Arvada Center sweeps the Henry Awards

June 30, 10:52 AMDenver Theater ExaminerDeb Flomberg

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When the Henry Award nominations were announced, the community was hopeful and optimistic that this would be the year that more theatre across the state would be recognized for their outstanding work. A full 19 different theater companies were nominated in one category or another. Last night, only 4 companies took home a Henry.

The Henry Awards were presented at the Space Theatre in the Denver Center Complex last night. Over all, it was a positive night full of celebration and energy. The hosts, Brian Colonna and Erin Rollman did an admirable job keeping the night moving and infusing comedy and light moments into the night. Of course not all the comic moments landed, but ask Billy Crystal or Conan O’Brian and they’ll tell you that happens to all award show hosts. The entire theatre community came together to celebrate their achievements over the past year, and everyone was ready for a wonderful night. Then the awards were handed out.

The Arvada Center’s Les Miserables took home 12 Henrys, followed by the Denver Center Theatre Company with 6, Shadow Theatre Company took home 2, and PHAMALy took home 1. That’s it. All of the performers, designers, and directors that won awards fully deserved them and Les Miserables certainly was worthy of all the attention. However, last night brought several questions up that I am certainly hoping will be addressed in the coming year with the Colorado Theatre Guild.

Among the top issues was the fact that a large number of the winners from last night did not live in Colorado. These were actors and designers that were brought in to work on various shows. The mission of the Colorado Theatre Guild is to support live theatre in Colorado, yet how is honoring talent that is not part of this community really paying tribute to the vast number of artists that are part of this great state? Should there be a residency requirement? Is it even fair to exclude any show or anyone that isn’t from Colorado? These are questions for which I do not know the answer, however I do know that there must be a solution somehow.

The Henry Awards are here to celebrate excellence in Colorado Theatre, and last night proved that they certainly did just that. However, the great Henry Awards Sweep from the Arvada Center just goes to show that where the money is, the recognition will follow. 9 out of the 9 judges for the Henry Awards saw Les Miserables. But just how many of the judges actually saw Jekyll and Hyde from Performance Now? What about Oklahoma at Town Hall?  Or even Woody Guthrie’s American Song at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival? This was the issue for the past 4 years of the Henry Awards.

The CTG has worked hard to re-vamp the judging process. The new judging system is expanded to include citizen judges and a straight numbers-based ballot system. The result will be that more theatre will be seen, and more shows will be eligible. I applaud the CTG for the effort and the dedication to the future of the awards. The new system is currently in effect for the new Henry season, and next year promises to be different. CTG certainly realizes that the system has been unbalanced and I fully support the CTG in the new judging system and the promise for the future of the Henrys.

What is your opinion of the awards? Post your comment below, let me know what you thought.


Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play
Patrick Collins, Streetcar Named Desire, Vintage Theatre Productions
Mike Hartman, Glengarry Glen Ross, Denver Center Theatre Company
Sean Mellot, Rabbit Hole, Curious Theater Company
Ian Merrill Peakes, Glengarry Glen Ross, Denver Center Theatre Company
Jeffrey Roark, “The Crucible,” Arvada Center

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play
Erica Sarzin-Borrillo, Eccentricities of a Nightingale; Germinal Stage Denver
Michelle Grimes, The Little Foxes, Vintage Theatre Productions
Julie Jesneck, The Trip to Bountiful, Denver Center Theatre Company
Libby Rife, Kimberly Akimbo, Vintage Theatre Productions
Megan Van De Hey, The Skin of Our Teeth, Aurora Fox Arts Center

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical
Leonard Barrett, Side Show, PHAMALY
Stephen Day, Les Miserables, Arvada Center
Wayne Kennedy, Les Miserables, Arvada Center
Jeffrey Roark, Evita, Arvada Center
Markus Warren, Les Miserables, Arvada Center

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical
Amy Board, Les Miserables, Arvada Center
Beth Flynn, Les Miserables, Arvada Center
Valerie Hill, Les Miserables, Arvada Center
Zina Mercel, The Producers, Boulder’s Dinner Theatre
Elizabeth Welch, Les Miserables, Arvada Center

Outstanding Sound Design
El Armstrong, The Skin of Our Teeth, Aurora Fox Arts Center
Ray Berry, A Streetcar Named Desire, Vintage Theatre Productions
Craig Breitenbach, Quilters, Denver Center Theatre Company                               
Brian Freeland, Eurydice, Curious Theatre Company
Steve Stevens, Les Miserables, Arvada Center

Outstanding Lighting Design
Dan Darnutzer, Quilters, Denver Center Theatre Company
Gail J. Gober, Les Miserables, Arvada Center
Shannon McKinney, Curse of the Starving Class, Curious Theatre Company
Shannon McKinney, Eurydice, Curious Theatre Company
Jen Orf, Love Song, Paragon Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design
Sally A. Burkes/Jane Shafer, Les Miserables, Arvada Center
Chris Campbell, Evita, Arvada Center
Brenda King, Morisot Reclining, Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company
Linda Morkin, The Producers, Boulder’s Dinner Theatre
Reyna Von Vett, Leadville or Bust, 1883 Entertainment

Outstanding Scenic Design
Amy Campion, Annie, Boulder’s Dinner Theatre
Michael R. Duran, Eurydice, Curious Theatre Company
Nick Kargel, A Streetcar Named Desire, Vintage Theatre Productions   
David LaFont, Love Song, Paragon Theatre
Brian Mallgrave, Les Miserables, Arvada Center

Outstanding Choreography
Alicia Dunfee, The Producers, Boulder’s Dinner Theater
Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck, Evita, Arvada Center
Kitty Skillman-Hilsabeck, Les Miserables, Arvada Center
Kelly Kates - Oklahoma, Town Hall Arts Center
Debbie Stark/Cindy Bray, Side Show, PHAMALY

Outstanding Ensemble Performance
12 Angry Men, Spotlight Theatre Company
As You Like It, Modern Muse Theatre Company
Glengarry Glen Ross, Denver Center Theatre Company
Les Miserables, Arvada Center
Musketeer, Buntport
Noises Off, Denver Center Theatre Company

Outstanding New Play
Dusty and the Big Bad World, Cusi Cram, Denver Center, Theatre Company
Morisot Reclining, William Kovacsik, Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company
Musketeer, Buntport Company, Buntport Theatre Company
Seal. Stamp. Send. Bang., Buntport Company, Buntport Theatre Company
Sunsets and Margaritas, Jose Cruz Gonzales, Denver Center Theatre Company 

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Play
Gene Gillette, The Crucible, Arvada Center
Cajardo Lindsey, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Shadow Theatre Company
Eric Mather, The Visitor, Miners Alley Playhouse
Christian Mast, Move Over Mrs. Markham, Miners Alley Playhouse
Scott McLean, This is How it Goes, Paragon Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Play
Kathleen M. Brady, A Trip to Bountiful, Denver Center Theatre Company
Gabriella Cavallero, 26 Miles, Curious Theatre Company
Rachel Fowler, Rabbit Hole, Curious Theatre Company
Judy Phelan-Hill, Kimberly Akimbo, Vintage Theatre Productions
Haley Johnson, A Streetcar Named Desire, Vintage Theatre Productions

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Musical
Scott Beyette, The Producers, Boulder’s Dinner Theatre                             
Seth Caikowski, Jekyll and Hyde, Performance Now
Seth Caikowski, Oklahoma, Town Hall Arts Center        
Randal Keith, Les Miserables, Arvada Center
Wayne Kennedy, Annie, Boulder’s Dinner Theatre
Wayne Kennedy, The Producers, Boulder’s Dinner Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical
Jenna Bainbridge, Side Show, PHAMALY
Kathleen M. Brady, Quilters, Denver Center Theatre Company
Regan Linton, Side Show, PHAMALY
Elisa Spencer, Oklahoma, Town Hall Arts Center
Megan Van de Hey, Gypsy, Town Hall Arts Center
Reyna Von Vett, Leadville or Bust, 1883 Productions

Outstanding Production of a Play
Eurydice, Curious Theatre Company
Glengarry Glen Ross, Denver Center Theatre Company
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Shadow Theatre Company
Streetcar Named Desire, Vintage Theatre Productions   
The Miracle Worker, Denver Center Theatre Company

Outstanding Production of a Musical
Les Miserables. Arvada Center
Quilters, Denver Center Theatre Company
Side Show, PHAMALY
The Producers, Boulder’s Dinner Theatre
Woody Guthrie’s American Song, Colorado Shakespeare Festival

Outstanding Direction of a Play
Rick Bernstein, Move Over Mrs. Markham, Miners Alley Playhouse
Craig A. Bond, A Streetcar Named Desire, Vintage Theatre Productions       
A. Lee Massaro, The Crucible, Arvada Center
Jeffrey Nickelson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Shadow Theatre Company
Chip Walton, Euryidice, Curious Theatre Company

Outstanding Direction a Musical
Michael Duran, The Producers, Boulder’s Dinner Theatre
Peter Glazer, Woody Guthrie's American Song, Colorado Shakespeare Festival
Rod A. Lansberry, Les Miserables, Arvada Center   
Penny Metropulos, Quilters, Denver Center Theatre Company                      
Steve Wilson, Side Show, PHAMALY

Outstanding Musical Director
Neal Dunfee, The Producers, Boulder’s Dinner Theatre
Scott Lubinski, Side Show, PHAMALY
David Nehls, Evita, Arvada Center
David Nehls, Les Miserables, Arvada Center
Jeff Waxman, Woody Guthrie’s American Song, Colorado Shakespeare Festival

Outstanding Season for a Theatre Company
Arvada Center
Curious Theatre Company
Denver Center Theatre Company
Paragon Theatre Company
Vintage Theatre Productions