that shines, each in their own turn… Creative Cauldron’s production of The World Goes ‘Round is the perfect experience for anyone wanting to reminisce about Kander and Ebb’s beloved shows and songs, expose themselves to other works by the duo, or to simply lose themselves for a time. It’s sheer magic!…Kendall  Mostafavi, DCMetroTheaterArts

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The cast of Black Nativity at Theater Alliance

Throughout my eardrums were thrumming like pulseways to my heart.  What my retinas beheld at time through tears seemed a suddenly found community. A singular story was being retold with supreme reverence and transcendent joy as if by a priesthood of theater artists: Jakiya Ananna, Kelli Blackwell, Natasha Gallop, Marguis Grayson, Whitney Hutcherson, Roy Patten Jr., Sherice Payne, Krislynn Perry, Elton Pittman, Ryan Pittman, Ryan Swain, Darin Turner, Taylor Walls, and Greg Watkins.

Black Nativity from Theater Alliance is a not-to-be-missed revelation. What Director Eric Ruffin, Music Director e’Marcus Harper-Short, and Choreographer Princess Mhoon have done is nothing short of a reconnection this very minute to the highest and deepest mystery of meaning made incarnate in human performance…John Stoltenberg, DCMetroTheaterArts

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The Cast of Murder Ballad at The Studio Theatre

Murder Ballad is a great respite from everyday life. It is full of its share of scorching music, biting lyrics, and passionate acting to feed an audience a heated tale of infidelity and murder. Inhale this unexpected short-time pleasure while you can. Do you have an excuse or alibi for letting the cold winds of murder moan so delightfully and safely but pass you by?  Nope, you don’t. Put down your phone, and go take in Murder Ballad…David Siegel, DCMetroTheaterArts

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The Cast of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts

The scintillating cast of Riverside Center Dinner Theater’s The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber almost blew the roof off when I saw this new production on Saturday, January 17, 2015. Each singer – Sara Ashley, Bo Price, Shawna Walker, Patrick A’Hearn, Kelly Curtin, Chad W. Fornwalt, Sylvern Groomes, Ashlie-Amber Harris, Sheri Hayden, Andrea Kahane, Ian Lane, Darian Lunsford, and Calvin Malone had their turn or two in the spotlight showing off their pipes and gorgeous interpretations of Webber favorites…Joining these singers were a group of fabulous young singers who comprised the Children’ Choir: Angelina and Elijah Beale, Evelyn Detar, Nathan Griffin, Muggs Leone, Alexa Norbeck, Julianna Robinson, and Ethan Theriot…Joel Markowitz, DCMetroTheaterArts.

Creative Cauldron’s production of Once on this Island (book and lyrics by Lynn Aherns and music by Stephen Flaherty) starts off with a bang.  Well, to be more precise, a thunderclap. What follows is one of the most impressive thunderstorms ever created in live theater, courtesy of Lighting Designer Joseph Lovins. And what follows that is one of the most spellbinding productions this reviewer has ever seen in twenty years as a local theatre enthusiast…Caroline Simpson, DCMetroTheaterArts

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The Cast of Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood at Adventure Theatre MTC

This feisty version of the classic is a great way to introduce your children to the history and tradition of Mardi Gras and Creole culture!…The performances were great! This production is filled with energized song-and-dance numbers….Lively and fun, Adventure Theatre MTC’s production of Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood makes for a great family-friendly celebration of Mardi-Gras!”…Julia L. Exline, DCMetroTheaterArts

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The Cast of West Side Story at Signature Theatre.

Whether you are a veteran musical theater enthusiasts who knows each and every line of dialogue or lyric or are much newer to this great American musical theater classic, I just can’t imagine you won’t be enthralled with the passion, confidence, heat, and playfulness of Signature Theatre production of West Side Story…Signature’s production is a West Side Story for the ages…David Siegel, DCMetroTheaterArts

LINKS:

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 #1: Special Awards.

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 #2: Best Musicals in Professional Theatres.

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 #3: Best Musicals in Community Theatres.

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 #4: Best Plays in Professional Theaters. 

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 #5: Best Plays in Community Theatres.

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 #6: Best Children’s/Family Productions.

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 #7: Best Performances in a Play in Community Theatres.

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 #8: Best Performances in a Play in Professional Theatres.

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 #9: Best Performances in a Musical in Community Theatres.

DCMetroTheaterArts: Best of 2015 #10: Best Performances in a Musical in Professional Theatres and Special Awards.

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 #11: New York’s Ten Best of 2015 by Richard Seff.

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 #12: ‘Memorable Dance in Baltimore and Beyond’ by Carolyn Kelemen.

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 #13 in Theater in The Philadelphia Area.

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 #14: Dance Performances.

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 Honors Begins Tomorrow-A Look Back at the 2014 Honorees.

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DCMetroTheaterArts writers were permitted to honor productions that they saw and we did not review.