One of the angriest of the "12 Angry Jurors," Teressa Hirsch earned a nomination for Lead Actress in a Play for her unflinching character. File Photo by Howard Owens
As another year begins to fade away in the hopefulness of a new one, there’s still room for a look back at the best and brightest theatrical performances as the Batavia Players present the 2024 Gala: Starting Here, Starting Now!
The premise is simple enough. Pat Burk says: it’s a new year, the first time for the awards show in a brand new theater, and with all but three of a dozen new shows negotiated for the 2024 season.
“Starting Here, Starting Now is a song written for a musical, it’s not really well known, but it’s about, this is the beginning of our new year, it’s about things being new. It’s just a nice kind of event, and people can see the seating and the style in the theater and how things are presented there. And it’s just kind of a cool event,” Burk said during an interview with The Batavian. “We’re pretty close to being completed, and all of our shows will be presented in the same venue with all new equipment. It’s just going to be a great year for us.”
Set for 7 p.m. Saturday at the Main St. 56 Theater in downtown Batavia, the gala is a party celebration of the Players’ “very successful 2023 season” with hors d’oeuvres, refreshments, basket raffles, select performances and — drum roll, please — a presentation of the 2023 Harvie Awards to a slate of deserving performers in this past year’s lineup of shows.
There will be several recap performances and highlights of plays and musicals from the past season, along with a discussion about why people were nominated and ultimately chosen for each award.
Directors from each of the shows submitted nominations, and four additional directors contributed reviews for the final selections, Burk said. Beyond a nod of recognition for the talent up on stage is a moment to pause and reflect and reminisce about the seven musicals and four play productions put forth in a span of 12 months, he said.
This will be the first time since COVID — will it ever be forgotten? — for a full-blown awards show. The last one was for the 2019 awards, and it was right smack in the middle of a St. Patrick’s holiday that health department officials came in to shut down the event on those first bleak days of the pandemic, he said.
“And they came in nicely, and we said, ‘Can we at least finish, or can we get the food out of here?’ And they said we had to close up. I remember they allowed us to do takeout containers for the corned beef and cabbage,” he said.
Does that feel like a million years ago now, or yesterday?
“A million years ago, because we were also in the process of just starting the demolition of the new theater. And that literally started that January 1, and we were just so looking forward to, within two years, we’d be out of Harvester and into our new theater. And obviously, none of that happened,” he said. “So, we’re in the new theater … it’s so deserved. It’s been a long time coming.”
And in that vein, the theater is starting here, starting now, with its 2024 season that kicks off with a concert, “Pushin’ Time,” with duo Eric Carlin and Deanna Spiotta Carlin on Jan. 19. Other confirmed shows include “The Little Mermaid Jr.," “Pygmalion,” and one that Burk is thrilled to have secured for May, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Evita.”
As for the remainder of the lineup, that will be revealed, except for those three shows still in negotiations, during this weekend's gala. Attendees may want to spiff up for the affair if they like and absorb a medley of productions while supporting the arts and artists who make it happen.
Admission is a $30 donation. Advance ticket purchases are encouraged at bataviaplayers.org
Award nominations went to the following:
Lead actor in a play
Stephen VanValkenburg - Almost Maine
Steven Coburn - Antony & Cleopatra
Steven Coburn - 12 Angry Jurors
Anthony Haitz - One Act Plays/The Bear
Seth Coburn - One Act Plays/Mr. Icky
Lead actress in a play
Jacqueline Morrison - Almost Maine
Emily Crawford - Antony & Cleopatra
Teressa Hirsch - 12 Angry Jurors
Teressa Hirsch - One act plays/Verbatim
Supporting actor in a play
Elijah Van Epps - Almost Maine
Shaun Coburn - Almost Maine
Elijah Van Epps - Antony & Cleopatra
James Barcomb - 12 Angry Jurors
James Barcomb - One act plays/The Bear
Supporting actress in a play
Kendra Morrison - Almost Maine
Cynthia Nelson - Almost Maine
Cynthia Nelson - Antony & Cleopatra
Dorothy Gerhart - 12 Angry Jurors
Dorothy Gerhart - One act plays/Verbatim
Featured actor in a play
Richard Ferris - Almost Maine
Lawrence Rowswell - Antony & Cleopatra
James Barcomb - Antony & Cleopatra
Anthony Haitz - 12 Angry Jurors
Shakeem Walcott - One act plays/Mr. Icky
Featured actress in a play
Sophie Houseman - Almost Maine
Maia Zerillo - Almost Maine
Erin Stamp - Antony & Cleopatra
Shellene Bailey - Antony & Cleopatra
Mary Eckstein - 12 Angry Jurors
Sophie Crandall - One act plays/Mr. Icky
Leading male performance in a musical
Marc Sapareto - Opposites Attract
Phil Berry - Drowsy Chaperone
Marc Sapareto - Do Not Sing List
Marc Sapareto - Cry Baby
Kevin Partridge - A Christmas Carol
Leading female performance in a musical
Sarah Hill - Opposites Attract
Kristin Gelia - Drowsy Chaperone
Maia Zerillo - Do Not Sing List
Maia Zerillo - Cry Baby
Jennifer Dunn - A Christmas Carol
Supporting male performance in a musical
Seth Coburn - Opposites Attract
Sam Bowman - Drowsy Chaperone
Qasim Huzair - Drowsy Chaperone
Deacon Smith - Do Not Sing List
Deacon Smith - Cry Baby
Andy Hamm - A Christmas Carol
Supporting female performance in a musical
Jocelyn Coburn - Opposites Attract
Sophie Houseman - Drowsy Chaperone
Kendra Morrison - Do Not Sing List
Paige Sikorski - Cry Baby
Rose Mosher - Cry Baby
Amanda Melissa Taylor - A Christmas Carol
Featured male performance in a musical
Cass Dzielski - Opposites Attract
Anthony Haitz - Drowsy Chaperone
Steven Coburn - Drowsy Chaperone
Elijah Van Epps - Do Not Sing List
Paul Daniszewski - Cry Baby
William Zerillo - A Christmas Carol
Featured female performance in a musical
Teressa Hirsch - Opposites Attract
Amy-Catherine - Cunningham Drowsy Chaperone
Beth Knopf - Drowsy Chaperone
Kristin Gelia - Do Not Sing List
Samantha Jane Balbi -Cry Baby
Kylea Wright - Cry Baby
Dorothy Gerhart - A Christmas Carol
Youth performance
Peyton Woeller -Do Not Sing List
Quinn Boardman - All Shook Up
Peyton Sikorski - All Shook Up
Peyton Woeller - Cry Baby
Sophie Crandall - A Christmas Carol
Lilah Mordell - A Christmas Carol
Child performance
Annalie Crandall - All Shook Up
Sylar Kuenzi - All Shook Up
Adam Jursted - Cry Baby
Xavier Deschamps - A Christmas Carol
Liam Taylor - A Christmas Carol
Charlotte Reddin - A Christmas Carol
Best musical performance ensemble
Move Towards the Darkness - Opposites Attract
I Do, I Do in the Sky - Drowsy Chaperone
Cell Block Tango -Do Not Sing List
You Bet Your Ass - Cry Baby
In December - A Christmas Carol
Best musical performance solo
Jacqueline Morrison - Three Days Without Breathing/Opposites Attract
Sophie Houseman - As We Stumble Along/Drowsy Chaperone
Cass Dzielski - Run Away With Me/Do Not Sing List
Paige Sikorski - Screwloose/Cry Baby
Deacon Smith - Hallelujah/A Christmas Carol
Deacon Smith has been nominated for Supporting Male Performance in a Musical for his role in "Cry Baby." File Photo by Howard Owens
"Do Not Sing List " featured Peyton Woeller, front in plaid, who has been nominated for the Youth Performance category for his role. File Photo by Nick Serrata
Steven Coburn, nominated in 12 Angry Jurors. Photo by Howard Owens.
James Barcomb, nominated in One Act Plays/The Bear. Photo by Howard Owens.
