Winners of Big Easy Theatre Awards for performances in 2008 were honored at a gala at Harrah's New Orleans Casino on Monday, Mar. 30. InSide Out Productions' Coyote on a Fence won four Big Easys, including Best Drama. Southern Rep's comedy Speech & Debate collected three trophies, including Best Actor and Actress in a Comedy. The NOLA Project's musical Assassins also won in three categories. Amy Alvarez and Jefferson Turner took home the inaugural award for cabaret performance. Actor, writer and longtime theater reviewer Al Shea was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Mad Men star Bryan Batt was named Entertainer of the Year.
The ceremonies included performances from nominated shows and guest presenters Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, Jennifer Coolidge (Best in Show, American Pie) and Vernel Bagneris (One Mo' Time). The event is sponsored by The Gambit, Harrah's New Orleans Casino and Hotel, John Jay and Coleman E. Adler & Sons.
2009 BIG EASY THEATRE AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement Award
Al Shea
Entertainer of the Year
Bryan Batt
Special Recognition Award
New Orleans Fringe Festival
Best Musical
Cabaret
Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
Best Drama
Coyote on a Fence
InSideOut Productions
Best Comedy
A Place in the Sun
Running With Scissors
Best Director of a Comedy
Aimée Hayes
Speech and Debate
Southern Rep
Best Director of a Drama
René J.F. Piazza
Rabbit Hole
Actors' Theatre of New Orleans
Best Director of a Musical
A.J. Allegra
Assassins
NOLA Project
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Dorian Rush
Die! Mommy! Die!
Running With Scissors
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Sean Knapp
Speech and Debate
Best Actress in a Comedy
Natalie Boyd
Speech and Debate
Best Actor in a Comedy
Mark McLaughlin
The Seafarer
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama
Angie Joachim
Coyote on a Fence
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
Jason Kirkpatrick
Coyote on a Fence
Best Actress in a Drama
Ashley Ricord
Side Man
The NOLA Project & InSide Out Productions
Best Actor in a Drama
Michael Aaron Santos
Coyote on a Fence
Best Actress in a Musical
Meredith Long
Ruthless! The Musical
Jefferson Performing Arts Society
Best Actor in a Musical
Christopher Woods
Rent
Le Petit Theatre
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
Jimmy Murphy
Assassins
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
Lisa Picone
Assassins
Best Evening of Cabaret
"He Loves and She Loves: The Gershwin Music We Love"
Amy Alvarez and Jefferson Turner
Best Original Work of Theater
What, Has This Thing Appeared Again Tonight?
Jim Fitzmorris, writer/director
The Shakespeare Festival at Tulane and the NOLA Project
Best Choreography
Leo Jones, Wanda Rouzan and Beverly Trask
Where the Girls Were
Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré
Best Musical Director
Jim Walpole
Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story
To Do Productions
Best Set Design
Jeff Becker
Flight
ArtSpot Productions & Mondo Bizarro
Best Lighting Design
Scott Sauber and Nancy Macko
Rent
Best Costume Design
Roy Haylock
Cabaret
Best University Production
Metamorphoses
David Hoover, director
University of New Orleans
Best Performance by a Child
Alex Lemonier
The History Boys
FourFront Theatre
