By Skip Sheffield
BOCA RATON — “Vices: A Love Story” won two important Carbonell Awards recently at Broward Center for the Arts.
The original musical with dance, which had its world premiere at Caldwell Theatre Company in Boca Raton, netted a Best Actress/Musical award for Holly Shunkey and Best Choreography/Musical for AC Ciulla.
Otherwise, it was pretty slim pickings for Palm Beach County theaters at the 34th annual Carbonell Awards.
Florida Stage, which soon will make the move from Manalapan to the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, won a Best New Work award for Peter Colley, Robert Creighton and Christopher McGovern’s original musical, “Cagney.”
GableStage’s production of David Mamet’s “Speed the Plow” was a big winner, with awards for Best Production of a Play, Best Director (Joe Adler) and Best Actor (Paul Tei).
Delray Beach actress Barbara Bradshaw was named Best Actress in a Play for her role in “Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them” at Mosaic Theatre in Plantation.
Another multiple winner was “Les Miserables” at Actor’s Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, which won Best Production of a Musical, Best Director (David Arisco), Best Musical Direction (Eric Alsford), Best Supporting Actor/Musical (Gary Marachek), Best Supporting Actress/Musical (Gwen Hollander) and Best Scenic Design (Sean McClelland).
The Maltz Jupiter Theatre production of “Barnum” earned Brad Oscar a Carbonell for Best Actor/Musical.
Florida Grand Opera General Director Robert M. Heuer received this year’s George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts in recognition of his 25 years of service.
The Bill Von Maurer Award for Theatrical Excellence went to GableStage, founded in 1979 as the Florida Shakespeare Theatre.
“Distracted” at Caldwell Theatre Company
Caldwell Theatre Company, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, celebrates opening night of “Distracted” at 8 p.m. April 16.
Running through May 16, “Distracted” is Lisa Loomis’ comedic look at a family coping with a nine-year-old son diagnosed with ADHD.
Laura Turnbull stars in the central role of Mama, with Stephen G. Anthony as Dad. Other cast members are Kim Cozort, Kim Ostrenko, Lela Elam, Nikki Bromberg, Michael McKeever and Brian Inerfield as nine-year-old Jessie.
Tickets are $34-$45 ($55 opening night) and $10 for full-time students. Call 561-241-7432 or go to www.caldwelltheatrecompany.com.
Gaynor performs at new center at Lynn
A new era begins Saturday, April 17 at Lynn University, 3601 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton.
At 7:30 p.m. Saturday will be the first public performance in the splendid new $15 million Keith C. and Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center.
The show is “Razzle-Dazzle: My Life Behind the Sequins,” starring stage, screen and television star, Mitzi Gaynor. It will be repeated at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 18.
Mitzi will take the audience on a musical trip down memory lane with more than 50 years of dancing, singing and laughing.
Tickets are $45, $65 and $75 and may be reserved by calling 561-237-9000 or visiting www.lynn.edu.