'Hairspray' was big winner at StarNews awards | Theatre

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - The stars gathered Thursday night at Thalian Hall for the first-ever StarNews Media Theatre Awards.

From best musical to best play, best actor to best actress, music, lighting, choreography, and even best character in drag, the StarNews Media Awards honored everything that goes into making great theatre.

"Wilmington has more than its share, considering its size, of theater companies," said Ansell.  "It's an amazing cultural community."

Opera House Theatre Company's production of Hairspray took home 12 "Stars" including Best Musical, Best Director-Musical, Best Actress-Musical, and Best Actor-Musical.  Red Barn's production of God of Carnage took home the "Stars" for Best Play and Best Actress-Play.

The stars shined as they looked back on the shows of 2011.

"We have some of the best performers in town doing some of the great numbers from this past season," said Ansell.

Local celebrities, such as actress Linda Lavin, Mayor Bill Saffo, and District Attorney Ben David attended and presented awards.  The event brought theater and non-theater people together.

See below for a complete list of categories and nominees.  The winners are in bold.

BEST PLAY

"Amadeus," Opera House Theatre Company

"Arcadia," University of North Carolina Wilmington Department of Theatre

"God of Carnage," Red Barn Studio Theatre

"True West," City Stage/Cape Fear Theatre Arts

"Yankee Tavern," Imaginary Theatre Company

BEST MUSICAL

"Avenue Q," City Stage

"Chicago," City Stage

"Hairspray," Opera House

"Man of La Mancha," Opera House

"Ragtime," The Thalian Association

BEST DIRECTOR, PLAY

Steve Bakunas, "God of Carnage," Red Barn

Nicholas Gray, "How to Fall in Love in 10 Minutes or Less," City Stage/CFTA

Gil Johnson, "True West," City Stage/CFTA

Dorothy Rankin, "Yankee Tavern," Imaginary Theatre Co.

Steve Vernon, "Much Ado About Nothing," Shakespeare on the Green

BEST DIRECTOR, MUSICAL

Lou Criscuolo, "Man of La Mancha," Opera House

William Day, "Avenue Q," City Stage

Kevin Lee-y Green, "Sophisticated Ladies," Techmoja Dance & Theatre Co.

Ray Kennedy, "Hairspray," Opera House

Steve Vernon, "All Shook Up," Thalian Association

BEST ACTOR, PLAY

Jason Hatfield as Salieri in "Amadeus," Opera House

Cullen Moss as Lee in "True West," City Stage/CFTA

Lee Lowrimore as Ray in "Yankee Tavern," Imaginary Theatre Co.

Hank Toler as Jeff in "Lobby Hero," Red Barn

Alex Wharff as Benedick in "Much Ado About Nothing," Shakespeare on the Green

BEST ACTRESS, PLAY

Susan Auten as Hildie Burns in "His Girl Friday," Guerilla Theatre

Michelle Gagliano as Veronica Novak in "God of Carnage," Red Barn

Rachel Lewis Hilburn as Annette Raleigh in "God of Carnage," Red Barn

Barbara Weetman as Diane in "The Little Dog Laughed," for City Stage/Imaginary Theatre Co.

Mackenzie Wicker as Dawn in "Lobby Hero," Red Barn

BEST ACTOR, MUSICAL

Jason Aycock as Princeton in "Avenue Q," City Stage

Colby Lewis as Coalhouse Walker Jr. in "Ragtime," Thalian Association

David Lorek as Alferd Packer in "Cannibal! The Musical" for Guerilla Theatre/Pineapple-Shaped Lamps Productions

Jeff Phillips as Edna Turnblad in "Hairspray," Opera House

Robin Dale Robertson as Cervantes/Don Quixote/Alonso Quijuana in "Man of La Mancha," Opera House

BEST ACTRESS, MUSICAL

Morganna Bridgers as Roxie Hart in "Chicago," City Stage

Kendra Goehring-Garrett as Anna Leonowens in "The King and I," Opera House

Amy Rowland as Tracy Turnblad in "Hairspray," Opera House

Rachael Sutton as Kate Monster in "Avenue Q," City Stage

Lily Zukerman as Tina in "Ruthless!", City Stage/CFTA

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, PLAY

Henry Philip Blanton as Alex in "The Little Dog Laughed," City Stage/Imaginary Theatre Co.

Owen Hickle-Edwards as Valentine in "Arcadia," UNCW Department of Theatre

Robb Mann as Passepartout in "Around The World In 80 Days," Thalian Association

Cullen Moss as Bill in "Lobby Hero," Red Barn

Mike O'Neil as Palmer in "Yankee Tavern," Imaginary Theatre Co.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, MUSICAL

Richard Bunting as Wilbur Turnblad in "Hairspray," Opera House

Alex Marden as Moist in "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," Guerilla Theatre/Pineapple-Shaped Lamps

Adam Poole for various roles in "Avenue Q," City Stage

Tony Rivenbark as Sancho Panza in "Man of La Mancha," Opera House

Charlie Robertson as Sylvia St. Croix in "Ruthless!", City Stage/CFTA

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, PLAY

Caitlin Becka as Aouda in "Around the World in 80 Days," The Thalian Association

Emily Graham as Crystal in "Hallelujah Girls," Big Dawg Productions

Heather Howard as Hero in "Much Ado About Nothing," Shakespeare on the Green

Laurene Perry as Mrs. Van Daan in "The Diary of Anne Frank," Big Dawg Productions

Melissa Stanley as Leonata in "Much Ado About Nothing," Shakespeare on the Green

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, MUSICAL

Caitlin Becka as Velma Kelly in "Chicago," City Stage

Cindy Colucci as Miss Hannigan in "Annie," Opera House

Cindy Hospedales for "Sophisticated Ladies," Techmoja

Joy Dupree Gregory as Motormouth Maybelle in "Hairspray," Opera House

Annie Marsh as Penny Pingleton in "Hairspray," Opera House

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Nicholas Gray and Audrey Cregan for set design in "How to Fall in Love in 10 Minutes or Less," City Stage/CFTA

Kevin Lee-y Green, for choreography in "Chicago," City Stage

Chiaki Ito, for music direction in "Chicago," City Stage

Ray Kennedy, for choreography, "Hairspray," Opera House

Dallas LaFon, for lighting design in "Ragtime," Thalian Association

Lee Lowrimore, Phil Cumber and Shane Fernando for set design in "Yankee Tavern," Imaginary Theatre Co.

Lorene Walsh, for music direction, "Man of La Mancha," Opera House

AUDIENCE AWARD

Was voted on by the audience attending the awards ceremony. Each attendee got one vote for a show that was on a Southeastern N.C. stage between Dec. 1, 2010, and Nov. 30, 2011.

Audience award went to Guerilla Theatre/Pineapple-Shaped Lamps Productions for "Cannibal! The Musical." 

LASTING ACHIEVEMENT IN WILMINGTON THEATER

Lela Thompson, founding member of The Willis Richardson Players.

ONLINE AWARDS

These awards were determined solely by online public voting. Winners were announced Thursday morning prior to the awards. 

CHILDREN'S THEATER PRODUCTION

"Footloose," Thalian Association Children's Theatre

"Fractured Faery Tales for a Midwinter's Eve," Journey Productions

"Mr. Toad's Mad Adventure From Wind In The Willows," Brunswick Little Theatre

"Peer Gynt," Stageworks Youth Theatre

"The Tempest," Shakespeare on the Green's youth company

BEST NEWCOMER (appeared on stage in Wilmington for the first time in 2011)

Michelle Braxton, as Mona Stangley in "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," Opera House

Chelsea Deaner, as George Noon in "Cannibal! The Musical," Guerilla Theatre/Pineapple-Shaped Lamps Productions

Emily Graham, for "Hallelujah Girls" and "All Shook Up," Big Dawg and Thalian Association

Charlie Robertson for "Ruthless!" and "The Diary of Anne Frank," City Stage/CFTA and Big Dawg

Amy Rowland as Tracy Turnblad in "Hairspray," Opera House

BEST PERFORMANCE IN DRAG

Chelsea Deaner as George Noon in "Cannibal! The Musical," Guerilla Theatre/Pineapple-Shaped Lamps Productions

Jeff Phillips as Edna Turnblad in "Hairspray," Opera House

Charlie Robertson as Sylvia St. Croix in "Ruthless!" City Stage/CFTA

Jordan Roberts as Natalie/Ed in "All Shook Up," Thalian Association

Full cast of the un-staged, all-male version of "Steel Magnolias," BUMP Productions

BEST MUSIC DIRECTION

Jonathan Barber for "All Shook Up," Thalian Association

Jonathan Barber for "Ruthless!" City Stage/CFTA

Chiaki Ito for "Chicago," City Stage

Lorene Walsh for "Hairspray," Opera House Theatre Co.

Lorene Walsh for "Man of La Mancha," Opera House Theatre Co.

BEST SONG PERFORMANCE

"We Both Reached For The Gun" from "Chicago," City Stage

"Mood Indigo" from "Sophisticated Ladies," Techmoja

"Easy Street" from "Annie," Opera House.

"Shatterproof" from "Cannibal! The Musical," Guerilla Theatre/Pineapple-Shaped Lamps Productions

"I Know Where I've Been" from "Hairspray," Opera House

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

Debra Gillingham for "Ragtime," Thalian Association

Kevin Lee-y Green for "Chicago," City Stage

Judy Greenhut for "Annie," Opera House

Mary Beth Henderson for "All Shook Up," Thalian Association

Ray Kennedy for "Hairspray," Opera House Theatre Co.

BEST SET DESIGN

Gregg Alyn Buck for "Troy Women," UNCW

Terry Collins for "White Christmas," Thalian Association

Lee Lowrimore, Phil Cumber and Shane Fernando for "Yankee Tavern," Imaginary Theatre Co.

Troy Rudeseal for "Dividing the Estate," Thalian Association

Nick White and Audrey Cregan for "How to Fall in Love in 10 Minutes or Less," City Stage/CFTA

BEST SOUND DESIGN

John Deveaux for "Hairspray," Opera House

John Deveaux for "The King and I," Opera House

Jonathan Stuart Graves for "All Shook Up," Thalian Association

Jonathan Stuart Graves for "Ragtime," Thalian Association

Mike O'Neil for "The Little Dog Laughed," City Stage/Imaginary Theatre Co.

BEST COSTUMES

Susanna Douthit for "Always … Patsy Cline," City Stage/CFTA

Juli Harvey for "Hairspray," Opera House

Debbie Scheu for "The King and I," Opera House

Debbie Scheu, Charlotte Safrit and David Kratzer for "White Christmas," Thalian Association

Mark D. Soresen for "Troy Women," UNCW

BEST LIGHT DESIGN

Dallas LaFon for "Ruthless," City Stage/CFTA

Dallas LaFon for "Ragtime," Thalian Association

Dallas LaFon for "Man of La Mancha," Opera House

Jeff Loy for "Lobby Hero," Red Barn

Kia Rogers for "Troy Women," UNCW Department of Theatre

BEST ORIGINAL PRODUCTION

"Blue Velvet: The Musical," by Anthony David Lawson (book) and Bryan Putnam (music and lyrics), TheatreNOW

"How to Fall in Love in 10 Minutes or Less," various authors, City Stage/CFTA

"Just Our Luck," by Tony Moore, ByChance Productions

"Son of Redhead" by Leonard Melfi, Guerilla Theatre

"TNL: Origins," various writers, Pineapple-Shaped Lamps

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