Ivey Awards 2010: worthy recipients, few surprises
Categories: Theater
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| by Michal Daniel |
| Young love, rustic-style: Sam Bardwell and Alayne Hopkins in "Mary's Wedding" |
The 2010 Ivey Awards went down last night at the State Theatre. The show was a well-oiled machine from its inception six years ago, and Monday night's presentation did not stray from the blueprint: award, musical number, award . . . rinse and repeat. While the show's organizers will not be accused of unorthodoxy or unnecessary risk, the results still honored a number of worthy recipients.
Bain Boehlke and Wendy Lehr were the presenters, though the pair were criminally under-utilized (at least Lehr got to shake her money-maker during a number from Theater Latte Da's The Full Monty). An announcer at the opening of the action mentioned that the pair have a century of theater experience between them--yes, that's true. So why not let them summon some of the anarchic spirit that has fueled their journey?
And, for that matter, must we sit through another run-through of one of the most dated songs from a terribly dated musical ("La Vie Boheme" from Rent)? Yes, the local production of the show last year made at least a tattered case for continuing to stage it, and the reunited cast made a game effort, but this is a tune that deserves to be put to rest.
On the plus side, a performance of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" from Always & Forever was good for the soul, not to mention Jennifer Baldwin-Peden's "Listen," which came across as Kate Bush after a weekend Brahms binge.
The awards process remains as inexplicable as it's always been (not that these aren't deserving recipients, but a lack of categories and a sense of randomness continues from year to year). For my part, it's always lovely to recognize talented people, and their work, but I can't help but feel that this show needs a rethink.
Anyway, editorializing over. Worthy honorees follow:
Productions:
Mary's Wedding at the Jungle
Ruined at Mixed Blood
Othello by Ten Thousand Things
Individuals:
Aaron Gabriel for music in Madame Majesta's Miracle Medicine Show at Interact Theater
Katie Guentzel for acting in My Antonia at Illusion
Allison Moore for playwriting for My Antonia
Joseph Stanley for set design for Mulan, Jr. at Children's Theatre Company
Tulle & Dye for costumes in Disney's Beauty & The Beast at the Ordway
Regina Marie Williams for acting in Ruined at Mixed Blood
Lifetime Achievement Award: (the very deserving) Wendy Lehr
Emerging Artist Award: costume designer Kalere Payton.
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