Lakewood Theater Awards Night

Curtain up! Light the lights! It was Lakewood Theater's big night! Sunday was the annual Lakewood banquet where the people who attended the season of shows voted for their favorites!

There were tuxedos, gowns, jewelry...when Lakewood steps out, they really step out! Lakewood Theater in Madison has been around since 1901 when the first play was produced, The Private Secretary. Everyone from Lana Turner to John Travolta have played there. While the internationally famous actors don't play here anymore, Lakewood has done an incredible job giving local thespians a chance to play Oscar worthy performances.

Each play runs for 2 weeks and can have up to 9 performances. 2 of the shows are musicals every year, something I love to be involved in. They pay special attention to the older and younger folk and make sure there are matinees to enjoy. Each set is made in just one week. The costumes are sewn for months and the actors get about a month and a half to rehearse a few nights a week. It really is amazing what a small community of people can do.

At the banquet, Cory King was the host calling up different actors to hand out the awards. Tim and Midge Pomerlow were the auctioneers. You see, the posters that hang at Lakewood are all handmade and are auctioned off at the banquets to raise money for the next season. Last night the record was broken for the highest ever paid amount for a poster-$425. The record was set last year at $410.

There were multiple winners, like Wallace Bruce,  Cory King, and Jeralyn Shattuck-each who were in multiple productions this year. Newcomers Petr Smejakl and Theresa Curtis won for the best new actor and actress, respectively, which means they made their debut on the Lakewood stage this year.

Lakewood Theater is managed by Jeff Quinn and his entire family and they are the reason behind the continued success. His wife, Susan creates the costumes, son, Matt builds the sets and daughter, Katie manages the restaurant. Each has their own reliable crew that do amazing things in a short time. Lakewood is a well-oiled machine. Each year, people return for "dinner and a show" and are never disappointed.

To paraphrase Dianna Gram, one of the directors and actresses at Lakewood, from last night "When you drive up the dirt road that leads to the theater, you get that feeling. A feeling like nothing else. The feeling that you belong and the feeling that you are loved."

And you are loved at Lakewood. Each person that fills a seat in the audience is treated to the hard work and the passion each of us has to be on that stage and give you our best at every performance. There is nothing more we love to do than entertain you, make you laugh, make you cry. To inspire and be inspired by your patronage. We are paid in nothing but the applause at the very end of each and every show.

We thank you.

Thank you for continuing to come to Lakewood and support us. Thank you for bringing your children and letting them know the wonders of the theater and, maybe one day, having them come down with the bug and see them taking the stage themselves.

Here is a complete list of the winners from last night.

BEST LEAD ACTOR--COMEDY                BEST LEAD ACTRESS--COMEDY
Juan Lavalle-Rivera (Inspector Pratt)            Theresa Curtis (Joan Maple)

BEST LEAD ACTOR—FARCE                   BEST LEAD ACTRESS--FARCE
Ron Veno (Mr. Bingham)                             No Category this year

BEST ACTOR--MUSICAL                           BEST ACTRESS--MUSICAL
Buddy Mayhew (Harold Hill)                       Nancy Carbone (Violet)

BEST ACTOR--DRAMA                              BEST ACTRESS--DRAMA
Bar Shattuck (Artie Shaughnessy)                Jeralyn Shattuck (Bananas)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR--COMEDY      BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS--COMEDY
CJ Silva (Constable Tompkins)                           Beth Chasse (Serenity)  

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR-FARCE           BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS-FARCE
Wallace Bruce (Justin)                                      Raelene Keniston (Minnie)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR-MUSICAL         BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS-MUSICAL
Buffalo Bills Quartet                                          Tracy Stutzman (Roz)
                                                                          Jantha Gray (Mrs. Paroo)    

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR-DRAMA             BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS-DRAMA
Wallace Bruce (AntonyWilding)                        Michelle Sweet (Caroline Bramble)

BEST FEATURED ACTOR--COMEDY          BEST FEATURED ACTRESS--COMEDY
Wallace Bruce (Kyle Morgan)                          Jane Ouderkirk (MildredBagshot)                                                        

BEST FEATURED ACTOR-MUSICAL           BEST FEATURED ACTRESS-MUSICAL
Cory King (Dick)                                              Isabelle Grignon (Amaryllis)

BEST FEATURED ACTOR – FARCE            BEST FEATURED ACTRESS – FARCE
Cory King (Angus McSmith)                              Pam Smith (Muriel)

BEST FEATURED ACTOR – DRAMA          BEST FEATURED - DRAMA
Michael Pullen (Ronnie)                                     Jeralyn Shattuck (Constanza)    

BEST CAMEO ACTOR                                BEST CAMEO ACTRESS
Earl Boyd (Conductor)                                       Nelda Chase (AlmaHicks)

BEST NEW ACTOR                                      BEST NEW ACTRESS
Petr Smejakl                                                     Theresa Curtis

BEST SET                                                      BEST COSTUMES
Who Goes Bare                                              The Music Man

                                                BEST PLAY OF 2012
                                                WHO GOES BARE