LOVE LOVE LOVE "THE NORTIES"!!

Last night I emceed the 29th Annual Elliot Norton Awards at the Paramount and it reconfirmed how magnificent our theater community is and how much I love them. Such consistent and varied and unusual talent in a close-knit, thriving against-all-odds "let's-put-on-a-show" kind of way --that's who the greater Boston Theater Community is. The critics handed out 23 awards and one citation in categories large, medium, small, and fringe, visiting and local, from acting and directing, to writing and choreography.

Some of my favorite moments: presenter Karen MacDonald spontaneously pantomiming the list of nominees when the video crashed; sweet Alex Pollock humbly speechless and hugging everyone onstage after winning Outstanding Actor, Small Fringe for a sublimely freaked-out performance in Company One's THE ALIENS; Johnny Lee Davenport --Outstanding Actor in The Lyric Stage's BROKE-OLOGY-- riffing a heartfelt acceptance while the relentlessly talented Barry Rocklin improvised on piano...

Next year is our 30th Anniversary and we hope to really blow it out... so in the meantime, GET TO THE THEATER-- check out my calendar for where I'll be this week and I'll see you there!! And check out the complete list of awardees at http://www.nortonawardsboston.com.