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2019 Artie Awards: And the nominees are....

The nominees for the 29th annual Artie Awards, which recognize the work of the 2018-2019 theater season, were announced via Facebook and YouTube Live Monday.

The event is an opportunity to recognize Western New York’s theater arts, as well as, raise funds for the HIV/AIDS & Immunodeficiency Clinic at ECMC. Over the years, through contributions from theater audiences and proceeds from red ribbon sales, the Arties have raised over $500,000 for AIDS-related charities.

The 29th Artie Awards winners will be announced at a red carpet-style event 8 pm Monday, June 3, at Shea’s 710 Theatre. Tickets are available at the Shea’s Box Office or by visiting wned.org/community/screenings-and-events/artie-awards/ and clicking on the “Purchase Tickets” link in the right column. This is the third year that WNED | WBFO has served as presenters of the awards.

WNED | WBFO hosted the Facebook Live nomination announcemen with Anthony Chase and Nicole Marrale Cimato. 

The nominees for each of the award categories are:

  • Outstanding Production of a Play

  • Between Riverside and Crazy, Road Less Traveled Productions
  • Equivocation, The Kavinoky Theatre
  • Frost/Nixon, Irish Classical Theatre Company
  • The Jungle Book, Theatre of Youth
  • The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Torn Space
  • Sive, Irish Classical Theatre Company

  • Outstanding Production of a Musical
    • 1776: The Musical, O’Connell & Company
    • Big Fish, Second Generation Theatre
    • La Lupe: My Life, My Destiny, Raíces Theatre Company
    • Ragtime, MusicalFare Theatre
    • Silence! The Musical, Buffalo United Artists
    • Spamalot, The Kavinoky Theatre

  • Outstanding Ensemble of a Play
    • Equivocation, The Kavinoky Theatre
    • Golden Boy, Irish Classical Theatre Company
    • The Jungle Book, Theatre of Youth
    • The Life and Death of King John, New Phoenix Theatre
    • Sense & Sensibility, Irish Classical Theatre Company
    • Sive, Irish Classical Theatre Company

  • Outstanding Ensemble of a Musical
    • 1776: The Musical, O’Connell & Company
    • Big Fish, Second Generation Theatre
    • Desde el Puente: Musical Edition, Raíces Theatre Company
    • Late in the Evening, MusicalFare Theatre
    • Parade, American Repertory Theatre of Western New York
    • Silence! The Musical, Buffalo United Artists

  • Outstanding Direction of a Musical
    • Randall Kramer, Ragtime, MusicalFare Theatre
    • Lynne Kurdziel Formato, Spamalot, The Kavinoky Theatre
    • Victoria Pérez, La Lupe: My Life, My Destiny, Raíces Theatre Company
    • Steve Vaughan, 1776: The Musical, O’Connell & Company
    • Michael Walline, Big Fish, Second Generation Theatre
    • Doug Weyand, Murder for Two, MusicalFare Theatre

  • Outstanding Direction of a Play
    • Brian Cavanagh, Frost/Nixon, Irish Classical Theatre Company
    • Paulette D. Harris, Native Son, Paul Robeson Theatre
    • Vincent O’Neill, Sive, Irish Classical Theatre Company
    • Fortunato Pezzimenti, Golden Boy, Irish Classical Theatre Company
    • Dan Shanahan, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Torn Space
    • Todd Warfield, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, Buffalo United Artists

  • Outstanding Choreography
    • Carlos R.A. Jones, Purlie, Paul Robeson Theatre
    • Lynne Kurdziel Formato, Spamalot, The Kavinoky Theatre
    • Carly Luksch, Heathers: The Musical, American Repertory Theatre of Western New York
    • Michael Walline, Big Fish, Second Generation Theatre
    • Michael Walline, Ragtime, MusicalFare Theatre
    • Michael Walline, Late in the Evening, MusicalFare Theatre

  • Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical
    • Louis Colaiacovo, Big Fish, Second Generation Theatre
    • Philip Farugia, Murder for Two, MusicalFare Theatre
    • Greg Gjurich, Spamalot, The Kavinoky Theatre
    • London Lee, Purlie, Paul Robeson Theatre
    • Jordan Levin, Parade, American Repertory Theatre of Western New York
    • Lorenzo Shawn Parnell, Ragtime, MusicalFare Theatre

  • Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play
    • Ray Boucher, Sive, Irish Classical Theatre Company
    • Chris J. Handley, Talley’s Folly, Jewish Repertory Theatre
    • Jack Hunter, Frost/Nixon, Irish Classical Theatre Company
    • Jimmy Janowski, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, Buffalo United Artists
    • Stan Klimecko, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Torn Space
    • Ben Michael Moran, Angels in America, Second Generation Theatre

  • Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical
    • Melinda Capeles, La Lupe: My Life, My Destiny, Raíces Theatre Company
    • Maria Droz, Silence! The Musical, Buffalo United Artists
    • Melissa Leventhal, Mother Jones in Heaven (and Hell), Subversive Theatre Collective
    • Pamela Rose Mangus, 1776: The Musical, O’Connell & Company
    • Jenny Marie McCabe, Little Shop of Horrors, O’Connell & Company
    • Michele Marie Roberts, Big Fish, Second Generation Theatre

  • Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play
    • Kristin Bentley, Angels in America, Second Generation Theatre
    • Bethany Burrows, After the Fall, Subversive Theatre Collective and Post-Industrial Productions
    • Marie Costa, King John, New Phoenix Theatre
    • Lisa Ludwig, Annapurna, New Phoenix Theatre
    • Aleks Malejs, Sive, Irish Classical Theatre Company
    • Christine Turturro, The Undeniable Sound of Right Now, Road Less Traveled Productions

  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical
    • Jacob Albarella, Big Fish, Second Generation Theatre
    • Kyle Baran, Ragtime, MusicalFare Theatre
    • Steve Copps, Spamalot, The Kavinoky Theatre
    • Tim Goehrig, Parade, American Repertory Theatre of Western New York
    • Alejandro Gabriel Gomez, Desde el Puente: Musical Edition, Raíces Theatre Company
    • Peter Palmisano, Sweeney Todd, The Kavinoky Theatre

  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play
    • Augustus Donaldson, Jr., Native Son, Paul Robeson Theatre
    • Al Garrison, King Hedley II, Paul Robeson Theatre
    • Adriano Gatto, Equivocation, The Kavinoky Theatre
    • Dudney Joseph Jr., Angels in America, Second Generation Theatre
    • Patrick Moltane, Sive, Irish Classical Theatre Company
    • Adam Yellen, Frost/Nixon, Irish Classical Theatre Company

  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical
    • Charmagne Chi, Silence! The Musical, Buffalo United Artists
    • Arin Lee Dandes, Spamalot, The Kavinoky Theatre
    • Dominique Kempf, Ragtime, MusicalFare Theatre
    • Victoria Perez, Big Fish, Second Generation Theatre
    • Michele Marie Roberts, Spamalot, The Kavinoky Theatre
    • Emily Yancey, 1776: The Musical, O’Connell & Company

  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play
    • Cassie Cameron, Golden Boy, Irish Classical Theatre Company
    • Diane DiBernardo, The Undeniable Sound of Right Now, Road Less Traveled Productions
    • Kiana Duggan-Haas, Sive, Irish Classical Theatre Company
    • Janae Leonard, Native Son, Paul Robeson Theatre
    • Maureen Anne Porter, The Ladies Foursome, Desiderio’s Dinner Theatre
    • Renita Shadwick, King Hedley II, Paul Robeson Theatre

  • Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role
    • Charmagne Chi, Ragtime, MusicalFare Theatre
    • Jake Hayes, Little Shop of Horrors, O’Connell & Company
      Kevin Kennedy, Spamalot, The Kavinoky Theatre
    • Marc Sacco, Sweeney Todd, The Kavinoky Theatre
    • David Spychalski, Big Fish, Second Generation Theatre
    • Christopher Standart, Philosophus, Alleyway Theatre

  • Emanuel Fried Award for Outstanding New Play
    • The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (adaptation), Torn Space
    • King John (adaptation), Larry Smith, New Phoenix Theatre
    • Late in the Evening, Michael Walline, MusicalFare Theatre
    • Once In My Lifetime: A Buffalo Football Fantasy, Donna Hoke, Shea’s Smith Theatre
    • The Sidewalk Stageplay (adaptation), Paulette Harris and Edreys Wajed, Paul Robeson Theatre
    • Tales of the Driven, Kurt Schneiderman, Subversive Theatre Collective

  • Outstanding Set Design
    • Paul Bostaph, Lady Windermere’s Fan, Irish Classical Theatre Company
    • Dyan Burlingame, The Undeniable Sound of Right Now, Road Less Traveled Productions
    • David Dwyer, Talley’s Folly, Jewish Repertory Theatre
    • Bethany Kasperek, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Road Less Traveled Productions
    • Lynne Koscielniak, The Illusion, Road Less Traveled Productions
    • Kenneth Shaw, The Jungle Book, Theatre of Youth

  • Outstanding Technical Achievement
    • Tom Makar, sound design, Hamlet, Irish Classical Theatre Company
    • Brian Milbrand, video design, 1984, The Kavinoky Theatre
      Chester Popiolkowski, sound design, The Jungle Book, Theatre of Youth
      John Rickus, lighting, The Illusion, Road Less Traveled Productions
    • Brett Runyon, puppet design, Little Shop of Horrors, O’Connell & Company
    • Bob Van Valin, video design, Fahrenheit 451, Subversive Theatre Collective

  • Outstanding Costume Design
    • Jenna Damberger, The Illusion, Road Less Traveled Productions
    • Kari Drozd, Frost/Nixon, Irish Classical Theatre Company
    • A. Lise Harty, Sense & Sensibility, Irish Classical Theatre Company
    • Dixon Reynolds, The Three Musketeers, All for One Theatre Productions
    • Kenneth Shaw, The Jungle Book, Theatre of Youth
    • Jess Wegrzyn/Kelly Copps/Sarah Bos, Big Fish, Second Generation Theatre

  • Career Achievement
    • Jay Desiderio