Jan 7, 2019
BATAVIA — The Harvie Awards portion of the Batavia Players Inc.’s gala Saturday night lasted roughly two hours and included recognition of winners in 22 categories.
As Pat Burk, Batavia Players president, executive and artistic director, noted, over 120 people appeared on the Harvester 56 Theater stage in 2018. The award recipients in all of these categories — from Outstanding Performance of the Year down — were judged the winners after three rounds of consideration by panels which included the Players’ Board of Directors and community members.
“It’s nice to see that we valued diversification .. our oldest nominee was well into their 80s and our youngest was 6. It shows that we provide diverse roles for people who are interested in furthering their acting and being involved in theater,” Burk said. “Over 120 people appeared on our stage last year. It’s a great opportunity for the people who are interested in being involved and the Batavia Players. We are able to attract people from nine counties across Western New York.”
It’s a long process of consideration by the panelists, Burk said. The nominees are decided upon after two panels have considered the hundreds of individual performances from the entire year. The third and final panel selects the award winners.
Burk said everyone who appears on stage for the Batavia Players is important.
“That’s been my belief since Day One. That’s the way I believed my whole life and that’s the way we run the theater,” he said.
The Outstanding Performance of the Year winner, Erin Stamp, was the recipient of that award based on scoring.
“Everybody’s given a score. That’s now they’re nominated, that’s how they win. That’s (Outstanding Performance of the Year) based on another level of scoring,” Burk said.
“She’s been involved since she’s been in high school,” Burk said of Stamp. “It’s nice that it’s been somebody who’s been there from Year One all the way to now. “
Those honored at the Gala & Harvie Awards ceremony included the following:
• Outstanding Performance of the Year: Erin Stamp
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play: Steve Coburn — Blithe Spirit
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play: Lucine Kauffman — Blithe Spirit
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play: Kevin Partridge — The Merry Wives of Windsor
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play: Cynthia Nelson — Blithe Spirit
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: James Barcomb — Blithe Spirit
• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Dorothy Gerhart — The Women
• Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Play: Blithe Spirit, directed by E. Jane Burk
• Outstanding Actor in a Musical: Anthony Baldwin-Giambrone — Cabaret
• Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Erin Stamp — Cabaret
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical: Mark Eckstein — Cabaret
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical: Jennifer Dunn — Annie
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical:, tie between Jim Bauer — Annie; and Ben Reiner — Cabaret
• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Kathy Johns — Annie
• Outstanding Ensemble Vocal Number: tie between “Hard Knock Life” — Annie — performed by Emmeline Bateman, Lorna Becker, Angelina Bubel, Ada Clookey, Peyton Johns, Leigh LeFevre, Ella Radley, Peyton Sikorski and Anabelle Wessel; and “Married” — Cabaret — performed by Teressa Hirsch, Mark Eckstein, Mary Eckstein and Wendy Williams
• Outstanding Vocal Solo: Mary Eckstein — What Would You Do from Cabaret
• Outstanding Youth Male Performance: Jonah Bower — Applause
• Outstanding Vocal Female Performance: Kathryn Fitzpatrick — Applause
• Outstanding Child Performance: Ada Clookey — Annie
• Outstanding Member of Board of Directors: Dorothy Gerhart
• Oustanding Community Support: Daisy Klein and Rita Sidari
• Outstanding Business Support: D and R Depot restaurant in Le Roy
