The 2017 Ivey Awards at the State Theatre

On Monday night, #TCTheater celebrated another year of amazing theater with the Ivey Awards. This was my 11th time attending the awards, and despite being the first award show after found Scott Mayer stepped down, the transition was seamless and it was another wonderful evening. Pre- and post-show parties (with plenty of opportunity for mingling with your favorite #TCTheater artists) were held at Crave, which despite being a bit crowded was a great location (I suspect they might have used their rooftop space if it wasn't cold and raining). The show was hosted by Mark Benninghofen and Thomasina Petrus (charming and funny, and Thomasina wowed with a musical medley during the In Memoriam segment), directed by Whitney Rhodes, written by Lauren Anderson and Joy Dolo, and with a fab onstage band directed by Denise Prosek. Read on for a list of winners and performers, and a few thoughts about the show.

The 2016 Ivey Awards at the State Theatre

The leaves are beginning to turn, there's a crispness to the air, it must be fall in Minnesota. Not only is it time to get out your boots and sweaters (yay!), it's also time to celebrate the Twin Cities theater scene (double yay!). The Ivey Awards are held every year on a Monday in late September. This was my 10th year attending the ceremony (I think I only missed two), and I love it (even though the fabulous after party keeps me up way past my bedtime, which takes me days to catch up from, which is why I'm just now, on Thursday, sitting down to write this). This year's theme was "theater at play," celebrating the joy of theater and the good things it brings to our lives in this time of increasing violence and divisiveness. Theater brings us together, and helps us understand each other. Or at least we hope that's what it does. So let's celebrate another year of #TCTheater!

The 2015 Ivey Awards at the State Theatre

On Monday night I attended my 9th Ivey Awards. Yes, even before I started Cherry and Spoon in 2010 and started getting press tickets to the event in 2013, I was still a theater geek (read all the words I've written about the Iveys here). The Ivey Awards are my favorite theater night of the year, not so much for the awards themselves, but because it's a celebration of another year of amazing local theater that gathers all of my favorite theater artists in one room. Even though I've met many of them, I still get starstruck when I walk through the crowd and every other face I see is someone I've enjoyed watching on stage. I love to watch awards shows on TV so it's a thrill to get all glammed up and actually attend one in person. I even painted my toenails with a glittery green called "One Short Day" - appropriate because of its musical theater geekiness and and because this event that I look forward to all year goes by in a whirlwind of people and honorees and loud music and conversations. And now it's over for another year, but more great theater is still to come which we will be celebrating next year!

The super talented Christina Baldwin and Regina Marie Williams hosted this year's awards ceremony. They performed a funny and topical musical opening number, did bits and introductions throughout the show, and closed with Regina dressed as a nun (she's playing the Whoopi Goldberg role in Sister Act at the Chanhassen this fall) and Christina dressed as a WWII Army soldier from Sisters of Swing (get it - they're both sisters!). The awards were presented by past winners and representatives from the night's sponsors. In between awards we were treated to scenes from musicals and plays from the last year.

The Iveys don't have set categories and nominees, rather they award exceptional work wherever they see it. This year 11 awards were given out, representing 12 productions. I saw all but two of them - perhaps my highest percentage to date! And the winners are:

1. Walking Shadow Theatre Company's WWII drama Gabriel, about which I said "so captivating, horrifying, chilling, and completely engaging that it hangs with you well after you leave the theater."
2. Steve Tyler for music direction of the gorgeous Pirates of Penzance at the Ordway
3. Shá Cage for her "tour de force" performance in the one-woman show Grounded by Frank Theatre
4. One of the two honored shows I missed was Green T Productions' Prince Rama's Journey, for which Joko Surtisno was honored for music direction
5. Claudia Wilkins and Barbara Kingsley for their work in Gertrude Stein and a Companion at the Jungle, a show they've performed in several times over the last 20 years, prompting Claudia to say "maybe this time we got it right!"
6. The lovely and charming dancing couple Brian Sostek and Megan McClellan for their delightful, funny, and innovative creation Trick Boxing, seen many times on many stages around the country but most recently at Park Square Theatre
7. Another show I missed, Nothing is Something at Open Eye Figure Theatre
8. The ensemble of Pillsbury House Theatre's Marcus, or the Secret of Sweet, seen at the Guthrie studio last fall
9. Peter Rothstein wins again (deservedly), this time for his direction of Ten Thousand Things' Romeo and Juliet
10. Matthew LeFebre was doubly awarded for his costume design of The Mystery of Irma Vep at the Jungle and A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie (both remounts)
11. Last but not least, Live Action Set was honored for the super creepy and very real production design of the walk-through experience that was Crime and Punishment at the Soap Factory

Every year Ivey honors an artist at the beginning of her or his career and one who is further into their career and has made many contributions to the local theater scene over a number of years. This year's Emerging Artist had already been honored as part of the cast of Marcus (my first thought was Nathan Barlow, but nope, maybe next year) - Mikell Sapp. I've seen him a couple of times on stage and definitely taken notice; I look forward to seeing more of him. In perhaps the only predictable award of the night, recently retired 20-year Artistic Director of the Guthrie Joe Dowling received the Lifetime Achievement Award. He was beautifully celebrated in a grand gala and performance earlier this year, and it was nice to once again celebrate his accomplishments over the last 20 years.

The performances are often the funnest part of the night. This year they included a pre-show warm-up by the beautiful, talented, and athletic young men of Mixed Blood Theatre's Colossal. We also got a brief history of the Iveys from the Church Basement Ladies (celebrating their 10th anniversary this year at Plymouth Playhouse). Next, a couple of past Emerging Artists performed. Ricardo Vázquez led the cast of History Theatre's River Road Boogie in Minnesota rock & roller Augie Garcia's appropriately titled big hit "Ivy League Baby" (Ricardo can currently be seen at Park Square in the moving and powerful portrait of a soldier, Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue). And in the most adorable moment of the night, Tyler Michaels and the cutest lost boys ever bounced around the stage singing "I Won't Grow Up," from Children's Theatre Company's delightful Peter Pan (watch Tyler take on another iconic role in Theater Latte Da's Sweeney Todd, opening at the Ritz this weekend). Not all the performances were musicals; we also saw a montage of scenes from four excellent plays - Jeffrey Hatcher's Hamlet (the playwright's latest work, the musical Glensheen, can be seen at History Theatre beginning next weekend), Thurgood (the previous two plays both presented at Illusion Theatre), Penumbra's Detroit '67, and Frank Theatre's Grounded (giving the audience a taste of why Shá Cage received the Ivey). The always sobering and poignant In Memoriam section was accompanied by a lovely song "We Are the Wandering Wondering" from the new original musical Jonah and the Whale by 7th House Theatre (who are presenting another new original musical at the Guthrie studio this winter). In what has come to be one of the most cleverly entertaining segments of the show, Shade's Brigade managed to work all of the sponsors into their radio drama. The disgruntled princess of Casting Spells' Disenchanted sang a (not so) happy tune, and the evening was brought to a delightful close with Ann Michels and the cast of Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' Mary Poppins singing and dancing their way through "Supercalifragilisticexpialodocious!" And then it was time for the party!

One of my favorite things in this past year is that I've gotten to know several of my fellow bloggers. We're a strange breed, and it's nice to know that other people understand the stress, obsession, and pure joy of being a theater blogger in this town. Last night I had such fun hanging out with Laura (One Girl Two Cities), Stephanie (phenoMNal twin cities), Julie (Minnesota Theater Love), Todd (l'etoile), and Kendra (Artfully Engaging) - check them out! I also had the great pleasure of chatting with many of my favorite theater artists, including but not limited to: Sally Wingert working the check-in at the pre-show party (see her as Mrs. Lovett in Theater Latte Da's Sweeney Todd opening this weekend); Kim Kivens handing out programs at the State (one of The Realish Housewives of Edina, opening at the New Century Theatre this weekend); Adam Qualls (with whom I geeked out about the new musical Glensheen that he's in, opening at History Theatre next weekend); Rachel Weber (whom I will see Dancing at Lughnasa at Yellow Tree tonight); Ivey winner Shá Cage (go see her powerful one-woman show U/G/L/Y at the Guthrie this weekend!); Sam Landman (who seems to have recovered well from his recent health scare); and the Nature people (who totally deserve an Ivey, be sure to catch one of the last two stops on their 2015 tour). There were more people I wanted to talk to but my feet were not getting along with my beautiful golden shoes, so my night had come to end shortly before midnight, just like Cinderella.

So there you have it. Another year of brilliant, funny, clever, challenging, strange, delightful theater, and another wonderful celebration of these beautiful cities we are lucky enough to call home. Were all of my favorite shows from this past year honored? Of course not, but you'll have to wait until my end of the year wrap-up in December for more on that. Until then - happy theater-going!


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.


P.S. ICYMI, here's the Cherry and Spoon Twitter feed from Awards night:

The 2014 Ivey Awards at the State Theatre

Last night was the highlight of the theater year - the Ivey Awards. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the Iveys honor a dozen or so individuals or productions from the last year. Unlike the Tonys, there are no set categories or nominees that people and shows compete in, but rather, exceptional work at any of the 68 participating theaters is honored, based on evaluations by volunteers. But in addition to the actual awards, and perhaps more importantly, the Iveys are a chance for theater artists and theater-goers to gather and celebrate all the brilliant work that has been done in the Twin Cities over the past year.

The hilarious Randy Reyes returned as co-host, along with new host, the fantastically talented Christina Baldwin (who sadly did not sing). They made for a funny, charming, and entertaining pair of hosts, with a running gag that had Randy attempting to share some of his writing, and Christina reigning him in, only to be interrupted by a crazy fight scene. Presenter pairs are typically made up of one winner from last year, along with someone from one of the Iveys' many sponsors. Speaking of which, this year's obligatory sponsor presentation was done with charm and aplomb by Ari Hoptman as a distinguished German man, speaking German with English words thrown in (my fellow study abroad students and I used to call that Germlish, a language in which I am fluent).

In addition to a special Ivey for the man who started this whole crazy wonderful thing ten years ago, Scott Mayer, and the usual Emerging Artist and Lifetime Achievement Awards, ten translucent green conical pyramids were given out honoring work in ten productions. I'm proud to say that I saw eight of these ten productions, which might be a record high percentage of Ivey winners attended for me. But it's not about me, so on to the awards (but it's still a little bit about me, so click on the titles to read my full thoughts on each show).

1. The first award of the night went to Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company's production of Rose, a one-woman show starring the divine Sally Wingert which was performed just last month in homes around the Twin Cities. I called it "inspirational, horrifying, funny, charming, disturbing, brutally honest, and utterly compelling." Ivey voters agreed.
2. Seraphina Nova was honored for her work as playwright of Candid Theater Company's Dogwood, which I called "a compelling and entertaining dark family drama."
3. Proving that the Iveys have a long memory, the next award went to a musical from last year that actually performed at last year's Ivey Awards. I absolutely loved Nautilus Music-Theater's Ordinary Days and its intimate staging and incredibly talented four-person cast, and called it "everything I want musical theater to be."
4. One of the two shows I sadly did not see is In the Heart of the Beast's Between the Worlds, for which Sandra Spieler and Julie Boada were honored for their properties design.
5. Perhaps the most surprising and exciting moment for me was this one, when my favorite theater in the 'burbs Yellow Tree Theatre received their much deserved first ever Ivey Award. Director Anne Byrd was recognized for The 39 Steps, a show I called "brilliantly choreographed and flawlessly executed."
6. A special award was given to Scott Mayer, not for his theatrical work but for his ten years of work putting on this annual fabulous event we call the Iveys (incidentally, the Ivey Awards gets its name from the Ivey Restaurant, the theater hangout of early 20th Century Minneapolis).
7. For their performances in Driving Miss Daisy at the Jungle last fall, the "perfect trio" of Wendy Lehr, James Craven, and Charles Fraser received an award, although only Wendy was there to accept it.
8. In the one sure thing of the night, an Ivey was awarded to Theater Latte Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust's "Broadway Re-imagined" production of Cabaret, aka "musical theater at its best."
9. Because one was just not enough, Yellow Tree's The 39 Steps received a second award, this one for the brilliant comic performances of Nathan Cousins and Tristan Tifft, who "stole the show."
10. Eduardo Cincago received an award for costume and set design of Cinderella at Children's Theatre Company.
11. The final award of the night went to the incomparable Sally Wingert, recognizing her four brilliant and distinct performances in four shows over the past year, two of which also received Iveys for the production, thanks in no small part to her performances. Sally played the mother of a dysfunctional family in Tribes at the Guthrie, the title character in Dark and Stormy's The Receptionist, Fraulein Schneider in the Ivey-winning Cabaret, and an 80-year-old Jewish woman who lived an incredible life in the Ivey-winning Rose. It's "a good time to be middle-aged," a good time to be Sally Wingert, and a good time to be a theater-goer who gets to witness her incredible and varied work.

Two years ago I called Tyler Michaels my favorite new artist of the 2012, and I'm thrilled that the Iveys finally caught up with me, handing him a much deserved Emerging Artist Award. Just this year he thrilled audiences and "rocked my world" as the Emcee in Cabaret, made his charming Guthrie debut as Freddie in My Fair Lady, and was featured in two shows at the Chanhassen (and can currently be seen there in Hello, Dolly!). Singing, acting, comedy, drama, aerial work, physical theater - there seems to be no end to this young man's talents.

All nine previous Lifetime Achievement Award winners were honored with creepy cool huge puppets by In the Heart of the Beast, and this year's award went to Michael Robins and Bonnie Morris for their 40 years as Illusion Theater's Executive Producing Director and Producing Director, respectively. I'm a big fan of Illusion and the work that they create there; you should definitely check them out if you haven't yet (next up: last year's Ivey Lifetime Achievement Award winner, playwright Jeffrey Hatcher, in his one-man version of Hamlet).

Because this is a theater awards show, there were of course wonderful performances, excerpts of past and upcoming shows. There's no better way to start any show than with Tyler Michaels descending from the ceiling, as he did in "Wilkommen" from the aforementioned Cabaret, accompanied by the entire fantastic cast. Other performances included a hilarious performance of Men-Struation by Brave New Workshop; a really cool song from Freshwater Theatre's Archival Revival; and Regina Marie Williams as Shug Avery singing "Push Da Button" from The Color Purple, coming to Park Square Theatre in January. To close the show, the cast of Bloomington Civic Theatre's just closed Guys and Dolls shared their energetic version of "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat," sending us out into the beautiful fall night to the fun of the after party.

And with that, another Ivey Awards show and another season of spectacular theater comes to a close. But the good news is that great theater never stops in this town. So get out and see some local theater. Stay tuned to Cherry and Spoon for suggestions and info on what's available!

The 2013 Ivey Awards at the State Theater

It's the morning after the Ivey Awards, and I have a happiness hangover. It was another great night of celebrating the Twin Cities theater community, through awards given out to select artists and productions, performances from this year's shows, and another fun post-show party hob-nobbing with some of my favorite theater artists. There's nothing better than introducing myself to one of them as "Jill from Cherry and Spoon" and having them not only know who I am, but seem almost as excited to meet me as I am to meet them! It's so lovely to hear that my work here is appreciated, so thank you to everyone I met. I look forward to seeing more of your work in the coming year.

Let's get right down to it. Twelve Ivey Awards were presented this year (to 11 productions, 7 of which I saw), plus the Emerging Artist and Lifetime Achievement Awards. Last year's winners and representatives from corporate sponsors served as presenters. Returning host, the delightfully funny Shanan Custer, was joined by the always entertaining Randy Reyes (Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts). In the same way I would like Neil Patrick Harris to host every televised awards show, I think Shanan and Randy should host the Iveys every year! There are no two better people to guide us through this night.

The 2013 Ivey Award recipients are (for shows that I've seen, click on the title to read my thoughts about the show):

• Peter Brosius for his direction of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie at Children's Theatre Company.
• Raymond Berg for the musical direction of this summer's fantastic musical hit Urinetown at the Jungle Theater.
• The uber talented cast of Clybourne Park at the Guthrie.
• Playwriting team Katherine Glover, Alissa M. Shellito, and Jeri Weiss for Freshwater Theatre Goes Back to High School at Freshwater Theatre Company.
• Milly and Tillie at Open Eye Figure Theatre (overall excellence).
• Michael Croswell for sound design of Frank Theatre's crazy brilliant one-man-show Misterman (I was kind of hoping for an Ivey for John Catron, but I'll take this).
• Michael Matthew Ferrell for his delightful choreography of Singin' in the Rain at Bloomington Civic Theater (I got to hold his Ivey!).
• The incredibly smart and funny and touching In the Next Room at the Jungle Theater (overall excellence).
• Peter Beard and James Napoleon Stone for their direction of Hamlet at Theare Coup d'Etat.
• A very deserving Craig Johnson for playing the title role in Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde at Walking Shadow Theatre Company.
• Ivey host Shanan Custer and Carolyn Pool for their utterly charming show 2 Sugars, Room for Cream (which you can see next month at the Jerome Hill Theater).
• Dean Holt for playing the mouse in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie at Children's Theatre Company.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear Ricardo Vazquez announced as this year's Emerging Artist. I think he's super-talented (e.g., as Gabe in Mixed Blood's Next to Normal, filling the space at Open Book with his powerful voice in The Seven for TTT, and directing a really cool musical at the Fringe). I'm looking forward to seeing what the future has in store for this emerging artist.

Prolific and talented local playwright Jeffrey Hatcher won this year's Lifetime Achievement Award and gave a very funny speech deserving of an award-winning playwright. I've seen many of his plays over the last few years, my favorites of which include lat year's Ivey-winner Compleat Female Stage Beauty and Turn of the Screw. Whenver I see Jeffrey Hatcher's name on a play, I know it's going to be good.

In between all of these awards we were treated to performances from past, present, and upcoming productions (accompanied by the fantastic band led by music director extraordinaire Denise Prosek) that really showed off the diverse talent in this abundantly rich theater town:

• A celebratory tone was set by the opening number, a selection from Illusion Theater's musical review Love & Marriage, featuring cast members from last year's original and this year's update, "What a Difference a Year Makes," now playing at Illusion (I'm seeing it next week).
• We were treated to an excerpt from one of the trilogy of plays Displaced Hindu Gods, opening next weekend at Mixed Blood. A stand-up comedy routine, accompanied by Ivey Award-winning actor Peter Christian Hansen on electric guitar (as host Randy said, "what the what?").
• I was very excited to see an encore of Nautilus Music-Theater's Ordinary Days, which I had just seen the day before and completely fell in love with. It's playing for two more weekends - go see it!
• Miss Minnesota Rebecca Yeh, who recently won Miss America's talent competition, played a lovely song on the violin as we remembered local theater artists we lost in the last year.
• The Ivey Award-winning cast of Clybourne Park performed a scene from the modern-day second act of the play (and I was slightly relieved when the scene ended just before the telling of offensive jokes began!).
• Mike Fotis and Lauren Anderson performed a ridiculous (in a good way) super-hero skit incorporating the names of the corporate sponsors.
• I was so thrilled that Yellow Tree Theatre's new original musical Stay Tuned made an appearance at the Ivey's, with show creators and performers Blake Thomas, Mary Fox, and Andy Frye presenting a scene and a song from the fictional radio show. Most of the evening was pretty high energy and almost frantic with excitement, so "Love Will Lift You Up" was a welcome calm moment, a chance to take a breath, enjoy the simple beauty of the song, and recharge for the excitement of the evening yet to come. (Blake Thomas' music is available on iTunes, I highly recommend Flatlands for a start.)
• I cannot think of a better closing number than the super fun and high energy "Run, Freedom, Run" from the Ivey Award-winning production of Urinetown, performed by this talented cast. A great end to the show that fired us up for the post-show party!

And that's it, another Ivey Awards has come and gone, and some pretty incredibly theater too. I am so grateful to be a part of this theater community and to have the privilege to witness the great work of our local Minnesota theater artists. Now let's go see some local theater!

The 2012 Ivey Awards at the State Theatre

The Ivey Awards is always my favorite theater night of the year, and this year's awards ceremony was my favorite of the six I've attended. Why? I saw seven of the ten awarded productions, the host was perhaps the best I've seen, I completely agree with the choices for this year's Emerging Artist and Lifetime Achievement awards, the featured performances included some of my favorite shows of the year, and I had a fabulous time at the after party with my blogger buddy The Playbill Collector talking to many of my favorite theater artists. That all adds up to perhaps the best local theater night I have ever experienced! Once again, I'm blown away by the level and diversity of talent in the Twin Cities theater community, and I'm truly honored to be a part of it in my own small way.

The hilarious Shanan Custer was a perfect choice to host this year's awards (as we have learned from TV awards shows, it's always better to ask a comedian). I didn't know who she was when she did a skit at last year's Iveys, but I have since seen her in several things, including one of my favorite shows at the Fringe this year. She was funny and charming and natural, a great guide to the evening's activities. Many of her funny words were written by Joseph Scrimshaw and Zach Curtis, but she ad libbed a bit too. After a particularly moving acceptance speech, she came on stage and said, "I'm crying already, I just want to make art!"

The show opened with a slideshow of the over 70 local theater companies, and then sadly, a rather lengthy "In Memoriam" segment (including the co-host of my favorite radio show, Tom Keith aka Jim Ed Poole). And then, the opening number. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was Places!" (Reminding me of one of my favorite sounds in the world - "The call is places!" announcement at the Guthrie.) Beth Gilleland and Dane Stauffer gave a history of sound and light in the theater, with actors Brian Sostek, Katie Bradley, Madde Gibba, Taj Ruler, and Neal Skoy interpreting their words to amusing effect. As they've have done in the past few years, the Ivey people managed to turn what could be the most boring segment (thanking the sponsors) into one of the most entertaining. Shanan introduced a scene from that great American play, Angry People in a Living Room, starring the comedy team of Scrimshaw and Middleton as very dramatic brothers who just happen to name sponsors in their argument about whom their father loves most.

Ten Ivey Awards were given out this year. Many of last year's winners returned to present awards to this year's winners (for the shows that I saw, click on show name to read my thoughts at the time).

1. Compleat Female Stage Beauty by Walking Shadow Theatre Company (Overall Excellence)
   I didn't really know what to expect from this play when I saw it, but I ended up loving it. A play about theater, gender roles, and figuring out your place in a changing world, with a great cast, costumes, and music - much deserving!
2. Spring Awakening by Theater Latte Da (Overall Excellence)
   This was the least surprising award of the night. As the mythical and mysterious Ivey said, "this is the reason the Iveys were created." Such a gripping, energetic, and powerful production with amazing choreography and a fantastic young cast, it was a sure thing.
   
   

   

   Group hug!
   Peter Rothstein and the cast of Spring Awakening

   
   
3. Miriam Monasch, director of Our Class by Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company
   This was a really powerful play about a group of friends, Catholic and Jewish, growing up in Poland at the time of the Soviet and Nazi invasions. I don't usually notice the direction (which I think probably means it's good), but when I think about the ten-person cast and everything that's going on in this play, and how smoothly and effectively it ran, it makes perfect sense that the director would be awarded for it.
4. Barry Browning, lighting designer for Dial M for Murder by the Jungle Theater
   This was a deliciously tense murder mystery. Like direction, I tend not to notice lighting (again, that means it's effective), but thinking back, there were some creepy lighting situatious that added to the overall tone of the piece.
5. Tracie Bennett, Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow by the Guthrie Theater
   Tracie so completely inhabited the legend that is Judy Garland, as well as the very human woman behind the legend, that I was sure that she was going to win a Tony (the show went on to a six-month run on Broadway after closing at the Guthrie). She did not. Instead, the British actress returned to Minnesota to pick up an Ivey. Who needs a Tony when the land of Judy's birth loves you!
6. Ballad of the Pale Fisherman by Illusion Theater (Emotional Impact)
   I am so bummed I missed this one, but in my defense I didn't really know who Transatlantic Love Affair were at the time. After seeing their amazing Fringe show Ash Land, I now know that they're a truly inventive and lovely and heart-breaking physical theater company, and I will not miss another one of their shows.
7. Hugh Kennedy, Don in Buzzer by Pillsbury House Theatre
   I would have given Hugh an Ivey for playing Hamlet at the Jungle last year, so I'm happy he got one for this intense little play. He played a privileged but underachieving recovering drug addict whose best friend is an underprivileged but now successful lawyer. He ranges from sympathetic to maddening throughout the play. And the great thing about this one is that if you missed it, you can see it at the Guthrie Studio Theater early next year (hopefully with the same cast).
8. Julius Caesar by Theater Unbound (Inventive Reinterpretation)
   The idea of an all female production of Julius Caesar sounds completely amazing, how did I not hear about this? I just liked Theater Unbound's Facebook page so hopefully I won't miss any other good stuff.
9. Joe Vass, Music Director of The Soul of Gerswhin by Park Square Theatre
   Another one I missed, sadly. If it comes back around I won't make that mistake again.
10. Jody Briskey, Judy Garland in Beyond the Rainbow by the History Theatre
    I'm so thrilled that Jody's portrayal of Judy was not overshadowed by that other fabulous Judy this year. She plays a different Judy, younger and more in control of her life, so it's really not fair to compare the two performances. But she is definitely equally as deserving of this award.

This year's Emerging Artist is Isabel Nelson, co-Founder and co-Artistic Director of Transatlantic Love Affair. She directed the Ivey-winning production Ballad of the Pale Fisherman. As I said above, I was so moved by TLA's Ash Land at the Fringe this year that I plan to see everything this woman creates with this completely unique company, including a remount of their 2011 Fringe show Red Resurrected at the Illusion early next year.

The final Ivey awarded was the Lifetime Achievement Award, which went to Rick Shiomi, the founder and (soon-to-be-retiring) Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts, one of the most influential Asian-American theater companies in the country. The interview/film package they showed was fascinating, as it told how Rick created this theater company and built the talent pool around it. I have enjoyed many productions by Mu over the last several years, including the incredible taiko drumming ensemble Mu Daiko, and I can't think of a more deserving recipient of this award this year.

Interspersed with the award presentations were six varied performances from shows this year. Musical numbers were accompanied by the fabulous Ivey band, led by Denise Prosek. The performances included:

• A short scene from the Ivey-winning production Ballad of the Pale Fisherman that left me wanting more.
• "The Bitch of Living" from Theater Latte Da's Ivey-winning production of Spring Awakening. Perhaps my favorite scene of anything I've seen on stage this year, I could watch it every day for the rest of my life and never tire of it. The choreography is amazing, the cast is energetic (as Shanan said, "I like those boys!"), it's fan-freaking-tastic.

•  A truly bizarre and wonderful little scene from Psst! by Off Leash Area, a strange little workplace romance in which the actors wear not just masks, but full animal heads.

• A flying dragon and a boys choir in a scene from the delightful musical fable The Dragons are Singing Tonight, a show I very much enjoyed.

• Regina Marie Williams and Austene Van in a number from Penumbra's Dinah Was. Another one I'm sorry I missed. When the magnificent Penumbra Theatre gets up and running again, I will not miss another one of their shows (please consider donating to help them get back on their feet!).
• An appropriate closing number to the evening was a medley of songs from the Chanhassen's super-fun summer musical, Xanadu (closing this weekend!). I was a little concerned that Sonny Malone (aka Dieter Bierbrauer) would not make it home from the Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, where he was performing in George Maurer's Autumn Song, in time for the show. But gladly, he was there, along with Jodi Carmeli's they-call-me-Kira-because-that's-my-name and the rest of the fabulous cast. A great end to a wonderful show - this night was my Xanadu!

So ended an awesome celebration of Twin Cities theater. It truly was a wonderful evening that highlighted many theater artists and companies for the great work they did this year. If you're a local theater-goer and you've never attended the awards, you should go next year. It'll inspire you to go to even more local theater!

Celebrity Sighting

Too many to recount here!! On the red carpet, inside the theater, at the after party, it felt like every other person I saw was someone I've seen in a show. My blogger buddy The Playbill Collector and I made the rounds at the after party and talked to many of our favorites. Everyone was so gracious and sweet, and many said lovely things about my blog, which I very much appreciate. It was truly a pleasure to meet and chat with each and every one of you, and I look forward to seeing you again soon!

with Ivey winner Tracie Bennett

The 2011 Ivey Awards at the State Theater

For the love.  That was the theme of this year's Ivey Awards, and nothing could sum up this evening better than that simple statement.  I look forward to the awards every year because it's such a beautiful celebration of the theater community in Minneapolis/St. Paul.  Plus, it's also the best people-watching of the year (not counting the State Fair, which is beautiful in its own way).  This year was another fantastic night showcasing several of my favorite shows of this past year, and possibly of the upcoming year as well.

The hosts of the show were a father and son team of local actors.  Seth Numrich is currently starring on Broadway in the hit play War Horse, and his father, Charles Numrich, is an actor in the local theater scene.  They were charming hosts.  The running gag was that they were working on the "opening banter" scene, trying to "find themselves in the piece," and Seth kept giving his father notes about how to better play himself.  In addition to the hosts a number of local celebrities and representatives from the awards' sponsors presented the awards, including the Twin Cities' most beautiful news anchors, Frank Vascellero and Amelia Santaniello, as well as puppet supercouple Princeton and Kate Monster.

The opening number was a mash-up of four of my favorite musicals of this year, as well as one that just opened that I'm dying to see: the Children's Theatre's delightful Annie, the wickedly funny and sweet Avenue Q at Mixed Blood, the hilariously goofy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the Jungle, the Guthrie's luscious production of HMS Pinafore, and Hairspray currently playing at the Chan.  It was a salute to costumes and the people who make them happen.  Characters from each show wandered onto the stage, which was populated with backstage theater people.  They each sang a song from their show, only with alternate lyrics appropriate to the Iveys.  It was really surreal and fun to see all these characters from diverse shows interacting.  As usual Miss Hannigan (Angela Timberman) stole the show, and the sailor from the Pinafore (Aleks Knezevich) ended up with no pants.

The Ivey Awards aren't like most awards shows you see on TV; there are no set categories or nominees, they just honor wonderful accomplishments wherever and however they appear.  This year they awarded eight people or productions, in addition to the emerging artist and lifetime achievement awards.  The honorees are:

1. Peter Hansen for his performance in Burn This at the Gremlin Theatre.
2. Live Action Set for their production of the new and inventive "physical theater" piece The 7-Shot Symphony (the cast of which was backstage at the time preparing for their performance later in the show).
3. Gary Rue for musical direction of Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story at the History Theatre.
4. Ben Bakken for his performance in the title role of the Chanhassen's Jesus Christ Superstar.
5. David Bolger for the amazing choreography in the Guthrie's H.M.S. Pinafore (I saw this show twice but could have watched the dance numbers a hundred times without tiring of them).
6. Craig Johnson for his direction of Girl Friday Production's Street Scene (which never felt crowded or uncomfortable despite the huge cast in the small space).
7. Dennis Spears for his performance as Nat King Cole in Penumbra Theatre's I Wish You Love.
8. Ten Thousand Things for their incredible production of Doubt, A Parable (although I'm not sure how voters chose between this and their other two incredible productions last season, Life's a Dream and Man of La Mancha).

Of these eight productions, I saw five (numbers 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8), which is a pretty good percentage.  (Although technically I did not see Ben Bakken's award-winning performance; he had the night off when I saw Jesus Christ Superstar (slacker).  But that's not my fault so I'm still giving myself credit for it!)  Considering I only saw one of the awarded productions last year, I'd say that's quite an improvement.  It was my goal this year to see more "obscure" productions (meaning not at one of the big theaters in town), and see more theater companies that I'd never seen before.  I definitely met my goal, although I still missed a lot.

In addition to these awards, the Iveys also gave the "Emerging Artist" award to Anna Sundberg, whom I recently saw in Street Scene and look forward to seeing again soon.  This year's "Lifetime Achievement" award went to Bain Boehlke, Artistic Director of the Jungle Theater.  He was presented the award by last year's winner Wendy Lehr, his friend and frequent collaborator.  I've really been enjoying my season pass at the Jungle this year, and couldn't be happier for Bain!

A usual, the musical performances were the highlight of the show.  We saw excerpts from one upcoming show, three past shows, and one show that's currently running.  The upcoming show is one I'm very much looking forward to - Park Square Theatre's Ragtime, which opens in January (tickets are already on sale and I've got mine!).  Coalhouse Walker and Sarah sang the beautiful and hopeful song "Wheels of a Dream."  One past show that I unfortunately missed is Ivey honoree Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story at the History Theatre - great songs and a fun performance.  Mu Performing Arts reprised "Suddenly Seymour" from their wonderful production of Little Shop of Horrors this spring.  Sadly, Audrey II did not make an appearance.  Another Ivey honoree, Live Action Set, presented an excerpt from their opera of sound and movement, The 7-Shot Symphony.  The final performance of the night was a great choice for the closing number - Cardinal Theatrical's production of The Rocky Horror Show, currently playing at the Lab Theater (I'm seeing it this week).  The number began with an introduction from the show's narrator, former WCCO-TV news anchor Don Shelby like you've never seen him before - in heels (he quipped that's what was under the desk).  The cast sang "Whatever Happened to Saturday Night," led by Jamecia Bennett as Eddie.  Judging by this performance, it's going to be a fun, energetic, crazy show!

There was one other performance at the awards last night, featuring young local talent.  Ryan McCartan is a recent high school graduate who has won several national awards in musical theater.  He sang "Someone to Fall Back On," and he's truly amazing.  He has a gorgeous voice and also put a lot of emotion into the song.  I hope to see him on local stages before he becomes a big star.

They finally found a way to make announcing the list of sponsors entertaining.  Local comedic actor Shanan Custer announced each sponsor, and two actors acted out each one.  It was fast and funny, and made a segment that usually drags feel like a legitimate a part of the show.

And with that, another year of theater has come and gone.  I've seen some really amazing shows, and discovered some great new (to me) theater companies.  And it only seems to be getting better.  If you're reading this blog I probably don't have to tell you this, but I will: go see some local theater!  If you need suggestions, check out my "Upcoming Shows" to the right.  If you have suggestions for me, please let me know.  There's more brilliant theater out there than one person can possibly see (believe me, I've tried).

Happy theater-going!

The 2010 Ivey Awards at the State Theatre

This is my fourth year in a row attending the Ivey Awards, Minnesota's theater awards.  It's always one of my favorite theater evenings of the year, because it's not just about recognizing a handful of great accomplishments this year, it's about celebrating this amazing theater community that I'm so grateful to be a witness to.  There were almost 1000 eligible productions at over 70 participating theaters this year.  We saw performances from five of those shows, and a dozen awards were handed out.  One way that the Iveys are different from the Tonys is that if you see a great show on the Tonys, it's likely still playing and you can go see it.  But with the Iveys, these shows are done and over.  I only saw one of the awarded productions, so I missed out on some great theater this year!  I'm going to try to get out to more of the 70+ theaters (I've only attended 15 of them), and see if I can become an Ivey evaluator.  So maybe next year I'll be more familiar with the winners.

Part of the fun of Ivey night is people watching.  It was quite entertaining to walk down Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis and see people dressed to the nines next to people in their Twins gear headed to Target Field (go Twins!).  We saw some gorgeous dresses and beautiful suits, as well as some questionable ensembles, but all carried off with style.  I like to see which of my favorite actors I can spot walking down the street, at the pre-show party, and in the rows around me at the State Theater.  It's a good night for star-gazing!

The show opened with the opening number ("I Hope I Get It") from A Chorus Line.  The dancers were various people from the theater community and when they lined up with their head shots, they told their real stories.  One woman sang "What I Did For Love" because she left NYC for Minnesota so she could work and have a family.  Several of the "older" members sang "Hello wisdom, hello choices, hello life!"  A couple of teachers sang "Kids and Class."  The voice in the back of the theater was a woman who was half of an influential couple in the theater community, John and Sage Cowles.  John was one of the people who convinced Tyrone Guthrie to build his theater in Minneapolis, which mayor RT Rybak called "The Big Bang" of Minneapolis/St. Paul Theater.  It was a really clever number and a good way to introduce us personally to several local artists.

This year's hosts were Jungle Theater Artistic Director Bain Boehlke and recipient of this year's Lifetime Achievement Award Wendy Lehr.  She's currently appearing in The Glass Menagerie at the Jungle, which I saw last week.  In case you don't remember what I said about Wendy's performance, here it is: "Friends, if you have the chance to see Wendy in anything, take it. I've seen her in several things in the last few years (including as Big Edie in Grey Gardens, and stealing every scene she was in in The Full Monty), and she's always amazing. She inhabits whatever character she's playing fully, and has this great spark and stage presence that's much bigger than her petite frame."  Nice to know that the Ivey voters agree with me!  The fun part is that she had no idea and seemed truly surprised and touched.  She's had an amazing career in theater of fifty years and counting.

The ceremony was a mixture of performances and awards, presented by theater people, past winners, and corporate sponsors (thanks Best Buy!).  First, the awards.  The people, theaters, and productions honored at the 2010 Ivey Awards are:

1. Costume design company Tulle and Dye for design of the elaborate costumes in the Ordway Center's Beauty and the Beast.  (This is the one show of the honorees that I saw.)
2. Joseph Stanley for scenic design for Mulan Junior at The Children's Theatre Company.
3. An overall award for Mixed Blood Theatre's production of Ruined.
4. Katie Guentzel for her performance in the title role of My Antonia at Illusion Theater.  (I attended the awards with a friend of mine who works for Medtronic.  She said Katie was a receptionist there until just a few months ago.  I don't think she'll be returning to receptionist work anytime soon!)
5. Another overall award for Mary's Wedding at The Jungle Theater.
6. The second award for My Antonia at Illusion Theater was for Allison Moore's adaptation of Willa Cather's novel.  (I really wish I had seen this play; I read the book ages ago and this would have been a great excuse to revisit it.)
7. Aaron Gabriel for original score for the musical Madame Majesta's Miracle Medicine Tent at InterAct Theatre.
8. Regina Marie Williams for her performance in Ruined at Mixed Blood Theatre, making it the second two-time winner of the night.
9. Othello at Ten Thousand Things.  (I did  not see this production, but I saw my first TTT production this year, My Fair Lady, and recently bought a season pass for next season.  TTT performs in prisons and shelters in their effort to bring theater to people who don't normally get to the theater.  Artistic Director and founder Michelle Hensley gave a lovely speech about including more people in the audience, which makes the work and the experience richer for everyone.)
10. An advertising award for Penumbra Theatre.
11. This year's Emerging Artist Award went to costume designer Kalere A Payton, who has recently designed for Penumbra Theatre and The Guthrie Theater, among others.
12. The final honoree was the aforementioned Lifetime Achievement Award for co-host Wendy Lehr.

The performances were amazing and really the highlight of the show. Jennifer Baldwin Peden (half of the uber-talented Baldwin sisters who later presented an award), sang "Listen" from Nautilus Music-Theater's production of Joan of Arc. The cast of Always and Forever at Illusion Theater sang "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." Live Action Set acted out the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy in about five minutes and with no props other than an oversized ring. It was hilarious and spot-on. The cast of the wonderful production of my favorite musical RENT at the Lab Theater reunited for an energetic performance of "La Vie Boheme." The future of Twin Cities theater was on display in a performance of "Tomorrow" by a group of young people in the community. The night ended with a performance from Theater Latte Da's production of The Full Monty. And yes, they went "the full monty." :)  A fun way to end a fun night.

As always after attending the Ivey Awards, I'm inspired to go see even more local theater!


Check out the red carpet fashions here (sadly, our pre-show photo did not make the cut).