The Charlotte Theater scene has come of age! Or at least our Annual Perry Awards have reached that milestone: The time has come to announce the finalists for CL's 21st Annual Charlotte Theatre Awards.

As you read, I'm retreating to my laboratory where I make all the complex chemical analyses necessary to winnow down my list and reveal the purest gold to shine on Charlotte stages in 2007. Meanwhile gaze at the bounty of quality theater performances, productions, and theatercraft that Charlotte theatergoers witnessed last year.

Congratulations to all the nominees.

BEST ACTOR, COMEDY

Christopher Hull -- My Husband's Wild Desires Almost Drove Me Mad (Mr. Griffith)

Glenn Hutchison -- The Pavilion (Narrator)

Hank West -- The Odd Couple (Felix Unger)

Jeff Johnston -- The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (Dasher-Hollywood-Donner)

Jerry Colbert -- Murder at the Howard Johnson's (Mitchell Lovell)

Lee Thomas -- The Sublet Experiment (Eric)

Robert L. Simmons -- Mr. Marmalade (Mr. Marmalade)

Scott Helm -- Go, Dog. Go! (MC Dog)

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY

Adyana de la Torre -- The Clean House (Matilde)

Autumn Gentile -- Murder at the Howard Johnson's<P> (Arlene Miller)

Beth Yost -- Mr. Marmalade (Lucy)

Claudia Carter Covington -- The Clean House (Lane)

Greta Zandstra -- Sorry, Wrong Chimney (Samantha Tuttle)

Julie Janorschke -- Women Who Steal (Karen)

Kristen Jones -- The Sublet Experiment (Melanie)

Sheila Snow Proctor -- The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (Blitzen-Dancer)

BEST DIRECTOR, COMEDY

Alan Poindexter -- Go, Dog. Go!

Craig Spradley -- Having a Wonderful Time, Murder at the Howard Johnson's

James Yost -- Mr. Marmalade

Joe Copley -- The Sublet Experiment

Julie Janorschke -- Brighton Beach Memoirs

Karen Lamb -- The Eight: Reindeer Monologues

Mark Sutch -- Natural Selection

Scott Ripley -- The Clean House

BEST ACTOR, DRAMA

Billy Ensley -- The Pillowman (Katurian K. Katurian)

Chad Calvert -- Orson's Shadow (Orson Wells)

Craig Kolkebeck -- American Buffalo (Walter "Teacher" Cole)

Jan Notzon -- The Crucible (John Proctor)

Jerry Colbert -- The Guys (Nick)

Stephen Friedrich -- Wrestling Season (Matt)

Tim Ross -- Waiting for Godot (Didi)

BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA

Corlis Hayes -- Having Our Say (Miss Sadie Delaney)

Greta Marie Zandstra -- New Kid (Mencha)

Julia Grigg -- Wrestling Season (Kori)

Kim Watson Brooks -- Intimate Apparel (Esther)

Laura Depta -- The Goddess and the Magdalene (Mary)

Lolly Foy -- The Crucible (Elizabeth Proctor)

Sheila Snow Proctor -- Fiction (Linda)

BEST DIRECTOR, DRAMA

Ann Marie Costa -- Intimate Apparel

Craig Kolkebeck and Thom Tonetti -- American Buffalo

Dennis Delamar -- The Pillowman

James Yost -- Fiction, Orson's Shadow

Matt Cosper -- New Kid

Michael Simmons -- Omnium Gatherum

Nicia Carla -- Wrestling Season

BEST ACTOR, MUSICAL

Andrew Griner -- Oliver! (Oliver Twist)

Ben Mackel -- The Christmas Doll (Nick Button)

Craig Estep -- Children of Eden (Noah)

James K. Flynn -- Smoke on the Mountain (Burl)

Mike Collins -- Oliver! (Fagin)

Scott Ripley -- Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Hedwig)

Steven Jepson -- South Pacific (Emile de Becque)

Vito Abate -- Junie B. Jones & a Little Monkey Business (Crybaby William, Dad & The Boss)

BEST ACTRESS, MUSICAL

Caroline Bower -- Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie Dillmount), The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy Gale), The Christmas Doll (Lucy Wolcott)

Greta Marie Zandstra -- Smoke on the Mountain (June)

Gwen Edwards -- Junie B. Jones & A Little Monkey Business (Junie B. Jones)

Kathryn Stamas -- Oliver! (Nancy)

Lisa Smith -- The Great American Trailer Park Musical (Jeannie)

Pamela Bob -- Wildwood Flowers (June Carter)

Susan Roberts Knowlson -- South Pacific (Ensign Nellie Forbush)

BEST DIRECTOR, MUSICAL

Alan Poindexter -- The Wizard of Oz, The Christmas Doll

Billy Ensley -- Oliver!

Bo Thorpe -- Wildwood Flowers

Craig Spradley -- Smoke on the Mountain

Dennis Delamar -- The Great American Trailer Park Musical

Jill Bloede -- Junie B. Jones & A Little Monkey Business

Tom Hollis -- Thoroughly Modern Millie

BEST CONDUCTOR/MUSIC DIRECTOR

Adam Watkins -- The Wizard of Oz

Drina Keen -- Junie B. Jones & a Little Monkey Business, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Christmas Doll

Ellen Robison -- Smokey Joe's Café

Harry Owens -- Oliver!

Marsha Colbert -- Smoke on the Mountain

Marty Gregory -- The Great American Trailer Park Musical

BEST CHOREOGRAPHER

Delia Neil -- Go, Dog. Go! The Wizard of Oz

Eddie Mabry -- Thoroughly Modern Millie

John Thomas Mayfield -- Mr. Marmalade

Linda Booth -- South Pacific, Oliver!

Ron Chisholm -- Junie B. Jones & A Little Monkey Business, The Christmas Doll

BEST COSTUME DESIGNER

Annamarie Gatto -- Mr. Marmalade, The Heidi Chronicles

Bob Croghan -- Children of Eden, The Christmas Doll

Chad Calvert -- Orson's Shadow

Courtney Burt Scott -- Junie B. Jones & A Little Monkey Business, The Wizard of Oz

Donna Conrad -- Natural Selection, The Clean House

Jennifer Matthews -- Seussical

Jenny Wunderlich, Sandy Garin, Carol Patterson -- A Mad, Mad Madrigal

Myk Chambers -- The Goddess and the Magdalene, The Pillowman

Stuart Williams -- Sordid Lives

BEST LIGHTING DESIGNER

Biff Edge -- Smokey Joe's Café

David M. Fillmore -- Go, Dog. Go! The Wizard of Oz, The Christmas Doll

Eric Winkenwerder -- Wildwood Flowers

Hallie Grey -- Intimate Apparel, The Pillowman, Autobahn, The Clean House

John Hartness -- Sordid Lives, Oliver

Merdith Starnes & Quentin Talley -- Topdog/Underdog

Michael R. Simmons -- The Pavilion, Dracula

Stephen Clifford -- A Mad, Mad Madrigal

Thom Stanton -- Orson's Shadow, The Heidi Chronicles, Mr. Marmalade

BEST SET DESIGNER

Bob Croghan -- Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Christmas Doll

Chip Decker -- The Clean House

Chris Timmons -- Mr. Marmalade

Glen O. Brooks -- American Buffalo

James Duke -- South Pacific

Jayme Mellema -- The Wizard of Oz

Jim Gloster -- Junie B. Jones & A Little Monkey Business; Go, Dog. Go!

Ken Ellis/Robert L. Simmons -- Dracula

Stan Peal -- The Goddess and the Magdalene, The Pillowman, The Santaland Diaries

BEST SOUND DESIGNER-COMPOSER

Chip Decker -- The Pillowman, The Santaland Diaries

Elisheba Ittoop -- The Wizard of Oz, The Christmas Doll

Gary Sivak -- Junie B. Jones & A Little Monkey Business; Go, Dog. Go!

Jay Thomas -- Autobahn<

Jeff Murdock -- The Great American Trailer Park Musical

John Alexander -- Salsa Cinderella

Marty Gregory -- Intimate Apparel

Melissa Taylor -- Dracula

Red Davies -- Omnium Gatherum

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS

Drew Nowlin -- The Goddess and the Magdalene (Puppets)

James Vita -- The Shakespeare Christmas Carol (Projection design)

Jay Thomas -- Autobahn (Cinematography)

Jeff Weeks -- The Wizard of Oz (Dissolving Witch, Projections, Transitions to and from Oz)

Megan Ruhl -- Mr. Marmalade (Makeup Design)

Michael Simmons -- The Pillowman (Specialty Makeup)

Pete Wennerstrom & Peter Smeal -- Go, Dog. Go! (Water Dogs, Sea Creature Puppets, Doggie Cars)

Robert Simmons -- Omnium Gatherum (Revolving Stage)

Vania Reckard, Wendy Westbrook, and Drew Allison -- Salsa Cinderella (Puppet Design and Construction)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY

Robert Haulbrook -- Mr. Marmalade (Bradley)

Brett Gentile -- Carrie Annís Kiss (Chef, Nick, Dan, Buck, Winston, Sgt. Dick), Having a Wonderful Time (Bill Hogan), Natural Selection (Ernie Hardaway)

Jeremy DeCarlos -- Natural Selection (Zhao Martinez)

Hank West -- Sordid Lives (Brother Boy)

Jim Yost -- The Sublet Experiment (Harry)

Ryan Stamey -- The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (Cupid-Comet)

Jerry Colbert -- Sorry, Wrong Chimney (Kris Kreigle)

Martin Thompson -- The Clean House (Charles/Matildeís Father)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY

Annette Gill -- My Husbandís Wild Desires Almost Drove Me Mad (Louise)

Autumn Gentile -- A Bad Year for Tomatoes (Willa Mae Wilcox)

Cress Barnes -- Women Behind Bars (Gloria)

Elyse Williams -- The Clean House (Virginia)

Jorja Ursin -- The Clean House (Ana)

Leslie Beckham -- Some Girls (Tyler)

Meghan Lowther -- Mr. Marmalade (Sookie, Emily, French Sunflower)

Tanya McClellan -- Natural Selection (Yolanda/Penelope/Ms. Fjeldstad)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA

Bob Glahn -- American Buffalo (Bobby)

Brian Robinson -- The Pillowman (Tupolski)

Chip Decker -- The Pillowman (Michal Katurian)

Hank West -- Dracula (Renfield)

Robert Haulbrook -- Orson's Shadow (Kenneth Tynan)

Robert Lee Simmons -- Omnium Gatherum (Mohammed), The Pillowman (Ariel)

Sidney Horton -- Intimate Apparel (George)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA

Andrea King -- Wrestling Season (Referee)

Barbi VanSchaick -- The Goddess and the Magdalene (Various)

Christy Edney -- Dracula (Lucy Westenra)

Elise Wilkinson -- Fiction (Abby)

Elyse A. Williams -- Orson's Shadow (Vivien Leigh)

Lillie Oden -- Omnium Gatherum (Julia)

Meghan Lowther -- The Heidi Chronicles (Susan Johnston)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, MUSICAL

Alan Poindexter -- The Wizard of Oz (Wicked Witch of the West/Miss Gulch)

Ben Mackel -- The Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow)

Corey Mitchell -- Smokey Joe's Café

Jeffrey Ostermueller -- Thoroughly Modern Millie (Trevor Graydon)

JR Jacobs -- Children of Eden (Cain)

Patrick Ratchford -- Oliver! (Bill Sykes)

Ryan Stamey -- The Great American Trailer Park Musical (Duke)

Vito Abate -- South Pacific (Luther Billis)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, MUSICAL

Christy Johnson -- Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Yitzhak)

Emily Calder -- The Christmas Doll (Glory Wolcott)

Gina Stewart -- Wildwood Flowers (Mother Maybelle)

Jill Bloede -- The Wizard of Oz (Cowardly Lion)

Johanna Lloyd -- The Great American Trailer Park Musical (Pickles)

Rebecca Cook Carter -- South Pacific (Bloody Mary)

Sarah Stevens -- Children of Eden (Yonah)

Susan Roberts Knowlson -- Thoroughly Modern Millie (Mrs. Meers)

BEST MALE CAMEO

Bud Eason -- Sorry, Wrong Chimney (The Policeman)

Glenn Hutchinson -- Autobahn (Joe)

James Duke -- Dearly Beloved (Wiley Hicks)

John Wray -- Waiting for Godot (Lucky)

John Xenakis -- Dracula (Jonathan Seward)

Jonovan Adams -- Mr. Marmalade (Western Cactus)

Matt Cosper -- Holes (Trout Walker)

Steven Martin -- Oliver! (Dr. Grimwig)

BEST FEMALE CAMEO

Amanda Berkowitz -- The Pillowman (Girl)

Barbi VanSchaick -- The Wizard of Oz (Aunt Em)

Carley Howard -- Sordid Lives (Dr. Eve Bolinger)

Emily Zong -- Hamlet (Player Queen)

Leslie Flesner, Caroline Bower, Sarah Stevens, LouAnn Vaughan, Lisa Blanton -- Children of Eden (Snake)

Simone White -- South Pacific (Liat)

Tania Kelly -- The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (Vixen)

Tonya McClellan -- Holes (Madame Zeroni), A Mad, Mad Madrigal (Person Auditioning for the Wrong Show)

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Aisha O. Dew -- Top Dog/Underdog (Director)

Caroline Bower -- Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie Dillimount), Children of Eden (Snake), The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy Gale), The Christmas Doll (Lucy Wolcott)

Chip Brazil -- Women Behind Bars (Blanche)

Christopher Hull -- The Crucible (Rev. John Hale), My Husband's Wild Desires Almost Drove Me Mad (Mr. Griffith)

Christy Johnson -- Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Yitzhak)

Gwen Edwards -- Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business (Junie B. Jones)

Jason T. Mayfield -- Mr. Marmalade (Larry/Fight Choreography), Holes (Zigzag/Policeman 2/Townsperson 1)

Leslie Flesner -- Seussical (Gertrude McFuzz), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Miss Dorothy Brown), Children of Eden (Snake)

L-Jae Levine -- Smokey Joe's Café, The Odd Couple (Vinnie)

Michelle Busiek -- Brighton Beach Memoirs (Nora), The Crucible (Mercy Lewis), As You Like It (Lord 1)

Tania Kelly -- Mouse Tails (Country Mouse), The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (Vixen)

Thom Stanton -- Orson's Shadow, The Heidi Chronicles, Mr. Marmalade (Lighting Design)

BEST ORIGINAL SHOW

Salsa Cinderella -- Grey Seal Puppets

Goddess and the Magdalene -- Epic Arts Repertory Theatre

The Christmas Doll -- Children's Theatre

BEST ONE-PERSON SHOW

Drew Allison in Salsa Cinderella (Pepper Prince/Godmother Gazpacho, etc.)

Joseph Klosek in The Santaland Diaries (Crumpet)

BEST COMEDY

Go, Dog. Go! -- Children's Theatre

Mr. Marmalade -- BareBones

Natural Selection -- Actor's Theatre

Sorry, Wrong Chimney! -- Pineville Dinner Theater

The Clean House -- Actor's Theatre

The Eight: Reindeer Monologues -- Theatre 650/Actor's Theatre

The Sublet Experiment -- Collaborative Arts

Women Who Steal -- BareBones

BEST DRAMA

American Buffalo -- CAST

Fiction -- Collaborative Arts

Intimate Apparel -- Actor's Theatre

Omnium Gatherum -- CAST

Orson's Shadow -- BareBones Theatre Group

The Pillowman -- Actor's Theatre

The Wrestling Season -- Children's Theatre

BEST MUSICAL

Junie B. Jones & A Little Monkey Business -- Children's Theatre

Oliver! -- Theatre Charlotte

South Pacific -- CPCC Summer Theatre

The Great American Trailer Park Musical -- Actor's Theatre of Charlotte

The Wizard of Oz -- Children's Theatre

Thoroughly Modern Millie -- CPCC Summer Theatre

Wildwood Flowers: The June Carter Cash Musical -- NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center

THEATER EVENT OF THE YEAR

AACTFest 2007 -- Metrolina Theatre Association

Carolina Actors Studio Theatre "Boxagon"

Carolina Shakespeare -- Theatre Charlotte

Cherry Jones in Doubt @ Belk Theater

Create Carolina Festival @ Winthrop U

Having Our Say -- Theatre Charlotte @ the Afro-Am

Pineville Dinner Theater Returns

Royal Shakespeare Company Residency -- Davidson College

The Sublet Experiment -- Collaborative Arts

THEATERPERSON OF THE YEAR

Alan Poindexter, Billy Ensley, Chip Decker, Craig Spradley, Elise Wilkinson, Greta Marie Zandstra, Jill Bloede, Julie Janorschke, Laura Depta, Mark Sutton, Michael Simmons, Mike Collins, Nicia Carla, Robert Simmons, Scott Ripley, Sidney Horton, Stan Peal

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