Just Add SALT

Familiar faces and edgy shows highlight the nominations for this year’s Syracuse Area Live Theater awards

The Syracuse New Times Syracuse Area Live Theater awards celebrates its 10th birthday this year, with local performers, directors and costumers reaping the benefits. The nominations are in, the ceremony takes place May 7, and nobody knows how to party-hearty quite like our community theater folks.

While Syracuse Stage has its fair share of entries in all categories for the Professional Theater honors, offerings from CNY Shakespeare and the Redhouse Arts Center provide noteworthy competition. The Summer Season selections also boast nominations spread out between Cortland Repertory Theatre, Ithaca’s Hangar Theatre and Auburn’s Merry-Go-Round Playhouse. MGR is part of the ambitious summertime Finger Lakes Musical Theater, which made quite the splash with its three nominations for My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding.

The Community Theater categories form the bulk of the SALT ballot, with actress Sara Weiler as a triple-threat competitor. She’s up against herself in the leading actress/musical slot for Covey Theatre Company’s Avenue Q: The Musical and Rarely Done’s Pinkalicious: The Musical, the latter show being part of the company’s new Dormouse series for family audiences. Weiler is also in the leading actress/play niche as the adorable newlywed in Covey’s revival of Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park.

SALT voters have a taste for the edgy. Covey’s naughty puppet extravaganza Avenue Q earned a blockbuster nine nominations, including frequent SALT winner Jodie Baum Yet the SALT Academy also saddled up with musical war horses. Make that show ponies, since several performers were certainly cross-dressed to impress. John DiDonna’s return as the flamboyant Dr. Frank- N-Furter for the Talent Company’s Halloween revival of The Rocky Horror Show could not be ignored. Ditto TheaterFirst’s revival of La Cage aux Folles, with community theater treasure Frank Fiumano all dolled up in decorative duds created by Eugene Taddeo, also SALT-nominated for best costumer. Truly, there is nothing like a dame, or rather, a scene-stealer like Fiumano in dame’s clothing.

Finally, in its first decade of bestowing SALT awards, Arthur Storch’s name pops up nearly every year in the running for a Hall of Fame (no longer active) honor. He’s always been a bridesmaid, never a bride, however, with his competition usually consisting of wellloved community theater veterans. Still, Storch, who turns 88 in June, was the founder and original artistic director of Syracuse Stage, which celebrates its 40th anniversary next year. And if Susan Lucci can win an Emmy after so many times at bat, maybe this year it will be Storch’s turn.

The 10th annual Syracuse New Times SALT Awards will be presented on Sunday, May 5, 7 p.m., at Eastwood’s Palace Theatre, 2384 James St. The theater’s lobby will hold a reception from 6 to 6:45 p.m., as well as an after-party at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 in as Lucy the Slut in the supporting actress/musical slot, advance, $25 at the door. Order by mail using a check Bridget Moriarty for musical director of the year, and many or credit card to: New Times SALT Tickets, 1415 W. more. Dicey dramas such as Rarely Done’s Beautiful Child, Genesee St., Syracuse 13204. For information, contact Appleseed Productions’ The Choice and DCS Full Circle Christine Scheuerman at 422-7011, Ext. 110, or email to Theater’s Rabbit Hole also grabbed some SALT attention. cscheuerman@syracusenewtimes.com. o

Ladies’ nights: Clockwise from top left, SALT actress nominee Sara Weiler in Pinkalicious: The Musical; Emily Brockway, also up for an actress nod in Cortland Repertory’s Cats; cast members of Finger Lakes Musical Theater’s SALT-nominated production My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding; and Greta Oglesby in Syracuse Stage’s Caroline, or Change.

COMMUNITY THEATER

Play of the year: Barefoot in the Park (Covey Theatre Company); Beautiful Child (Rarely Done); The Glass Menagerie (Appleseed); Playing God (Covey Theatre); Reaching for Marsby (independent).

Musical of the year: Always. . . Patsy Cline (The Talent Company); Avenue Q: The Musical (Covey Theatre); Grease (Talent Company); La Cage aux Folles (TheaterFirst); The Rocky Horror Show (Talent Company).

Leading actress in a musical: Becky Bottrill, Always. . . Patsy Cline (Talent Company); Sara Weiler, Avenue Q: The Musical (Covey Theatre); Sara Weiler, Pinkalicious: The Musical (Rarely Done); Ceara Windhausen, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Not Another Theater Company); Rita Worlock, La Cage aux Folles (TheaterFirst).

Supporting actress in a musical: Jodie Baum, Avenue Q: The Musical (Covey Theatre); Brianna Duger, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Not Another Theater Company); Karen Franklin-King, Avenue Q: The Musical (Covey Theatre); Aubry Ludington-Panek, The Musical of Musicals: The Musical (Rarely Done); Katie Webber, Grease (Talent Company).

Leading actor in a musical: Bob Brown, La Cage aux Folles (TheaterFirst); John DiDonna, The Rocky Horror Show (Talent Company); Frank Fiumano, La Cage aux Folles (TheaterFirst); Garrett Heater, Avenue Q: The Musical (Covey); Cole Tucker, Grease (Talent Company).

Supporting actor in a musical: Maxwel Anderson, La Cage aux Folles (TheaterFirst); David Cotter, Avenue Q: The Musical (Covey Theatre); Garrett Heater, The Rocky Horror Show (Talent Company); Greg Hipius, Tomfoolery (Appleseed); Rob Lescarbeau, Avenue Q:

Reaching for Marsby (independent); Kate Huddleston, The Glass Menagerie (Appleseed); Sara Weiler, Barefoot in the Park (Covey Theatre); Karis Wiggins, Playing God (Covey Theatre).

Supporting actress in a play: Julia Berger, Playing God (Covey Theatre); Theresa Constantine, The Choice (Appleseed); Sharon Sorkin, The Glass Menagerie (Appleseed); Karis Wiggins, Barefoot in the Park (Covey Theatre); Karis Wiggins, Reaching for Marsby (independent).

Leading actor in a play: Lou Balestra, Playing God (Covey Theatre); Tony Brown, Othello (Syracuse Shakespeare Festival); Stephfond Brunson, The Choice (Appleseed); Tom Minion, Beautiful Child (Rarely Done); Roy van Norstrand, Lombardi (Not Another Theater Company).

Supporting actor in a play: Navroz Dabu, The Choice (Appleseed); Jordan Glaski, Playing God (Covey Theatre); Ed Mastin, Barefoot in the Park (Covey Theatre); Peter Moller, Reaching for Marsby (independent); Darian Sundberg, Playing God (Covey Theatre).

Director of the year/play: Jenn DeCook, Rabbit Hole (DCS Full Circle Theater); Len Fonte, Reaching for Marsby (independent); Garrett Heater, Barefoot in the Park (Covey Theatre); Garrett Heater, Playing God (Covey Theatre); Roy van Norstrand, Beautiful Child (Rarely Done).

Director of the year/musical: David Cotter, Pinkalicious: The Musical (Rarely Done); Shawn Forster, Grease (Talent Company), Garrett Heater, Avenue Q: The Musical (Covey Theatre); Chris Lightcap, The Rocky Horror Show (Talent Company); Shannon Tompkins, La Cage aux Folles (TheaterFirst).

Musical director of the year: Roy George, Grease (Talent Company); Roy George, La Cage aux Folles (TheaterFirst); Mark Goodman,

Cabaret (Merry-Go-Round Playhouse); Brid- The Musical (Covey Theatre). get Moriarty, Avenue Q: The Musical (Covey Leading actress in a play: Anne Fitzgerald, Theatre); Josh Smith, The Rocky Horror Show Beautiful Child (Rarely Done); Moe Harrington, (Talent Company).

SUMMER SEASON

Production of the season: Cabaret (Merry-Go- Round Playhouse); Cats (Cortland Repertory Theatre); My Fair Lady (Merry-Go-Round); My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding (Finger Lakes Musical Theater); Trip to Bountiful (Hangar Theatre).

Actress of the season: Susannah Berryman, Trip to Bountiful (Hangar Theatre); Emily Brockway, Cats (Cortland Repertory); Andrea Burns, Next to Normal (Hangar Theatre); Kimberly Burns, My Fair Lady (Merry-Go-Round); Julie Dingman-Evans, My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding (Finger Lakes Musical Theater).

Actor of the season: Witt Erat, My Fair Lady (Merry-Go-Round); David Hein, My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding (Finger Lakes Musical Theater); Chris Hoch, Next to Normal (Hangar Theatre); Greg London, The Drawer Boy (Cortland Repertory); Christopher Shyer, Lend Me a Tenor (Hangar Theatre).

AWARDS OPEN TO ALL

Best original new production: Brian Dykstra: Selling Out (Kitchen Theatre Company); How Did I End Up Here? (independent); Playing God (Covey); Reaching for Marsby (independent); Waiting for Spring (Kitchen Theatre).

Non-performing person of the year: Ty Marshal, Michael Penny, Dan Randall, Cindy Shippers, Tony Vadala.

Choreographer: Jodi Bova-Mele, Avenue Q:

The Musical (Covey Theatre); Barbara Hartwick, Cats (Cortland Repertory); Brett Smock, Cabaret (Merry-Go-Round); Shannon Tompkins, Grease (Talent Company); Shannon Tompkins, La Cage aux Folles (TheaterFirst).

Costumer: Jimmy Johansmeyer, Cats (Cortland Repertory); Jeanette Reyner, Grease (Talent Company); Jeanette Reyner, The Rocky Horror

PROFESSIONAL THEATER

Play of the year: Assassins (Redhouse Arts Center); Caroline, or Change (Syracuse Stage); King Lear (CNY Shakespeare); Moby Dick (Syracuse Stage); Red (Syracuse Stage).

Director of the year: Timothy Bond, The Brothers Size (Syracuse Stage); Terrence LaCasse, King Lear (CNY Shakespeare); Marcella Lorca, Caroline, or Change (Syracuse Stage); Penny Metropoulous, Red (Syracuse Stage); Stephen Svoboda, Assassins (Redhouse).

Actress of the year: Caroline Fitzgerald, Vigil (Redhouse); Rebecca Flanders, John and Jen (Redhouse); Katharine Gibson, Twelfth Night (Redhouse); Greta Oglesby, Caroline, or Change (Syracuse Stage); Krystal Scott, Hairspray (Redhouse).

Actor of the year: Matthew Amendt, Red (Syracuse Stage); Michael Barbour, King Lear (CNY Shakespeare); John Bixler, Vigil (Redhouse); Doug Eskew, Caroline, or Change (Syracuse Stage); Joseph Graves, Red (Syracuse Stage).

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

(Active)

Ronnie Bell, Lanny Freshman, Bob Lamson, Hope Mancini, Dan Tursi.

HALL OF FAME

(No longer active) Edith Basile, Barbara Block, Marguerite Hickernell, Sheila Shattuck, Arthur Storch.

Show (Talent Company); Debbie Ritchie, Avenue Q: The Musical (Covey); Eugene Taddeo, La Cage aux Folles (TheaterFirst).