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Youngstown Playhouse leads nominations
‘Titanic’ and ‘Full Monty’ didn’t get Best Musical nods.
YOUNGSTOWN — There were some major upsets revealed when the Youngstown Area Community Theater Awards (YACTA) nominations were announced Friday.
Conspicuous by their absence in the Best Musical category were the Youngstown Playhouse’s “Titanic” and the Oakland Center for the Arts’ “The Full Monty.” Both shows were among the most popular and well-attended of the 2007-08 season.
The nominations were announced in a press conference at the Rosetta Stone Cafe, downtown.
Leading the pack in overall nominations were The Youngstown Playhouse (29) and Akron’s Weathervane Community Playhouse (25). Coming in third was Top Hat Productions with 21; the New Castle Playhouse and the Oakland tied for 14 apiece. The rest of the nods were pretty evenly spread across the board with the Victorian Players (eight mentions), Salem Community Theatre, Carnation City Players, Boardman Community Theater and Move Over Broadway Productions all receiving mention from the YACTA Committee. Sixty-five productions were deemed eligible for this year’s Marquee Awards.
The show receiving the most nominations (13) was Top Hat’s “Once On This Island.” Russell Lewis, Nikita Jones, Marqueese Shine and Johnnie Herbert all received huzzahs for their performances, and Kenneth Brown was recognized for his direction of the Caribbean-inflected musical.
Weathervane’s “Ragtime — The Musical” fared nearly as well with the selection committee. It scored 11 nominations in total, including Greg Emannuelson, Ansley Valentine, Stephanie Newport and Tom C. Barnes in performance categories and Terry Burgler for direction.
The other most-nominated musicals of the past season were the Playhouse’s “Beauty and the Beast” and “Titanic.” The former’s nine mentions included a Best Actress citation for Stephanie Ottey’s Belle, and supporting nods for John Pecano, Brandy Johanntges and Paul Sauline.
“Titanic” received acting nods for Johanntges and Shawn Lockaton. Johanntges also received a third acting mention for her performance in “Enchanted April.” That Playhouse production tied with the Oakland’s “The Runner Stumbles” and Weathervane’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” for most nominations in the straight play category (each received six apiece).
Molly Galano, Emily West, Carol Belfance and Stephane Holt’s scene-stealing Costanza all earned acting kudos for “April.” Christopher Fidram (who also received a directing nod), Laurie Phillips and Lori Broderick were nominated for their “Runner” performances.” Actors Keith Foster and Amanda Morrow were singled out for the Weathervane’s “Earnest.”
Although it opened last August, the New Castle Playhouse’s acclaimed production of Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” wasn’t forgotten by YACTA voters. The entire cast (John and Stephanie Holt, John Cox and Candace DiLullo) received nominations, as did director John Pecano.
Another production from last summer that fared especially well with the nominating committee was the Playhouse’s “Biloxi Blues.” Besides a nod for Best Play, the show received nominations for performances by Tom O’Donnell, Joey Monda and, in his Playhouse acting debut, impressive newcomer Cheney Morgan.
Inexplicably absent from the list, however, was Tom DePaola, who played “Biloxi”’s Eugene Morris Jerome.
Receiving nominations for both her onstage and offstage work was the Oakland’s Denise Sculli. Sculli scored a Best Supporting Actress mention for her work in former Youngstowner Jack LoGiudice’s “In the Moonlight Eddie,” as well as for stage managing “The Runner Stumbles.” Both of the plays Sculli was cited for were directed by Christopher Fidram.
Fidram wasn’t the only area talent to receive dual nominations for acting and directing. Playhouse MVP David El’Hatton received comparable honors for his direction of “Enchanted April” as well as his supporting performance in “A Few Good Men.”
Upon receiving news of his two nominations, Fidram was visibly elated. “It’s always an honor to be recognized by YACTA,” he said. “I’m also ecstatic over the recognition bestowed to Weathervane, Top Hat, NCP and the Victorian Players. They’ve all done incredible work this season.”
The Marquee Awards will be presented Aug. 16 in a ceremony at the Saxon Club on Meridian Road. WFMJ-TV 21 personality Scott Schneider will host the event.