Awards for Excellence for 2006 New York Musical Theatre Festival Announced

The New York Musical Theatre Festival has announced winners of the 2006 NYMF Awards for Excellence, who will be recognized as part of the NYMF 2006 Awards Gala honoring Kevin McCollum, producer of The Drowsy Chaperone, Rent, Avenue Q, [title of show] and the upcoming High Fidelity and In the Heights. The event will take place at the Hudson Theater on November 12 and feature performances by Sutton Foster and Beth Leavel The Drowsy Chaperone, Anthony Rapp Rent, John Tartaglia Avenue Q, the cast of [title of show] and some of the NYMF winners. Bob Martin of The Drowsy Chaperone will emcee.

The winners, who were selected by a jury of theater artists, producers and journalists, are as follows:

Verizon "Best of Fest" Audience Prize: Smoking Bloomberg Book, Music & Lyrics by David Cornue, Sam Holtzapple, Warren Loy, and Chris Todd; runner-up: The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun Book & Additional Lyrics by Blair Fell, Music and Lyrics by Andy Monroe

Most Promising New Musical: Kingdom Book and Lyrics by Aaron Jafferis, Music by Ian Williams; honorable mention: Common Grounds Book by Sammy Buck, Music by Doug Katsaros and The Screams of Kitty Genovese Book and Lyrics by David Simpatico, Music by Will Todd

Theater for the American Musical Prize: River's End Book and Lyrics by Cheryl Coons, Music by Chuck Larkin

Excellence in Musical Theatre Writing Music: Have a Nice Life Music by Conor Mitchell; honorable mention: Three Sides Music by Grant Olding; The Screams of Kitty Genoves Music by Will Todd; and White Noise Music by Joe Drymala with additional songs by Ben Cohn & Sean McDaniel, Rick Crom, Glen Kelly, Laurence O'Keefe, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, and Eric Svejcar

Excellence in Musical Theatre Writing Lyrics: Three Sides Lyrics by Grant Olding; honorable mention: J.O.B. the Hip Hopera Lyrics by Jerome Sable and Eli Batalion and Night of the Hunter Lyrics by Stephen Cole

Excellence in Musical Theatre Writing Book: Desperate Measures Book by Peter Kellogg and Gutenberg the Musical Book by Anthony King and Scott Brown tie; honorable mention: Smoking Bloomberg Book by David Cornue, Sam Holtzapple, Warren Loy, and Chris Todd

Excellence in Direction and Choreography: Common Grounds Direction by Igor Goldin, Choreography by Ron De Jesus, Ray Leeper, Mia Michaels, Jeff Shade, and Lisa Stevens; honorable mention: All is Love Choreography and Direction by Josh Walden; Desperate Measures Direction and Choreography by Eleanor Reissa; and J.O.B. the Hip Hopera Direction by Stefan Novinsk & Hassan Christopher, Choreography by Hassan Christopher

Excellence in Design: Journey to the West Set Design by John Rager, Costume Design by Elizabeth Cox, Lighting Design by Maggie M. Bailey, Sound Design by Brian Hsieh; honorable mention: Emerald Man Set Design by Donyale Werle, Costume Design by Lisa Zinni, Lighting Design by James Milkey, Sound Design by Yoshi Lee and River's End Set Design by Elisha Schaefer, Costume Design by Brigid Brown, Lighting Design by Herrick Goldman, Sound Design by Daniel von Erdberg

Outstanding Ensemble Performance: Have a Nice Life Emily Skinner, Michael Berry, Michelle Blakely, Kevin Carolan, Jacquelyn Piro, Charles Hagerty and Nikki Snelson; honorable mention: Having It Almost Anastasia Barzee, Amy Eschman, Liz Larsen, Stefanie Morse, and Wendy Perelman and Hot and Sweet Mimi Bensinger, Jo Lynn Burks, Elaine Burt, Rebecca Buxton , Jami Dauber, Elizabeth Dotson-Westphalen , Laura Dreyer, Rebecca Eichenberger, Katie Finneran, Margaret Goodman, Alex Hanna, Elizabeth Inghram, Anne Lieberwirth, Stephanie Long, Allison Mahoney, Clarice Mazanec, Barbara Merjan, Jack Metzger, Lea Michele, Kyra Miller, Lizzie Moore, Bill Parry, Reut Regev, Andy Sandberg, and Maria Vassallo

Outstanding Individual Performances: Christian Campbell Drift; Donna Lynne Champlin Flight of the Lawnchair Man; Laura Daniel The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun; Marisa Echeverría Kingdom; Chris Fitzgerald Gutenberg the Musical; Jeff Hiller The Children; Greg Naughton Alive in the World; Jeremy Shamos Gutenberg the Musical Max Von Essen Desperate Measures.