'Hairspray' takes best musical; 'While We Were Bowling' wins best play
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City Pulse Staff
The 2011 Pulsars were presented Monday evening at a ceremony held at Connxtions Comedy Club. The night featured selections from the nominated musicals, as well as an opening number — "Hell Block Tango," a parody of the "Cell Block Tango" from "Chicago" — produced by Chad Badgero, Chad DeKatch and Joe Quick. Among the evening's multiple award winners were Williamston Theatre's "While We Were Bowling" (which took best play, best director of a play for John Lepard, best actress in a play for Suzi Regan and best featured actor in a play for Edward O'Ryan), Riverwalk Theatre's "Hairspray" (which won best musical, best actor in a musical for Tony Sump, best supporting actor in a musical for Prince Jerrell Spann, best supporting actress in a musical for Amanda Whitehead, best featured actress in a musical for Tigi Habtemariam and best choreographer for Karyn Perry) and the Peppermint Creek/Riverwalk co-production of "Caroline, or Change" (which won best director of a musical for Chad Badgero, best actress in a musical for Tigi Habtemariam and best featured actor in a musical for Chad DeKatch).
Here are this year's Pulsar nominees — with winners in boldface.
Key:
LCC — LansingCommunity College
MSU — MichiganState University
PC — PeppermintCreek Theatre
RW — RiverwalkTheatre
SD — StarlightDinner Theatre
ST — StormfieldTheatre
WT — WilliamstonTheatre
DIRECTOR Play Andy Callis, “Endgame” (LCC) Deb Keller, “Reasons to Be Pretty” (PC) Lynn Lammers, “Distracted” (PC) John Lepard, “While We Were Bowling” (WT) Suzi Regan, “Blue Door” (WT)
Musical Chad Badgero, “Caroline, or Change” (PC/RW) Chad DeKatch, “Hairspray” (RW) Jane Falion, “The Light in the Piazza” (RW) Rob Roznowski, “Evil Dead: The Musical” (MSU) Tom Woldt, “Five Course Love” (WT) PLAY "Blue Door" (WT) "Distracted" (PC) "Oedipus" (WT) "Reasons to Be Pretty" (PC) "While We Were Bowling" (WT) MUSICAL "Caroline, or Change" (PC/RW) "Hairspray" (RW) "The Light in the Piazza" (RW) "Ordinary Days" (PC) "Smoke on the Mountain" (LCC) ENSEMBLE Play “Almost, Maine” (RW) “The American Clock” (MSU) “Among Friends” (ST)
Musical “Five Course Love” (WT) “Ordinary Days” (PC) “Smoke on the Mountain” (LCC) LEAD ROLES Lead actor in a play Brian DeVries, “Distracted” (PC) Michael Hays, “Endgame” (LCC) JC Kibbey, “Reasons to Be Pretty” (PC) John Manfredi, “Oedipus” (WT) Sineh Wurie, “Looking Over the President’s Shoulder” (RW)
Lead actor in a musical Chad DeKatch, “The Light in the Piazza” (RW) Andrew Faber, “Evil Dead: The Musical” (MSU) DJ Shafer, “Caroline, or Change” (PC/RW) Tony Sump, “Hairspray” (RW)
Lead actress in a play Sandra Birch, “Oedipus” (WT) Carmen Decker, “Kimberly Akimbo” (ST) Abby Murphy, “Distracted” (PC) Suzi Regan, “While We Were Bowling” (WT) Kelly Studnicki, “While We Were Bowling” (WT)
Lead actress in a musical Tigi Habtemariam, “Caroline, or Change” (PC/RW) Ari Helgesen, “Hairspray” (RW) Paige Lucas, “The Light in the Piazza” (RW) Kelly Studnicki, “Evil Dead: The Musical” (MSU) SUPPORTING ROLES Supporting actor in a play Jesse Deardorff-Green, “Reasons to Be Pretty” (PC) Tommy Gomez, “Kimberly Akimbo” (ST) Jonas Greenberg, “Endgame” (LCC) Cosmo Greene, “Kimberly Akimbo” (ST) Andrew Harvey, “As You Like It” (MSU)
Supporting actor in a musical Doak Bloss, “The Light in the Piazza” (RW) Ben English, “Hairspray” (RW) Dale Edward Powell, “The Light in the Piazza” (RW) Prince Jerrell Spann, “Hairspray” (RW)
Supporting actress in a play Angela Dill, “Distracted” (PC) Erin Hoffman, “Distracted” (PC) Leslie Hull, “As You Like It” (MSU) Kellie Stonebrook, “Distracted” (PC) Mary Wardell, “Reasons to Be Pretty” (PC)
Supporting actress in a musical Taryn Bigelow, “Caroline, or Change” (PC/RW) Betsy Bledsoe, “The Light in the Piazza” (RW) Laura Davis Stebbins, “The Light in the Piazza” (RW) Amanda Whitehead, “Hairspray” (PC) FEATURED ROLES Featured actor in a play Joseph Dickson, “The Browning Version” (RW) Jack Dowd, “A View From the Bridge” (LCC) Edward O’Ryan, “While We Were Bowling” (WT) Chris Robinson, “References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot” (MSU)
Featured actor in a musical Zurich Dawson, “Caroline, or Change” (PC/RW) Chad DeKatch, “Caroline, or Change” (PC/RW) Tyler VanCamp, “Evil Dead: The Musical” (MSU)
Featured actress in a play Heather Lenartson-Kluge, “The Browning Version” (RW) Michelle Meredith, “Kimberly Akimbo” (ST) Winifred Olds, “A Murder is Announced” (SD) Jenn Shafer, “Blithe Spirit” (MSU)
Featured actress in a musical Tigi Habtemariam, “Hairspray” (RW) Leslie Hull, “Caroline, or Change” (PC/RW) Sia Lewis, “Caroline, or Change” (PC/RW) ORIGINAL SCRIPT Annie Martin and Suzi Regan, “Home: Voices from Families of the Midwest” (WT) Rob Roznowski, “Happy Holy Days” (MSU) Sandra Seaton, “Music History” (MSU) Kristine Thatcher, “Among Friends” (ST) BEHIND THE SCENES Musical director Jeff English, “Five Course Love” (WT) James Geer, “The Light in the Piazza” (RW) Edric Haleen, “Ordinary Days” (PC) Derek Smith, “Smoke on the Mountain” (LCC) John Dale Smith, “Hairspray” (RW)
Choreographer Michael Cleland, “References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot” (MSU) Sebastian Gerstner, “Evil Dead: The Musical” (MSU) Andrea Miller, “As You Like It” (MSU) Roberta Otten, “The Light in the Piazza” (RW) Karyn Perry, “Hairspray” (RW)
Lighting Michael Beyer, “Pentecost” (LCC) Tim Fox, “Almost, Maine” (RW) Peter Martino, “References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot” (MSU) Donald Robert Fox, “Blue Door” (WT) Dana White, “Oedipus” (WT)
Sound Joe Dickson, “Almost, Maine” (RW) Chris Ordiway, “Ordinary Days” (PC) Matt Ottinger, “The Farnsworth Invention” (RW) Christy Pierce, “Pentecost” (LCC) Matt Reynolds, “As You Like It” (MSU)
Set design Bartley H. Bauer, “Pentecost” (LCC) Kirk Domer, “While We Were Bowling” (WT) Jane Falion and Tim Fox, “The Farnsworth Invention” (RW) Renee Surprenant, “Happy Holy Days” (MSU) Daniel C. Walker, “Oedipus” (WT)
Properties Linda Burke, “Pentecost” (LCC) Diane Erley and Althea Phillips, “A Murder is Announced” (SD) G. Max Maxim, “The Grapes of Wrath” (MSU) Mary Murphy and Roger Nowland, “The Farnsworth Invention” (RW) Michelle Raymond, “Blue Door” (WT)
Costumes Eric Chatfield, “The Farnsworth Invention” (RW) Holly Iler, “Oedipus” (WT) Karen Kangas-Preston, “The Drunken City” (MSU) Jodi Ozimek, “As You Like It” (MSU) April Townsend, “The American Clock” (MSU)
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