Sunday, January 28, 2007

My Picks for The Column Awards

I'll be voting for the following nominees for The Column Awards. I don't have picks in every category, so I'm open to worthy suggestion.

Best Musical of the Year – Equity

URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL – Water Tower Theatre

Best Musical of the Year - Non-Equity

NUNSENSE – ICT Mainstage

Play of the Year – Equity

BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS – Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre

Play of the Year – Non-Equity

HARVEY – Repertory Company Theatre

Best Director of a Musical – Equity

Mark Mullino – CITY OF ANGELS – Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre

Best Director of a Musical - Non-Equity

David Schmidt – NUNSENSE – ICT Mainstage

Best Director of a Play – Equity

Mark Mullino – BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS – FMPAT

Best Director of a Play – Non – Equity

Marianne Galloway – ANGELS IN AMERICA: MILLENIUM APPROACHES – RIT

Best Music Director of a Musical – Equity

Sheliah Walker – URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL – Water Tower Theatre

Best Music Director of a Musical – Non-Equity

Pamela Holcomb-McLain – NUNSENSE – ICT Mainstage

Best Choreographer of a Musical - Equity

Paula Morelan – URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL – Water Tower Theatre

Best Choreographer of a Musical - Non-Equity

Nancy Slater Roberts – NUNSENSE – ICT Mainstage

Best Stage Manager of a Play – Non-Equity

Alan Hanna – DANGEROUS LIAISONS – Richardson Theatre Center

Best Actor in a Musical - Equity

Joshua Doss – URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL – Water Tower Theatre

Best Actress in a Musical - Equity

Stacey Oristano – URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL – Water Tower Theatre

Best Actress in a Musical - Non-Equity

Libby Bogart – NUNSENSE – ICT Mainstage

Best Actress in a Play - Non-Equity

Jessica Wiggers – ANGELS IN AMERICA: MILLENIUM APPROACHES – RTI

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical – Equity

Andy Gosnell – SINGIN' IN THE RAIN – Garland Summer Musicals

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical – Non-Equity

Dane Hoffman – GUYS AND DOLLS – Lewisville Community Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical – Equity

Allison Rogers – SINGIN' IN THE RAIN – Garland Summer Musicals

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Play – Equity

Linda Leonard – BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS – FMPAT

Best Featured Actor in a Musical – Equity

Chris Robinson – CITY OF ANGELS – Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre

Best Featured Actor in a Play – Non-Equity

Josh Hepola – HARVEY – Repertory Company Theatre

Best Featured Actress in a Musical – Equity

Sara Shelby-Martin – URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL – Water Tower Theatre

Best Featured Actress in a Musical – Non – Equity

Delynda Johnson-Moravec – ONCE UPON A MATTRESS – ICT Mainstage

Best Featured Actress in a Play – Non – Equity

Heather Walker – HARVEY – Repertory Company Theatre

Best Costume Design of a Musical - Non-Equity

Suzi Shankle – GUYS AND DOLLS – Lewisville Community Theatre

Chita Rivera Dance Award- Male

Carlos Gomez – THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS – CTD

Chita Rivera Dance Award – Female

Joi Jackson – AIDA – Uptown Players

Monday, January 22, 2007

KCCT Votes to Pay Directors

For the first time in its thirty-five year history, Kaufman County Civic Theatre will be paying the Directors for its shows in the upcoming 2007-08 Season. The Board of Directors voted tonight to approve the payment of Stipends to the Directors who will be selected by KCCT's Production Committee. The shows for KCCT's 2007-2008 Season can be found HERE.

If you are interested in Directing for KCCT, send a résumé to the Vice President of Production, Marty Scott, at mdscott@classicnet.net. All résumés must be received no later than February 15, 2007.

Friday, January 19, 2007

Rainmaker Poster

Not only is Jeff Vaughan a talented Set Designer, he also is pretty good at graphic design. He designed the poster for KCCT's production of The Rainmaker. KCCT is lucky to have such a talented person helping out.

Oh, by the way, he's also in the cast of the show. Multi-talented guy, that's for sure.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Rainmaker Set Pics



I went up to KCCT and shot some pics of the set for The Rainmaker. The pictures do not do full justice to Jeff Vaughan's wonderful set.

























Wednesday, January 10, 2007

The Rainmaker at KCCT

Kaufman County Civic Theatre will open The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash on February 2nd. I went up to the theatre last night to see how things are going. I didn't see any of the rehearsal because I got there while the Director, Dennis Gullion, was giving notes to his cast. I did, however, see the set. One of KCCT's undiscovered gems is Set Designer, Jeff Vaughan. Jeff designed his own set when he Directed Little Shop of Horrors a couple of years ago, and his use of the space is amazing. I encourage everyone to catch this show if for no other reason than to see Jeff's set.

Monday, January 08, 2007

Major Announcement about The Column Awards

"UGLY BETTY", SAG NOMINEE STAR TO CO-HOST 2007 COLUMN AWARDS GALA

(Dallas Texas) The Board of Directors and the Executive Director/
Producer of THE COLUMN Theatre Awards are extremely proud to announce
this morning that Michael Urie, who portrays "Marc" on the critically
acclaimed, smash ABC Comedy hit, UGLY BETTY has accepted their invita-
tion to Co-Host the 2007 "THE COLUMN" Theatre Awards Gala. The
glittery gala will be held at the Courtyard Theatre in Plano on
Monday February 26, 2007.

Just last week Urie received a 2007 SAG (Screen Actor's Guild)
nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy
Series. The mega hit comedy series also received this month a 2007
Golden Globe nomination for Best Comedy Series.

Last week it was also announced that Tony Award nominee (AVENUE Q)
star Stephanie D'Abruzzo will also be appearing at "THE COLUMN"
Theatre Awards Gala as a special guest star.

When reached for comment about co-hosting and coming back to his home
turf of Dallas, Urie replied, "I'm so excited to co-host with John,
and come back to help honor the theatre town that I grew up watching.
I promise to be more Billy Crystal and less David Letterman!"

Executive Director/Producer John Garcia stated, "Talk about wishing so
far out of the box! I really didn't think Michael would have the time
to come to "THE COLUMN" Awards, let alone co-host the event. Never in
my wildest dreams did I think that one of the stars from one of the
biggest hits on TV this season could fit into a tight shooting
schedule an Awards Gala. When he wonderfully accepted, I think I
screamed so loud that I'm sure my neighbors thought I had put a cat in
the microwave."

"After a long drought of bland, humorless TV comedies, along comes
UGLY BETTY to quench that thirst for great comedy. I became an
addicted fan from episode one. But in all honesty, a major reason why
the show is just so funny is due to Urie's scene stealing, hilarious
performance as Vanessa William's back stabbing assistant", Garcia
went on to say.

"Just take a look at the various fan sites, blogs, and magazines that
highly praise Urie's tour de force comedic performance on the show.
From the ice cold glares, to his colorful fashion attire, to that
side splitting wheezing he does-Urie is brilliant on the show."

"I can't express in words how thrilled the Board of Directors and I
are about Urie coming to this year's awards. Our Gala audience is in
for an amazing, amazing night! But to have Michael as my co-host is a
great honor indeed. He and I have are planning terrific ideas for the
big night!"

Michael Urie is a New York-based actor whose work has taken him from
his home in Dallas to Seattle, San Diego, Washington DC, Austin and
the Berkshires. He has worked off- and off-off-Broadway, and in
commercials and independent film.

The recipient of the 2002 John Houseman Prize for Excellence in
Classical Theatre from the Julliard School, from which he holds an
acting degree, Urie's classical credits include Shakespeare's OTHELLO,
TITUS ANDRONICUS, and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM for the Old Globe's
Shakespeare Festival; ROMEO & JULIET for DC's Folger Theatre; LOVE'S
LABORS LOST for The Judith Shakespeare Company); Jacobean drama (THE
REVENGER'S TRAGEDY for The Red Bull Theatre and THE ROARING GIRLE at
The Foundry); and comedia del arte (THE KING STAG at Seattle Rep). He
appeared in the world premiere of LOVE AND HAPPINEES at Barrington
Stage in the Berkshires in
western Massachusetts.

His film work includes the star turn as Eric in WTC VIEW, which
premiered on LOGO in fall, 2006.

Urie was playing a bearded geologist and getting blown away nightly
by Mt. St. Helens "volcanic explosion in the off-Broadway production
of Phenomenon" when he was cast as Marc in UGLY BETTY. Worlds away, in
every sense of the word. As a producer/co-director, he is currently
in postproduction on "Two Down," his documentary short focusing on
high school speech and debate tournaments.

THE COLUMN Theatre Awards, now in its 8th year, honors excellence in
theater within the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. This year over a 100
theater companies are deemed eligible, while over 300 productions are
in consideration for this year's honors.

THE COLUMN Theatre Awards also serve as a major fundraiser for the
national charity, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. The Column
Awards organization has now raised over $8,000.00 for BCEFA and is
now part of their Angel Campaign.

There will be a cocktail reception at 6:00 pm, with the awards
ceremony beginning at 7:00pm.

For ticket prices and all other info, please go to their official
website at: www.thecolumnonline.com

The DALLAS OBSERVER named THE COLUMN Theatre Awards as BEST LOCAL
AWARDS SHOW in its 2006 BEST IN DALLAS issue.

GCT announces 2007-08 Season

The Board of Directors at Garland Civic Theatre announced the productions for its 40th anniversary season:

Agatha Christie's WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION-August 23-Sept 15, 2007
STEEL MAGNOLIAS by Robert Harling October 4-27, 2007
DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, November 15 -December 8, 2007
Beth Henley's CRIMES OF THE HEART-January 24 - February 16, 2008
ARE YOU BEING SERVED? by Jeremy Lloyd, David Croft. March 6 - 29, 2008
ALL SHOOK UP-musical. April 17 - May 10, 2008

The theatre's Children On Stage division will also be celebrating a
significant anniversary, its 25th:
TREASURE ISLAND -July 26-August 5, 2007.
THE JUNGLE BOOK -October 31-November 4, 2007
THE VELVETEEN RABBIT- February 27-March 2, 2008.

KCCT Announces 2007-2008 Season

Kaufman County Civic Theatre has selected the shows for its 2007-08 Season:

Once Upon a Mattress

This delightful music will be KCCT's first ever Teen Theatre production. All roles will be cast with actors between the ages of 12 and 19 inclusive.

Brighton Beach Memoirs

Neil Simon's semi-autobiographical look at growing up in New York City is both humorous and poignant.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with the Herdmans, the most unruly bunch of kids you've ever met.

The Philadelphia Story

Find out how the other half lives. The movie version starred Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, & Jimmy Stewart. A classic comedy the whole family can enjoy.

Guys & Dolls

Back to New York for the story of Sky Masterson, Nathan Detroit, & Sarah Brown. What happens when the Gambling world and the Salvation Army collide?