Greg Anderson and Chris Dinolfo in Synetic’s King Lear. (Graeme B. Shaw)It’s hardly a secret that like most every other awards ceremony, the Helen Hayes Awards are more about handshaking and backslapping than actual competition. So if anyone got snubbed—not likely though, with so many nominees in each category—no one made any audible gasps.
The nominations for the 28th edition of the awards were announced last night at the National Theatre, with the Studio Theatre and Synetic Theater leading the pack. Studio racked up 19 nods spread across several shows, but especially two shows about theater itself—Venus in Fur and The Habit of Art—and the Andy Warhol musical Pop! But it was Synetic’s wild, wordless interpretation of King Lear that led all shows, with 15 nominations. (Brett Abelman reviewed it for DCist last March.)
This year’s awards are also the first to be held since the Helen Hayes Awards organization rebranded itself TheatreWashington, which while continuing to make the awards a major part of its mission is trying to branch out as an arts advocacy group.
The Kennedy Center’s shows racked up 16 nominations, only four of which went to its $7.3 million production of Follies. The Sydney Theatre Company’s staging of Uncle Vanya grabbed a handful of nods, and elicited the biggest laughs of the evening when TheatreWashington CEO Linda Levy Grossman read out Cate Blanchett’s name for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Non-Resident Production. For starters, Blanchett’s turn as Yelena was more of a supporting role. But moreover, people laughed because, you know, it’s Cate Blanchett and no one expects her to show up to collect her award should she win. Also nominated from Uncle Vanya was Hugo Weaving—also unlikely to attend the April 23 ceremony. (Then again, nominating movie stars who do shows at the Kennedy Center is something of a Helen Hayes Awards tradition; last year Laurence Fishburne won for his lead role in Thurgood, but Morpheus didn’t claim it in person.)
The Helen Hayes Awards will be announced April 23. Here’s the full list of nominees:
Outstanding Director, Resident Play:
David Muse, The Habit of Art, Studio Theatre
David Muse, Venus in Fur, Studio Theatre
Aaron Posner, Cyrano, Folger Theatre
Charles Randolph-Wright, Ruined, Arena Stage
Serge Seiden, Charlotte’s Web, Adventure Theatre
Paata Tsikurishvili, King Lear, Synetic Theater
John Vreeke, A Bright New Boise, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Outstanding Director, Resident Musical:
Matt August, Liberty Smith, Ford’s Theatre
Keith Alan Baker, Hunter Styles, and Jennifer Harris; Pop!; Studio Theatre 2ndStage
Michael Baron, A Year With Frog and Toad, Adventure Theatre
Toby Orenstein and Lawrence B. Munsey, Chicago, Toby’s Dinner Theatre
Eric Schaeffer, Hairspray, Signature Theatre
Janet Stanford, Dr. Dolittle, Imagination Stage
Outstanding Choreography, Resident Production:
Michael J. Bobbitt and Fabian Barnes, Mirandy and Brother Wind, Adventure Theatre
Karma Camp and Brianne Camp, Hairspray, Signature Theatre
Dale Anthony Girard, Cyrano, Folger Theatre
Robb Hunter, The Walworth Farce, Studio Theatre
Susan Shields, STAY, Theater of the First Amendment
Irina Tsikurishvili and Ben Cunis, King Lear, Synetic Theater
Kate Arnold Wernick, A Year With Frog and Toad, Adventure Theatre
Outstanding Musical Direction, Resident Production:
Jay Crowder, Liberty Smith, Ford’s Theatre
Jon Kalbfleisch, Hairspray, Signature Theatre
James Moore, Follies, The Kennedy Center
Christopher Youstra, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Olney Theatre Center
Christopher Youstra, Pop!, Studio Theatre 2ndStage
Outstanding Set Design, Resident Production:
Phil Charlwood, King Lear, Synetic Theater
Daniel Conway, Cyrano, Folger Theatre
David Ghatan, Voices Underwater, Rorschach Theatre
Misha Kachman, A Bright New Boise, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
James Noone, The Habit of Art, Studio Theatre
Collin Ranney, A Year With Frog and Toad, Adventure Theatre
Lee Savage, Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident Production:
Colin K. Bills, A Bright New Boise, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Michael Gilliam, Ruined, Arena Stage
Andrew F. Griffin, King Lear, Synetic Theater
Andrew F. Griffin, Othello, Folger Theatre
Chris Lee, The Hollow, Signature Theatre
Tyler Micoleau, Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Thom Weaver, Cyrano, Folger Theatre
Outstanding Costume Design, Resident Production:
Georgi Alexi-Meskhishvili, King Lear, Synetic Theater
Gregg Barnes, Follies, The Kennedy Center
ESosa, Ruined, Arena Stage
Kendra Rai, The Green Bird, Constellation Theatre Company
Chelsey Schuller, A Year With Frog and Toad, Adventure Theatre
Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production:
Chris Baine, A Bright New Boise, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Steven Cahill, Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Irakli Kavsadze and Konstantine Lortkipanidze, King Lear, Synetic Theater
Nicole Martin, Voices Underwater, Rorschach Theatre
Neil McFadden, An Almost Holy Picture, Rep Stage
Matt Rowe, Hairspray, Signature Theatre
Tom Teasley, The Green Bird, Constellation Theatre Company
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Play:
Miřenka Čechová, King Lear, Synetic Theater
Margaret Daly, The Habit of Art, The Studio Theatre
Gabriela Fernández-Coffey, After the Fall, Theater J
Catherine Flye, Pride and Prejudice,Round House Theatre
Donnetta Lavinia Grays, Ruined, Arena Stage
Jennifer Mendenhall, Imagining Madoff,Theater J
The James MacArthur Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Play:
Ben Cunis, King Lear, Synetic Theater
Aubrey Deeker, The Walworth Farce, Studio Theatre
Chris Dinolfo, King Lear, Synetic Theater
Philip Fletcher, King Lear,Synetic Theater
Ted van Griethuysen, Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Musical:
Tracy Lynn Olivera, The Sound of Music, Olney Theatre Center
Nova Y. Payton, Hairspray, Signature Theatre
Kirstin Riegler, A Year With Frog and Toad, Adventure Theatre
Lauren Williams, Hairspray, Signature Theatre
Rachel Zampelli, Pop!, Studio Theatre 2ndStage
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Musical:
Matthew Delorenzo, Pop!, Studio Theatre 2ndStage
Ricardo Frederick Evans, Dr. Dolittle, Imagination Stage
Kevin McAllister, Parade, Ford’s Theatre and Theater J
Jobari Parker-Namdar, A Year With Frog and Toad, Adventure Theatre
Bobby Smith, The Sound of Music, Olney Theatre Center
Vishal Vaidya, A Year With Frog and Toad, Adventure Theatre
Dan Van Why, National Pastime, Keegan Theatre
Outstanding Supporting Performer, Non-Resident Production:
Maximilien A. Baud, Billy Elliot the Musical, The Kennedy Center
Ben Cook, Billy Elliot the Musical, The Kennedy Center
Hayley McElhinney, Uncle Vanya, The Kennedy Center
Hugo Weaving, Uncle Vanya, The Kennedy Center
Patrick Wetzel, Billy Elliot the Musical, The Kennedy Center
Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Play:
Rena Cherry Brown, Wit, The Bay Theatre Company, Inc.
Jenny Jules, Ruined, Arena Stage
Ira Koval, King Lear, Synetic Theater
Mona Martínez, ¡Ay, Carmela!, GALA Hispanic Theatre
Lizan Mitchell, The Trip To Bountiful, Round House Theatre
Erica Sullivan, Venus in Fur, Studio Theatre
Irina Tsikurishvili, King Lear, Synetic Theater
The Robert Prosky Award for Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Play:
Mitchell Hébert, After the Fall, Theater J
Irakli Kavsadze, King Lear, Synetic Theater
James McMenamin, Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo, Arena Stage
Michael Russotto, A Bright New Boise, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Ted van Griethuysen, The Habit of Art, The Studio Theatre
Paxton Whitehead, The Habit of Art, The Studio Theatre
Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Musical:
Nancy Anderson, Side By Side By Sondheim, Signature Theatre
Jessica Lauren Ball, The Sound of Music, Olney Theatre Center
Carolyn Cole, Hairspray, Signature Theatre
Kelly Karbacz, Liberty Smith, Ford’s Theatre
Jan Maxwell, Follies, The Kennedy Center
Bernardine Mitchell, His Eye is On the Sparrow, MetroStage
Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Musical:
Rob McQuay, Dr. Dolittle, Imagination Stage
Euan Morton, Parade, Ford’s Theatre and Theater J
Geoff Packard, Liberty Smith, Ford’s Theatre
Tom Story, Pop!, The Studio Theatre 2ndStage
Alan Wiggins, Joseph and the AmazingTechnicolor Dreamcoat, Olney Theatre Center
Outstanding Lead Actress, Non-Resident Production:
Cate Blanchett, Uncle Vanya, The Kennedy Center
Leah Hocking, Billy Elliot the Musical, The Kennedy Center
Rozina Kambos, Return to Haifa, Theater J
Melanie Marshall, FELA!, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Amy Morton, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Arena Stage
Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production:
Lex Ishimoto, Billy Elliot the Musical,The Kennedy Center
Tracy Letts, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Arena Stage
J. Mark McVey, Les Misérables, The Kennedy Center
Sahr Ngaujah, FELA!, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Richard Roxburgh, Uncle Vanya, The Kennedy Center
Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play:
¡Ay, Carmela!, GALA Hispanic Theatre
Birds of a Feather, The Hub Theatre
Cyrano, Folger Theatre
The Habit of Art, The Studio Theatre
King Lear, Synetic Theater
Oedipus El Rey, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
The Walworth Farce, The Studio Theatre
Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Musical:
A Year With Frog and Toad, Adventure Theatre
Hairspray, Signature Theatre
Liberty Smith, Ford’s Theatre
Pop!, Studio Theatre 2ndStage
The Sound of Music, Olney Theatre Center
Outstanding Non-Resident Production:
The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Billy Elliot the Musical, The Kennedy Center
Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Arena Stage
Equivocation, Arena Stage
Uncle Vanya, The Kennedy Center
Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences:
A Year With Frog and Toad, Adventure Theatre
Aladdin’s Luck, Imagination Stage
Charlotte’s Web, Adventure Theatre
Dr. Dolittle, Imagination Stage
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, Adventure Theatre
The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical:
Beertown, devised by dog & pony dc, dog & pony dc
Birds of a Feather, by Marc Acito, The Hub Theatre
Cyrano, by Edmond Rostand, translated by Michael Hollinger, adapted by Michael Hollinger and Aaron Posner, Folger Theatre
The Heir Apparent, adapted by David Ives from the comedy by Jean-François Regnard, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Imagining Madoff, by Deb Margolin, Theater J
Lungs, by Duncan Macmillan, The Studio Theatre
Wonderful Life, adapted by Helen Pafumi and Jason Lott, The Hub Theatre
Outstanding Resident Musical:
Follies, The Kennedy Center
Hairspray, Signature Theatre
Liberty Smith, Ford’s Theatre
Pop!, Studio Theatre 2ndStage
Side By Side By Sondheim, Signature Theatre
The Sound of Music, Olney Theatre Center
Outstanding Resident Play:
A Bright New Boise, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Cyrano, Folger Theatre
King Lear, Synetic Theater
Ruined, Arena Stage
Venus in Fur, The Studio Theatre
