Long Island 'ENCORE' THEATER AWARDS 2013

LONG ISLAND ‘ENCORE’ THEATER AWARDS – 2013

Selected by reviewer Jeb Ladouceur

White Chritmas at John W. Engeman Theater, NorthportBest Play or Musical: “White Christmas” – John W. Engeman Theater, Northport

Big, Brassy, and Wonderful … in the finest Engeman tradition. Easily deserving of four 2013 awards.

Best Actor (Play or Musical): John Scacchetti – “Singin’ In the Rain” - Gateway Performing Arts Center, Patchogue

The reincarnation of Donald O’Connor, Scacchetti turned in the kind of performance that has made Gateway the envy of many Broadway companies.

Best Actress (Play or Musical): Missy Dowes – “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” - Performing Arts Center, Smithtown

Long Island Theater presented a number of ingénue performers this past year … and Missy was as good as any of them. She’s a knockout!

Best Supporting Actor (Play or Musical): Frank Dispigno – “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” - BroadHollow Theater Company, Lindenhurst

If you missed Dispigno’s interpretation of ‘Big Daddy Pollitt,’ write yourself a note … and don’t miss whatever role he’s playing next.

Best Supporting Actress (Play or Musical): Jennifer Collester Tully – “Les Miserables” - Theatre Three, Port Jefferson

Jen Tully is as comfortable on stage as any comic actress you’ll ever see … even in a heavy play like this one.

Best Newcomer (Male or Female) - (Play or Musical): Rachel Greenblatt – “Grease” - Performing Arts Center, Smithtown

Greenblatt’s debut performance puts her right on the heels of her show biz-savvy siblings Molly and Josh.

Best Child Actor (Boy or Girl) - (Play or Musical): Katie Dolce - “White Christmas” – John W. Engeman Theater, Northport

Cute little Katie possesses a hefty portion of Shirley Temple stage presence. This child looks like she was born tilting a top hat and twirling a cane.

Best Director (Play or Musical): Jeffrey Sanzel – “The Diary of Anne Frank” - Theatre Three, Port Jefferson

Sanzel gave us the finest “…Anne Frank” production since Garson Kanin received a Tony nomination for his masterful direction in 1956.

Best Choreography: Drew Humphrey - “White Christmas” – John W. Engeman Theater, Northport

Humphrey lights up the Engeman stage, as do every one of his fellow dancers, and they don’t even seem to be trying.

Best Scenic Design (Play or Musical): Jonathan Collins – “Twelve Angry Men” - John W. Engeman Theater, Northport

If ever a play demanded an authentic period set, this one does. Collins even provides twenty-foot ceilings and a looming portrait of then-president Eisenhower.

Best Costume Design (Play or Musical): Chakira-Iliana Doherty – “The Diary of Anne Frank” Theatre Three, Port Jefferson

Combining the threadbare with this important play’s required nobility is a challenge that calls for the keenest theatrical insight. Doherty delivers.

Best Lighting Design (Play or Musical): Wilburn Bonnell - “White Christmas” – John W. Engeman Theater, Northport

Bonnell’s magical mixture of light, color, and fabric transported audiences to the festive locale that surely the great Irving Berlin had in mind for this show.

Award-winning Smithtown writer Jeb Ladouceur is the author of eight novels. His theater reviews appear in several major L. I. newspapers. In Ladouceur’s new thriller, “The Dealer” released last month, extortionists threaten to destroy Hoover Dam demolishing the Las Vegas Strip - if casino operators don’t pay millions.

Comments

[Marguerite Zangrillo]

Although I haven't seen all these plays, nor am I familiar with all the support teams, your insightful comments reveal a worthiness of them chosen to be on your 2013 awards list.

[Jeb Ladouceur]

Thank you, Jeb! The smiles just keep coming as I read this. I am both personally and professionally flattered. Thank you so much! - Jennifer Collester Tully

[PCD]

It looks to me, Mr. Ladouceur, that you have only seen performances at only 5 theaters on Long Island. Had you seen some shows at CMPAC, your picks would have been very different! Their production of Les Miserables was a Broadway caliber production- the best anywhere on Long Island! In addition, you missed their production of Oliver! that had some very talented children! Please don't mislead your readers into thinking that you've seen ALL performances at ALL Long Island theaters!

[Jeb Ladouceur]

True. I have not seen every theatrical performance on Long Island in 2013, as much as I would have liked to.
I did take in the N-ENCT production of 'Oliver' however, which was excellent. I've heard the CMPAC version was also.
Sadly, Long Island is unlike Broadway, where show venues are concentrated within a dozen or so city blocks, and relatively accessible.
Thanks for being attentive, though. In the final analysis, your evaluation, not mine, is what's important. -- Jeb L.

[Jeb Ladouceur]

You do this poor player (Frank Dispigno) much honor with the ENCORE Theater Award for playing Big Daddy, in 'Cat On a Hot Tin Roof.'

[Richard Philip]

It does not seem fair to compare the professionalism of The Engeman Theatres, which is an Actors Equity Theatre, to that of the many community theaters which exist on Long Island. Not that community theatres are doing poor work but they are obviously not professional quality.

[Jeb Ladouceur]

Richard:
Point well taken. But I've seen Community ... College ... and even High School performances ... that rival some on Broadway.
That's one reason why we've established our ENCORE 'Best Newcomer' and 'Best Child Actor' categories, for instance.
You might agree that in a very real sense, it's appropriate for non-Equity groups to be thus challenged to excel. - Jeb L.