As Kate Eastwood Norris promptly discovered when she accepted her golden trophy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Resident Play, “It spins!”
The heavy handfuls awarded for excellence in Washington theater were presented in front of a capacity crowd at the 23rd annual Helen Hayes Awards ceremony held Monday evening at the Warner Theatre. Almost 2,000 theater artists and supporters celebrated another prolific year of theater in the national capital area, a performing arts magnet with 53 professional theater companies that produce more theater than any other city in the country other than the Big Apple.
Local choreographer Karma Camp directed the event, a smooth, straightforward affair hosted by Maryland expatriate Jason Kravits and peppered with special guest celebrities including Lynn Redgrave and Sir Derek Jacobi. Renowned composer Marvin Hamlisch opened and closed the show from his piano bench, and even Kathie Lee Gifford made an appearance to plug her new musical debuting at Signature Theatre next week.
» A total of 27 awards were presented in 24 categories for performance and production, and the Helen Hayes Tribute honored stage and film star Frances Sternhagen.
» It was an evening of déjà vu for Signature Theater and Joe Calarco, whose juggernaut “Urinetown” swept last year’s ceremony. Again Calarco’s project picked up another round of awards, this time for his brilliant revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Assassins.” Will Gartshore, who portrayed a steely John Wilkes Booth, took home the prize for Lead Actor in a Resident Musical for the second consecutive year, and both supporting performers received awards for their work, including veteran nominee Donna Migliaccio.
» The eighth nomination is the charm for first-time recipient George Fulginiti-Shakar, who graciously accepted his nod for music direction of Arena Stage’s “Cabaret,” a multiple nominee that came up short in every other category.
» Renee Calarco tied the family together when she thanked her brother for directing “Short Order Stories,” the script that earned her the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play. Other directing awards for resident play were tied between Michael Kahn for his groovy, ’60s-inspired “Love’s Labor’s Lost” — to which he proclaimed, “More than anybody, I need to thank John, Paul, Ringo, and George” — and Aaron Posner for his visionary production of “Measure for Measure.”
» Catherine Zuber and Matthew M. Nielson were both justly honored for their technical design of costumes and sound, and the inaugural award for Outstanding Ensemble was enthusiastically accepted by Scot McKenzie and castmates for their team effort in “The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui” at Catalyst Theater.
» Julia Nixon, the soul of Studio Theatre’s Outstanding Resident Musical “Caroline, or Change” was tapped for Lead Actress in a Resident Musical, and Andrew Long took home his well-deserved award for Lead Actor in a Resident Play. Long’s frightening turn in Studio’s “Frozen” was easily and undeniably the performance of the year.
» While top honors for nonresident production went to Woolly Mammoth for hosting “In the Continuum” and Folger Theatre received a Helen for Posner’s puppet-rific “Measure for Measure,” it was especially gratifying to see Anne Corbett and the Cultural Development Corporation recognized for their efforts to save Source Theater from its almost certain demise.
While Washington theater continues to thrive, it’s nice to acknowledge the people and institutions that have formed its theatrical roots.
