Courtesy of Toni Tresca
Audio By Carbonatix
The eighteenth annual Henry Awards, held on July 29 at the Lone Tree Arts Center, was more than just an awards ceremony – it was “one big party,” as described by Colorado Theatre Guild (CTG) president Betty Hart during the lively after-party. Appropriately themed “Celebrating Our Connection,” the evening was a vibrant celebration of the state’s diverse and talented theater community, bringing together artists from all over Colorado to honor excellence in performing arts.
The event, directed by Lee Ann Scherlong, with musical direction by Heather Iris Holt and stage management by Wayne Breyer, is named after well-known producer Henry Lowenstein and serves as CTG’s annual fundraiser. Nominations and winners were chosen by 79 judges, who assessed 159 eligible productions from 52 different theater companies during the season, which ran from May 16, 2023, to May 15, 2024.
The judging system allows for ties, which happened in five categories, and two awards were given out in the youth performer category. In total, forty competitive awards were given to twenty theater companies in Colorado for 25 different productions, and Sue Leiser, an actor, agent and champion of the theater community, received a lifetime achievement award in recognition of her support for the art form.
Colorado’s biggest producer, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company, received the most awards, racking up seven wins for its productions of A Little Night Music, Rubicon and The Lehman Trilogy. Its production of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music took home four awards, including Director of a Musical (Chris Coleman), Lead Actor Tier 1 (Edward Staudenmayer), Supporting Actress Tier 1 (Cate Hayman) and one of the ceremony’s top honors: Outstanding Musical.
A Little Night Music tied with Performance Now‘s rendition of the classic The Music Man for the most awarded individual production of the evening, with The Music Man winning four: Lead Actress in a Musical Tier 2 (Carolyn Lohr), Supporting Actress in a Musical Tier 2 (Jennifer Burnett), Choreography (Kelly Van Oosbree) and Youth Performer (Ethan Hershman). Miners Alley Playhouse‘s stirring staging of Stephen King’s Misery was the most-awarded play, with three wins, including Lead Actress in a Play Tier 1 (Emma Messenger), Lighting Design Tier 1 (Vance McKenzie) and Sound Design Tier 1 (John Hauser), but it failed to win Outstanding Play.
Instead, Thunder River Theatre Company‘s production of Endgame, an absurdist story set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, won Outstanding Play as well as Lead Actor in a Play Tier 1 (Brian Landis Folkins). Other productions with multiple wins include the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities‘ Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (two wins) and Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (two wins), DCPA’s The Lehman Trilogy (two wins), Breckenridge Backstage Theatre‘s Inventing Van Gogh (two wins) and Two Cent Lion Theatre Company‘s Clink, Clink (two wins).
The shift in the award distribution this year was striking, especially compared to last year’s dominance by a few standout productions. In 2023, BETC‘s The Royale swept the night with nine awards, and the DCPA’s work also secured nine wins. This year’s spread of recognition, however, has led to some puzzling outcomes. Notably, many top-tier companies like BETC, Buntport Theater, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Curious Theatre Company, Local Theater Company and Town Hall Arts Center each received just one award.
While the Henry Awards are known for their attempts to honor a wide array of talent across the state, the 2024 ceremony highlighted a significant concentration of awards within the metro area. Outside the Denver metro, only a handful of companies were recognized, including Thunder River Theatre Company in Carbondale (Endgame), Breckenridge Backstage Theatre (Inventing Van Gogh), OpenStage Theatre & Company in Fort Collins (The Book of Will), Springs Ensemble Theatre (Annapurna) and Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center (Misery).
BDT Stage, Benchmark Theatre, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Evergreen Players, Firehouse Theater Company, Funky Little Theater Company, Ovation West, Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, the Arts HUB, Theatre Aspen and Theatreworks were all nominated but did not win awards. Some of the state’s most beloved troupes, such as Phamaly Theater Company, the Catamounts and Su Teatro, were not even nominated, while top troupes such as Theatre SilCo (formerly Lake Dillon Theatre Company), Vintage Theatre (except for two summer 2023 shows) and Candlelight Dinner Playhouse chose not to compete.
Despite these disparities, the evening’s distribution of awards represents a step toward a more inclusive and balanced recognition of Colorado’s theater landscape. An unexpected twist: a pre-ceremony gathering that was already in full swing when I arrived at the “official” start time of 6:30 p.m. It was a veritable who’s who of Colorado theater, with familiar faces and new talent mingling in the packed lobby. The ceremony began promptly at 7 p.m. It was presented both in person and via livestream, with the latter attracting a modest audience of approximately 43 virtual attendees, according to my mid-show check-in with CTG Vice President Lia Kozatch, who was stationed in the lobby monitoring the video stream.
Gabi Karl, a 2024 Bobby G Award winner, kicked off the night with a rousing performance of “I’d Rather Be Me,” from Mean Girls. This set an upbeat tone for the evening, but it was not long before the first awkward moments arose. An announcement was made that categories with two tiers (over $500,000 yearly operating budget are in tier one and under that amount are tier two) would be announced concurrently, eliciting frustrated whispers from the audience about “robbing tier-two winners of their moment.” However, the chatter was quickly silenced when it became clear that no one’s toes were being stepped on and that everyone still had the opportunity to give their own speech.
This was an early sign that CTG was going to deliver on a key promise it had made to its members: Make the ceremony shorter. In comparison to last year’s ceremony, which lasted nearly four hours and dragged, this year’s event was extremely well-directed, retaining everything that makes the Henry Awards unique while clocking in at around two hours and fifteen minutes.
The ceremony retained the heartfelt elements that make the Henry Awards a cherished event. There were speeches from the winners, live performances by cast members from the five nominated musicals, a special presentation by the Denver Actors Fund, a poignant in-memoriam segment curated by John Moore, and Hart’s presidential address, which emphasized the evening’s theme of connection. Still, there were moments of tension amid the celebrations.
The DCPA’s dominance elicited mixed reactions, especially given that many of their out-of-state actors and designers were absent, forcing presenters to accept awards on their behalf. The audience took note of this absence, and their disappointed murmurs reflected a larger debate about the presence and participation of local and out-of-town talent. However, the audience was visibly moved when Edward Staudenmayer, who won for his role in A Little Night Music, mentioned in his speech that he had flown in to accept his award, and appreciated the respect he showed to the local theater community by showing up.
As the ceremony ended, the atmosphere remained upbeat, with attendees mingling in the lobby and celebrating in the reception hall, despite the occasional grumble about productions or performances that some felt should have won. The after-party, which lasted until a classy 10:45 p.m., with people staying in the parking lot until God only knows when, exemplified the event’s spirit of camaraderie. The 2024 Henry Awards successfully threaded the ever-important needle of genuinely strengthening community ties while being more unpredictable (and thus more entertaining) than the previous year due to its diverse recognition of a broader range of companies and productions. Now, on to the winners!
Find the 2024 Henry Awards nominees and winners (highlighted in bold) below:
Outstanding Play (Alphabetized by company)
“Coal Country,” BETC
“The Minutes,” Curious Theatre Company
“The Lehman Trilogy,” DCPA Theatre Company
“Misery,” Miners Alley Playhouse
“Endgame,” Thunder River Theatre Company
Outstanding Musical (Alphabetized by company)
“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
“Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
“Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
“A Little Night Music,” DCPA Theatre Company
“The Music Man,” Performance Now Theatre Company
Outstanding Director of a Play
Margot Bordelon, “The Lehman Trilogy,” DCPA Theatre Company
Meredith McDonough, “Emma,” DCPA Theatre Company
Christy Montour-Larson, “Truth Be Told,” Curious Theatre Company
Renee Prince, “Endgame,” Thunder River Theatre Company
Kevin Rich, “Much Ado About Nothing,” Colorado Shakespeare Festival
Outstanding Director of a Musical (Tie)
Chris Coleman, “A Little Night Music,” DCPA Theatre Company
Lynne Collins, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Lynne Collins, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Kenny Moten, “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Kelly Van Oosbree, “The Music Man,” Performance Now Theatre Company
Outstanding Musical Direction
Susan Draus & Alec Steinhorn, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Trent Hines, “Raisin,” Town Hall Arts Center
Joe Jung, “Coal Country,” BETC
David Nehls, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Michael Querio, “Pirates of Penzance,” Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre
Angela Steiner, “A Little Night Music,” DCPA Theatre Company
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play Tier 1
Tasso Feldman, “The Lehman Trilogy,” DCPA Theatre Company
Torsten Hillhouse, “Misery,” Miners Alley Playhouse
Brian Landis Folkins, “Endgame,” Thunder River Theatre Company
David Ledingham, “Endgame,” Thunder River Theatre Company
K.P. Powell, “Much Ado About Nothing,” Colorado Shakespeare Festival
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play Tier 2 (Tie)
Erik Edborg, “Naughty Bits,” Buntport Theater Company
Kent-Jameson Ehrman, “Inventing Van Gogh,” Breckenridge Backstage Theatre
Steve Emily, “Annapurna,” Springs Ensemble Theatre
Joey Folsom, “Inventing Van Gogh,” Breckenridge Backstage Theatre
Jacob Offen, “The Book of Will,” OpenStage Theatre & Company
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play Tier 1
Kate Berry, “Mountain Octopus,” Creede Repertory Theatre
Emma Messenger, “Misery,” Miners Alley Playhouse
Amelia Pedlow, “Emma,” DCPA Theatre Company
Jessica Robblee, “What the Constitution Means to Me,” BETC
Karen Slack, “Truth Be Told,” Curious Theatre Company
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play Tier 2
Izzy Chern, “Clink, Clink,” Two Cent Lion Theatre Company
Gracie Jacobson, “Clink, Clink,” Two Cent Lion Theatre Company
Magally Luna, “Guadalupe in the Guest Room,” Firehouse Theater Company
Billie McBride, “The Heartbeat of the Sun,” Cherry Creek Theatre
Anne Oberbroeckling, “The Heartbeat of the Sun,” Cherry Creek Theatre
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical Tier 1
Brett Ambler, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Brian L. Boyd, “Dreamgirls,” Lone Tree Arts Center
Seth Dhonau, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Wayne Kennedy, “Fiddler on the Roof,” BDT Stage
Edward Staudenmayer, “A Little Night Music,” DCPA Theatre Company
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical Tier 2
Brandon Bill, “Murder for Two,” Give 5 Productions
Scott Hurst, “Big Fish (Small Cast Edition),” OpenStage Theatre & Company
Jeffrey Parker, “Man of La Mancha,” Platte Valley Players Theatre
Jeffrey Parker, “The Music Man,” Performance Now Theatre Company
Keith J. Warren, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” Breckenridge Backstage Theatre
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical Tier 1
Suzanna Champion, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre
Julia Knitel, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Theatre Aspen
Mary Louise Lee, “Raisin,” Town Hall Arts Center
Soara-Joye Ross, “A Little Night Music,” DCPA Theatre Company
Emily Van Fleet, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical Tier 2
Lindsey Falduto, “Man of La Mancha,” Platte Valley Players Theatre
Brikaih Floré, “Big Fish (Small Cast Edition),” OpenStage Theatre & Company
Carolyn Lohr, “The Music Man,” Performance Now Theatre Company
Amy Sheff, “Sweeney Todd,” The Arts HUB
Monica Joyce Slabach, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” Breckenridge Backstage Theatre
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play Tier 1
Mark Collins, “Coal Country,” BETC
Bob Moore, “Endgame,” Thunder River Theatre Company
Colton Pratt, “The Little Prince,” Theatreworks
Matthew Schneck, “Art,” Aurora Fox Arts Center
Andrew Uhlenhopp, “Art,” Aurora Fox Arts Center
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play Tier 2
David Austin-GrÁ¶en, “The Book of Will,” OpenStage Theatre & Company
Bobby Bennett, “You Enjoy Myself,” Local Theater Company
Brian Colonna, “125 “‘NO’s”,” Buntport Theater Company
David Hastings, “The Seafarer,” Springs Ensemble Theatre
Felix Mayes, “Inventing Van Gogh,” Breckenridge Backstage Theatre
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play Tier 1
Kaley Corinaldi, “The Little Prince,” Theatreworks
Anastasia Davidson, “Coal Country,” BETC
Birgitta De Pree, “Taming of the Shrew,” Theatreworks
Kate Forbes, “Rubicon,” DCPA Theatre Company
Katherine George, “Clyde’s,” DCPA Theatre Company
Lindsey Pierce, “Coal Country,” BETC
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play Tier 2
Iliana Lucero Barron, “You Enjoy Myself,” Local Theater Company
Colette Brown, “The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years,” Firehouse Theater Company
Hannah Duggan, “125 ‘NO’s,” Buntport Theater Company
Hannah Duggan, “Best Town,” Buntport Theater Company
Erin Rollman, “125 ‘NO’s,” Buntport Theater Company
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical Tier 1
EJ Dohring, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Lawrence Flowers, “Dreamgirls,” Lone Tree Arts Center
Zachary James, “A Little Night of Music,” DCPA Theatre Company
Michael E. Martin, “Something Rotten!,” Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre
Brian Watson, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical Tier 2 (Tie)
Chris Boeckx, “The Music Man,” Performance Now Theatre Company
Adam Luhrs, “Man of La Mancha,” Platte Valley Players Theatre
Vern Moody, “Man of La Mancha,” Platte Valley Players Theatre
David Novinger, “The Music Man,” Performance Now Theatre Company
George Zamarripa, “Man of La Mancha,” Platte Valley Players Theatre
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical Tier 1
Alexis Gordon, “A Little Night Music,” DCPA Theatre Company
Cate Hayman, “A Little Night Music,” DCPA Theatre Company
Adriane Leigh Robinson, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Aynsley Upton, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Aléna Watters, “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical Tier 2
Brekken Baker, “Seussical,” Performance Now Theatre Company
Jennifer Burnett, “The Music Man,” Performance Now Theatre Company
Isabella Maria Falber, “We Will Rock You,” Funky Little Theater Company
Karen Krause, “The Music Man,” Performance Now Theatre Company
Marin Stumpft, “Big Fish (Small Cast Edition),” OpenStage Theatre & Company
Outstanding Ensemble (Alphabetized by company)
“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
“Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
“The Minutes,” Curious Theatre Company
“The Lehman Trilogy,” DCPA Theatre Company
“A Jukebox for the Algonquin,” Miners Alley Playhouse
“Misery,” Miners Alley Playhouse
Outstanding Choreography (Tie)
Jessica Hindsley, “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Christopher Page-Sanders, “Dreamgirls,” Lone Tree Arts Center
Christopher Page-Sanders, “Raisin,” Town Hall Arts Center
Grady Soapes, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Kelly Van Oosbree, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Kelly Van Oosbree, “The Music Man,” Performance Now Theatre Company
Outstanding New Play or Musical (Alphabetized by company) (Three-way tie)
“Stonewall,” Developed by Benchmark Theatre, Benchmark Theatre
“125 ‘NO’s,” Written by the Buntport Theater Company, Buntport Theater Company
“Mountain Octopus,” Written by Beth Kander, Creede Repertory Theatre
“Truth Be Told,” Written by William Cameron, Curious Theatre Company
“Rubicon,” Written by Kirsten Potter, DCPA Theatre Company
Outstanding Costume Design Tier 1
Janice Benning Lacek, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Kevin Copenhaver, “A Little Night of Music,” DCPA Theatre Company
Lex Liang, “Emma,” DCPA Theatre Company
Sarah M. Stark, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Emily Valley, “Dreamgirls,” Lone Tree Arts Center
Outstanding Costume Design Tier 2
Izzy Chern, “Clink, Clink,” Two Cent Lion Theatre Company
Nealy Drew, “Nevermore,” Evergreen Players
Rebecca Evans, “The Book of Will,” OpenStage Theatre & Company
Nicole Harrison, “The Music Man,” Performance Now Theatre Company
Nicole Harrison, “Seussical,” Performance Now Theatre Company
Outstanding Lighting Design Tier 1
Jiyoun Chang, “The Lehman Trilogy,” DCPA Theatre Company
Jon Dunkle, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Jackie Fox and Paul Toben, “Emma,” DCPA Theatre Company
Charles R. MacLeod, “Rubicon,” DCPA Theatre Company
Vance McKenzie, “Misery,” Miners Alley Playhouse
Shannon McKinney, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Outstanding Lighting Design Tier 2
Benchmark Theatre, “Stonewall,” Benchmark Theatre
Buntport Theater Company, “125 ‘NO’s,” Buntport Theater Company
Sean Mallary, “Acts of Faith,” Local Theater Company
Brett Maughan, “The Music Man,” Performance Now Theatre Company
Maxwell O’Neill, “Clink, Clink,” Two Cent Lion Theatre Company
Outstanding Scenic Design Tier 1
Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay, “Clyde’s,” DCPA Theatre Company
Lex Liang, “Emma,” DCPA Theatre Company
Kevin Nelson, “The Mousetrap,” Lone Tree Arts Center
Christopher L. Sheley, “Misery,” Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College
Colin Tugwell, “Endgame,” Thunder River Theatre Company
Outstanding Scenic Design Tier 2
Tania Barrenechea, “Inventing Van Gogh,” Breckenridge Backstage Theatre
Susan Crabtree, “You Enjoy Myself,” Local Theater Company
Caleb Gilbert, “The Book of Will,” OpenStage Theatre & Company
Drew Mitchell, “Clink, Clink,” Two Cent Lion Theatre Company
Kitty Robbins, “Annapurna,” Springs Ensemble Theatre
Outstanding Sound Design Tier 1
Alex Billman, “Where Did We Sit on the Bus?,” DCPA Theatre Company
John Hauser, “Misery,” Miners Alley Playhouse
Palmer Hefferan, “The Lehman Trilogy,” DCPA Theatre Company
Wayne Kennedy, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Max Silverman, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Outstanding Sound Design Tier 2
Buntport Theater Company, “125 ‘NO’s,” Buntport Theater Company
Kevin Douglas and Taelor Hansen, “Clink, Clink,” Two Cent Lion Theatre Company
Jeffrey Levin, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” Breckenridge Backstage Theatre
Max Silverman, “Acts of Faith,” Local Theater Company
Marc Stith, “Jeremiah,” Benchmark Theatre
Victoria Villalobos, “The Book of Will,” OpenStage Theatre & Company
Outstanding Youth Performer (Two Awards)
Grayson Allensworth, “The Full Monty,” Miners Alley Playhouse
Hayley Ballard, “Elf the Musical,” Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College
Bridget Brown, “Into the Woods,” Ovation West
Ethan Hershman, “The Music Man,” Performance Now Theatre Company
Ellie Plenk, “Roald Dahl’s Matilda: The Musical,” Town Hall Arts Center
Nicole Siegler, “All Shook Up,” Town Hall Arts Center
Lifetime Achievement
Sue Leiser, actor, agent and casting/fashion director