VIDEO: Geyer Performing Arts Center presents 10th annual awards show
Kaelei Whitlatch
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https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&feature=vm&video_id=4doSclKCxL4
The Geyer Performing Arts Center took on its yearly tradition on January 21- the Tottie Awards. Similar to Broadway’s Tony awards, the Scottdale theater celebrates their 2016 season by giving out trophies to the best actors, plays, and musicals.
This year’s show was particularly special – it was the 10th annual Tottie Awards.
The Totties featured performances from the musicals of the 2016 season. This year’s shows were Urinetown, The Little Mermaid, Cats, 9 to 5, Little Shop of Horrors, and A Christmas Carol. The event also featured a preview performance from the first musical of the 2017 season, Hair.
Dottie Davis, the “ninety-something” year old Geyer veteran, hosted the awards show.
“I asked (Geyer board director) Brad (Geyer) what I was getting paid for this,” Davis said. “He told me, ‘you’re gonna get double what you got the last nine years.”
Performer Ben Wren impersonated newly-inaugurated President Donald Trump at the Totties.
“Wow, there are so many people here. There are more people here than there were at my inauguration, this is fantastic,” Wren said as Trump. “I’m here to make the Totties great again. There will be so much winning here tonight.”
Along with awards such as Best Leading Actor in a Musical and Best Director, there is a special trophy given to a well-deserving “behind-the-scenes” person or actor called The Golden Doorknob Award.
After receiving the honor, the Golden Doorknob recipient gets a plaque and delivers a speech. Last year, Geyer volunteer coordinator Shirley McDowell got the prestigious honor.
“It’s such a privilege to be here tonight with all of you as we recognize the efforts of so many who have put forth so much effort to make the Geyer Performing Arts Center what it is today,” McDowell said.
The next year at the awards show, the recipient passes down the honor to someone whom they think is deserving. McDowell passed down the golden doorknob to Geyer Education Director Kat Post.
“I know who in my life who I have to thank, and that’s my grandparents and my teachers. I was one of those one percent of foster children that get a college degree,” Post said. “Being a foster child comes with baggage that you never quite feel like you belong anywhere. I have to say that the people in this building have one by one become my family.”
At the end of the night, the awards for Best Play and Best Musical were given out. These awards are displayed in the apartment of the second floor of the building year round.
This year’s Best Musical was The Little Mermaid and Best Play was The Diary of Anne Frank.
The winners are always very thankful to celebrate their big win.
“Somehow (the cast) found a sense of humor amidst the seriousness of the topic of this show, and boy, the topic is really relevant today, isn’t it?” Post, the director of The Diary of Anne Frank, spoke of their win. “What my thrill of a former English teacher is taking literature and bringing it to life on the stage. That is my very favorite part about being here, seeing words rise up in the light. That’s what these ladies and gentlemen did.”
The Little Mermaid director Chelsea Forbes also spoke highly of the award-winning cast.
“We had 142 people audition for us, and we somehow got down to these brilliant, amazing people,” Forbes said. “Thank you to everyone who came to see it. Thank you guys for supporting theatre. This is really cool.”
But at the end of the day, the performers remember the reason for the celebration.
The event is named after the late Marilyn “Tottie” Kiefer, who played a large role in developing the theater, then called the Scottdale Showtime, after the little building’s abandonment in the 1980s.
Kiefer was also an important member of our community. She taught music at Southmoreland High School from 1959-1970. She was one of the founding members of the Scottdale Garden Club, and she lended a helping hand in opening the Scottdale park and gazebo.
“If anyone here knows me, you know I’m not a very big fan of this award ceremony. But I am a fan of Tottie Kiefer,” Geyer veteran Toby Maykuth spoke of the late Kiefer. “One of the main reasons I’m not a fan is because Tottie would never want anyone to feel as though they weren’t appreciated or acknowledged for their performance on the stage.”
“She would want each and everyone of you to know that if you performed on this stage, you were a winner to her,” Maykuth continued. “Please remember that without Tottie or the Kiefer family, none of us would be here tonight.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS
(* indicates winner)
BEST COSTUMES
Urinetown
The Little Mermaid*
Cats
9 to 5
BEST SCENIC/LIGHTING DESIGN
Urinetown
The Little Mermaid
Cats*
Little Shop of Horrors
BEST COMEDIC ACTOR/TROUPE
Ben Wren & Vicky Post – Officer Lockstock & Little Sally – Urinetown
Ben Wren – Chef Louie – Little Mermaid
Rachael Szabo – Roz Keith – 9 to 5
Mike Hamilla – Orin Scrivello DDS – Little Shop of Horrors*
BEST ANTAGONIST
John Paul Richey – Caldwell B Cladwell – Urinetown
Rachael Szabo – Ursula – The Little Mermaid*
Scott Walton – Franklin Hart – 9 to 5
Tyler Handford – Audrey II – Little Shop of Horrors
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Urinetown
The Little Mermaid
Cats*
9 to 5
BEST MUSIC
Urinetown – Alison King Perry
The Little Mermaid – Alison King Perry
Cats – Michael Busija*
9 to 5 – David Bridge
BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Chet Joseph – Putti Van Daan – The Diary of Anne Frank
Michael Dunlap – Peter Van Daan – The Diary of Anne Frank
Shawn Conway – Glenn Cooper – Rumors*
William S. White – Ernie Cusack – Rumors
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Reagan DeFazio – Miep Gies – The Diary of Anne Frank
Rebekah Laughlin – Kari Ames Bissette – Always a Bridesmaid*
Chelsea Forbes – Cassie Cooper – Rumors
Dolores Love – Cookie Cusack – Rumors
BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Brad Geyer – Otto Frank – The Diary of Anne Frank
Paul Appelby – Ken Gorman – Rumors
Tyler Handford – Lenny Ganz – Rumors*
BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Victoria Post – Anne Frank – The Diary of Anne Frank*
Marilyn Forbes – Monette Gentry – Always a Bridesmaid
Lisa Earnesty – Charlie Collins – Always a Bridesmaid
Ally Riddle – Claire Ganz – Rumors
BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
John Paul Richey – Caldwell B Cladwell – Urinetown
Jessie Glover – Sebastian – The Little Mermaid*
Joey Wolf – Scuttle – Little Mermaid
Tyler Handford – Old Deuteronomy – Cats
Brad Geyer – Gus – Cats
Will Dixon – Joe – 9 to 5
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Victoria Post – Little Sally – Urinetown
Taney Basinger – Flounder – Little Mermaid*
Monica Kramer – Grizabella – Cats
Rachael Szabo – Roz Keith – 9 to 5
BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
John Michael Taormina – Bobby Strong – Urinetown
Ben Wren – Officer Lockstock – Urinetown
Scott Walton – Franklin Hart – 9 to 5
Will Dixon – Seymour – Little Shop of Horrors*
BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Rachael Szabo – Miss. Pennywise – Urinetown
Breanna Deutsch – Ariel – The Little Mermaid
Marilyn Forbes – Violet Newstead – 9 to 5
Leyna Wright – Audrey – Little Shop of Horrors*
BEST DIRECTOR
Urinetown – Tyler Handford & Rachael Szabo*
The Little Mermaid – Chelsea Forbes
Cats –Jill Jassmann Sharlock
9 to 5 – Shawn Conway
Rumors – Marilyn Forbes
BEST PLAY
The Diary of Anne Frank*
Always a Bridesmaid
Rumors
BEST MUSICAL
Urinetown
The Little Mermaid*
Cats
Little Shop of Horrors
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