It was RTCC night in Richmond and Theatre VCU was there!

Sunday October 19th was RTCC night (Richmond Theatre Critic's Circle Awards)

Here are all the nominated and the winners - with Theatre VCU highlighted (of course):

Best Direction (Musical): Chase Kniffen, The Color Purple

Robin Arthur, Shrek the Musical

Josh Marin

Penny Ayn Maas, Cabaret

Richard Parison, Fiddler on the Roof

Tom Width, The Drowsy Chaperone

Best Actor (Musical): Josh Marin, The Color Purple

David Benoit, Fiddler on the Roof

Ronnie Brown, Shrek the Musical

Chris Hester, Cabaret

Jason Marks, Shrek the Musical

Jerold Solomon, The Color Purple

Best Actress (Musical): Felicia Curry, The Color Purple

Grey Garrett, Beyond the Rainbow, Swift Creek Mill

Christie Jackson, The Drowsy Chaperone

Nicole Oberleitner, Caberet

Aly Wepplo, Shrek the Musical

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Musical): Doug Schneider, Cabaret

Steve King, The Drowsy Chaperone

Josh Marin, The Wild Party, Firehouse Theatre

Matt Shofner, The Drowsy Chaperone

Scott Wichmann, Olympus on my Mind, Virginia Repertory Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Musical): Jeanie Rule, Cabaret

Carolyn Meade, The Wild Party

Carolyn Minor-Daughtry, The Color Purple

Nicole Oberleitner, The Drowsy Chaperone

Desiree Roots, The Color Purple

Best Musical Direction: Paul Deiss, The Drowsy Chaperone

Kim Fox, Cabaret

Ben Miller, The Color Purple

Ben Miller, The Wild Party

Anthony Smith, Fiddler of the Roof

Best Choreography: Leslie Owens-Harrington, The Color Purple

Robin Arthur, Shrek the Musical

Dennis Clark, The Drowsy Chaperone

Karen Getz, Fiddler on the Roof

Penny Ayn Maas, Cabaret

Best Play: Clybourne Park, Cadence Theatre (collaboration with Virginia Rep)

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Firehouse Theatre (aka ‘Chad Deity’)

Good People, Cadence Theatre (collaboration with Virginia Rep)

Joshua Plant, Chamberlayne Actors Theatre

Quality of Life, HATTheatre

Best Direction (Play): Keri Wormald, Clybourne Park

Anna Johnson, Detroit, Cadence Theatre (collaboration with Virginia Rep)

Anna Johnson, Good People

Kerry McGee, Chad Deity

David Emerson Toney, ‘night, Mother, Firehouse Theatre

Best Actor (Play): Scott Wichmann, Say Goodnight Gracie

Joseph Carlson, A Streetcar Named Desire, Firehouse Theatre

Jeff Cole, Wittenberg, Henley Street/Richmond Shakespeare

Aaron Orensky, Joshua Plant

Alexander Sapp, Grace, TheatreLAB

Best Actress (Play): Catherine Shaffner, ‘night, Mother

Eva DeVirgilis, Hypocrites & Strippers, Richmond Triangle Players

McLean Jesse, Clybourne Park

Katrinah Carol Lewis, Death & the Maiden, Henley Street/Richmond Shakespeare

Dawn A. Westbrook, Good People

Mauricio Marces, Nicklas Aliff, Joe Carlson

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Play): TIE: Mauricio Marces, Chad Deity & Alexander Sapp, Richard III

Andrew Firda, Clybourne Park

Stephen Ryan, The Importance of Being Earnest, Henley Street/Richmond

Shakespeare/Richmond Triangle Players

Alexander Sapp, Tartuffe, Virginia Repertory Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Play): Jacquie O’Connor, Good People

Jennifer Frank, The Dixie Swim Club, Swift Creek Mill

Melissa Johnston Price, Other Desert Cities, Virginia Repertory Theatre

Debra Wagoner, Tartuffe

Raven Wilkes, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henley Street/Richmond Shakespeare

The Ernie McClintock Award for Best Ensemble Acting: The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity

Clybourne Park

Detroit

Grace

Quality of Life

Most Promising Newcomer: TIE Grace Mincks, Beyond the Rainbow & Diego Salinas, Joshua Plant

Isabella Cipolina, The Miracle Worker, Swift Creek Mill

Ally Dodds, Fiddler on the Roof

Brad Frazier, Tartuffe

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design: Geno Brantley, Chad Deity

Joe Doran, The Drowsy Chaperone

Joe Doran, The Color Purple

Lynne M. Hartman, Other Desert Cities

Robert Perry, Fiddler on the Roof

Elizabeth Hopper

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design: Elizabeth Weiss Hopper, Shrek the Musical

Maura Lynch Cravey, The Drowsy Chaperone

Sue Griffin, The Color Purple

Sue Griffin, Fiddler on the Roof

Sue Griffin, Tartuffe

Outstanding Achievement in

Set Design: Ben Burke, Other Desert Cities

Tennessee Dixon, Death & the Maiden

Frank Foster, Cabaret

Ron Keller, Color Purple

Tom Width, The Drowsy Chaperone

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design: Joey Luck, Cabaret

Andrew Craig, Death & the Maiden

Derek Dumais, The Color Purple

Chase Kniffen, Say Goodnight Gracie

Joey Luck, Chad Deity

Opening Night for Amazing Grace in Chicago!!

WOW!

It was a wonderful night in Chicago for Theatre VCU!

Here's what Paul W. Thompson wrote in Broadway World.com:

"Director Gabriel Barre and music director Joseph Church, guided to no small degree by the willingness of producer Carolyn Rossi Copeland to give Smith’s musico-dramatic vision a chance to live, have crafted a complex and moving piece of theater, with thrilling musical moments, stunning visual imagery and roles that actors would give their eyeteeth to sink their molars into. Passion here takes the form of the struggle to live, to love, to be free, to live in peace in community. These are universal themes, and John Newton’s story lends itself well to this passion and these themes."


He also points out:

"exquisite and sexy costumes by Toni-Leslie James"

And references are made to:

"And it’s a highly physical role (gunfights, fistfights, beatings, dancing, falling overboard, all sort of shirts coming on and off)." (Fight Choreography - our own David Leong & Brad Wilcuts.)

Yep, It was a wonderful night - the pictures tell the story!

Brad Willcuts, Ron Keller, David Leong, Josh Quinn (Assistant Costume Designer - MFA 2012)

Brad Willcuts, Ron Keller, Matt Armentrout (Assistant Wig Designer - BFA 2012), David Leong, Josh Quinn

Brad Willcuts, Ron Keller, Gabriel Barre (Director - Theatre VCU Guest Director 2014), David Leong, Josh Quinn

Brad Willcuts, David Leong, Vince Oddo (Fight Captain)

Kudos for Toni-Leslie James from VCU News!

VCU News just posted a wonderful article about Theatre VCU's very own Toni-Leslie James - Director of Costume Design/Tech.

"James joined Theatre VCU in 2007, and she has eagerly shared her vast experience, as well as the attendant prestige and opportunity, with her students and colleagues during her tenure, including hiring them to work with her on productions."

Illustrated with her work from Amazing Grace (previewing in Chicago right now) and Bull Durham (in previews in Atlanta), the article talks about how she is giving our students and alumni opportunities to work on shows bound for Broadway.

In the article J. Theresa Bush (theatre VCU MFA, 2011) says: 
“She works in the business, and she trains us to do so,” Bush said. “She also has an impeccable eye, a spot-on intuition and 40 years of experience working at full tilt. She is a woman of discerning tastes and has the highest standards for herself and everyone in her sphere, and she has elevated me to a level that I did not know I could reach.”

Go HERE and read the complete article

Thank you Toni!

A Little Support and Love for all Things Theatre VCU

The great weekend of Macbeth!! Do not miss this beautiful show. Go here to see some of the photos. 

Take a look at this wonderful video made by the Commonwealth Times!







There's also Chicago where David Leong (Theatre VCU Chair) and Brad Wilcuts (Theatre VCU grad student) are designing and polishing the fight choreography of
Amazing Grace
and Toni-Leslie James (Theatre VCU, Director of Costume Design/Tech) with her crew of Theatre VCU alumni, is putting the finishing touches on the extraordinary costumes for the of Amazing Grace - the pre-Broadway, world premiere.  Opening October 9th!!

 Here are some great random photos of rehearsal work with Brad in the top photo; David and Brad looking on the sailors to the left; and Brad firing rifles below.

Five days until opening in Chicago! You guys must be exhausted!!