Cream of the Crop

Local critics have put their heads – and pens – together to recognize the year's most exceptional work in theatre, dance, classical music, and visual art. The nominations for the 2005-2006 Austin Critics Table Awards, covering the period from May 1, 2005, to April 30, 2006, were assembled by an informal affiliation of arts writers, consisting of the Austin American-Statesman's Michael Barnes (arts), Jamie Smith Cantara (theatre/music), Clare Croft (dance), Randy Harriman (music), Erin Keever (visual art), Sondra Lomax (dance), David Mead (music), Tommy O'Malley (theatre), Joey Seiler (theatre), Jeanne Claire van Ryzin (arts), and Holly Williams (dance); and the Chronicle's Elizabeth Cobbe (theatre), Heather Barfield Cole (theatre), Rachel Koper (visual art), Nikki Moore (visual art), Barry Pineo (theatre), and Robert Faires (arts). The Critics Table will present the awards and induct the fifth class of local legends into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame during an as-ever informal ceremony on Monday, June 5, 7pm, at the Cap City Comedy Club, 8120 Research. The public is welcome. Admission is free.

Production, Drama

Cymbeline, Spotlight Music Theatre Ensemble

The Evidence of Silence Broken, Hyde Park Theatre

Hamlet, Austin Shakespeare Festival

A Human Interest Story, dirigo group

Static, Salvage Vanguard Theater

Where Are They Now?, Shrewd Productions

Production, Comedy

American Fiesta, State Theater Company

Decameron Day 7: REVENGE, Rude Mechs

The Intergalactic Nemesis: Twin Infinity, Salvage Vanguard Theater

Keepin' It Weird, Zachary Scott Theatre Center

Match-Play, Rude Mechanicals

The Rover, Texas State University-San Marcos

The Three Cuckolds, Tongue and Groove Theatre

Production, Musical

Americamisfit, Salvage Vanguard Theater

Annie Get Your Gun, Zilker Theatre Productions

Batboy: The Musical, Naughty Austin/Arts on Real

Holes Before Bedtime, Rubber Repertory

The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Austin Playhouse

Urinetown: The Musical, Zachary Scott Theatre Center

Director, Drama

Corey Atkins, Aisle 7

Lowell Bartholomee, A Human Interest Story

Ron Berry, Up in the Old Hotel

Dave Steakley, The Exonerated

Cyndi Williams, Where Are They Now?

Dustin Wills, Cymbeline

Director, Comedy

Michael Costello, The Rover

Karen Jambon, The Playboy of the Western World

Christina J. Moore, American Fiesta

Shawn Sides, Match-Play/Decameron Day 7: REVENGE

Dave Steakley, Keepin' It Weird

David Yeakle, The Three Cuckolds

Director, Musical

Rod Caspers, A Man of No Importance

Matt Hislope and Josh Meyers, Holes Before Bedtime

Scott Schroeder, Annie Get Your Gun

Dave Steakley, Urinetown: The Musical

Don Toner, The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Blake Yelavich, Batboy: The Musical

Actress, Drama

Babs George, Richard III

Shannon Grounds, Where Are They Now?

Kelsey Kling, The Glory of Living

T. Lynn Mikeska, Where Are They Now?

April Perez, Cymbeline

Actress, Comedy

Lee Eddy, The Intergalactic Nemesis: Twin Infinity/The Santaland Diaries

Babs George, The Way of the World/House

Heather Hanna, Pale Idiot

Kelsey Kling, Chopper

Lana Lesley, Match-Play

Shawn Sides, Match-Play

Actress, Musical

Jill Blackwood, The Mystery of Edwin Drood/Urinetown: The Musical

Elizabeth Doss, Americamisfit

Laura Powell, Annie Get Your Gun

Melissa Vogt, Vampyress

Larissa Wolcott, Batboy: The Musical

Actor, Drama

Mark Banks, King Hedley II

Joey Hood, The Glory of Living

Michael Joplin, Cymbeline

Zell Miller III, The Evidence of Silence Broken

Guy Roberts, Hamlet

Brent Werzner, Static

Actor, Comedy

Marc Balester, The Beard of Avon

Jason Liebrecht, Get Your War On/Decameron Day 7: REVENGE!

Jason Newman, The Three Cuckolds

Barney O'Hanlon, Match-Play

Scott Tesh, The Playboy of the Western World/The Beard of Avon

Steven Tomlinson, American Fiesta

Actor, Musical

Tom Parker, The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Tyler Rhodes, Batboy: The Musical

Rick Roemer, The Mystery of Edwin Drood/A Man of No Importance

Dan Sullivan, Annie Get Your Gun

Brent Werzner, Americamisfit

Travis York, Americamisfit

Supporting Actress, Drama

Kimberly Adams, Aisle 7

Chase Crossno, Cymbeline

Heather Hanna, A Human Interest Story

Gina Houston, King Hedley II

Anne Hulsman, Where Are They Now?

Karen Kuykendall, Bent

Supporting Actress, Comedy

Anastasia Coon, The Summer People

Jenny Larson, The Intergalactic Nemesis: Twin Infinity

Bernadette Nason, The Rivals/The Odd Couple

Kate Roberts, Twelfth Night (State Theatre)

Dorcas Sowunmi, The Summer People

Nikki Zook, Appointment With Death/Twelfth Night (Onstage)

Supporting Actress, Musical

Denice Brooks, Black Nativity

Meredith McCall, Urinetown: The Musical

Kristine Olson, Holes Before Bedtime

Toni Smith, Batboy: The Musical

Supporting Actor, Drama

Ken Bradley, The Glory of Living

Michael Costello, Hamlet

Dan Dietz, A Human Interest Story

Ev Lunning Jr., Antigone

Brandon Potter (Joe "The Kid" O'Hare), Aisle 7

Matthew Radford, Richard III

Supporting Actor, Comedy

Tom Byrne, Twelfth Night (State Theatre)

Robert Matney, The Rivals

Nathan Osburn, Durang Durang

Steve Shearer, The Way of the World/Twelfth Night (State Theatre)

Michael Stuart, Twelfth Night (Onstage)

Cole Wimpee, The Playboy of the Western World

Supporting Actor, Musical

Frank Benge, Holes Before Bedtime

Jamie Goodwin, Urinetown: The Musical

Jason Newman, Americamisfit

Marc Pouhé, Urinetown: The Musical

Scott Shipman, Annie Get Your Gun/Urinetown: The Musical

Cole Wimpee, Holes Before Bedtime

Ensemble Performance

Decameron Day 7: REVENGE, Rude Mechanicals

Keepin' It Weird, Zachary Scott Theatre Center

Match-Play, Rude Mechanicals

The Rover, Texas State University-San Marcos

The Three Cuckolds, Tongue and Groove Theatre

Up in the Old Hotel, Refraction Arts

David Mark Cohen New Play Award

"Alternate Routes to the Crossroads," Hank Schwemmer

Americamisfit, Dan Dietz

American Fiesta, Steven Tomlinson

Decameron Day 7: REVENGE, Kirk Lynn

The Evidence of Silence Broken, Zell Miller III

"Hope Is for Little Girls," Dan Dietz

Keepin' It Weird, Dave Steakley

Original Script, Adaptation

Cymbeline, Dustin Wills

Get Your War On, Kirk Lynn

Going After Cacciato, Romulus Linney

Match-Play, Kirk Lynn

Up in the Old Hotel, Ron Berry, et al.

Musical Direction

Content Love Knowles, Bent

Michael McKelvey, The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Allen Robertson, Urinetown: The Musical

Dennis Whitehead, Batboy: The Musical

Movement

Shannon Bivens, Dustin Wills, Kirstin Grbrschmick, Alex Wood, Cymbeline

Humdrum Collective, Past Present Future Tense

Robin Lewis, Urinetown: The Musical

Rude Mechanicals, Match-Play

Judy Thompson-Price, Annie Get Your Gun

Scenic Design

Ann Marie Gordon, Dark Goddess 2006/Vampyress

Christopher McCollum, American Fiesta/Twelfth Night (State Theatre)/Dialogues of the Carmelites

Michael Raiford, Keepin' It Weird/Urinetown: The Musical

Chase Staggs, Whispers of Heaven

Leilah Stewart, Match-Play/Up in the Old Hotel

Don Toner/Michael Stuart, House and Garden

Costume Design

Susan Branch, Annie Get Your Gun/Urinetown: The Musical

Amy Burrell, "Night of Four Moons"

Laura Cannon, Whispers of Heaven/Match-Play/Americamisfit/Antigone/"Snake Rock"

Sheila Hargett, The Rover

Sarah Lankenau, Keepin' It Weird

Christopher McCollum, Twelfth Night (State Theatre)

Lighting Design

Jason Amato, Whispers of Heaven/Keepin' It Weird/Vampyress/Urinetown: The Musical/Dark Goddess 2006/The Exonerated

Amarante Lucero, Season Finale

David Nancarrow, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk/Don Giovanni

John Ore, Twelfth Night (State Theatre)

Brian Scott, Match-Play

Tony Tucci, New American Talent/Dance/Director's Choice/Evolution

Sound Design

Craig Brock, Urinetown: The Musical

Robert S. Fisher, Match-Play/Decameron Day 7: REVENGE

K. Eliot Haynes, Where Are They Now?

Ken Huncovsky, Twelfth Night (State Theatre)

William Meadows, Whispers of Heaven

Buzz Moran, Static

Cabaret or Theatrical Concert

Carol Channing, Austin Cabaret Theatre

Debbie Gravitte, Austin Cabaret Theatre

Karen Mason, Austin Cabaret Theatre

Sandra Reeves-Phillips, Austin Cabaret Theatre

Touring Show, Theatre

Margaret Cho: "Assassin Tour" UT-PAC

Exposed: Experiments in Love, Sex, Death & Art, Annie Sprinkle and Elizabeth Stephens, Vortex Repertory Company

Kathy Griffin, Paramount Theatre

Movin' Out, Broadway in Austin/UT-PAC

Touring Show, Dance

Contact, Paramount Theatre

Diavolo, Paramount Theatre

Vincent Mantsoe, Dance Umbrella

Boyzie Cekwana's Floating Outfit, Dance Umbrella

Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Pro Arts Collective

Paradigm Dance, UT-PAC

Dance Concert

Carmina Burana, Ballet Austin

Director's Choice/Evolution, Ballet Austin

The Narrows, Sheep Army/Elsewhere Dance Theater

New American Talent/Dance, Ballet Austin

Season Finale, Sharir + Bustamante Danceworks

Whispers of Heaven, Blue Lapis Light

Choreographer

José Luis Bustamante, "Night of Four Moons"/"Court Dance"/"Snake Rock"

Thang Dao, "Stepping Ground"

Thaddeus Davis, "Majestic Days and Fervent Nights"

Sally Jacques, Whispers of Heaven

Stephen Mills, "Red Roses"

Allison Orr, "Expectancy Suite"

Dancer, Female

Theresa Hardy, Whispers of Heaven/"Snake Rock"

Inga Lujerenko, Swan Lake

Michelle Nance, "Accumulation: From 2 to 3"

Allisyn Paino, Carmina Burana/"Savoir Vivre"

Gina Patterson, Carmina Burana/"InsideOut"/"Desire/Three Movements"

Andee Scott, Whispers of Heaven/"Sola"

Dancer, Male

Paul Michael Bloodgood, Carmina Burana

José Luis Bustamante, "Seven Artifices"

Jason Janas, JASS

Eric Midgley, Carmina Burana/"InsideOut"/"Desire/Three Movements"

Matt Shields, JASS

Frank Shott, Carmina Burana

Symphonic Performance

Glazunov: Violin Concerto, Austin Symphony with Hilary Hahn

Rautavaara: Cantus Arcticus, Austin Symphony

Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1, Austin Symphony with Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5, UT Symphony

Welcher: Symphony No. 4 ("American Visionary"), UT Wind Ensemble

Poulenc: Organ Concerto/Brahms: Symphony No. 1, UT Symphony

Chamber Performance

Jupiter String Quartet, Austin Chamber Music Festival

Miró Quartet, 10th Anniversary Season Premiere, UT-PAC

Mundi, Cactus Cafe

Anton Nel, Faculty Artist Recital, UT School of Music

Texas Piano Quartet, Debut Performance, UT School of Music

Choral Concert

Carmina Burana, Austin Symphony Orchestra, Conspirare, Conspirare Children's Choir

Christmas at the Carillon, Conspirare

Monteverdi: Vespers of the Blessed Virgin, 1610, Schola Cantorum, Texas Early Music Project

Perpetual Light, Conspirare

Wondrous Journey, Conspirare, Conspirare Children's Choir

Opera

Dialogues of the Carmelites, UT Opera Theatre

Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Austin Lyric Opera

Singer, Female

Brenda Harris, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

Kathlene Ritch Brown, Vespers of the Blessed Virgin, 1610

Linda Mabbs, Shadow & Light

Nina Revering, Wondrous Journey

Keely Rhodes, Dialogues of the Carmelites

Monica Yunus, Don Giovanni

Singer, Male

Nathan Berg, Don Giovanni

Tom Fox, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

Brandon Jovanovich, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

Christopher LeCluyse, Vespers of the Blessed Virgin, 1610

Scott Ramsay, Don Giovanni

Original Composition

Brent Michael Davids: Tinnitus Quartet, Miró Quartet

Donald Grantham, Music for the Blanton, Blanton Museum of Art

Tim Kerr, "First Song for Kathy," Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company

Kevin Puts, Red Snapper Quintet, Texas Piano Quartet

Dan Welcher: Symphony No. 4 ("American Visionary"), UT Wind Ensemble

Travis Weller: For Strings, Winds, and Intonarumori, New Music Co-op

Museum Exhibition

"Ansel Adams: A Legacy," Harry Ransom Center

"New Art in Austin: 22 to Watch," Austin Museum of Art

"The Gospel of Lead: Dario Robleto and Jeremy Blake," Arthouse

"New Now Next," Blanton Museum of Art

"Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Würth Collection," Austin Museum of Art

"Paul Chan: Present Tense," Blanton Museum of Art

Solo Gallery Exhibition

"Nathan Green: Farewell to the Endless," Art Palace

"Paintings by Norma Clark," The Gallery at Concordia

"The Bob Schneider Show," Flatbed Press

"Eric Zimmerman: Recent Work," Slugfest Gallery

"Lynn Richardson: Inter-Glacial Free Trade Agency," Women & Their Work

Group Gallery Exhibition

"A Clever Name for a Drawing Show," Camp Fig

"Boundless: Perceptions From Within," Butridge Gallery, Dougherty Arts Center

"Migration Uno," Gallery Shoal Creek

"Object: Five Artists," D. Berman Gallery

"The Ten Courts of the Kings of Hell," Fielding Lecht Gallery

"Fever/Shade," Creative Research Lab

Gallery, Body of Work

Ars Ipsa

Art Palace

D. Berman Gallery

Lora Reynolds Gallery

Studio 107

Artist, Female

Stella Alesi

Candace Briceño

Ali Fitzgerald

Heather Johnson

Deborah Roberts

Artist, Male

Bale Creek Allen

Sterling Allen

Peat Duggins

Nathan Green

Michael Sieben