The 34th Annual Robby Awards show scheduled for March 23, 2020, has been canceled due to the Coronavirus and social distancing.
Here is the list of the winners for the best in Los Angeles area theatre for 2019. With the Robby Awards, a few categories resulted in a tie vote, even with critic Rob Stevens as the only voter.
The Pasadena Playhouse’s production of “Ragtime” won Best Musical as well as three other awards. The Ahmanson Theatre’s production of “Indecent” also won four awards, including Best Drama. Best Comedy was awarded to Odyssey Theatre Ensemble’s “Loot” which also won two other awards.
A Noise Within led all producing companies with five awards spread over three of their productions—”Argonautika,” “The Glass Menagerie,” and “Frankenstein.” The Geffen Playhouse won three awards, one each for their productions of “Key Largo,” “Skintight,” and “Witch.”
Among 99-seat theatres, Celebration Theatre won two awards for its production of “The Producers,” Boston Court Pasadena won two awards for “The Judas Kiss,” and Antaeus Theatre Company won two awards for “The Cripple of Inishmaan,” while two awards were given to shows at the annual Hollywood Fringe Festival.
The Robby Awards
Teri Ralston Award for Best Musical
Ragtime, Pasadena Playhouse
Virginia Capers Award for Best Director of a Musical
David Lee, Ragtime, Pasadena Playhouse
Michael G. Hawkins Award for Best Actor in a Musical
Marc Ginsburg, Ragtime, Pasadena Playhouse
Michelle Nicastro Award for Best Actress in a Musical
Shannon Warne, Ragtime, Pasadena Playhouse
Gary Beach Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
Michael A. Shepperd, The Producers, Celebration Theatre
Lisa Robinson Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
Lauren Van Kurin, Earth to Karen, Hollywood Fringe Festival
Dom Salinaro Award for Best Choreography
Christine Negherbon, Holiday Inn, Musical Theatre West
Elan McMahan Award for Best Musical Direction
Gregory Nabours, Scissorhands, The Fuse Project
John Raitt Award for Best Music and Lyrics
Brooke deRosa, Gunfight at the Not-So-OK Saloon, Trial Run Productions
Nan Martin Award for Best Drama
Indecent, Ahmanson Theatre
Martin Benson Award for Best Director of a Drama (Tie)
Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, Argonautika, A Noise Within
Rebecca Taichman, Indecent, Ahmanson Theatre
Ray Stricklyn Award for Best Actor in a Drama
Rob Nagle, The Judas Kiss, Boston Court Pasadena
Sally Kemp Award for Best Actress in a Drama
Deborah Strang, The Glass Menagerie, A Noise Within
Richard Doyle Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
Kasey Mahaffy, The Glass Menagerie, A Noise Within
Belinda Balaski Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama
Jenny O’Hara, Daniel’s Husband, The Fountain Theatre
Carole Cook Award for Best Comedy
Loot, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
Ron Link Award for Best Director of a Comedy
Bart DeLorenzo, Loot, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
Tom Troupe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy (Tie)
Harry Groener, Skintight, Geffen Playhouse
Evan Jonigkeit, Witch, Geffen Playhouse
Lu Leonard Award for Best Actress in a Comedy
Elizabeth Arends, Loot, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
Albert Lord Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy
JD Cullum, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Antaeus Theatre Company
Dee Croxton Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Anne Gee Byrd, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Antaeus Theatre Company
Michael Devereaux Award for Best Playwriting
David Hare, The Judas Kiss, Boston Court Pasadena
John Iacovelli Award for Best Scenic Design
John Lee Beatty, Key Largo, Geffen Playhouse
Best Projection Design
Aaron Rhyne, Anastasia, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
Paulie Jenkins Award for Best Lighting Design
Christopher Akerlind, Indecent, Ahmanson Theatre
Garland Riddle Award for Best Costume Design
E. B. Brooks, The Producers, Celebration Theatre
Steve ”Canyon” Kennedy Award for Best Sound Design
Robert Oriol, Frankenstein, A Noise Within
Lies and Legends Award for Best Ensemble Award
Matt Darriau, Elizabeth A. Davis, Joby Earle, Patrick Farrell, Harry Groener,
Lisa Gutkin, Mimi Lieber, Steven Rattazzi, Richard Topol, Adina Verson,
Indecent, Ahmanson Theatre
Billy Barnes Award for Best Cabaret Performance
Daniel Thomas Bellusci, Brittney Bertier, Ellie Birdwell, Bruce Kimmel,
Kerry O’Malley, Jenna Lea Rosen, Robert Yacko,
L’Wonderful, L’Marvelous, Legrand, Kritzerland at Vitello’s
Special Award for Props and Puppet Design
Erin Walley and Dillon Nelson, Argonautika, A Noise Within
Robby Living Legend Award
Teri Ralston
- A Noise Within
- Aaron Rhyne
- Adina Verson
- Ahmanson Theatre
- Anne Gee Byrd
- Bart DeLorenzo
- Boston Court Pasadena
- Brittney Bertier
- Brooke deRosa
- Bruce Kimmel
- Center Theatre Group
- Christine Negherbon
- Christopher Akerlind
- Daniel Thomas Bellusci
- David Hare
- David Lee
- Deborah Strang
- Dillon Nelson
- E. B. Brooks
- Elizabeth A. Davis
- Elizabeth Arends
- Ellie Birdwell
- Erin Walley
- Evan Jonigkeit
- Feinstein’s At Vitello's
- Fountain Theatre
- Geffen Playhouse
- Gregory Nabours
- Harry Groener
- Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- JD Cullum
- Jenna Lea Rosen
- Jenny O’Hara
- Joby Earle
- John Lee Beatty
- Julia Rodriguez-Elliott
- Kasey Mahaffy
- Kerry O’Malley
- Kritzerland
- L’Marvelous
- L’Wonderful
- Lauren Van Kurin
- Legrand
- Lisa Gutkin
- Marc Ginsburg
- Matt Darriau
- Michael A. Shepperd
- Mimi Lieber
- Musical Theatre West
- Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
- Pasadena Playhouse
- Patrick Farrell
- Rebecca Taichman
- Richard Topol
- Rob Nagle
- Robert Oriol
- Robert Yacko
- Shannon Warne
- Steven Rattazzi
- Teri Ralston
- Trial Run Productions
- Vitello's