2012 in Review: The Best of the Best: The Performance Categories

The other day, I posted my annual Year in Review Best/Worst Non-Performance Categories.  You can see that HERE.  Today, I present to you my favorite performances in a variety of categories, most of which you'd never see on the Tonys.  Here are 42 winners in 40 categories (there were 2 ties)!

As always, I welcome your comments and your own "winners."  Write in (jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com), Tweet me (@jkstheatrescene), or leave a comment below!  I look forward to hearing from all of you!

THE BEST (AND WORST) OF THE 2012 THEATRESCENE: 
PERFORMANCE

Best Debut (Play): Rachel Griffiths, Other Dessert Cities – The TV star proved she has live theatre chops to spare.  ABOVE

Best Debut (Musical): Anthony Warlow, Annie – The international musical star finally made it to Broadway! ABOVE

Best Child Actor: Zachary Unger, Chaplin – Adorable and legitimately excellent, there’s not a dry eye in the place when he turns on the waterworks!  ABOVE

Best Understudy: Taylor Richardson, Annie – She’s the third-string Annie, but she knows what she’s doing.  See her name on a slip in your Playbill, and know you are in good hands!

Most Under-Appreciated Actor: Adam Chanler-Berat, Peter and the Starcatcher – Tough to hold your own against Christian Borle, his sweat and his ‘stache.  But Adam did just that.  Did anyone notice?  I did! ABOVE TOP

Most Under-Appreciated Actress: Caissie Levy, Ghost: The Musical – Of the four major leads in the show, she has the least exciting role.  But I can still feel her grief all these months later.  ABOVE CENTER

Most Under-Appreciated Cast: Bring It On: The Musical – They are great from the top of the pyramid to the bottom.  They are in the best musical no one saw.  ABOVE BOTTOM

Best Chemistry: Guy and Girl, aka Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti, Once ABOVE TOP

Best Cast Chemistry: Bring It On: The Musical – Talk about having each others’ backs!  The death-defying acts, the cool choreography… they are a solid unit.

The Grin-and-Bear-It Award (Cast): Scandalous – I’m embarrassed for them.  But they still showed up for 8 a week and gave it 100%.  ABOVE CENTER

The Grin-and-Bear-It Award (Individual): Elena Roger, Evita – She’s not quite the sensation here that she was on the other side of the pond… ABOVE BOTTOM

Best Dancing by a Non-Dancer in a Musical: Judy Kaye, Nice Work If You Can Get It -  OK. Maybe she’s doesn’t so much dance as dangle from that chandelier, but it did win her a Tony Award. ABOVE TOP

Best New Song Written for a Broadway Musical: TIE “With You” from Ghost: The Musical and “All Falls Down” from Chaplin ABOVE TOP CENTER

Best New Song Written for an Off-Broadway Musical: TIE: “Dogfight” and “First Date/Last Night” both from Dogfight  ABOVE BOTTOM CENTER

Best Underscoring: Peter and the Starcatcher BOTTOM

Best Props in a Play: Venus in Fur – Was I the only one terrified by what else might be in Nina Arianda’s bag?  ABOVE TOP

Best Props in a Musical: Silence! – As endlessly inventive as the entire production.  They did an entire film parody on about a $50.00 prop budget and it was awesome!  ABOVE CENTER

Best Body Part: Legs – As in LEG LAMPS! From A Christmas Story: The Musical ABOVE BOTTOM

Best Kiss (Straight): Sam and Molly in Ghost: The Musical = sexy and romantic! ABOVE TOP

Best Kiss (Gay): Jason and Peter in Bare: The Musical Does Jason Hite kiss like that in real life?  If so, sign me up!  ABOVE CENTER

Best Kiss That Never Happens: Guy and Girl in Once. Has not kissing ever been sexier or romantic?  ABOVE BOTTOM

Best Underwear (Play): Nina Arianda in Venus in Fur ABOVE TOP LEFT

Best Underwear (Musical): Jason Hite and Taylor Trensch’s boxer briefs in Bare: The Musical ABOVE BOTTOM

Best Shirtless Moment: Richard Fleeshman in Ghost: The Musical – Duh.  So hot, it even made a talk show!  ABOVE TOP RIGHT

Teacher of the Year: Sister Joan (Missi Pyle) in Bare: The Musical – Compassionate AND sassy – the perfect combination. TOP

Best Villain (Male): Carl Bruner (Bryce Pinkham) in Ghost: The Musical – He was nasty in pretty much any way you can be nasty.  TOP SECOND

Best Villain (Female): Rita Lyons (Linda Lavin) in The Lyons – Cold.  Ruthless.  Funny as Hell.  TOP THIRD

Best Bathroom Scene: “Delishious” Eileen Evergreen (Jennifer Laura Thompson) and the Bubble Boys and Girls in Nice Work If You Can Get It BOTTOM

Best Victor/Victoria (Musical): Edwin Drood/Alice Nutting (Stephanie J. Block in The Mystery of Edwin Drood) ABOVE FIRST

Best Victor/Victoria (Play): Rachel Crabbe (Jemima Rooper in One Man, Two Guvnors) ABOVE SECOND

In the Heights Award for Best Use of a Cell Phone: Bare: The Musical ABOVE THIRD

Best Peter Parker Rise Above Award: Candy Buckley in Scandalous – Talk about your silk purse…

The Bloody Bloody Award for Best Use of Stage Blood: Carrie: The Musical – E I E I O  ABOVE FOURTH

The Cats Award for Best Use of Junk: From proscenium to set, Peter and the Starcatcher – Talk about going green!  ABOVE FIFTH

The 70,Girls,70 Award for Senior Power (Actor): James Earl Jones in The Best Man ABOVE TOP

The 70,Girls,70 Award for Senior Power (Actress): Angela Lansbury in The Best Man  ABOVE CENTER

The 70,Girls,70 Award for Senior Power (by a non-Senior): Tom Edden in One Man, Two Guvnors  - None of these three act their age, that’s for sure!  ABOVE BOTTOM

The “Say a Little Prayer” Award for Too Much of a Good Thing:  PLEASE…a reprieve from anything Gershwin…

The Alice Ripley Award for Acting Intensity: Christian Borle as Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher.  The sweat proved it!

The Scottsboro Boys Award for Too Short a Run: Chaplin: The Musical

The Baby It’s You/Shirelles Award for Back Up Singer Excellence: The Angels of Mercy in Leap of Faith

RELATED ARTICLES:

• The Joys and Disappointments of 2012 HERE
• The Best and Worst of 2012: Non-performance Categories HERE
• 2012 in Review: Top Broadway News Story #2: Les Miserables (The Movie) HERE
• 2012 in Review: Top Broadway News Story #3: Rebecca HERE

Jeff

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