The Big Easy Foundation has announced 2012 special recognition awards and nominees for theater performances in 2011. Winners will be announced at the Big Easy Awards Monday, March 26 at Harrah's New Orleans.

Special awards also will be presented at the event. Carol Sutton will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. She has performed onstage in New Orleans for four decades, and her film appearances include The Help, Monster's Ball, The Runaway Jury and the forthcoming 21 Jump Street. Dane Rhodes will be honored as Entertainer of the Year. He starred in From a Long Way Off, The Weir and A Steady Rain. The National World War II Museum will receive the Business Recognition Award for running the Stage Door Canteen. Le Chat Noir cabaret founder and former proprietor Barbara Motley serves as the Honorary Theater Chairperson.

2012 Big Easy Theater Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award
Carol Sutton

Entertainer of the Year
Dane Rhodes

Theater Awards Honorary Chairperson
Barbara Motley

Business Recognition Award
National World War II Museum's Stage Door Canteen

Theater Awards Nominations

BEST MUSICAL 2011
• Chicago, Rivertown Rep
• The Drowsy Chaperone, Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Skin Horse Theater Company
• On the Air, Stage Door Canteen at the National World War II Museum

BEST DRAMA 2011
• Orange Flower Water, Elm Theatre
• Red, Southern Rep
• The Trip To Bountiful, NOCCA Stage Company
• The Weir, Rising Shiners

BEST COMEDY 2011
• Devil Boys From Beyond, Actor's Theatre of New Orleans
• A Midsummer Night's Dream, NOLA Project/New Orleans Museum of Art
• The Norman Conquests, Southern Rep
• Twelfth Night, New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane University

BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL 2011
• Anna Henschel, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
• Diane Lala, Man of La Mancha, Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University
• Patrick Mendelson, Chicago
• Gary Rucker, The Drowsy Chaperone, Theatre 13/JPAS

BEST DIRECTOR OF A DRAMA 2011
• A.J. Allegra and Nick Thompson, The Weir
• Anthony Bean, Jitney, Anthony Bean Community Theater
• Aimee Hayes, Red
• Mark Routhier, Orange Flower Water

BEST DIRECTOR OF A COMEDY 2011
• Damon W. Arrington, The Norman Conquests
• Ricky Graham, God of Carnage, Southern Rep
• Andrew Larimer, A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Andrew Vaught, Our Man, Goat in the Road Productions

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR 2011
• Will Bowling, The Future Is a Fancyland Place, Goat in the Road Productions/Cripple Creek Theater Company
• Carrie Hill, The Drowsy Chaperone, Theatre 13/JPAS
• Alan Payne, Chicago
• C. Leonard Raybon, Man of La Mancha

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY 2011
• Kelly Fouchi, The Drowsy Chaperone, Theatre 13/JPAS
• Juane Buisson Hebert, Chicago
• Diane Lala, Man of La Mancha
• Mandy Zirkenbach, The Pecan Cracker, Southern Rep/Ricky Graham Productions

BEST SET DESIGN 2011
• Phil Cramer, The Future Is a Fancyland Place
• Rick Paul, Into The Woods, Summer Lyric Theater at Tulane University
• Eric Porter, Rumors, Rivertown Rep
• David Raphel, The Drowsy Chaperone, Theatre 13/JPAS

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN 2011
• Michael Batt, Man of La Mancha
• Joan Long, Red
• Selena Poznak, The Future Is a Fancyland Place
• Dan Zimmer, God Of Carnage

BEST COSTUME DESIGN 2011
• Adam Alonso, The Drowsy Chaperone, Theatre 13/JPAS
• Cecile Casey Covert, Twelfth Night
• Veronica Russell, The Boys In the Band, Frederick Mead
• Julie Winn, Into the Woods

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL 2011
• Elizabeth Argus, The Drowsy Chaperone, Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University
• Tracey E. Collins, Chicago
• Carrie Hill, The Drowsy Chaperone, Theatre 13/JPAS
• Andrea Watson, A Chorus Line, Rivertown Rep

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL 2011
• Rich Arnold, The Drowsy Chaperone, Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University
• Brian Peterson, The Drowsy Chaperone, Theatre 13/JPAS
• C. Leonard Raybon, Into the Woods
• Gary Rucker, On the Air

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL 2011
• Kelly Fouchi, The Drowsy Chaperone, Theatre 13/JPAS
• Jaune Buisson Hebert, Chicago
• Katie Howe, Into the Woods
• Kyra Miller, Man of La Mancha

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL 2011
• Christopher Carey, Man of La Mancha
• Bob Edes Jr., The Drowsy Chaperone, Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University
• Ricky Graham, The Drowsy Chaperone, Theatre 13/JPAS
• Evan Spigelman, Hedwig and The Angry Inch

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA 2011
• Liann Pattison, Trip to Bountiful
• Ashley Ricord, Cat's-Paw, InSideOut Productions
• Veronica Russell, Orange Flower Water
• Emilie Whelan, The Future Is a Fancyland Place

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA 2011
• Sean Glazebrook, Red
• John Grimsley, The Weir
• Mike Harkins, Cat's-Paw
• Jason Kirkpatrick, The Trip to Bountiful

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA 2011
• Troi Bechet, From A Long Way Off, Irish Channel Productions/JPAS
• Kerry Cahill, Orange Flower Water
• Mary Pauley, Three Tall Women, Silk Dress Productions
• Janet Shea, The Trip to Bountiful

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA 2011
• Bob Edes Jr., Red
• Michael Martin, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Silk Dress Productions
• Dane Rhodes, The Weir
• Carlos Velazquez, The Boys in the Band

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY 2011
• Natalie Boyd, The Norman Conquests
• Maureen Brennan, God of Carnage
• Jennifer Pagan, The Norman Conquests
• Emilie Whelan, A Midsummer Night's Dream

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY 2011
• A.J. Allegra, Is He Dead?, Theatre UNO/NOLA Project
• James Bartelle, The Norman Conquests
• David Hoover, Twelfth Night
• John "Spud" McConnell, God of Carnage

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY 2011
• Heidi Dippold, Twelfth Night
• Chelle Duke, Devil Boys From Beyond
• Veronica Hunsinger-Loe, A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Ashley Ricord, Play Dates, Theatre 13

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY 2011
• Jonathan Mares, Talk Radio, Jonathan Mares Productions
• Andrew Vaught, The Norman Conquests
• Alex Martinez Wallace, Is He Dead?
• Chris Wecklein, Torch Song Trilogy, Delta Productions

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST 2011
• The Future Is a Fancyland Place
• A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Orange Flower Water
• The Weir

BEST ORIGINAL WORK OF THEATER 2011
• From A Long Way Off, Jim Fitzmorris
• Sarah, Brian Fabry Dorsam, Skin Horse Theater Company
• On the Air, Sean Patterson and Victoria Reed
• The Future Is a Fancyland Place, Andrew Vaught and Chris Kaminstein

BEST UNIVERSITY PRODUCTION
• Glass Menagerie, University of New Orleans
• Godspell, Loyola University
• Spring Awakening, Delgado Community College
• This Is Our Youth, Tulane University

The awards presentation will feature performances by nominated performers. The event is sponsored by Gambit, Harrah's New Orleans, Coleman E. Adler & Sons and Cupcake Vodka. Tickets are $125 and VIP tables of 10 are available. For information or reservations, call Marie Lovejoy at 483-3129.

Slideshow

2012 Big Easy Theater Nominees

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