Long Island ‘Encore’ Theater Award Winners – 2017

Long Island ‘Encore’ Theater Award Winners – 2017

By Jeb Ladouceur

Once again this year, theater on Long Island was dominated by Theatre Three in Port Jefferson, and the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport, each organization having received multiple ‘Encore’ Awards for musicals. Theatre Three garnered a trio of nods … one for the Long Island debut of heartbreaking ‘The Bridges of Madison County,’ another for that show’s famed Director, and the Best Actress designation went to the star of Theatre Three’s ‘Saturday Night Fever.’ Not to be outdone, The Engeman took home four ‘Encores’ … two for an impressive ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ (Best Actor and top Costume Design), one for Best Child Actor, in ‘Gypsy,’ and a well-deserved Supporting Actor salute. That left three of the ten awards annually bestowed for excellence in Long Island theater … and that trio was divided equally among The Gateway Theatre, The Star Playhouse, The Babylon Arts Council. Thus, from Bellport and Lindenhurst on The Great South Bay, to Port Jeff and Northport on The Sound, the axiom has been proven once again that no matter where Long Islanders may live, exquisite live theater is virtually ‘right around the corner.’

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Best Play or Musical

From book, to film, to drama, to musical … this story depicting four days of illicit romance between a married Italian war bride in rural Iowa, and a divorced National Geographic photographer assigned to record the area’s covered bridges, works perfectly. The story never pretends that there is anything cute or acceptable about adultery. Quite the opposite is true; the lovers recognize their transgressions, and the decision involving their future becomes an unforgettably heart-wrenching one.

 

‘The Bridges of Madison County’

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Best Director

To say that ‘The Bridges of Madison County’ is a musical right up Director Jeffrey Sanzel’s alley would be an unnecessary understatement. While the perennially top-rated king of Long Island directors is best known for his annual production of ‘A Christmas Carol,’ to overlook Sanzel’s ability also to elicit the best from today’s actors and scripts … and wring-dry the hearts of modern audiences … would be to diminish him unfairly. The man’s soul permeates every production he undertakes.

 

Jeffrey Sanzel - ‘The Bridges of Madison County’

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Best Actress

Four years ago, we named Rachel Greenblatt our ‘Encore’ Award winner as ‘Best Newcomer’ for her work in ‘Grease.’There was little question that with the influence of top area directors and co-stars, the lovely young woman from Nissequogue would develop into one of Long Island’s finest performers. And blossom, she has. One gets the impression that Greenblatt can now handle any stage assignment given her. Rachel has arrived at the lofty heights we predicted she’d achieve.

 

Rachel Greenblatt – ‘Saturday Night Fever’

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Best Supporting Actress

The classic ‘Death of a Salesman’ can’t work without the doomed Willy Loman’s long-suffering wife, Linda, who functions as Arthur Miller’s only hero in the play. And Staci Rosenberg-Simons pulls off her theatrically near-impossible assignment beautifully. As the compassionate Linda Loman gives up virtually everything to comfort her suicidal husband (and her useless sons) the audience is inclined to yell, “Get out. Don’t you see there’s nothing that can be done for them?” That’s acting.

 

Staci Rosenberg-Simons – ‘Death of a Salesman’

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Best Actor

Some of Nathaniel Hackmann’s best work in the superbly costumed and lighted musical ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ is turned in as he transforms himself from Henry Jekyll to Edward Hyde behind a rear-lit translucent screen. The audience sees only the silhouetted gyrations that Hackmann performs in order to achieve the conversion, and the effect is incredible. From that first piece of stage business on, Nathaniel Hackmann has won his audience … and he can do no wrong thereafter.

 

Nathaniel Hackmann – ‘Jekyll & Hyde’

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Best Supporting Actor

To most theatergoers, the role of Oliver ‘Daddy’ Warbucks in ‘Annie’ can hardly be considered a ‘supporting’ one, but Nathaniel Hackmann was so good in ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ that he simply could not be denied the top nod. George Dvorsky makes ‘Annie’ work, though, and he deserves one of the ten ‘Encore’ prizes we distribute annually. George has all the tools and his impressive Broadway resume is justifiably diverse.

 

George Dvorsky - ‘Annie’

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Best Child Actor

There is nothing more adorable than a child actor … unless it’s a child actor who can sing and dance. Kyla Carter is a professional singer, actress, dancer, model and voice-over artist … and now she can lay claim to the title ‘Encore’ Award winner for excellence in Long Island theater. The 11-year-old’s bouncy rendition of ‘May We Entertain You’got The Engeman’s ‘Gypsy’ off to a toe-tapping start this fall, and the appreciative audience couldn’t wait for more.

 

Kyla Carter (center) – ‘Gypsy’

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Best Scenic Design

Brittany Loesch has one of the most unusual jobs in show business … she’s the House Scenic Coordinator for the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport. In that capacity, Loesch handled presentation of the famed ‘Flesh-eating Plant’ in The Gateway’s ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ with such professionalism that it was impossible to overlook her for this year’s ‘Encore’ Award. It should be noted that the show’s highly impressive set was designed by Scott Pask. 

Brittany Loesch – ‘Little Shop of Horrors’

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Best Costume Design

‘Jekyll & Hyde’, like so many plays set in Victorian England, depends greatly on authenticity in costuming in order to make the story resonate. Indeed it’s hard to imagine this show ringing true without the capes and bloused shirts that Kurt Alger provides his actors. Alger is always at the top of his game however, and this award is really for his body of work in multiple shows wherein he’s dressed his players to perfection.

Kurt Alger – ‘Jekyll & Hyde’

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Best Newcomer

Whoever spotted Michael Brinzer, and decided to cast him in the role of Ludwig van Beethoven in the challenging ‘Promethean Concerto’ (one of the season’s most pleasant surprises) deserves to share his ‘Encore’ Award. Not only does the gifted musician perform beautifully on the piano in this tour de force, by Cindi Sansone-Braff, the music spills over into his powerful-to-tender monologues. When young Brinzer is through, we feel as if we’ve spent the evening with a genius … and maybe we have!

 

Michael Brinzer – ‘Promethean Concerto’

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 Award-winning writer, Jeb Ladouceur is the author of a dozen novels, and his theater and book reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. His recent hit, THE GHOSTWRITERS, explores the bizarre relationship between the late Harper Lee and Truman Capote. Ladouceur’s newly completed thriller, THE SOUTHWICK INCIDENT, introduced at the Smithtown Library on May 21st. involves a radicalized Yale student and his CIA pursuers. Mr. Ladouceur’s revealing website is www.JebsBooks.com