By Kevin Zimmerman
Anyone who lives outside the New York City area may wonder why someone who is a Metro Card swipe away from Broadway would bother to see a production of “Seussical: The Musical” in Middle Village. Well, according to Queens theater buffs, skipping that show at the JC Players would have meant missing out on an incredible theatrical experience.
JC Players’ production of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s musical mash-up of several books by Dr. Seuss, including “Horton Hears a Who” and “The Cat in the Hat,” cleaned up at TimesLedger Newspapers’ annual Queens Kudos Awards for excellence in theater.
Besides earning the top prize for best musical, “Seussical: The Musical” received honors for best actor, best actress, best supporting actress, best director and best costumes.
For this third edition of the Queens Kudos, TimesLedger Newspapers solicited nominations from its readers to include more productions than just the Actors Equity-approved showcases that run mostly in Long Island City and Astoria — those shows will receive their due with a second round of Kudos to be awarded in May.
As for eligibility, the only requirements stipulated that a show must have opened between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 and run a minimum of three performances.
Once the top vote getters in the nomination process were selected, readers were asked to select one winner in each of nine categories through a voting process at the Queens on Cue blog.
Shows from across the borough were acknowledged with nominations. Most were recent Broadway hits, like Parkside Player’s “Urinetown,” others were the old chestnuts, such as Maggie Little Theater’s “Oklahoma,” which thrive in the community theater arena.
And even The Bard was represented with multiple nominations from Hip to Hip Theatre Co.’s productions of “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and “The Merchant of Venice.”
On the following pages, you will find the names and photographs of the 2016 Queens Kudos community theater award winners.
The slate includes musical, play, actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, director, costumes and set design.
Nominees are listed below, and winners are in bold type:
Musical
“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” Theatre by the Bay
“Oklahoma!,” Maggie’s Little Theater
“The Pajama Game,” Parkside Players
•“Seussical: The Musical,” JC Players
“Urinetown,” Parkside Players
Play
“The Merchant of Venice,” Hip to Hip
“The Merry Wives of Windsor,” Hip to Hip
“Three Sisters: Tulsa 1921,” The Applied Theatre Collective
•“Vanities,” Parkside Players
Actor
Doug Hendel,“The Merry Wives of Windsor”
Frank Josephs, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”
Jason Marr, “The Merry Wives of Windsor”
•Alan Perkins, “Seussical: The Musical”
Actress
•Alicia Brosky, “Seussical: The Musical”
Joy Marr, “The Merry Wives of Windsor”
Emily Mathis, “Oklahoma!”
Michele Mazzocco, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”
Supporting Actress
Annice Auriemma, “Oklahoma!”
Jenna Kantor, “Urinetown”
Evangelia Kingsley, “The Merchant of Venice”
•Julia Marshall, “Seussical: The Musical”
Supporting Actor
Donald Gormanly, “Lucky Stiff”
Kurt Kingsley, “The Merchant of Venice”
Joe Paciullo, “Oklahoma!”
•Guy Ventoliere, “The Merry Wives of Windsor”
Director
•Barbara Auriemma, “Seussical: The Musical”
Murray McGibbon, “The Merry Wives of Windsor”
David Mold, “The Merchant of Venice”
Ovi Vargas, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”
Set Design
•“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” John Baratta, John Palmieri and Barry Stein
“Oklahoma!,” Alan Perkins, Michael Tierney and Ed Voyer
“Urinetown,” John O’Hare
Costumes
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” Chery Maniello
“Oklahoma!,” Miriam Denu
•“Seussical: The Musical,” JC Players cast and crew
“Urinetown,” Parkside Players cast and crew
