A high-powered band led by Ray Chew opened the 32nd annual Audelco Awards ceremony on Monday night with an exciting rendition of "Simply the Best," a tribute to the evening's recognition of excellence in black theatre. Joining in the celebration, Lynn Nottage's "Intimate Apparel" and Tony Kushner's "Caroline, or Change" garnered half a dozen statues each, leading the evening's winners.
"Intimate Apparel," produced by Roundabout Theatre Company, earned six Audelco (or "Viv") awards. Derek McLane's set design and Catherine Zuber's costumes for the turn-of-the-century period drama were the first to best the competition. As the night continued, Lynn Nottage picked up the award for best playwright (she was also nominated for "Fabulation") and later accepted the play's honor for dramatic production of the year. Viola Davis won the lead actress Viv (her co-star Russell Hornsby accepted the award on her behalf), while Lynda Gravatt took the supporting actress trophy (accepted for her by Ebony Jo-Ann).
The evening's other big prize -- musical production of the year -- went to "Caroline, or Change." Tonya Pinkins won in the category of best female performance in a musical for her title role in that show, while her co-star Chuck Cooper earned the honor for outstanding male performance in a musical. Cooper thanked the late Vivian Robinson, founder of the Audience Development Committee (Audelco), adding, "The privilege was unbelievable. I stand here in this river of creativity because of those who came before me."
Tony Award-winning actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson filled in for George C. Wolfe in accepting Wolfe's Audelco Award for best director of a musical production. On a brief hiatus from August Wilson's "Gem of the Ocean" -- which begins previews at the Walter Kerr Theatre on Nov. 23 -- he warmly thanked Audelco members for their many honors. Rounding out "Caroline" 's half-dozen wins, Jon Weston captured the award for best sound design and Linda Twine took the Viv for outstanding musical direction.
'Great Men's' Great Ensemble
Enthusiastic cast members of New Federal Theatre's "Great Men of Gospel" -- Jeff Bolding, Ralph Carter, Cliff Terry, Gary E. Vincent, and Montroville C. Williams -- gathered on stage to receive their award for outstanding ensemble performance. Before the show, Williams admitted that he has been in New York only a little over a year: "This is my first-ever nomination. I'm excited about being here." Fellow actor-singer Vincent added, "It's a blessing. The whole evening is an honor."
Choreographer Dyane Harvey thanked "the Creator" upon accepting the Viv for her work on "Great Men," while also acknowledging "people who have inspired me: George Faison and my husband."
The Classical Theatre of Harlem went home with three Vivs for its revival of Derek Walcott's "Dream on Monkey Mountain": Tony Award winner André De Shields took the honor for lead actor and Kim Sullivan walked off with the supporting actor award, while the lighting design trophy went to Aaron Black.
Sarah Jones won the Viv for solo performance for her long-running multicultural mosaic "Bridge and Tunnel," produced by Meryl Streep and the Culture Project. For the second year in a row, Joyce Sylvester earned a Viv award, this year for outstanding direction of a dramatic production for "Freeda Peoples" at the Billie Holiday Theatre.
The Audience Development Committee also bestowed special awards to longstanding leaders and trailblazers of the theatre community. This year's Pioneer Awards went to playwright P.J. Gibson, veteran actor Arthur French, and director-educator Allie Woods. Long-standing Audelco member Emily C. Martinez was also honored; now retired, she has supported Audelco for more than twenty years. The Rising Star honoree was 11-year-old actress Zora Howard.
Recipients of the Board of Directors Awards were producer Philip Rose, journalist A. Peter Bailey, and playwright J.E. Franklin, author of "Black Girl" and two anthologies of her 10-minute plays.
U.S. Rep. Charles B. Rangel also hailed the late Vivian Robinson: "She worked for the not-for-profits who sometimes have no voice at all. She stayed the course and brought people together. I'm glad that people receiving awards tonight are receiving them in her name, because she made a great contribution."
This year's ceremony was hosted by producer-director Cliff Frazier and Channel 2 news anchor Shon Gables and was held at the City College of New York's Aaron Davis Hall. George Faison, Chuck Jackson, Lynn Whitfield, Reggie Jackson, and André De Shields topped the list of celebrity presenters.