Nominations for the 12th Annual Column Awards were streamed live over the Internet yesterday afternoon from the Irving Arts Center in Irving, Texas. Brad Stephens received a nomination in the category of Best Actor in a Musical, Non-equity for his performance in last October’s Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical at Greater Lewisville Community Theatre. This is his second Column Award nomination after winning Best Supporting Actor in a Play, Non-equity last year (All My Sons, ICT).
Stephens received the news via text message from good friend and fellow J&H cast-mate Diane Powell while attending a matinee performance of Othello in Albuquerque where his wife, Arlette Morgan, performs as Desdemona. Powell relayed that Morgan had also received a Best Featured Actress nod for the role of Jane Ashton in Brigadoon at Artisan Center Theater. In addition, both Jekyll & Hyde female leads, Courtney Sikora (Lucy Harris) and Michelle Foard (Emma Carew), received nominations as Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. Jaceson Barrus also earned an nomination for Best Lighting Design.
“I’m delighted to find myself in the company of some of the most talented performers in Dallas/Fort Worth,” Stephens said upon receiving the news. “Jekyll & Hyde was the most demanding role I’ve yet tackled and I’m humbled and grateful to receive such recognition. I’m especially happy for my co-stars who truly deserve this honor as does my gifted and supportive wife.”
Jekyll & Hyde was named one of DFW’s best productions of 2010 by John Garcia, Senior Chief Theater Critic and founder of The Column Online. “I was completely blown away by how Director Sharon Veselic and her highly talented cast actually created a fantastic, thrilling, and visually exciting production,” he exclaimed. Garcia also named Stephens, Sikora and Foard among his Breakthrough Performers of the Year. “The trio of leads tore into the score with vocal finesse with a hard working ensemble cresting right along with them in commitment and talent.”
The Column is the creation of professional actor/part time theater critic John Garcia. What began a little over a decade ago as a small email group of theater friends has grown into a major daily entertainment related column with over 19,000 subscribers. The Column Awards annually honors excellence in local theater productions. Additionally, The Column Awards strives to raise funds for the fight against AIDS by primarily contributing to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Finally, The Column Awards is dedicated to developing a love of theater in local youth.
Nominees were selected from a list of eligible productions and individuals by the collective subscribers of the Column throughout the month of January. Subscribers will vote on the nominees in a secondary round of voting beginning today. Winners will be announced at the annual Column Awards Gala on March 14th in the Carpenter Theater at the Irving Arts Center.
The Column Online
In addition, all three Jekyll & Hyde leads – Brad Stephens (Jekyll/Hyde), Courtney Sikora (Lucy) and Michelle Foard (Emma) – were listed in Garcia’s 2010 Breakthrough Performances of the Year. “For me a ‘breakthrough’ performance is one in which I do not see whatsoever the common tics or the ‘usual’ acting craft or tools that an actor has used before in previous performances,” stated Garcia. “I sit in the dark watching an actor go so out of the box and create a performance that I have not see them do before that it leaves me speechless. That’s a break-through performance in my book.”
In his Special Achievement/Recognition category, Garcia named Foard and Sikora as Best Female Vocal Duet for their performance of In His Eyes and praised Sikora as Best Female Vocal Performance with A New Life. “Sikora belted, soared, and glided with extra-ordinary vocal beauty within this solo,” he said. The Frank Wildhorn musical also garnered a nod for Best Scenic & Lighting Design.
Brad Stephens 