ARTS

2019 Thespie Awards alive with musicals

Mike Hughes
For the Lansing State Journal

This was the year when Lansing was awash in musicals.

There were big ones and small ones, old ones and new-ish ones. There was love and murder, Jekyll and Hyde, “Hair” and “Hairspray” and the Wonderettes.

Michigan State University’s “Oklahoma” was named the year’s best musical in the 2019 Thespie Awards.

Among them, the top Thespie winner was a big, old show at a big, old school: Michigan State University’s “Oklahoma” was named the year’s best musical.

That puts it at the top of this year’s Thespie field, alongside “Dancing at Lughnasa,” which won for best play. The latter was done at the Ledges Playhouse in Fitzgerald Park.

The Thespies are the State Journal’s annual awards for local theater ... with a lot to choose from. For this 12-month period (in early June), there were 57 eligible shows, many with music. There were two revues, one semi-revue, two opera nights – and a dozen full-scale musicals.

That’s double what there have been in some years, with far more groups jumping in.

Yes, MSU was big on musicals – two shows in its regular season, two more among its free summer shows, plus two from its opera company. Riverwalk Theatre started and ended its season with large musicals, plunking another into the middle; it also melded with All of Us Express Children’s Theatre to do a family musical, “The Wizard of Oz.”

But smaller companies also got involved. For two of them, a musical was the season’s only show – “The Little Mermaid” by Midway, “Newsies” by the The Blue Light Players.

The latter turned out to be a winner: The best-director award was a tie between “Newsies” (Helen Hart) and Peppermint Creek’s “The Wild Party” (Ben Cassidy).

Another smaller group also won a musical award: Over the Ledge is a summer-only group; its “The Marvelous Wonderettes” won the Thespie for best ensemble in a musical.

That’s a reminder that the theater season continues through the summer. This weekend, the summer season is concluding at MSU and starting at Lansing Community College (both with free, outdoor shows), while Williamston launches its summer comedy; next month, Over the Ledge returns, following up on last year’s big summer.

“Dancing at Lughnasa” offers an Irish playwright’s bittersweet memory of his mother and aunt,s reaching for love amid despair. It brought Ledges the Thespies for best play and best non-professional director (Mary Job).

Among plays, the award for best director overall went to Tony Caselli, for Williamston Theatre’s “Silent Sky.” The same show brought Katherine Banks the award for best actress in a play.

(The categories are available to anyone. However, if a professional wins, there can be an additional, non-professional winner.)

The Thespies were scattered among a variety of places – 10 different groups had wins – and people. There were frequent contenders like Caselli, Bruce Wade (often billed as Rico Bruce Wade), Chad Swan-Badgero and Laura Croff; and there was relative newcomer Sally Hecksel, making an impact.

Shortly before Peppermint Creek’s “Wild Party” opened, the leading lady became ill. Hecksel had 24 hours to learn the role; she won a special Thespie for the effort ... plus the award as best actress in a musical. It was that kind of year, in Lansing’s music-stuffed season.

The winners

Musicals

Best musical: “Oklahoma,” Michigan State University.

Director: Tie, Ben Cassidy, “The Wild Party,” Peppermint Creek; Helen Hart, “Newsies,” Blue Light Players.

Actress: Sally Hecksel, “The Wild Party,” Peppermint Creek.

Actor: Boris Nikolovski, “Hair,” Lansing Community College.

Supporting actress: Taren Going, “Hairspray,” Riverwalk Theatre.

Supporting actor: Kevin Mazur, “Oklahoma,” MSU.

Featured actress: Janell Hall, “Hairspray,” Riverwalk.

Featured actor: Kevin Craig, “Oklahoma,” MSU.

Choreography: Tie, Karyn Perry, “Wild Party,” Peppermint Creek; Kathryn Mulcahy, “Newsies,” Blue Light.

Music director: Jeff English, “Amour,” MSU Summer Circle.

Ensemble: “The Marvelous Wonderettes” cast (Nicole Martin, Carin McEvoy, Racheal Raymer, Kate Snyder), Over the Ledge.

Plays

Best play: “Dancing at Lughnasa,” Over the Ledge; coming close was “Shakespeare in Love,” Peppermint

Director: Tony Caselli, “Silent Sky,” Williamston Theatre

Director (non-professional): Mary Job, “Dancing at Lughnasa,” Over the Ledge

Actress: Katherine Banks, “Silent Sky,” Williamston.

Actress (non-professional): Taylor Rupp, “These Shining Lives,” Riverwalk.

Actor: Bruce Wade, “Jitney,” Riverwalk.

Supporting actress: Cassie Little, “Noises Off,” Riverwalk.

Supporting actor: Lekeathon Wilson, “Jitney,” Rivewalk; coming close was Ndegwa McCloud, “A Behanding in Spokane,” Riverwalk.

Featured actress: Laura Croff, “Shakespeare in Love,” Peppermint Creek.

Featured actor: Hunter Folleth, “A Behanding in Spokane,” Riverwalk.

Ensemble: Tie: The casts of “Indecent” (seven people), Peppermint Creek; and “Men on Boats” (13 people, counting three roles that were double-cast), MSU.

Either

Best original, local script: “The Same Moon: Lansing,” Peppermint Creek. The Telling Project, led by Jonahan Wei, organized the show, built around the personal stories of Dilli Chapagai, Lana King, Celia Mengran Li, Amelia Rogocka and Yusuf Sultani. It was an encouraging year for new and virtually new shows, including ones at Peppermint Creek, Williamston and Ixion.

Costume design: Chanae Houska, “Shakespeare in Love,” Peppermint Creek.

Set design: Tie: Leroy Cupp, “Noises Off,” Riverwalk; Chad Swan-Badgero, “Shakespeare in Love,” Peppermint Creek.

Scenography: Julie Dodds and Linda Granger, “On Golden Pond,” Starlight.

Media design: Bradley Branam, “Silent Sky,” Williamston.

Media design (non-professional): Blake Bowen: “The Same Moon: Lansing,” Peppermint Creek.

Set dressing: “Freud’s Last Session,” Riverwalk. (Josiah Masvero is credited as overall production designer.)

Properties: Michelle Raymond, “Silent Sky,” Williamson.

Properties (non-professional): “Freud’s Last Session,” Riverwalk. (Josiah Masvero credited as overall production designer).

Lighting design: Daniel Jaworski, “A Wrinkle in Time,” MSU.

Make-up: Sadonna Croff, “Fight Girl Battle World,” Ixion.

Hair design: Lori Bailey-Smith, “Hairspray,” Riverwalk.

Sound design: Quintessa Gallinat, “Silent Sky,” Williamston.

Sound design (non-professional): Joey Lancour, “A Wrinkle in Time,” MSU.

Fight choreography: John Lennox, “Fight Girl Battle World,” Ixion.

Robert Busby Award

Melanie Helton, who has done great things as head of the MSU opera program for two decades. On the musical side, Helton has attracted top-tier students who have gone on to acclaim. And on the theatrical side, her productions have been strong in acting, visuals and more. She has also brought a rich variety of eras and styles. This past season followed Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” with a pairing of two different styles of Italian opera – Rossini’s “La Scala di Seta” and Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi.”

Special awards

Boris Nikolovski and Jimmy McCormick for their delightful work as Boris and Goran, bickering spies who provided fun moments throughout Riverwalk’s “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.”

Frankie Nevin, who excelled in a solo-star turn (“Jackie’s Last Dance”) in Peppermint Creek’s “The Wild Party.”

Sally Hecksel, for stepping into the lead role of “The Wild Party” on 24-hour notice – winning the Thespie for her work there. That was part of a busy year that also included “Jekyll & Hyde,” “Indecent” ... and returning to the ensemble for the second “Wild Party” week.

Logan Moon, for a breakout performance as the Emerald City guard in “The Wizard of Oz,” showing a formidable stage presence at the age of 11.

That “Wizard of Oz” production in general, providing an appealing link between Riverwalk and the All of Us Express Children’s Theatre. All of Us Express has previously done some musicals at Riverwalk, but this was something more – a full melding of both groups, with adults and young performers working onstage and backstage at the Hannah Center.

Peppermint Creek, for again covering a wide range. Alongside its big productions (“The Wild Party,” “Shakespeare in Love”), it linked with MSU and the Broad museum for “Framing Device” and with five local people to tell their stories in “The Same Moon: Lansing.” Its season also had “Indecent” and “Every Brilliant Thing”; it tackled immigration, anti-Semitism, homophobia, censorship and suicide.

And an encouraging increase in the amount of background material available for theatergoers. Several shows – “Indecent,” “Men in Boats,” “The Same Moon: Lansing” and more – had helpful information in their programs or lobbies.

This year’s Thespie committee included Kathy Booth, Bernie Campanella, Elizabeth Cooke, Tim Donal, Cele Friestater, Kelly Gluszewski, Tom Klunzinger, Susan Merkle and Hannah Paff. Mike Hughes chaired, but didn’t vote.