Purple, Sweeney, Roberts Among Big Winners of 2006 Audience Awards

News

by Broadway.com Staff • Jun 6, 2006

Regular theatergoers have had their say, choosing the winners in the 7th Annual Broadway.com Audience Awards.

In the end, The Color Purple came out on top this year, with five Audience Award wins including the coveted category of Favorite New Broadway Musical. The crowd-pleasing adaptation of Alice Walker's seminal novel also won two awards each for two of its female stars. LaChanze, who plays the leading role of Celie, was named Favorite Leading Actress in a Broadway Musical as well as honored with the title of Favorite Diva Performance. Featured player Felicia P. Fields, who plays Sofia the role made famous in the film version by show producer Oprah Winfrey also triumphed in two categories: Favorite Featured Actress and Favorite Breakthrough Performance.

Fields was one of many Broadway newcomers who were theatergoers' favorites this year. Hollywood megastar Julia Roberts, who made her stage debut in Richard Greenberg's Three Days of Rain, was named Favorite Leading Actress in a Broadway Play, while co-star Bradley Cooper won in the featured actor category. Similarly, Harry Connick, Jr. crooned his way into voters' hearts with his performance in The Pajama Game, winning Favorite Leading Actor in a Broadway Musical. Other first-time Broadway stars named as winners include John Lloyd Young Jersey Boys, Manoel Felciano Sweeney Todd and Sarah Jones Bridge & Tunnel.

There are several unique categories in the Broadway.com Audience Awards, making them different than traditional theater honors. The 10-member company of Sweeney Todd which took home a total of four awards were honored as Favorite Ensemble Cast, and leads Michael Cerveris and Patti LuPone, who play Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett, were named Favorite Onstage Pair. Speaking of one-of-a-kind awards, "Show Off," Sutton Foster's solo from Act One of The Drowsy Chaperone, was chosen as Favorite New Broadway Song. Wicked fans came out in full-force, naming it Favorite Long-Running Broadway show for the second year in a row and honoring Eden Espinosa and Ben Vereen as the year's best replacements.

Founded in 2000, the Broadway.com Audience Awards give real theatergoers a chance to honor their favorite Broadway and off-Broadway shows and performers every theater season. Nominations were first chosen by Broadway.com users and announced on May 12 Click here for a complete list, with final voting taking place over a three-week period. During that time, more than 170,000 votes were tallied in 25 categories, the biggest turnout yet in the history of the awards.

A complete list of this year's Audience Award winners follows:

Favorite New Broadway Musical
The Color Purple