Jelly's Last Jam, the 1992 Broadway musical which was presented this past season by Atlanta's Alliance Theatre, picked up seven awards, more than any other nominated show. The musical, about the life of the late Jelly Roll Morton, was named Outstanding Production-Musical and also won awards for direction, lead actress, lead actor, featured actress, music direction and choreography.
The first Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwrighting Award was presented to Robert Earl Price, and the Spirit of Suzi Bass Award was bestowed upon ACPA Executive Director Kim Patrick Bitz for his "decade of service to the Atlanta arts community."
Founded three years ago by director-playwright-actor Gene-Gabriel Moore, an Atlanta native, the awards were named for the late Suzi Bass, a respected stage and screen actor from Atlanta. In a previous statement creator Moore said, "My goal and the goal of the executive committee is to cast light upon outstanding theatre companies in five counties, and especially the measure of their respect for actors. These are theatre awards only for theatre people and by theatre people.”
The Suzi Bass Awards honored shows that opened between Aug. 1, 2005, and July 31, 2006. The complete list of winners follows (winners names are in bold and are preceded by an asterisk).
Production – Play
Intimate Apparel (Alliance Theatre)
Kimberly Akimbo (Actor’s Express)
*Metamorphoses (Georgia Shakespeare)
Our Town (Georgia Ensemble Theatre)
. . . , " said Said (Alliance Theatre) Production – Musical
A Christmas Carol (Alliance Theatre)
Cotton Patch Gospel (Theatrical Outfit)
* Jelly’s Last Jam (Alliance Theatre)
Love, Jerry (Actor’s Express)
Rejoice! (True Colors Theatre Company)
Director – Play
*Kate Warner - One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest - (Dad’s Garage)
Richard Garner - Metamorphoses - (Georgia Shakespeare)
Shannon Eubanks - Sleuth - (Georgia Ensemble Theatre)
Sharon Ott - …,” said Said - (Alliance Theatre)
Susan V. Booth -Intimate Apparel - (Alliance Theatre)
Director – Musical
Heidi Cline - The Fantasticks! - (The Shakespeare Tavern)
Kenny Leon - Rejoice! - (True Colors Theatre Company)
*Kent Gash - Jelly’s Last Jam - (Alliance Theatre)
Kent Gash - Love, Jerry - (Actor’s Express)
Rosemary Newcott - A Christmas Carol - (Alliance Theatre)
Lead Actress – Play
Courtney Patterson - Twelfth Night - (Georgia Shakespeare)
Jackie Prucha - Romeo & Juliet - (The Shakespeare Tavern)
Jill Jane Clements - The Immigrant - (Theatrical Outfit)
*Marianne Fraulo - The Perfect Prayer - (Horizon Theatre Company)
Jackie Prucha - The Glass Menagerie - (The Shakespeare Tavern)
Tess Malis Kincaid - Kimberly Akimbo - (Actor’s Express)
Lead Actress – Musical
Chandra Currelley - Rejoice! - (True Colors Theatre Company)
Bernardine Mitchell - Three Sistahs - (Horizon Theatre)
Courtenay Collins - Love, Jerry - (Actor’s Express)
Crystal Fox - Three Sistahs - (Horizon Theatre)
*Karole Foreman - Jelly’s Last Jam - (Alliance Theatre)
Featured Actress – Play
Andrea Frye - Intimate Apparel - (Alliance Theatre)
Jennifer Akin - The Glass Menagerie - (The Shakespeare Tavern)
Lori Larsen - The Underpants - (Alliance Theatre)
Rhoda Griffis - Intimate Apparel - (Alliance Theatre)
*Suehyla El-Attar - Bluish - (Alliance Theatre)
Tess Malis Kincaid - Moonlight and Magnolias - (Alliance Theatre)
Featured Actress – Musical
Alecia Robinson - Cotton Patch Gospel - (Theatrical Outfit)
Bethany Irby - A Year with Frog & Toad - (Aurora Theatre)
Jennifer Akin - The Sanders Family Christmas - (Theatre in the Square)
*Lavon Fisher - Jelly’s Last Jam - (Alliance Theatre)
Katie Merritt - The Sanders Family Christmas - (Theatre in the Square)
Lead Actor – Play
Brik Berkes - Keeping Watch - (Theatrical Outfit)
*Chris Kayser - Twelfth Night - (Georgia Shakespeare)
Doug Kaye - The Merchant of Venice - (The Shakespeare Tavern)
Neal A. Ghant - Bus Stop - (Theatre in the Square)
Thomas Piper - One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest - (Dad’s Garage)
Victor Slezak - …,” said Said - (Alliance Theatre)
Lead Actor – Musical
Billy Porter - Jelly’s Last Jam - (Alliance Theatre)
Chris Kayser - A Christmas Carol - (Alliance Theatre)
Hassan El-Amin - Rejoice! - (True Colors Theatre Company)
*J.D. Goldblatt - Jelly’s Last Jam - (Alliance Theatre)
Tom Key - Cotton Patch Gospel - (Theatrical Outfit)
Featured Actor – Play
*Ariel Shafir - The Underpants - (Alliance Theatre)
Chris Kayser - Hamlet - (Georgia Shakespeare)
James Donodio - Bus Stop - (Theatre in the Square)
Tzahi Moskovitz - Intimate Apparel - (Alliance Theatre)
Steve Coulter - Bus Stop - (Theatre in the Square)
Featured Actor – Musical
Dolph Amick - The Fantasticks - (The Shakespeare Tavern)
Eric Ankrim - Rejoice! - (True Colors Theatre Company)
Eric Moore - Cotton Patch Gospel - (Theatrical Outfit)
*Geoff Uterhardt - Love, Jerry - (Actor’s Express)
Rodrick Covington - Jelly’s Last Jam - (Alliance Theatre)
Ensemble - Play
A Piece of My Heart - (Theatre in the Square)
Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged - (The Shakespeare Tavern)
* Metamorphoses - (Georgia Shakespeare)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest - (Dad’s Garage)
Women + War - (Synchronicity Performance Group)
Ensemble – Musical
A Christmas Carol - (Alliance Theatre)
Jelly’s Last Jam- (Alliance Theatre)
Love, Jerry - (Actor’s Express)
Rejoice! - (True Colors Theatre Company)
* Vive La Fontaine!- (Théâtre du Réve)
Musical Direction
Ann-Carol Pence - A Year with Frog and Toad - (Aurora Theatre)
*Darryl G. Ivey - Jelly’s Last Jam - (Alliance Theatre Company)
J. Michael - Rejoice! - (True Colors Theatre Company)
Michael Fauss & Rick Taylor - Cotton Patch Gospel - (Theatrical Outfit)
S. Renee Clark - The Fantasticks! - (The Shakespeare Tavern)
Choreography
Celeste Miller - A Christmas Carol - (Alliance Theatre)
Jen MacQueen - A Year with Frog and Toad - (Aurora Theatre)
Celeste Miller - The Long Christmas Ride Home - (Actor’s Express & Synchronicity Performance Group)
*Kent Gash & Byron Easley - Jelly’s Last Jam - (Alliance Theatre)
Patdro Harris - Rejoice! - (True Colors Theatre Company)
Costume Design
Austin K. Sanderson - Jelly’s Last Jam - (Alliance Theatre)
Ashley Holmes - Our Town - (Georgia Ensemble Theatre)
*Mariann Verheyen - A Christmas Carol - (Alliance Theatre)
Christine Turbitt - Metamorphoses - (Georgia Shakespeare)
Mariann Verheyen - Intimate Apparel - (Alliance Theatre)
Janet Harreld - Charley’s Aunt - (Theatre in the Square)
Linda Roethke - The Underpants - (Alliance Theatre)
Reggie Ray - Rejoice! - (True Colors Theatre Company)
Scenic Design
D. Martyn Bookwalter - A Christmas Carol - (Alliance Theatre)
Emily Jean Beck - Jelly’s Last Jam - (Alliance Theatre)
Rochelle Barker - Cotton Patch Gospel - (Theatrical Outfit)
Santo Loquasto - Moonlight and Magnolias - (Alliance Theatre)
*Tim Conley - Metamorphoses - (Georgia Shakespeare)
Lighting Design
Jessica Coale - Women + War - (Synchronicity Performance Group)
Ken Yunker - Rejoice! - (True Colors Theatre Company)
Kent Dorsey - …,” said Said - (Alliance Theatre)
*Liz Lee & Mike Post - Metamorphoses - (Georgia Shakespeare)
William H. Grant III - Jelly’s Last Jam - (Alliance Theatre)
Sound Design (tie)
Clay Benning - Jelly’s Last Jam - (Alliance Theatre)
Mimi Epstein - Our Town - (Georgia Ensemble Theatre)
*Clay Benning & Kendall Simpson - Metamorphoses - (Georgia Shakespeare)
*Paul Fallatt - Cotton Patch Gospel - (Theatrical Outfit)
Mimi Epstein - The Perfect Prayer - (Horizon Theatre Company)
