“Amadeus,” Bainbridge Performing
Arts‘ ambitious winter-spring 2016 production, has been
recognized by the South Sound Critics Association
as the “Best Play” of their 2015-16 season.
“Amadeus,” directed by Kate Carruthers and
featuring an award-winning Supporting Actor performance by
Luke Walker (Mozart) and a nominated Lead Actor
effort by Nelsen Spickard (Salieri), was one of
two BPA offerings nominated for “Best Play,” along with the 2015
holiday-season production of “Mary Poppins.”
The production, which the Kitsap Sun’s review called “rich and
incredibly detailed,” featured an evocative set by Will
Langemack, period costumes by Barbara
Klingberg and atmospheric lighting by Tess
Malone, is technically a non-musical. It does feature a
soundtrack of music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and other composers
of the era, but normally is perfor
med with that
soundtrack pre-recorded.
That’s where the ambition comes in. BPA employed a chamber
orchestra, with fresh orchestration by Jon
Brenner, and a choir/ensemble, both live on stage with
pianists Josh Anderson (the musical director) and
Elizabeth Faye.
BPA’s “Amadeus,” according to the Sun’s review, was “crisp and
comprehendable, draped in luxurious visuals and accompanied by
exquisite playing and singing throughout.”
(For the record, the Sun and its theater reviewer, Michael
C. Moore, are not affiliated with South Sound Critics Association.
The Sun annually publishes its own “best of” survey, but culls its
nominees from the calendar year — January to December — instead of
the fall-to-spring theater season. The Sun will run its “best of”
compilation at the end of 2016.)
Shannon Burch, a frequent contributor at
Paradise Theatre, won Best Actress honors for her role in the Gig
Harbor company’s “Next to Normal.” The chamber musical was another
Best Play nomination, and also earned a Supporting Actor nomination
for Taylor Herbstritt and a Supporting Actress nod
for Ashley Roy.
Spickard was one of three actors with Kitsap
ties to earn Best Actor nominations. The others were Pete
Benson (for BPA’s recent “Bard at Bloedel” production of
“Much Ado About Nothing“) and Jeffrey
Bassett (for Paradise’s “Scrooge the
Musical“).Joseph Grant, playing Willie Loman in the
Lakewood Playhouse’s “Death of a Salesman,” was the Best Actor
honoree.
Lisa Mandelkorn, who played the title role in
BPA’s “Mary Poppins,” joined Burch among the Best Actress nominees.
Jenna McRill, who’s appeared in several shows at
Paradise, was a Best Actress nominee for her title-role performane
in “Romeo and Juliet” at Tacoma’s New Muses Theatre.
Bremerton’s Diana George was a Supporting
Actress nominee for the Lakewood Players’ production of “Noises
Off!”
Other best play nominees came from Tacoma Little Theatre
(“Second Samuel”), Lakewood Players (“Death of a Salesman”) and
Tacoma Musical Playhouse (“Mary Poppins”).
— MM
