We collected over 2,000 votes for our first-ever Reader’s Choice Awards honoring professional theatre. We also honored community theatre.
The nominees were chosen by the editor’s and publisher and then the winners were chosen by the readers of MD Theatre Guide. Voting was collected and analyzed via Survey Monkey, the world’s most reliable and professional survey service in the world. Only one ballot was allowed to be submitted per computer or mobile device.
If you or your theatre won, please email your mailing address to info [at] mdtheatreguide.com so we may mail your certificate to be proudly displayed at home or in your theatres lobby.
Please help us in congratulating all of the nominees and winners!
BEST of 2012:
MD Theatre Guide’s Readers’ Choice Award Nominees and Winners for Professional Theatre
*Winner
1. Best Theatre Company
Centerstage
Everyman Theatre
*Ford’s Theatre
Signature Theatre
Studio Theatre
2. Best Musical
‘The Color Purple’ at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia
‘Dames at Sea’ at Infinity Theatre Company
‘Little Shop of Horrors’ at Olney Theatre Center
‘My Fair Lady’ at Arena Stage
*’1776′ at Ford’s Theatre
3. Best Play
‘August: Osage County’ at Keegan Theatre
‘An Enemy of the People’ at Centerstage
‘Heroes’ at Everyman Theatre
*’Invisible Man’ at Studio Theatre
‘The Whipping Man’ at Theater J
4. Best Children’s Theatre Play/Musical
‘Big, The Musical TYA’ at Adventure Theatre MTC
‘Carnival of the Animals’ at the Puppet Co.
*’The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe’ at Imagination Stage
‘Rumple Who?’ at Bay Theatre Company
‘The Wings of Ikarus Jackson’ at The Kennedy Center’s Family Theater
5. Best Director of a Musical
Peter Flynn for ‘1776’ at Ford’s Theatre
*Toby Orenstein and Lawrence B. Munsey for ‘The Color Purple’ at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia
Eric Shaeffer for ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ at Signature Theatre
Molly Smith for ‘The Music Man’ at Arena Stage
Molly Smith for ‘My Fair Lady’ at Arena Stage
6. Best Director of a Play
*Kwame Kwei-Armah for ‘An Enemy of the People’ at Centerstage
Kasi Campbell for ‘The Temperamentals’ at Rep Stage
Mitchel Hébert for ‘The Illusion’ at Forum Theatre
Donald Hicken for “Heroes’ at Everyman Theatre
Christopher McElroen for ‘Invisible Man’ at Studio Theatre
7. Best Director of a Children’s Theatre Play/Musical
*Michael J. Bobbitt for ‘Big, The Musical TYA’ at Adventure Theatre MTC
Devanand Janki for ‘The Wings of Ikarus Jackson’ at The Kennedy Center’s Family Theater
Janet Stanford for ‘The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe’ at Imagination Stage
Allan Stevens for Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’ at The Puppet Co.
Psalmayene 24 for ‘P. Nokio: A Hip-Hop Musical’ at Imagination Stage
8. Best Performance by Lead Actor in a Musical
*Patrick A’Hearn as Phantom in ‘Phantom’ at Riverside Center Dinner Theater
Brooks Ashmanskas as John Adams in ‘1776’ Ford’s Theatre
Benedict Campbell as Henry Higgins in ‘My Fair Lady’ at Arena Stage
James Gardiner as Seymour in ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ at Olney Theatre Center
Thomas Adrian Simpson as Sherriff Ed Earl Dodd in ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ at Signature Theatre
9. Best Performance by Lead Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin as Marian Paroo in ‘The Music Man’ at Arena Stage
Mary Bridget Davies as Janis Joplin in ‘One Night with Janis Joplin’ at Arena Stage
Sherri L. Edelen as Miss Mona in ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ at Signature Theatre
Danielle Ferland as Baker’s Wife in ‘Into the Woods’ at Centerstage
*Megan Kelley as Ruby in ‘Dames At Sea’ at Infinity Theatre Company
10. Best Performance by Lead Actor in a Play
Teagle F. Bougere as The Invisible Man in ‘Invisible Man’ at Studio Theatre
*Vince Eisenson as Richard in ‘Richard III’ at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
Dion Graham as Dr. Thomas Stockmann in ‘An Enemy of the People’ at Centerstage
Aldo Pantoja as Emory in ‘MilkMilkLemonade’ at Single Carrot Theatre
Brian Sutow, as Jason in ‘Suicide, Incorporated’ at No Rules Theatre Company
11. Best Performance by Lead Actress in a Play
Kelly Renee Armstrong as Alma in ‘Yellowman’ at Rep Stage
Rena Cherry Brown as Violet in ‘August: Osage County’ at Keegan Theatre
Heather Haney as Dana Semenko in ‘Goldfish Thinking’ at Longacre Lea
Beth Hylton as Sarah in ‘Time Stands Still’ at Everyman Theatre
*Holly Twyford as Sarah in ‘Time Stands Still’ at Studio Theatre
12. Best Performance by Lead Actor in Children’s Play/Musical
Parker Drown as Alexander in ‘Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day’ at Adventure Theatre-MTC
Andreu Honeycutt as Ikarus in ‘The Wings of Ikarus Jackson’ at The Kennedy Center’s Family Theater
Greg Maheu as Big Josh in ‘Big, The Musical-TYA’ at Adventure Theatre
Michael Russotto as Mrs. Brewster for ‘The (Mostly True) Adventures of Homer P. Figg’ at The Kennedy Center Family Theater
*Psalmayene 24 as P.Nokio for ‘P.Nokio: A Hip-Hop Musical’ at Imagination Stage
13. Best Performance by Lead Actress in Children’s Theatre Play/Musical
Shayna Blass as Gertrude McFuzz in ‘Seussical’ at Imagination Stage
Maya Brettell as Mary Ingalls in ‘A Little House Christmas’ at Adventure Theatre MTC
Felicia Curry as Rapunzel in ‘Rapunzel’ at Imagination Stage
Paige Hernandez as Graffiti Fairy in ‘P.Nokio: A Hip-Hop Musical’ at Imagination Stage
*Caroline Wolfson as Pinocchio in ‘Pinocchio’ at Red Branch Theatre Company
14. Best Performance by Supporting Actor in a Musical
Christopher Bloch as Benjamin Franklin in ‘1776’ at Ford’s Theatre
Nehal Joshi as Marcellus Washburn in ‘The Music Man’ at Arena Stage
Buzz Mauro as Caesar Rodney in ‘1776’ at Ford’s Theatre
Kevin McAllister as Lional in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s ‘Cinderella’ at Olney Theatre Center
*Nicholas Rodriguez as Freddy Eynsford Hill in ‘My Fair Lady’ at Arena Stage
15. Best Performance by Supporting Actress in a Musical
Madeline Bottari as Shy in ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ at Signature Theatre
Catherine Flye as Mrs. Higgins in ‘My Fair Lady’ at Arena Stage
*Carol Hagy as Fraulein Schneider in ‘Cabaret’ at Riverside Center Dinner Theater
Donna Migliaccio as Stepmother in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s ‘Cinderella’ at Olney Theatre Center
Shayla Simmons as Shug Avery in ‘The Color Purple’ at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia
16. Best Performance by Supporting Actor in a Play
Josh Adams as Young Man ‘The Big Meal’ at Studio Theatre
Conrad Feininger as Alfred P. Doolittle in ‘Pygmalion’ at Washington Stage Guild
Scott McKenzie as K.J. in ‘The Aliens’ at The Studio Theatre
*Bruce Randolph Nelson as Boris Kolenkhov in ‘You Can’t Take It With You’ at Everyman Theatre
Adi Stein as Jared in ‘Body Awareness’ at Theatre J
17. Best Performance by Supporting Actress in a Play
Jessica Aimone as Thyona in ‘Big Love’ at The Hub Theatre
Claire Brownell as Marya in ‘The Government Inspector’ at Shakespeare Theatre Company
E. Faye Butler as Sister Juba in ‘Pullman Porter Blues’ at Arena Stage
Tracey Lynn Olivera as Becky in ‘Bachelorette’ at Studio Theatre
*Brynn Tucker as Princess Isabelle in ‘The Illusion’ at Forum Theatre
18. Best Performance by Supporting Actor in Children’s Play/Musical
*Joe Brack as Smelt in ‘The (Mostly True) Adventures of Homer P. Figg’ by The Kennedy Center Family Theater
Michael John Casey as Professor ‘The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe’ at Imagination Stage
James J. Johnson as Samuel Reed in ‘The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg’ at The Kennedy Center Family Theater
Lawrence Munsey as Mr. MacMillan in ‘Big, The Musical TYA’ at Adventure Theatre MTC
Giovanni Strange as Scaramouch in ‘The Commedia Puss in Boots’ at Maryland Ensemble Theatre
19. Best Performance by Supporting Actress in Children’s Play/Musical
Sandy Bainum as Alexander’s Mother in ‘Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day’ at Adventure Theatre MTC
Ayanna Hardy as The Sour Kangaroo in ‘Seussical’ at Imagination Stage
Susan Porter as Lorenzo in ‘Pinocchio’ at Red Branch Theatre Company
*Morgann Rose as White Witch in ‘The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe’ at Imagination Stage
Tiajuana Rountree as The Nasty Queen in ‘Rumple Who?’ at Bay Theatre Company
20. Best Solo Performer
Mike Daisey in ‘The Agony and The Ecstasy of Steve Jobs’ at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Kathryn Kelley in ‘The Belle of Amherst’ at Bay Theatre Company
Paul Morella in ‘A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas’ at Olney Theatre Center
Nick Olcott as James Beard in ‘I Love to Eat’ at Round House Theatre
*Kathleen Turner as Molly Ivins in ‘Red Hot Patriot: The Kick A*s Wit of Molly Ivins’ at Arena Stage
21. Best Musical Direction of a Production
Jenny Cartney for ‘Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris’ at MetroStage
Lawrence Goldberg for “The Music Man” at Arena Stage
Gabriel Mangiante for ‘Brother Russia’ at Signature Theatre
Paul Sportelli for “My Fair Lady” at Arena Stage
*Christopher Youstra for “The Color Purple” at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia
22. Best Choreography of a Production
Parker Esse for ‘The Music Man’ at Arena Stage
Karma Camp for ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ at Signature Theatre
*Randy Skinner for “Dames at Sea” at Infinity Theatre Company
Christen Svingos for ‘Hairspray’ at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore
Irina Tsikurishvili for ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ at Synetic Theater
Septime Webre and David Palmer for ‘The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe’ at Imagination Stage
23. Best Set Design of a Production
Tony Cisek for ‘The Taming of The Shrew’ at Folger Theatre
Milagros Ponce de Leon for ‘Rapunzel’ at Imagination Stage
David A. Hopkins for ‘Hairspray’ at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore
Aaron P. Mastin for ‘Phantom’ at the Riverside Dinner Theater
*Eric Van Wyk for ‘The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe’ at Imagination Stage
24. Best Costume Design of a Production
*Judith Bowden for ‘My Fair Lady’ at Arena Stage
Maggie Cason for ‘The Comedy of Errors’ at Annapolis Shakespeare Company
Candice Donnelly for ‘Into the Woods’ at Centerstage
Murell Horton for ‘The Government Inspector’ at Shakespeare Theatre Company
Frank Labovitz for ‘Dreamgirls’ at Signature Theatre
25. Best Lighting Design of a Production
*Colin K. Bills for ‘The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe’ at Imagination Stage
Andrew F. Griffin ‘Home of the Soldier’ at Synetic Theater
Andrew F. Griffin ‘Big the Musical TYA’ at Adventure Theatre
Dan Covey for ‘The Temperamentals’ at Rep Stage
Jennifer Schriever for ‘Conference of the Birds’ at Folger Theatre
26. Best Sound Design of a Production
Christopher Baine for ‘The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity’ at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Jonathan Boulden for ‘Cymbeline’ at Annapolis Shakespeare Company
*Nick Hernandez for ‘P.Nokio: A Hip-Hop Musical’ at Imagination Stage
Matthew Neilson for ‘I Love to Eat’ at Round House
Matt Rowe for ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ at Signature Theatre
27. Best Ensemble of a Musical
‘Avenue Q’ at Red Branch Theatre Company
‘Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson’ at Studio Theatre
‘The Color Purple’ at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia
‘Little Shop of Horrors’ at Olney Theatre Center
*’My Fair Lady’ at Arena Stage
28. Best Ensemble of a Play
‘The Big Meal’ at Studio Theatre
*‘The Government Inspector’ at Shakespeare Theatre Company
‘Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play’ at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
‘The Temperamentals’ at Rep Stage
‘The Whipping Man’ at Centerstage
29. Best Ensemble of a Children’s Play/Musical
‘Big, The Musical TYA’ at Adventure Theatre MTC
*‘Hopa Tropa Kukerica!’ at Ambassador Theater
‘The (Mostly True) Adventures of Homer P. Figg’ at The Kennedy Center Family Theater
‘The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe’ at Imagination Stage
‘Seussical’ at Imagination Stage
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