What a difference a season makes. This time last year, David Muse and Studio Theatre snagged a lowly four nominations at the Helen Hayes Awards, compared with 23 each for Arena Stage and the Kennedy Center. Last night the 2012 Helen Hayes nominations were announced at the National Theatre by the newly revamped TheatreWashington, and Studio led the pack with a stellar 20 nominations for five different plays, including the quirky who-shot-Andy-Warhol musical Pop!and Alan Bennett’s The Habit of Art.
The Helen Hayes Awards have somewhat of a reputation for eccentricity, but certain trends can be predicted: 1) Synetic Theater will be rewarded—in this case with 15 nominations for a single production, King Lear; 2) Adventure Theatre will, too—the Glen Echo theater for children seems to be turning out some of Washington’s best productions, if the nominations are anything to go by; and 3) certain categories will leave many scratching their heads. The assembled audience of theatergoers, performers, journalists, and press reps laughed audibly last night when Cate Blanchett was nominated for Lead Actress for Uncle Vanya—while she certainly shone in the role, her time onstage was fairly limited.
It’s hard not to think that some institutions will be disappointed with this year’s tally, particularly Arena, Shakespeare Theatre, and the Folger, which with the Kennedy Center took home more than half of the nominations between them last year (the Folger alone received 19 nominations for just three productions in 2011). The Kennedy Center’s blockbuster production of Follies also seemed to lose out—despite a budget of more than $7 million, an all-star cast (Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Elaine Paige), and a transfer to Broadway, the show only picked up four nominations. Eric Schaeffer, who directed, wasn’t nominated either, though he did pick up a direction nod for Signature Theatre’s Hairspray.
Just to be pedantic, we broke down the nominations by institution, listing them in order of nominations received. For the official list of nominations, visit TheatreWashington’s website.
Studio Theatre (20 nominations):
Pop
Outstanding Resident Musical
Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Musical
Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Musical (Tom Story)
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Musical (Matthew Delorenzo)
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Musical (Rachel Zampelli)
Outstanding Musical Direction, Resident Production (Christopher Youstra)
Outstanding Director, Resident Musical (Keith Alan Baker, Hunter Styles, and Jennifer Harris)
Venus in Fur
Outstanding Resident Play
Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Play (Erica Sullivan)
Outstanding Director, Resident Play (David Muse)
Lungs
Outstanding New Play or Musical
The Habit of Art
Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play
Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Play (Ted van Griethuysen)
Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Play (Paxton Whitehead)
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Play (Margaret Daly)
Outstanding Set Design, Resident Production (James Noone)
Outstanding Director, Resident Play (David Muse)
The Walworth Farce
Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Play (Aubrey Deeker)
Outstanding Choreography, Resident Production (Robb Hunter)
Kennedy Center (16 nominations):
Follies
Outstanding Resident Musical
Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Musical (Jan Maxwell)
Outstanding Costume Design, Resident Production (Gregg Barnes)
Outstanding Musical Direction, Resident Production (James Moore)
Billy Elliot the Musical
Outstanding Non-Resident Production
Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production (Lex Ishimoto)
Outstanding Lead Actress, Non-Resident Production (Leah Hocking)
Outstanding Supporting Performer, Non-Resident Production (Maximilien A. Baud)
Outstanding Supporting Performer, Non-Resident Production (Ben Cook)
Outstanding Supporting Performer, Non-Resident Production (Patrick Wetzel)
Uncle Vanya
Outstanding Non-Resident Production
Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production (Richard Roxburgh)
Outstanding Lead Actress, Non-Resident Production (Cate Blanchett)
Outstanding Supporting Performer, Non-Resident Production (Hayley McElhinney)
Outstanding Supporting Performer, Non-Resident Production (Hugo Weaving)
Les Misérables
Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production (J. Mark McVey)
Synetic Theater (15 nominations):
King Lear
Outstanding Resident Play
Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play
Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Play (Irakli Kavsadze)
Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Play (Ira Koval)
Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Play (Irina Tsikurishvili)
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Play (Ben Cunis)
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Play (Chris Dinolfo)
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Play (Philip Fletcher)
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Play (Mirenka Cechova)
Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production (Irakli Kavsadze)
Outstanding Costume Design, Resident Production (Georgi Alexi-Meskhishvili)
Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident Production (Andrew F. Griffin)
Outstanding Set Design, Resident Production (Phil Charlwood)
Outstanding Choreography, Resident Production (Irina Tsikurishvili and Ben Cunis)
Outstanding Director, Resident Play (Paata Tsikurishvili)
Adventure Theatre (13 nominations):
A Year With Frog and Toad
Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences
Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Musical
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Musical (Jobari Parker-Namdar)
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Musical (Vishal Vaidya)
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Musical (Kirstin Riegler)
Outstanding Costume Design, Resident Production (Chelsey Schuller)
Outstanding Set Design, Resident Production (Collin Ranney)
Outstanding Choreography, Resident Production (Kate Arnold Wernick)
Outstanding Director, Resident Musical (Michael Baron)
Charlotte’s Web
Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences
Outstanding Director, Resident Play (Serge Seiden)
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences
Mirandy and Brother Wind
Outstanding Choreography, Resident Production (Michael J. Bobbitt and Fabian Barnes)
Signature Theatre (12 nominations):
Hairspray
Outstanding Resident Musical
Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Musical
Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Musical (Carolyn Cole)
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Musical (Nova Y. Payton)
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Musical (Lauren Williams)
Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production (Matt Rowe)
Outstanding Musical Direction, Resident Production (Jon Kalbfleisch)
Outstanding Choreography, Resident Production (Karma Camp and Brianne Camp)
Outstanding Director, Resident Musical (Eric Schaeffer)
Side by Side by Sondheim
Outstanding Resident Musical
Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Musical (Nancy Anderson)
The Hollow
Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident Production (Chris Lee)
Arena Stage (11 nominations):
Ruined
Outstanding Resident Play
Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Play (Jenny Jules)
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Play (Donnetta Lavinia Grays)
Outstanding Costume Design, Resident Production (ESosa)
Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident Production (Michael Gilliam)
Outstanding Director, Resident Play (Charles Randolph-Wright)
Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf
Outstanding Non-Resident Production
Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production (Tracy Letts)
Outstanding Lead Actress, Non-Resident Production (Amy Morton)
Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo
Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Play (James McMenamin)
Equivocation
Outstanding Non-Resident Production
Folger Theatre (eight nominations):
Cyrano
Outstanding Resident Play
Outstanding New Play or Musical
Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play
Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident Production (Thom Weaver)
Outstanding Set Design, Resident Production (Daniel Conway)
Outstanding Choreography, Resident Production (Dale Anthony Girard)
Outstanding Director, Resident Play (Aaron Posner)
Othello
Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident Production (Andrew F. Griffin)
Ford’s Theatre (eight nominations):
Liberty Smith
Outstanding Resident Musical
Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Musical
Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Musical (Geoff Packard)
Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Musical (Kelly Karbacz)
Outstanding Musical Direction, Resident Production (Jay Crowder)
Outstanding Director, Resident Musical (Matt August)
Parade (co-production with Theater J)
Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Musical (Euan Morton)
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Musical (Kevin McAllister)
Woolly Mammoth (eight nominations):
Bright New Boise
Outstanding Resident Play
Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Play (Michael Russotto)
Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production (Chris Baine)
Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident Production (Colin K. Bills)
Outstanding Set Design, Resident Production (Misha Kachman)
Outstanding Director, Resident Play (John Vreeke)
The Agony & Ecstasy of Steve Jobs
Outstanding Non-Resident Production
Oedipus El Rey
Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play
Olney (seven nominations):
The Sound of Music
Outstanding Resident Musical
Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Musical
Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Musical (Jessica Lauren Ball)
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Musical (Bobby Smith)
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Musical (Tracy Lynn Olivera)
Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat
Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Musical (Alan Wiggins)
Outstanding Musical Direction, Resident Production (Christopher Youstra)
Shakespeare Theatre (seven nominations):
The Heir Apparent
Outstanding New Play or Musical
FELA!
Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production (Sahr Ngaujah)
Outstanding Lead Actress, Non-Resident Production (Melanie Marshall)
Much Ado About Nothing
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Play (Ted van Griethuysen)
Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production (Steven Cahill)
Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident Production (Tyler Micoleau)
Outstanding Set Design, Resident Production (Lee Savage)
Theater J (seven nominations):
Imagining Madoff
Outstanding New Play or Musical
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Play (Jennifer Mendenhall)
Return to Haifa
Outstanding Lead Actress, Non-Resident Production (Rozina Kambos)
After the Fall
Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Play (Mitchell Hebert)
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Play (Gabriela Fernandez-Coffey)
Parade (co-production with Ford’s Theatre)
Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Musical (Euan Morton)
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Musical (Kevin McAllister)
Imagination Stage (five nominations):
Aladdin’s Luck
Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences
Dr. Doolittle
Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences
Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Musical (Rob McQuay)
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Musical (Ricardo Frederick Evans)
Outstanding Director, Resident Musical (Janet Stanford)
The Hub Theatre (three nominations)
Birds of a Feather
Outstanding New Play or Musical
Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play
Wonderful Life
Outstanding New Play or Musical
Constellation Theatre Company (two nominations)
The Green Bird
Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production (Tom Teasley)
Outstanding Costume Design, Resident Production (Kendra Rai)
GALA Hispanic Theatre (two nominations)
Ay! Carmela
Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play
Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Play (Mona Martinez)
Rorschach Theatre (two nominations)
Voices Underwater
Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production (Nicole Martin)
Outstanding Set Design, Resident Production (David Ghatan)
Round House (two nominations)
The Trip to Bountiful
Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Play (Lizan Mitchell)
Pride and Prejudice
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Play (Catherine Flye)
The Bay Theatre Company (one nomination)
Wit
Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Play (Rena Cherry Brown)
dog & pony dc (one nomination)
Beertown
Outstanding New Play or Musical
Keegan Theatre (one nomination)
National Pastime
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Musical (Dan Van Why)
MetroStage (one nomination)
His Eye Is on the Sparrow
Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Musical (Bernardine Mitchell)
Rep Stage (one nomination)
An Almost Holy Picture
Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production (Neil McFadden)
Theater of the First Amendment (one nomination)
STAY
Outstanding Choreography, Resident Production (Susan Shields)
Toby’s Dinner Theatre (one nomination)
Chicago
Outstanding Director, Resident Musical (Toby Orenstein and Lawrence B. Munsey)
