Critic's Choice

South Sound theater season full of highlights

Published in The News Tribune, August 1, 2008

It’s time for my Critic’s Choice selections for the best in community theater in the South Sound. My selections are purely a matter of personal opinion based on performances I have reviewed in this column during the 2007-2008 theater season. I’ve tried to acknowledge all who are deserving of best-of recognition without making it into a winner-takes-all competition, so in many categories I have chosen more than one person or show. Congratulations to all for a great season of theater.

Best Actor in a Musical (male): Two need to be recognized: Sean Mitchell as Professor Henry Higgins in “My Fair Lady” at Centerstage; and Matt Posner for three roles this season: Joe Hardy in “Damn Yankees,” as Danny in “Grease” at Tacoma Musical Playhouse and as Buddy Foster in “Side Show” at Capital Playhouse. Posner is a newcomer to the area and has burst onto South Sound stages with an abundance of talent and energy.

Best Actor in a Musical (female): April Villanueva as Kim in “Miss Saigon” at Tacoma Musical Playhouse. She was fabulous.

Best Direction of a Musical: Jon Douglas Rake (director and choreographer) “Miss Saigon” at Tacoma Musical Playhouse.

Best Musical: This one’s a tie: “Side Show” at Capital Playhouse and “Miss Saigon” at Tacoma Musical Playhouse.

Best Dramatic Actor (male): Another tie: Anders Bolang as John in “Shining City” at Harlequin Productions and Scott C. Brown for his performance as Randle McMurphy in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” at Lakewood Playhouse.

Best Dramatic Actor (female): Pug Bujeaud as Sara in “The Ascetic” at Theater Artists Olympia.

Best Direction of a Drama: Linda Whitney for “Intimate Apparel” at Harlequin Productions and Dennis Rolly for “The Ascetic” at Theater Artists Olympia.

Best Drama: Two shows: “Intimate Apparel” at Harlequin Productions and, for a great job on making an old show seem new again, Lakewood Playhouse for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” directed by Marcus Walker.

Best Comic Actor (male): This goes to both Justin Carleton as William Detweiler in “How the Other Half Loves” at Lakewood Playhouse and Dennis Rolly as Leporello in “Don Juan in Chicago” by Prodigal Sun Productions in Olympia.

Best Comic Actor (female): Ingrid Pharris as Dona Elvira in “Don Juan in Chicago.”

Best Comedy: “Don Juan in Chicago” by Prodigal Sun Productions. I didn’t even get to review this play, but I did see it, and it was fantastically funny.

Best New Play: “Nightmare of a Married Man” at Centerstage, written and directed by Alan Bryce. This revision of a play Bryce wrote and produced in London in the late 1970s is new to us.

Best Supporting Actor: Jason Haws as Mr. Marks in “Intimate Apparel” at Harlequin Productions and Mark Wenzel as Billy Bibbit in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” at Lakewood Playhouse.

Best Set Design: This honor is shared by Judy Cullen for “Miss Saigon” at Tacoma Musical Playhouse, Jeff Kingsbury for “Sweeney Todd” at Capital Playhouse and Linda Whitney for “Intimate Apparel” at Harlequin Productions.

Best Lighting: Matt Lawrence for “Sweeney Todd” at Capital Playhouse.

Best Costumes: Darren Mills and Asa Brown Thornton for “Intimate Apparel” at Harlequin Productions.

Special category (Best Old-Fashioned Song and Dance Production Number): The title tune “Anything Goes” by the All Saints Theatrical Repertoire Association in Puyallup.