Manoa Valley Theatre is the frontrunner this year as the Hawaii State Theatre Council announces the nomination list for the 18th Annual Po'okela Awards. MVT is up for 35 awards including two nominations in both the "Overall Musical" and "Overall Play" categories. And the Po‘okela
By John Berger
award nominees are . . .
jberger@starbulletin.comThe University of Hawai'i at Manoa Kennedy Theatre program -- which presented productions of "Faust I/Faust II," "La Bete" and "Umbuik Mudo and the Magic Flute" this season -- is second with 19 nominations. Diamond Head Theatre is third with 17 nominations.
MVT's productions of "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" and "Side Show" lead the field with eight nominations each. Another MVT show, "Grace & Glorie," has seven. Kennedy Theatre's "No One Will Marry A Princess With A Tree Growing Out of Her Head" has six nominations as is Hawaii Pacific University's "Kiss Me Kate."
Awards in 20 categories will be presented to honorees selected from eligible productions staged by participating HSTC theater groups on Oahu and the Kona Association of Performing Arts on the Big Island. (Two HSTC members on Oahu, Honolulu Theatre for Youth and Kumu Kahua, chose not to participate).The adjudicators shelved the anemic "Best Original Script" category this year due to the dearth of original shows staged by participating theater groups.
Nominations for such perennial favorites as Jo Pruden, John Rampage, and Joyce Maltby, are balanced by a sprinkling of new names in some categories as well. Julia Ogilvie ("The Best Christmas Pageant Ever"), Danel Victoria Verdugo ("Faust I"), and Stefanie Okuda ("Evita"), are noteworthy first-time nominees. Jason Taglianetti is in the unique position of having three nominations in a single category (sound design). Sandra Finney, Cathy Foy, Lew Lappert, and Russell Motter are also competing against themselves with two nominations in one category.
Yvonne Iverson-Filius and Katie Leiva Shriver, who portrayed Siamese twins in "Sideshow," are considered a single entity for adjudication purposes and will or won't win based on the strength of their combined performance.
Recipients of adjudicated special excellence awards, excellence in service awards, and the Pierre Bowman Award, named after the late Star-Bulletin theater critic, will be announced at the ceremony on July 23.
Here is the list of nominees:
THEATER KEY:
ACT: Army Community Theatre
DHT: Diamond Head Theatre
HPU: Hawaii Pacific University
KAPA: Kona Association of Performing Arts
LCC: Leeward Community College
MVT: Manoa Valley Theatre
TAG: The Actors Group
UH: University of Hawaii
Leading male in a play
Moses William Goods III, "Faust II," UH
Richard MacPherson, "Gross Indecency," TAG
Eric Nemoto, "Oleanna," TAG
Richard Pellett, "The Last Night of Ballyhoo," MVT
Sam Polson, "Harvey," TAG
Leading female in a play
Shari Lynn, "Grace & Glorie," MVT
Jo Pruden, "Grace & Glorie"
Betty Sanchez, "As You Like It," TAG
Sheilah Sealey, "As Bees In Honey Drown," MVT
Dorothy Stamp, "Oleanna," TAG
Leading male in a musical
Emerson Green, "Side Show," MVT
Greg Howell, "Victor Victoria," DHT
Guy Merola, "Chess," DHT
John Mount, "State Fair," ACT
Douglas S. Scheer, "Side Show," MVT
Steve Wagenseller, "Kiss Me, Kate," HPU
Leading female in a musical
Mary Chesnut, "Evita," ACT
Kathy Cullis, "Mame," KAPA
Yvonne Iverson Filius & Katie Leiva Shriver," Side Show," MVT
Cathy Foy, "Kiss Me, Kate," HPU
Cathy Foy, "Victor/Victoria," DHT
Tara Melia Hunt, "Brigadoon," ACT
Featured male in a play
John D'Auria, "Dark of the Moon," HPU
Braddoc De Caires, "The Last Night of Ballyhoo," MVT
Lew Lappert, "As You Like It" TAG
Lew Lappert, "Dark of the Moon," HPU
Russell Motter, "As Bees in Honey Drown," MVT
Russell Motter, "The Last Night of Ballyhoo," MVT
Featured female in a play
Sharon Adair, "Steel Magnolias," DHT
Blossom Lam, "Talking With...," TAG
Julia Ogilvie, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever," DHT
Anne-Marie Russo, "An Evening of One Acts," TAG
Danel Victoria Verdugo, "Faust I," UH
Zenia Zembrano, "The Last Night of Ballyhoo," MVT
Featured male in a musical
Joe Abraham, "No One Will Marry A Princess With a Tree Growing Out of Her Head," UH
Ryan Lympus, "Victor/Victoria," DHT
Scott Moura, "Side Show,' MVT
Brad Powell, "Kiss Me, Kate," HPU
David Starr, "South Pacific," ACT
Jim Tharp, "Kiss Me, Kate," HPU
Featured female in a musical
Nan Asuncion, "South Pacific," ACT
Stephanie Curtis Conching, "Carousel," DHT
Tara Melia Hunt, "Victor/Victoria," DHT
Stefanie Okuda "Evita," ACT
Stephanie Sanchez, "No One Will Marry A Princess With a Tree Growing Out of Her Head," UH
Katie Shriver, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," MVT
Choreography
Sandra Christensen-Brace, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," KAPA
Derek Daniels, "Evita," ACT
John Rampage, "Victor/Victoria," DHT
Director of a play
Dennis Carroll, "Faust I," UH
Phyllis S.K. Look, "Sisters Matsumoto," MVT
Lurana Donnels O'Malley, "La Bete," UH
John Perry, "Oleanna," TAG
Brad Powell, "Gross Indecency," TAG
Vanita Rae Smith, "Grace & Glorie," MVT
Director of a musical
Jonathan Hagans, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," KAPA
Tamara Hunt, "No One Will Marry A Princess With a Tree Growing Out of Her Head," UH
Linda Johnson, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," MVT
Joyce Maltby, "Kiss Me, Kate," HPU
Musical director
John Alexander, "South Pacific," ACT
Mary Chesnut, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," MVT
Lina Jeong Doo, "Evita," ACT
Melina Lillios, "Side Show," MVT
Donald Yap, "Carousel," DHT
Set design
Stephen Crowell, "La Bete," UH
Stephan Doi, "Sisters Matsumoto," MVT
Mary E. Lewis, "Grace & Glorie," MVT
Kimo Moore, "No One Will Marry A Princess With a Tree Growing Out of Her Head," UH
Lloyd S. Riford III, "I Love You You're Perfect Now Change," MVT
Storm Stafford, "Umbuik Mudo and the Magic Flute," UH
Costume design
Ann Asakura, "Sisters Matsumoto," MVT
Karen Brilliande, "I Love You You're Perfect Now Change," MVT
Sandra Finney, "La Bete," UH
Sandra Finney, "No One Will Marry A Princess With a Tree Growing Out of Her Head," UH
Cathie Valdovino, "Side Show," MVT
Karen G. Wolfe, "Steel Magnolias," DHT
Lighting design
Cathie Anderson, "Dark of the Moon," HPU
Stephen Clear, "Chess," DHT
Stephen Crowell, "No One Will Marry A Princess With a Tree Growing Out of Her Head," UH
Wayne Kischer, "Grace & Glorie," MVT
Dawn Oshima, "Carousel," DHT
Sarah Y. Whitehead, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," LCC
Sound design
Stephen Crowell, "Faust II," UH
Josh Fanene, "La Bete," UH
Jason Taglianetti, "Grace & Glorie," MVT
Jason Taglianetti, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," MVT
Jason Taglianetti, "Side Show," MVT
Kurt Yamasaki, "Chess," DHT
Non-resident artist
Musra Dahrizal (choreography), "Umbuik Mudo and the Magic Flute," UH
Hasanawi (musical direction), "Umbuik Mudo and the Magic Flute," UH
Dian Kobayashi, Grace in "Sisters Matsumoto," MVT
Kathy Kohl (costume design), "Brigadoon," ACT
Joseph Ricci, Billy Bigelow in "Carousel," DHT
Jo Scheder (lighting design), "Sisters Matsumoto," MVT
Ensemble
"I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," MVT
"Steel Magnolias, "Talking With ...," TAG
"The Sisters Matsumoto," MVT
Overall musical
"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," KAPA
"Brigadoon," ACT
"Carousel," DHT
"I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," MVT
"Kiss Me, Kate," HPU
"Side Show," MVT
Overall play
"Faust," UH
"Grace & Glorie," MVT
"Harvey," TAG
"La Bete," UH
"Oleanna," TAG
"Sisters Matsumoto," MVT
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