ShowMag.com

26TH ANNIVERSARY ROBBY WINNERS CELEBRATED

The Coveted Robby

By Rob Stevens

A crowd of 300-plus filled the historic Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Monday, February 24, for the 26th Annual Robby Awards. Showmag.com theater critic Rob Stevens awarded Distinguished Achievement in Theater for 2002. It turned out to be a near sweep for the musical Sideshow presented at The Colony in Burbank, which took home eight awards. Director Nick DeGruccio was a busy man with many trips to the podium to accept awards for Best Production, Best Music & Lyrics, Best Supporting Actor, and one for himself as Best Director. The stars of the show were on hand to pick up their awards--Kevin Earley for Best Actor and Misty Cotton and Julie Dixon Jackson, who tied for Best Actress for their roles as Siamese twins. Lighting designer Steven Young was awarded the eighth trophy.

The other big winner of the night was South Coast Repertory, whose production of Major Barbara was honored for Best Comedy, Best Director, and Best Actor, Dakin Matthews, who was on hand to accept. SCR also won two Supporting Actress awards, one for Michelle Hurd (Drama) and one for Nan Martin (Comedy). Both actresses were present to receive their bus. San Diego’s The Globe Theatres took home the Best Drama Production for Jeffrey Hatcher’s Compleat Female Stage Beauty which also won awards for Hatcher’s script and Robert Petkoff’s leading performance. A list of all the winners appears below.

Co-hosts Jason Graae and Michael G. Hawkins kept the capacity crowd in stitches with their edgy humor. Another comic highlight came when Nan Martin presented the Living Legend Award to frequent fellow co-host Carole Cook. Debbie Prutsman and Norman Large got the entertainment-filled evening off to a hilarious start by throwing mini quiches into the crowd as they trilled "A Little Priest" from their nominated production of Sweeney Todd. Other musical nominees who stopped the show with their performances were Eileen Barnett, Peisha McPhee, Victoria Strong, and Stephanie Block. David Burnham and Tami Tappan wowed the crowd with their duet from Children of Eden and John Raitt received standing ovations as he took the stage and then delivered "They Say That Falling in Love is Wonderful" without the aid of a microphone. Billy Barnes performed an original song he wrote in honor of longtime friend Carole Cook. Eventual winners Cotton and Dixon Jackson brought down the house with "Who Will Love Me As I Am?" from Sideshow. Previous Robby winners Teri Ralston, Lisa Richard, and Robert Yacko also performed.

Tony-winner Virginia Capers added a touch of high style to the evening during her presentation. Presenters Priscilla Barnes and Derek Sitter showed a bit of skin as she whipped off her skirt to present the Best Costume Award and he dropped his trousers and mooned the audience before presenting an award. Past Robby winners Ivy Bethune, Nike Doukas, Linda Purl, and Stephanie Zimbalist also appeared as presenters.

Click here to see pictures from the event.

WINNERS

MUSICAL PRODUCTION

SIDESHOW, THE COLONY

DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL--A Tie

Nick DeGruccio, SIDESHOW

Jon Kretzu, SWEENEY TODD, PCPA THEATERFEST

ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Kevin Earley, SIDESHOW

ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL--a Tie

Misty Cotton, SIDESHOW

Julie Dixon Jackson, SIDESHOW

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

David Jennings, SIDESHOW

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Stephanie Block, THE GRASS HARP, MUSICAL THEATRE GUILD

CHOREOGRAPHY

Debbie Allen, PEARL, GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

MUSICAL DIRECTION

Elan McMahan,RAGTIME,MOONLIGHT AMPHITHEATRE

MUSIC & LYRICS

Henry Krieger and Bill Russell, SIDESHOW

DRAMA PRODUCTION

COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY, THE GLOBE THEATRES

DIRECTOR OF A DRAMA

Ken Sawyer, THE WOMAN IN BLACK,ROAD THEATRE COMPANY

ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Robert Petkoff, COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY,

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Sharon Lawrence, UNDER THE BLUE SKY, GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Michael Edwards, FAR EAST, LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Michelle Hurd, THE VIOLET HOUR, SOUTH COAST REPERTORY

COMEDY PRODUCTION

MAJOR BARBARA, SOUTH COAST REPERTORY

DIRECTOR OF A COMEDY

Martin Benson, MAJOR BARBARA

ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Dakin Matthews, MAJOR BARBARA

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Katherine McGrath, MEMOIR, THE GLOBE THEATRES

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Sammy Williams, DOING JUDY!, MATRIX THEATRE

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Nan Martin, GETTING FRANKIE MARRIED--AND AFTERWARDS, SOUTH COAST REPERTORY

PLAYWRITING

Jeffrey Hatcher, COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE

George Ball, Kirsten Benton, Stan Chandler, and Amanda McBroom, JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL...., RUBICON THEATRE COMPANY

SCENIC DESIGN

Raymond Kent, THE SPITFIRE GRILL, LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE

COSTUME DESIGN

Terry Gordon, DOING JUDY!

LIGHTING DESIGN

Steven Young, SIDESHOW

SOUND DESIGN

David B. Marling and Ken Sawyer, THE WOMAN IN BLACK