27th Annual Connecticut Critics Circle Award Winners Announced

Fairfield, CT - TheaterWork’s production of the musical “Next to Normal” led the nominations for the 27th annual Connecticut Critics Circle Awards event held Monday evening, hosted by the Sacred Heart University Theatre Arts Program. The show received a total of 10 nominations, and took home the CCC award for outstanding musical production. Westport Country Playhouse’s production of Ayad Akhtar’s play “The Invisible Hand” led the non-musicals, receiving seven nominations, and earned the award for outstanding production of a play.

The free awards show is a celebration of the best in professional theater in the state of Connecticut and the public was invited to attend. A reception was held before the awards ceremony. Bobby Conte Thornton, a star of Broadway’s ‘A Bronx Tale,’ performed “I Could Be in Love with Someone Like You,” the song from ‘The Last Five Years’ that was replaced by ‘Shiksa Goddess,” as well as “If I Can’t Love Her,” a song performed on Broadway in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ by Terrance Mann.

Three-time Tony Award-nominee Terrence Mann was the engaging master of ceremonies for the event. Mr. Mann joined the Connecticut theater community this year as artistic director of Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s Nutmeg Summer Series at the University of Connecticut at Storrs and recently directed their production of the musical ‘1776.’

Receiving a special awards this year was James Lecesne for his work using theater as a way to connect with LGBT youths in works such as his solo show “The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey,” which was presented this spring at Hartford Stage.

Paxton Whitehead was also recognized for his longtime career in theater, especially in Connecticut.

Receiving the Tom Killen Award for lifetime achievement was Paulette Haupt, who is stepping down after 40 years from her position as founding artistic director of the National Music Theater Conference at Waterford’s Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.

Presenters included Michael Price, now retired from Goodspeed Musicals, actor Jerry Adler, actress Maggie McGlone-Jennings, and Julie James, the program director of On Broadway on Sirius xm. Some award winners attended the ceremony in order to accept their glass award, others sent a representative to accept on their behalf and some recorded a video in which to express their appreciation for the honor.

Awards were presented to the winners in the following categories:

Costume design - Fabio Toblini, “The Comedy of Errors,” Hartford Stage (in an erroneous video above)
Lighting design - John Lasiter, “Next to Normal,” TheaterWorks

Set design - Darko Tresnjak, “The Comedy of Errors,” Hartford Stage
Sound design - Jane Shaw, “The Comedy of Errors,” Hartford Stage

Choreography - Doug Shankman, West Side Story,” Summer Theatre of New Canaan
Ensemble - Cast of “Meteor Shower,” Long Wharf Theatre

Solo Performance - Jon Peterson, “He Wrote Good Songs,” Seven Angels Theatre
Debut performance - Maya Keleher, “Next to Normal,” TheaterWorks
Featured actor in a play - Cleavant Derricks, “The Piano Lesson,” Hartford Stage
Featured actress in a play - Mia Dillon, “Cloud Nine,” Hartford Stage

Featured actor in a musical - Rhett Guter, “Bye Bye Birdie,” Goodspeed Musicals, who will play Curly in the upcoming ‘Oklahoma’ at Goodspeed Musicals

Featured actress in a musical - CT native Kate Simone, “Gypsy,” Music Theater of Connecticut
Director of a play - David Kennedy, “The Invisible Hand,” Westport Country Playhouse
Director of a musical - Rob Ruggiero, “Next to Normal,” TheaterWorks
Actor in a play - Eric Bryant, “The Invisible Hand,” Westport Country Playhouse

Actress in a play - Vanessa R. Butler, “Queens for a Year,” Hartford Stage
Actor in a musical - Zach Schanne, “West Side Story,” Summer Theatre of New Canaan

Actress in a musical - Christiane Noll, “Next to Normal”

Outstanding Production of a Play - “The Invisible Hand,” Westport Country Playhouse

Outstanding Production of a Musical - “Next to Normal,” TheatreWorks

All photos by Nancy Sasso Janis