The Omaha Community Playhouse dominated the annual Theatre Arts Guild nominations for the 2010-11 season which were announced Sunday night, mostly on the strength of two musicals.
The playhouse earned 45 nominations, including 16 for “Guys & Dolls,” Frank Loesser’s classic musical about gamblers and gams; and 15 for “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” in which angst-ridden adolescents compete.
Other best-musical nominees are the Rose Theater’s “The Sound of Music” with eight nods; Performing Artists Repertory Theatre’s “The World Goes ’Round,” also with eight; and the Candy Project’s [title of show] with five.
Best-drama nominees are the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s “Dark Play, or Story for Boys” and Lilyhorn/Martin Productions’ “Shopping and (expletive),” with seven nods each; the Blue Barn Theatre’s “Three Tall Women” with six; Blue Barn’s “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” with five; and the Playhouse’s “Tuesdays With Morrie” with three.
Top comedy nominees include SNAP Productions’ “Sordid Lives” with eight; the Brigit St. Brigit Theatre’s “Distant Music” with four; two playhouse shows, “The Lady With All the Answers” with three and “Steel Magnolias” with two; and UNO’s “Noises Off,” with one. The Blue Barn’s “Talk Radio” got six nods but is not a best-comedy nominee.
“Guys & Dolls” snagged nominations for seven cast members, ensemble, choreography and scenic, lighting, costume and prop designs.
“Spelling Bee” nominees included eight cast members, ensemble, costume and prop designers.
Jim Boggess, music director for both musicals, was nominated twice. Double-nominee directors included Carl Beck (“Spelling Bee,” “Tuesdays With Morrie”), Susan Baer Collins (“The Lady With All the Answers,” “Guys & Dolls”) and Randall T. Stevens (“Shopping and (expletive),” [title of show]).
The playhouse scored more nominations than the next three theaters combined. The Blue Barn was second at 17, followed by UNO and the Shelterbelt with 11 each. The Bellevue Little Theatre and SNAP each earned nine, the Rose eight, Performing Artists Rep and Lilyhorn Martin seven each.
The awards, handed out in 30 categories, cover shows that opened from late June 2010 to mid-June 2011. Nominations were voted on by guild members, and ballots were weighted by how many shows and theaters each voter attended. After a second round of balloting, winners will be announced Aug. 7.
A complete list of TAG nominees can be found on omaha.com.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1269, bob.fischbach@owh.com
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
