‘Boston, MA, April 9th, 2019 – Global Creatures’ Broadway-bound Moulin Rouge and the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of Man in the Ring were the big winners at the 23rd Annual IRNE Awards, as the two productions garnered a dozen awards between them. Moulin Rouge took home seven awards, including Best Musical and New Musical in the Large Stage category, and Man in the Ring was honored with five, including the Best Play, Director, and Actor awards. Moonbox Productions’ Cabaret earned a half-dozen awards, including Best Musical, and Best Director and Choreography awards for its director, Rachel Bertone.
The Huntington Theatre led all companies with 10 awards, including Best Actor (Man in the Ring, John Douglas Thompson), Best Actress (Lisa Banes, The Niceties), and Best Solo Performance, (Haneefah Wood, Bad Dates). Moulin Rouge took home seven awards, including the lion’s share of the creative awards (Set, Sound, and Costume Design), and Ogunquit Playhouse’ An American in Paris made a strong showing with Best Director and Choreography awards for its director, Jeffry Denman, and Best Actress/Musical for Julie Eicher.
Speakeasy Stage outpaced all Small Stage companies with nine awards, including five for Between Riverside and Crazy, including Best Director for Tiffany Nichole Greene, Best Actor for Tyrees Allen, and Best Supporting Actress for Celeste Oliva. The Best Actress award went to Jennifer Ellis for Shakespeare In Love, also a Speakeasy Production. Gloucester Stage Company earned a single win, but it was a significant one, as they took home the Best Play Small Stage award for Dancing at Lughnasa. Eddy Cavazos won for Best Actor/Musical for Lyric Stage’s production of Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Yewande Odetoyinbo won Best Supporting Actress/Musical for Breath & Imagination, aLyric Stage/Front Porch Arts Collective collaboration.
The evening was a bittersweet one for Artistic Director David Miller of Zeitgeist Stage, which will be ceasing operations at the end of this season. The company earned Best Play and Best Director (Miller) awards for Love! Valour! Compassion! in the Fringe category, and Dave Anderson won Best Actor for his work in the production. Christine Power was awarded the Best Actress honor for her work in Flat Earth’s Delicate Particle Logic.
!!!!!!!!!!THE WINNERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2019 IRNE Winners – Small Stage
Best New Play
Ripe Frenzy, Jennifer Barclay, New Repertory Theatre/ Boston Center for American Performance
Best Set Design
Eric D. Diaz, Between Riverside and Crazy, SpeakEasy Stage
Best Costume Design
Marian Bertone, Cabaret, Moonbox Productions
Best Lighting Design
Jeff Adelberg, Frankenstein,Nora Theatre & Underground Railway Theater
Best Projection Design
Johnathan Carr, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Lyric Stage
Best Sound Design
David Wilson, Frankenstein, The Nora Theatre & Underground Railway Theater
Best Choreography
Rachel Bertone, Cabaret, Moonbox Productions
Best Solo Performance
Adrianne Krstansky, Every Brilliant Thing, SpeakEasy Stage
Ensemble
Fun Home, Speakeasy Stage
Best Supporting Actress–Play–Fringe
Kerline Desir, For Colored Girls, Praxis Stage
Best Supporting Actor–Play–Fringe
Bob Mussett, The Nether, Flat Earth Theatre
Best Actress–Play–Fringe
Christine Power, Delicate Particle Logic, Flat Earth
Best Actor–Play–Fringe
David Anderson, Love! Valour! Compassion! Zeitgeist Stage
Supporting Actress–Play–Midsize
Celeste Oliva, Between Riverside and Crazy,SpeakEasy Stage
Best Supporting Actor–Play–Midsize
Alejandro Simoes, Between Riverside and Crazy, SpeakEasy Stage
Best Actress–Play–Midsize
Jennifer Ellis, Shakespeare In Love, SpeakEasy Stage
Best Actor–Play–Midsize
Tyrees Allen, Between Riverside and Crazy, SpeakEasy Stage
Best Supporting Actress–Musical
Yewande Odetoyinbo, Breath & Imagination,Lyric Stage/Front Porch Arts Collective
Best Supporting Actor– Musical
Nick Dussault, Wig Out! Company One & A.R.T.
Best Actress–Musical
Aimee Doherty, Cabaret, Moonbox Productions
Best Actor – Musical
Eddie Cavazos, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Lyric Stage
Music Director
Dan Rodriguez, Cabaret, Moonbox Productions
Best Director–Play–Fringe
David Miller, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Zeitgeist Stage
Best Director–Play–Midsize
Tiffany Nichole Greene, Between Riverside and Crazy, Speakeasy Stage
Best Director–Musical
Rachel Bertone, Cabaret, Moonbox Productions
Best Musical
Cabaret, Moonbox Productions
Best Play–Fringe
Love! Valour! Compassion! Zeitgeist Stage
Best Play–Midsize
Dancing at Lughnasa, Gloucester Stage
Best Young Performer
Marissa Simeqi, Fun Home,SpeakEasy Stage
2019 IRNE Winners – Large Stage
Best New Play
The Niceties, Eleanor Burgess, Huntington Theatre Company
Best New Musical
Moulin Rouge!, Global Creatures, Emerson Colonial Theatre
Best Set Design
Derek McLane, Moulin Rouge!, Global Creatures, Emerson Colonial Theatre
Best Costume Design
Catherine Zuber, Moulin Rouge!, Global Creatures, Emerson Colonial Theatre
Best Lighting Design
Ben Stanton, Man In The Ring,Huntington Theatre Company
Best Sound Design
Peter Hylenski, Moulin Rouge!, Global Creatures, Emerson Colonial Theatre
Best Projection Design
Peter Nigrini & Dan Scully, Man In The Ring,Huntington Theatre Company
Best Choreography
Jeffry Denman, An American in Paris, Ogunquit Playhouse
Best Solo Performance
Haneefah Wood, Bad Dates, Huntington Theatre Company
Best Ensemble
Born for This, ArtsEmerson
Best Supporting Actress-Musical
Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill, American Repertory Theatre
Best Supporting Actor-Musical
Danny Burstein, Moulin Rouge!, Global Creatures, Emerson Colonial Theatre
Best Actress-Musical
Julie Eicher, An American In Paris, Ogunquit Playhouse
Best Actor-Musical
Davóne Tines, The Black Clown, American Repertory Theatre
Best Supporting Actress-Play
Toccarra Cash, Skeleton Crew, Huntington Theatre Company
Best Supporting Actor-Play
Gordon Clapp, Man in the Ring, Huntington Theatre Company
Best Actress-Play
Lisa Banes, The Niceties, Huntington Theatre Company
Best Actor-Play
John Douglas Thompson, Man In the Ring, Huntington Theatre Company
Best Music Director
Cian McCarthy, Moulin Rouge!, Global Creatures, Emerson Colonial Theatre
Best Visiting Production-Large
Hamilton, Broadway in Boston
Best Visiting Actress
Hannah Cruz, Hamilton, Broadway in Boston
Best Visiting Actor
Ollie West, Hamnet, ArtsEmerson
Best Director-Musical
Jeffry Denman, An American In Paris, Ogunquit Playhouse
Best Director-Play
Michael Greif, Man In the Ring, Huntington Theatre Company
Best Musical
Moulin Rouge!, Global Creatures, Emerson Colonial Theatre
Best Play
Man In the Ring, Huntington Theatre Company
Best Young Performer
Jake Ryan Flynn, Peter Pan, North Shore Music Theatre
