Jurnee Smollett, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Eva Marcille and Henry Simmons announced the nominees for the 18th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards May 20 at a press conference in the Hollywood Ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel.
Vivica A. Fox (actress/producer): Spirit Award
Kimberly Elise and Anthony Anderson will host the annual awards ceremony, which will be held June 30 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. Performers will include Grammy winner Stephanie Mills, seen on Broadway in The Wiz, and R&B recording artist Mario.
The theme of this year's awards is "Salute to Black Theatre," which "celebrates the evolution of the portrayal of African Americans in theatre, from unrealistic, stereotypical caricatures to a more balanced and honest reflection of the Black experience as a whole."
Nominees for the 18th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards follow:
2006–2007 Equity Nominees
Lead Female
S. Epatha Merkerson – Come Back, Little Sheba
Jeanette Bayardelle – The Color Purple
Felicia P. Fields – The Color Purple
Michelle Williams – The Color Purple
Lead Male
Michael A. Sheppard – Master Harold… and the boys
Robert Manning, Jr. – Defiance
Cedric Sanders – A Matter of Honor
Michael McFall – The Tempest
Gerald C. Rivers – The Tempest
Supporting Female
LaToya London – The Color Purple
Stephanie St. James – The Color Purple
Earnestine Phillips – The Tempest
Supporting Male
Thomas Silcott – Master Harold…and the boys
Stu James – The Color Purple
Rufus Bonds, Jr. – The Color Purple
Dexter Hamlet – The Tempest
Steve Matt – The Tempest
Ensemble Cast
Ray Charles Live! A New Musical
Sister Act
Cuttin’ Up
Whatever She Wants
Director
Sheldon Epps – Ray Charles Live! A New Musical
Andrew J. Robinson – Defiance
Scott Schwartz – A Matter of Honor
David Rose – Master Harold…and the Boys
Michael Pressman – Come Back, Little Sheba
Music Director
Rahn Coleman – Ray Charles Live! A New Musical
Sheila Walker – The Color Purple
Brent-Alan Huffman – Sister Act
Marcus Bryant – Whatever She Wants
Choreography
Kenneth L. Roberson – Ray Charles Live! A New Musical
Donald Byrd – The Color Purple
Marguerite Derricks – Sister Act
Lonnie L. Henderson – NEVAEH: Prince of Black Angels
Costumes
Paul Tazewell – The Color Purple
Garry Lennon – Sister Act
A. Jeffrey Schoenberg – Master Harold… and the boys
Charlotte Kruse – The Tempest
Lonnie L. Henderson – NEVAEH: Prince of Black Angels
Lighting
Brian MacDevitt – The Color Purple
Donald Holder – Sister Act
Paulie Jenkins – Defiance
Donald Holder – A Matter of Honor
Jane Cox – Come Back, Little Sheba
Set Design
Victoria Profit – Master Harold…and the boys
James Noone – Come Back, Little Sheba
Michael Carnahan – Cuttin’ Up
Keith Jackson – Having Our Say: The Delaney Sisters’ First 100 Years
Sound
Carl Casella – Ray Charles Live! A new Musical
Jon Weston – The Color Purple
Cricket Myers – Master Harold…and the boys
Mark Bennett – A Matter of Honor
Playwright
Suzan-Lori Parks – Ray Charles Live! A New Musical
John Patrick Shanley – Defiance
Charles Randolph-Wright – Cuttin’ Up
Michael Chepiga – A Matter of Honor
William Inge – Come Back, Little Sheba
Producer
Pasadena Playhouse – Ray Charles Live! A New Musical
Pasadena Playhouse – Sister Act
Pasadena Playhouse – A matter of Honor
The Colony Theatre – Master Harold
…and the boys
Center Theatre Group – Come Back, Little Sheba
2006 – 2007 Local Nominees
Lead Female
Ursaline Bryant – A Melody of One Act Plays
Dael Orlandersmith – The Gimmick
Nia Orms – Please Take A Number
Tiffany Cousin – A Raisin In The Sun
Baadja Lynne – A Lesson Before Dying
Lead Male
Malcolm-Jamal Warner – Love & Other Social Issues
Don Reed – East 14th: True Tales of a Reluctant Player
DeObia Oparei – Gilgamesh
Dominic Hoffman – Last Fare
Mailk-El-Amin – A Lesson Before Dying
Jarreth Merz – Drums in the Night
Supporting Female
Fran Bennett – As You Like It
Erica Hubbard – What Would Jesus Do?
Petal Walker– A Raisin In The Sun
Wynter Daggs – Meet Me At The Oak
Nadege August – Desire Under The Elms
Supporting Male
Ken Sagoes – George Washington’s Boy
David Batiste – Desire Under The Elms
Antwan Herron – A Raisin In The Sun
Jeff Branion – Drums in the Night
Richard Rayas – Fallujah
Ensemble Cast
City Kid
Jitney
Butterflies of Uganda: Memories of a Child Soldier
The Bow Wow Club
The Edgeucation Presents: History of the Black Man
The Divorce
Director
Steve Tomkins – City Kid
Claude Purdy – Jitney
Darin Dahms – Butterflies of Uganda: Memories of a Child Soldier
Ted Lange – George Washington’s Boy
Teresa Dowell-Vest – Flyin’ West
Director of a Musical
Denise Dowes – Love & Other Social Issues
Ara Dabandjian –Love’s Labor’s Lost
John Lathan – Flirting with Morty
Music Director
Patrick Gandy – City Kid
Paul Wong – Do Lord Remember Me
Ron Hasley – What’s Going On, The Musical
Christian Nesmith – Hair
Christy Crowl – Hotel C’est l’Amour
Choreography
Bradley Rapier – City Kid
Tamica Washington-Miller – Gilgamesh
Simon Abkarian - Love’s Labor’s Lost
Monika Davenport and Channing Cook Holmes - What’s Going On, The Musical
Bo Crowell – Hair
Costumes
Nancy Martin – Jitney
Naila Aladdin Sanders – Butterflies of Uganda: Memories of a Child Soldier
Mylette Nora – George Washington’s Boy
Sherry Coon and Ann Gesling – Flyin’ West
Christina Wright – As you like It
Lighting
Alex Berry – City Kid
Joel Daavid – Jitney
Fritz Davis – Butterflies of Uganda: Memories of a Child Soldier
Jeremy Pivnick – Gilgamesh
Jenny Bloom – Drums in the Night
Set Design
Joel Daavid – Jitney
Melissa Ficociello – Gilgamesh
Charles Erven – Desire Under the Elms
Victoria Profit – George Washington’s Boy
Ellen Sandor – The Bow Wow Club
Sound
Eric Snodgrass – City Kid
Vince Wong – Love & other Social Issues
Ellen Juhlin & Kari Rae Seekins – Gilgamesh
Michael Flowers – Night of the Living Dead
Audesah Thomas & Anthony Ford – Sacrificing Simone
Playwright
Diarra Oni Kilpatrick – The Devil is Beating His Wife
Darin Dahns and Soenke C. Weiss – Butterflies of Uganda: Memories of a Child Soldier
Don Reed – East 14th: True Tales of a Reluctant Player
Ted Lange – George Washington’s Boy
Terryl Daluz & Mann Alfonso – Masks
Producer
Penny L. Moore – A Lesson Before Dying
The Theatre @ Boston Court – Gilgamesh
Paula Mitchell Manning and Greenway Arts Alliance – Butterflies of Uganda: Memories of a Child Soldier
Larry Farrow and Yvonne Farrow – What Would Jesus Do?
Stage 52 in association with Ms. Thing Productions, Thomas Duckett and Ella Joyce – A Rose Among Thorns
For tickets to the awards visit www.kodaktheatre.com. For more information about the 18th Annual Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Theatre Awards, go to www.bhwdnaacptheatreawards.com.
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