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This has been an extraordinary year for theatre in Los Angeles and, though I attended almost as many productions around town as usual, 2007 signaled a bit of a personal milestone for me as I cut back considerably writing reviews. This was originally due primarily to several excursions away from home, including several trips to Vegas on assignment and extended stays in Orlando and New Orleans, but mostly my hiatus from reviewing was a result of trying to prepare, rehearse and perform in two incredibly demanding productions simultaneously: playing Shelly “The Machine” Levene in Misty Carlisle’s visionary re-mounting of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross at the Egyptian Arena in Hollywood and alternating as the Marchesa Constance Ridgeway-Condotti, better known as the Witch of Capri, in Tennessee Williams’ seldom-produced The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore, directed by the venerated Simon Levy at the Fountain. Appearing in both of these modern classic plays was a highlight for me this year, especially keeping my wits about me playing a desperate Chicago real estate huckster one night and one of the world’s wealthiest and most Fellini-esque women the next. And believe me, if it were not for the obvious lack of objectivity on my part, these two shows would certainly have had several major winners among my choices for this year’s TicketHolder Award honors.

Mickey Birnbaum, Bleed Rail, Theatre @ Boston Court

RUNNERS-UP: Eva Anderson, Wildboy ’74, Bootleg; John Belluso, Pyretown, Playwrights Arena; Alan Bennett, The History Boys, Ahmanson; Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, Jersey Boys, Ahmanson; Theresa Burkhart, Feeding the Monkey in Hollywood, Gardner Stages; David Henry Hwang, Yellow Face, Taper; Neil LaBute, Fat Pig, Geffen; Carolyn Leach, Tryst, Black Dahlia; Tracy Letts, Bug, Coast Playhouse; Lisa Loomer, Distracted, Taper; Richard Montoya and Culture Clash, Zorro in Hell, Montalban; Susan Rubin, Bitch, Bootleg; John Patrick Shanley, Defiance, Pasadena Playhouse; Jeff Whitty, Avenue Q, Ahmanson

Allain Rochel, The Bacchae, Celebration Theatre

RUNNERS-UP: Jeremy Aluma, Ubu the Shit!, Complex; Joel Fields and David Lee, Can-Can, Pasadena Playhouse; Ken Ludwig, Twentieth Century, Lillian; Marsha Norman, The Color Purple, Ahmanson; Tom Stoppard, Heroes, Geffen Playhouse

Maria Gobetti, Kimberly Akimbo, Victory Theatre Center

RUNNERS-UP: Jules Aaron, Master Class, East West Players; Mark Bringelson, Bitch, Bootleg; Jo Bonney, Fat Pig, Geffen; Nicolette Chaffey, No Man’s Land, Theatre/Theater; Adrian A. Cruz, Wildboy ’74, Bootleg; Scott Cummins, Bug, Coast Playhouse; Scott Ellis, Twelve Angry Men, Ahmanson; David Galligan, Out Late, Macha Theatre; Jessica Kubzansky, Bleed Rail, Boston Court; Robin Larsen, Tryst, Black Dahlia; Michael Matthews, The Bacchae, Celebration; Michael Matthews, Beautiful Thing, Celebration; Chuck McCollum, The Rainmaker, Knightsbridge; Coy Middlebrook, Zoo Story, Deaf West; Diane Rodriguez, Pyretown, Playwrights Arena

Todd Graff, “13,” CTG, Mark Taper Forum

RUNNERS-UP: Kay Cole, Mommy! Mommy! The Musical…Musical!, Hudson Backstage; Nick DeGruccio, Zanna, Don’t!, WCE; Ben Donenberg, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare Festival/LA; Gary Griffin, The Color Purple, Ahmanson; James Lapine, The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Wadsworth; David Lee, Can-Can, Pasadena Playhouse; Des McAnuff, Jersey Boys, Ahmanson; Michael Michetti, Paradise Lost, Boston Court;  Jay Willick and James J. Mellon, Bush Is Bad, NoHo Arts Center; Jason Moore, Avenue Q, Ahmanson

Eric Whitacre, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings, Theatre @ Boston Court

RUNNERS-UP: Tim Acito, Zanna, Don’t!, WCE; Jason Robert Brown, “13,” Taper; William Finn, The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Wadsworth; Bob Gaudio, Jersey Boys, Ahmanson; Peter Golub, Come Back, Little Sheba, Douglas; Fiona Hogan and Courtney Kramer, Mental the Musical, Edgemar Center; Philippe LeDuc and Maria Bonzanigo, Corteo, Cirque du Soleil at the Forum; Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, Avenue Q, Ahmanson; Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, The Color Purple, Ahmanson; Joshua Rosenblum, Bush Is Bad, NoHo Arts Center; Gerald Sternbach, Mommy! Mommy! The Musical…Musical!, Hudson Backstage

David O, “13,” CTG, Mark Taper Forum

RUNNERS-UP: Bill Brown, Zanna, Don’t!, WCE; Greg Chun, Paradise Lost, Boston Court; Andrew Graham, Avenue Q, Ahmanson; Michael Lavine, Bush Is Bad, NoHo Arts Center; Philippe LeDuc and Maria Bonzanigo, Corteo, Cirque du Soleil at the Forum; Ron Melrose, Jersey Boys, Ahmanson; Jodie Moore, The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Wadsworth; David O, Man of La Mancha, A Noise Within; Steve Orich, Can-Can, Pasadena Playhouse; Sheilah Walker, The Color Purple, Ahmanson

Patti Colombo, Can-Can, Pasadena Playhouse

RUNNERS-UP: Julie Arenal, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare Festival/LA; Donald Byrd, The Color Purple, Ahmanson; Bubba Carr, Paradise Lost, Boston Court; Kay Cole, Atlanta, Geffen; Dan Knechtges, The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Wadsworth; Michele Lynch, “13,” Taper; Sergio Trujillo, Jersey Boys, Ahmanson

Caleb Terray, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings, Theatre @ Boston Court

RUNNERS-UP: Hugo Armstrong and Dennis Flanagan, Fight Choreography, Bleed Rail, Boston Court; Josh Gordon, Fight Choreography, Gilgamesh, Boston Court; Tim Weske, Can-Can, Pasadena Playhouse

Susan Gratch, Bleed Rail, Theatre @ Boston Court

RUNNERS UP: Christopher Acebo, Zorro in Hell, Montalban; John Lee Beatty, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Ahmanson; Kurt Boetcher, The Bacchae, Celebration; DC2: Danny Cistone and Davis Campbell, Twentieth Century, Lillian; Roy Christopher, Can-Can, Pasadena Playhouse; David Gallo, “13,” Taper; Desma Murphy, Bitch, Bootleg; Karyl Newman, Krapp’s Last Tape / Zoo Story, Deaf West; James Noone, Come Back, Little Sheba, Douglas; Craig Siebels, Tryst, Black Dahlia; Louisa Thompson, Fat Pig, Geffen; Klara Zieglerova, Jersey Boys, Ahmanson

Soojin Lee, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings, Theatre @ Boston Court

RUNNERS-UP: Fontella Boone, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare Festival/ LA; Audrey Fisher, Tryst, Black Dahlia; Randy Gardell, Can-Can, Pasadena Playhouse; Jess Goldstein, Jersey Boys, Ahmanson; Alex Jaeger, Gilgamesh, Boston Court; Shon LeBlanc, Twentieth Century, Lillian; Soojin Lee, Man of La Mancha, Noise Within; Robert Prior, Bleed Rail, Boston Court; A. Jeffrey Schoenberg, Zanna, Don’t!, WCE; Paul Tazewell, The Color Purple, Ahmanson; Christina Wright, As You Like It, LAWSC

Christopher Kuhl, Moonlight, The Lost Studio

RUNNERS-UP: Leigh Allen, Bug, Coast Playhouse; Ken Booth, Man of La Mancha, A Noise Within; Howell Binkley, Jersey Boys, Ahmanson; Lap Chi-Chu, Fat Pig, Geffen; Heather Graff and Richard Peterson, Pyretown, Playwrights Arena; Donald Holder, Matter of Honor, Pasadena Playhouse; Jeremy Pivnik, Gilgamesh, Boston Court; Jeremy Pivnik, Krapp’s Last Tape / Zoo Story, Deaf West; Timothy Swiss, The Bacchae, Celebration; Steven Young, Beautiful Thing, Celebration; Steven Young, Paradise Lost, Boston Court

Martin Carrillo, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings, Theatre @ Boston Court

RUNNERS-UP: Francois Bergeron, Can-Can, Pasadena Playhouse; Colbert S. Davis IV, Fat Pig, Geffen; Duncan Robert Edwards, “13,” Taper; John Gottlieb, George Gershwin Alone, Geffen Playhouse; Brian Hsieh, Atlanta, Geffen; Steve Canyon Kennedy, Jersey Boys, Ahmanson; Lindsay Jones, Bug, Coast Playhouse; Cricket Myers, The Bacchae, Celebration; Cricket Myers and Ryan Poulson, Beautiful Thing, Celebration; Colin Pink and John Gottlieb, The History Boys, Ahmanson; Darron L West, Yellow Face, Taper; John Zalewski, Bitch, Bootleg; John Zalewski, Bleed Rail, Boston Court; John Zalewski, Wildboy ’74, Bootleg

Lyn Gaza, Kirk Hanson, Michael Manning, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings, Theatre @ Boston Court

RUNNERS-UP: Mark Bringelson and Adam Soch, Bitch, Bootleg; Robert Lopez, Avenue Q, Ahmanson; Elaine J. McCarthy, Distracted, Taper; Austin Switser, Gilgamesh, Boston Court; Austin Switser and Ben Taylor, The History Boys, Ahmanson

• The Amazing Jonathan, Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas;
• Patrick Branstetter, Casey Sweeney, and Peter Musante, Blue Man Group,
• Universal Studios, Orlando;
• Corteo, Cirque du Soleil at the Forum;
• Jeremy Lawrence, Everyone Expects Me to Write Another Streetcar, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre, Tennessee Williams Literary Festival, New Orleans;
• The Hollywood Father/Daughter Purity Ball, Acapulco La Cienega;
• Stomp Out Loud, Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas;
• Spamalot, Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas

• Koo Abuali, Dialect Coaching, Beautiful Thing, Celebration;
• Molly Bernstein, James Eblen, David O, Chris Raymond, Charlie Rosen, and Nehemiah Williams, Band, “13,” Taper;
• Paul Bisson, vocals, Corteo, Cirque du Soleil at the Forum;
• Becca Coffman, Hair and Make-up, Paradise Lost, Boston Court;
• Julia Flores, Casting, Paradise Lost, Boston Court;
• Rick Lyon, Puppet Design, Avenue Q, Ahmanson

Darius Ever Truly, 1981-2007

TICKETHOLDER AWARD WINNER 2006

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY

The America Play, Theatre @ Boston Court

In the No-Wonder-Why-I-Don’t-Work-More Department: Spotting a familiar face in the lobby on an opening night at a local theatre, I spent the entire show trying to place how I knew this person. At the reception after the performance, it finally dawned on me who she was and I made my way through the crowd to blurt, “I just figured out how I know you! You sold me those great wool scarves at the gift shop next to the Tamarind last Christmas!” She smiled patiently and answered, “No, Travis, I’m April Webster.” Oy. April Webster is one of most respected casting directors (Lost, Criminal Minds, Alias, Mission Impossible III) in Los Angeles. Need I say more?

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