A tad shorter and a lot less depressing than The Iceman Cometh, the 45th Annual Equity Jeff Awards brought out the glitz among Chicago's theateratti Monday night.
It was a boisterous, Lucite-filled recap of the Year that Was among the temples of Midwestern make-believe aka, Chicagoland's Equity houses. In addition to the official winners (the full list is at the bottom) the show itself invariably presents more than a few award-worthy and/or cringe-worthy moments.
Here, we give you our picks for the night's unannounced standouts.
Jeff Awards That Should Have Been Given Out
Most Impressive Display of Chest Hair:
Actor Stef Tovar, unbuttoned to the naval in a South Pacific sailor suit for a performance of "Nothing Like a Dame."
Most Irreverent Acceptance Speech:
"We'd like to thank the Jeff Committee. We're glad we don't know who any of them are because then we might feel like we had to kiss their asses." GQ of the Q Brothers (Best Ensemble, Chicago Shakespeare's Othello, The Remix), who took the stage in jeans and baseball caps and drank beer while accepting.
Best One-Liner:
"If you cut me off, you are so fired." Porchlight Artistic Director Michael Weber (Outstanding Musical, Midsize Theatre) threatening the pianist charged with playing over winners who talk too much in their acceptance speeches.
Best Dressed:
Music director Doug Peck (The Jungle Book) in an impeccably tailored golden Nehru jacket with sparkly filigree collar embellishments and matching trousers.
Humblest/Classiest Acceptance Speech by a Bona-Fide Movie Star or Anybody Else for That Matter:
"I wish I could share this with Guy Van Swearingen. I'm only here because he opened up a space for me 20 years ago."—Michael Shannon (Outstanding Actor in a Play, A Red Orchid's Simpatico)
Most Bittersweet Reality Check:
"We work so hard at what we do and it all disappears so quickly."—Mariann Mayberry, (Outstanding Actress in a Play, Steppenwolf's Good People)
Jeff Awards by the Numbers:
- 250 plus – Shows that the Committee judged last season
- 42 – Trophies handed out
- 8 – References to the awesomeness of the Chicago theater "community"
- 7 – Most trophies to one theater (Chicago Shakespeare)
- 3 – Most trophies to one show (Sunday in the Park With George)
- 1 – References to Tracy Letts
And the (Real) 2013 Equity Jeff winners are:
Production, Play, Large
Good People, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Production, Play, Midsize
33 Variations, TimeLine Theatre Company
Production, Musical, Large
Sunday in the Park with George– Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Production, Musical, Midsize
A Class Act– Porchlight Music Theatre
Production, Revue
The Second City Guide to the Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and
The Second City
Director, Play
William Brown, The Liar, Writers Theatre
Director, Musical
Gary Griffin, Sunday in the Park with George, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Director, Revue
Billy Bungeroth, The Second City Guide to the Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago
and The Second City
Ensemble
Othello: The Remix, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and
Richard Jordan Productions Ltd
Actor In A Principal Role, Play
Michael Shannon, Simpatico, A Red Orchid Theatre
Actor In A Principal Role, Musical
Bill Larkin, A Class Act, Porchlight Music Theatre
Actress In A Principal Role, Play
Mariann Mayberry, Good People, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Actress In A Principal Role, Musical
Christine Sherrill, Sunset Boulevard, Drury Lane Productions
Actor Or Actress In A Revue
David M. Lutken, Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie, Northlight Theatre
Solo Performance
Alexis J. Rogers, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, Porchlight Music Theatre
Actor In A Supporting Role, Play
Raymond Fox, Blood and Gifts, TimeLine Theatre Company
Actor In A Supporting Role, Musical
André De Shields, The Jungle Book, Goodman Theatre in association with
Huntington Theatre Company
Actress In A Supporting Role, Play
Elizabeth Ledo, Tartuffe, Court Theatre
Actress In A Supporting Role, Musical
Bethany Thomas, South Pacific, Marriott Theatre
Cameo Performance
Callie Johnson, Pal Joey, Porchlight Music Theatre
New Work
Luis Alfaro, Mojada, Victory Gardens Theater
Rajiv Joseph, The Lake Effect, Silk Road Rising
New Adaptation
David Rice, Cymbeline, First Folio Theatre
Choreogrpahy
Linda Fortunato, 42nd Street, Theatre at the Center
Original Music In A Play
Michael Keefe and David Rice, Cymbeline, First Folio Theatre
Music Direction
Doug Peck, The Jungle Book, Goodman Theatre in association with Huntington Theatre Company
Scenic design, Large Theater
David Gallo, Head of Passes, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Scenic Design, Midsize Theater
Angela Weber Miller, Edward Albee’s Seascape, Remy Bumppo
Theatre Company
Lighting Design, Large Theater
T.J. Gerckens, Metamorphoses, Lookingglass Theatre Company
Lighting Design, Midsize Theater
Brian Sidney Bembridge, Concerning Strange Devices from the Distant West,
TimeLine Theatre Company
Costume Design, Large Theater
Susan E. Mickey, The School for Lies, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Costume design, Midsize Theater
Emily Waecker, You Never Can Tell, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
Sound Design, Large Theater
James Savage, Othello: The Remix, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and
Richard Jordan Productions Ltd
Sound Design, Midsize Theater
Martin Desjardins, Andre Pluess and Christian Gero, Columbinus, American Theater Company
Projections/Video Design
Mike Tutaj, Sunday in the Park with George, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Fight Direction
John Tovar, The Opponent, A Red Orchid Theatre
Wig and make-up design
Melissa Veal, The School for Lies, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Special Lifetime Achievement Award
Dale Benson