Productions of “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” the Branden Jacobs-Jenkins play “Purpose” and Samuel D. Hunter’s “Little Bear Ridge Road” emerged triumphant at Monday night’s Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremony, held at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace.
This was the 56th year of the awards program, Chicago’s equivalent of the Tony Awards, with awards presented to the Chicago area’s union-affiliated Equity theaters by the all-volunteer Jeffs committee.
Such long-established companies as the Goodman and Steppenwolf Theatres did especially well, as did the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire and the Drury Lane itself. Well-known winners included the actors Harry Lennix and Laurie Metcalf, and the director and choreographer Justin Peck. Special Jeff Awards went to two recent departees from long-held posts: Charles Newell from Court Theatre and Roche Schulfer from the Goodman.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@chicagotribune.com
2024 Equity Jeff Award winners
PRODUCTION OF A PLAY (LARGE): “Purpose” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company
PRODUCTION OF A PLAY (MIDSIZE):
- “Turret” – A Red Orchid Theatre
- “A View from the Bridge” – Shattered Globe Theatre
PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL (LARGE): “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” – Marriott Theatre
PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL (MIDSIZE): “Jersey Boys” – Mercury Theater Chicago
PRODUCTION OF A REVUE: “Ain’t Misbehavin’” – Drury Lane Productions
ENSEMBLE FOR A PLAY: “The Penelopiad” – Goodman Theatre
ENSEMBLE FOR A MUSICAL OR REVUE: “Ain’t Misbehavin’” – Drury Lane Productions
NEW WORK:
- Samuel D. Hunter – “Little Bear Ridge Road” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company
- Branden Jacobs-Jenkins – “Purpose” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company
DIRECTOR OF A PLAY (LARGE):
- Joe Mantello – “Little Bear Ridge Road” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company
- Phylicia Rashad – “Purpose” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company
DIRECTOR OF A PLAY (MIDSIZE): Louis Contey – “A View from the Bridge” – Shattered Globe Theatre
DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL (LARGE): Jessica Fisch – “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” – Marriott Theatre
DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL (MIDSIZE): L. Walter Stearns and Brenda Didier – “Jersey Boys” – Mercury Theater Chicago
DIRECTOR OF A REVUE: E. Faye Butler – “Ain’t Misbehavin’” – Drury Lane Productions
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY:
- Scott Aiello – “A View from the Bridge” – Shattered Globe Theatre
- Laurie Metcalf – “Little Bear Ridge Road” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL:
- Kaitlyn Davis – “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” – Marriott Theatre
- Meghan Murphy – “Anything Goes” – Porchlight Music Theatre
SOLO PERFORMANCE: Hershey Felder – “Hershey Felder as Monsieur Chopin” – Writers Theatre
PERFORMER IN A REVUE: Lorenzo Rush, Jr. – “Ain’t Misbehavin’” – Drury Lane Productions
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY:
- E. Faye Butler – “The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at the Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years” – Goodman Theatre
- Mitchell J. Fain – “The Lehman Trilogy” – Broadway in Chicago and TimeLine Theatre Company
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL:
- Adrian Aguilar – “Jersey Boys” – Mercury Theater Chicago
- Andrew Mueller – “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” – Marriott Theatre
CHOREOGRAPHY: Justin Peck- “Illinoise” – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A PLAY: Samuel Davis – “The Penelopiad” – Goodman Theatre
MUSIC DIRECTION: Nathan Koci – “Illinoise” – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
SCENIC DESIGN (LARGE):
- Todd Rosenthal – “The Matchbox Magic Flute” – Goodman Theatre
- Arnel Sancianco – “The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at the Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years” – Goodman Theatre
SCENIC DESIGN (MIDSIZE): Grant Sabin – “Turret” – A Red Orchid Theatre
COSTUME DESIGN (LARGE): Ana Kuzmanic – “The Matchbox Magic Flute” – Goodman Theatre
COSTUME DESIGN (MIDSIZE): Aly Greaves Amidei – “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley” – Buffalo Theatre Ensemble
SOUND DESIGN (LARGE): André Pluess – “The Lehman Trilogy” – Broadway in Chicago and TimeLine Theatre Company
SOUND DESIGN (MIDSIZE): Jeffrey Levin – “Turret” – A Red Orchid Theatre
LIGHTING DESIGN (LARGE): Cat Wilson – “A Streetcar Named Desire” – Paramount Theatre
LIGHTING DESIGN (MIDSIZE): Mike Durst – “Turret” – A Red Orchid Theatre
PROJECTION DESIGN: Mike Tutaj – “Gods and Monsters” – Frame of Reference Productions
ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION: Timo Andres – music arrangements and orchestrations – “Illinoise” – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
SHORT RUN – PRODUCTION: “Welcome to Matteson!” – Congo Square Theatre Company
SHORT RUN – PERFORMER: Harry Lennix – “How I Learned What I Learned” – Congo Square Theatre Company and Goodman Theatre
SPECIAL AWARD: Charles Newell, Roche Schulfer
