Monday, September 5, 2016

A Look Back in Time (Part 1): Review stats - 2001 through 2014 (my editorial career)

Can you guess who the gentleman with his back to us is?
If memory serves me correct, it was my first introduction to the
great Joe Bailey way back in May 2002!

Every year around Wilde Awards time I'm asked the following questions: How many reviews have we done over the years? And how many shows have I personally reviewed?

Although I've kept track of every review published by Between The Lines and/or EncoreMichigan.com from the start of my editorial career in the fall of 2001 through its end in August 2016, much of it has been in different types of documents (Word vs. Excel, for example) and in formats that varied considerably from document to document. And so because of the sheer volume of information and the differences in which it was recorded, I'd never taken the time to sort through it all and assemble the material into a single, coherent, easy-to-follow document.

Until now, that is.

And once I'd collected the information into a database that allowed me to analyze it in great detail, I decided it would be interesting to view it a number of different ways. The results, I discovered, were quite intriguing. I think you will, too - which I'll separate into two separate posts. Today's analysis will cover the years in which I first joined Between The Lines as a critic and ends with my simultaneous retirements as theater and arts editor of BTL and editorial director of EncoreMichigan.com, both of which occurred with the last review of 2014.

But first the usual caveats: Every attempt was made to be as accurate as possible while assembling this data. However, it's possible that a show or two may have been missed, or that last minute changes to our review schedule may not have been documented in the original records. As such, we apologize for any errors that may appear in this data.

The Calamia Years:


I call these "The Calamia Years" because except for my first few months at BTL during which I reported to an editor, the vast majority of my 14 years there was as an editor. As such, the decisions regarding which shows to review, preview or otherwise write about were mine. And all copy was edited by me. In other words, other than the rates paid to our freelancers, I was in control of our theater coverage - and that continued until my retirement on Dec. 20, 2014.

So how did I do?

In total, 1700 shows produced or presented by 125 companies were reviewed by 22 critics in 14 years. That averages out to approximately 121 productions per calendar year. That's pretty damn good, don't you think?

Here's the number of years for each of the 14 calendar years:

        Year     Reviews
1 2001   10
2 2002   54
3 2003   72
4 2004   97
5 2005   99
6 2006   90
7 2007   119
8 2008   103
9 2009   116
10 2010   164
11 2011   210
12 2012   187
13 2013   178
14 2014   201
1700

This next chart breaks down the number of reviews by critic. My first review for BTL was "Guys & Dolls" at Detroit's Fisher Theatre on Oct. 9, 2001 (or possibly the 10th, I'm not sure), and I was the sole critic for the first 102 reviews. John Quinn joined me almost two years later (in September 2003), and the rest - as they say - is history!

One thing you'll notice as you match this chart to the one above is that the total number of reviews don't match. That's OK; they're not supposed to, because multiple critics were used to review two years of the BoxFest Detroit Festival. As such, each critic is credited separately in the chart below.

Critic
1 Calamia 613 36.0%
2 Quinn 354 20.8%
3 Redman 168 9.9%
6 Blackburn 124 7.3%
7 Kohn 91 5.3%
8 Bethune 69 4.1%
9 Hayes-Harmer 69 4.1%
10 McKee 51 3.0%
11 Casadei 45 2.6%
12 Margolin 45 2.6%
13 Rubens 39 2.3%
14 Merrell 27 1.6%
15 Parrent 6 0.4%
16 Kennedy 2 0.1%
1703 100%

This next chart documents which theaters were reviewed and how many times we visited each. To make it easy for my readers who want to easily find their favorite theater, this chart is listed alphabetically.

Producer / Presenter
1 1515 Broadway 5
2 4Theatre Sake 1
3 7th Heaven 1
4 8th Wonder Theatre 1
5 About Face Theatre 1
6 African Renaissance Theater of Detroit 5
7 Andiamo Novi Theatre 15
8 Arbor Opera Theater 1
9 Bailiwick Repertory Theatre 1
10 Barn Theatre 15
11 Blackbird Theatre 32
12 BoarsHead Theater 38
13 BoxFest Detroit 6
14 Breathe Art Theatre Project 19
15 Broadway Grand Rapids 7
16 Broadway in Detroit: Detroit Opera House 11
17 Broadway in Detroit: Fisher Theatre 74
18 Broadway in Detroit: Masonic Temple 8
19 Broadway Onstage Live Theatre 28
20 Capital TheaterWorks 3
21 Center Stage Entertainment 1
22 Cornwell's Dinner Theatre 5
23 Detroit Actors Guild Productions 1
24 Detroit Ensemble Theatre 16
25 Detroit Repertory Theatre 42
26 Epicenter Theatre Group 3
27 Evelyn Orbach Productions 1
28 Farmers Alley Theatre 32
29 Five Cents Short 1
30 Flanders Theater Company 4
31 Flint Youth Theatre 3
32 Fratellanza 1
33 Front Row Productions 1
34 Gem & Century Theatres 30
35 George Productions 1
36 Go Comedy! Improv Theater 51
37 Great Escape Stage Company 8
38 Henry Ford College's Virtual Theatricality Lab 1
39 Hilberry Theatre 87
40 Hole in the Wall Theatre Company 1
41 Hope Summer Repertory Theatre 25
42 Improv Inferno 8
43 Ixion 2
44 Khoros, Inc. 1
45 LCC Theatre 1
46 Macomb Center for the Performing Arts 1
47 Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company 16
48 Mason Street Warehouse 17
49 Matrix Theatre Company 20
50 Meadow Brook Theatre 77
51 Michigan Actors Studio 3
52 Michigan Opera Theatre 20
53 Michigan Shakespeare Festival 26
54 Miller Auditorium 2
55 Mixed Company Troupe 1
56 Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit 1
57 Motoprism 1
58 Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts 2
59 Nerve 1
60 New York Dinner Theater 1
61 Nieto Productions 2
62 NoSuch Group 1
63 Olympia Entertainment & The Ringwald 1
64 Olympia Entertainment: City Theatre 19
65 Olympia Entertainment: Fox Theatre 15
66 Olympia Entertainment: Joe Louis Arena 2
67 Open Book Theatre Company 2
68 Palace of Auburn Hills 1
69 Performance Network Theatre 79
70 Phases Theatre Company 2
71 Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company 12
72 Planet Ant Theatre 113
73 Play with Your Food Dinner Theatre 1
74 Plowshares Theatre Company 21
75 PuppetART 4
76 Puzzle Piece Theatre 4
77 Riverbank Theatre 1
78 Shakespeare in Detroit 2
79 Shop Floor Theatre Company 1
80 Slipstream Theatre Initiative 1
81 StarBrite Theatrical Productions 20
82 Stark Turn Players 1
83 Stormfield Theatre 8
84 Stratford Shakespeare Festival 12
85 Summer Circle Theatre 5
86 The Abreact 42
87 The Acorn Theater 1
88 The Actors' Company 3
89 The AKT Theatre Project 6
90 The Bach Dor Shakespeare Company 1
91 The Box Theater 26
92 The Dio - Dining & Entertainment / Dionysus Theatre 10
93 The Elizabeth Theater Company / Park Bar Theater 6
94 The Encore Musical Theatre Company 32
95 The Hinterlands 1
96 The Jewish Ensemble Theatre Company 66
97 The Last Word LLC 1
98 The Music Box at The Max / Detroit Symphony Orchestra 1
99 The New Theatre Project 8
100 The Penny Seats Theatre Company 1
101 The Purple Rose Theatre Company 49
102 The Ringwald Theatre / Who Wants Cake? Theatre 75
103 The Second City - Detroit 24
104 The Snug Theatre 11
105 Theatre 1 1
106 Thick Knot Rhythm Ensemble 3
107 Threefold Productions 3
108 Tibbits Opera House / Tibbits Summer Theatre 21
109 Tipping Point Theatre 36
110 TNT Productions 3
111 Torch With a Twist 1
112 Two Muses Theatre 13
113 UDM Theatre Company 37
114 Uncovered Theatre Company 1
115 University Musical Society 4
116 Van Buren Street Theatre 1
117 Walk & Squawk Performance Project 3
118 Water Works Theatre Company 8
119 West End Productions 1
120 Wharton Center for the Performing Arts 13
121 What A Do  Theatre 14
122 Wild Swan Theater 2
123 Williamston Theatre 46
124 Y-Arts Detroit 1
125 Zeitgeist Theatre 6
1700

Today's final chart presents the same data as the chart above, but sorted by the number of times we reviewed at each theater, from the most visits to the least. Would you have guessed the Top 5 theaters in the following sequence?

Producer / Presenter
1 Planet Ant Theatre 113
2 Hilberry Theatre 87
3 Performance Network Theatre 79
4 Meadow Brook Theatre 77
5 The Ringwald Theatre / Who Wants Cake? Theatre 75
6 Broadway in Detroit: Fisher Theatre 74
7 The Jewish Ensemble Theatre Company 66
8 Go Comedy! Improv Theater 51
9 The Purple Rose Theatre Company 49
10 Williamston Theatre 46
11 Detroit Repertory Theatre 42
12 The Abreact 42
13 BoarsHead Theater 38
14 UDM Theatre Company 37
15 Tipping Point Theatre 36
16 Blackbird Theatre 32
17 Farmers Alley Theatre 32
18 The Encore Musical Theatre Company 32
19 Gem & Century Theatres 30
20 Broadway Onstage Live Theatre 28
21 Michigan Shakespeare Festival 26
22 The Box Theater 26
23 Hope Summer Repertory Theatre 25
24 The Second City - Detroit 24
25 Plowshares Theatre Company 21
26 Tibbits Opera House / Tibbits Summer Theatre 21
27 Matrix Theatre Company 20
28 Michigan Opera Theatre 20
29 StarBrite Theatrical Productions 20
30 Breathe Art Theatre Project 19
31 Olympia Entertainment: City Theatre 19
32 Mason Street Warehouse 17
33 Detroit Ensemble Theatre 16
34 Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company 16
35 Andiamo Novi Theatre 15
36 Barn Theatre 15
37 Olympia Entertainment: Fox Theatre 15
38 What A Do  Theatre 14
39 Two Muses Theatre 13
40 Wharton Center for the Performing Arts 13
41 Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company 12
42 Stratford Shakespeare Festival 12
43 Broadway in Detroit: Detroit Opera House 11
44 The Snug Theatre 11
45 The Dio - Dining & Entertainment / Dionysus Theatre 10
46 Broadway in Detroit: Masonic Temple 8
47 Great Escape Stage Company 8
48 Improv Inferno 8
49 Stormfield Theatre 8
50 The New Theatre Project 8
51 Water Works Theatre Company 8
52 Broadway Grand Rapids 7
53 BoxFest Detroit 6
54 The AKT Theatre Project 6
55 The Elizabeth Theater Company / Park Bar Theater 6
56 Zeitgeist Theatre 6
57 1515 Broadway 5
58 African Renaissance Theater of Detroit 5
59 Cornwell's Dinner Theatre 5
60 Summer Circle Theatre 5
61 Flanders Theater Company 4
62 PuppetART 4
63 Puzzle Piece Theatre 4
64 University Musical Society 4
65 Capital TheaterWorks 3
66 Epicenter Theatre Group 3
67 Flint Youth Theatre 3
68 Michigan Actors Studio 3
69 The Actors' Company 3
70 Thick Knot Rhythm Ensemble 3
71 Threefold Productions 3
72 TNT Productions 3
73 Walk & Squawk Performance Project 3
74 Ixion 2
75 Miller Auditorium 2
76 Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts 2
77 Nieto Productions 2
78 Olympia Entertainment: Joe Louis Arena 2
79 Open Book Theatre Company 2
80 Phases Theatre Company 2
81 Shakespeare in Detroit 2
82 Wild Swan Theater 2
83 4Theatre Sake 1
84 7th Heaven 1
85 8th Wonder Theatre 1
86 About Face Theatre 1
87 Arbor Opera Theater 1
88 Bailiwick Repertory Theatre 1
89 Center Stage Entertainment 1
90 Detroit Actors Guild Productions 1
91 Evelyn Orbach Productions 1
92 Five Cents Short 1
93 Fratellanza 1
94 Front Row Productions 1
95 George Productions 1
96 Henry Ford College's Virtual Theatricality Lab 1
97 Hole in the Wall Theatre Company 1
98 Khoros, Inc. 1
99 LCC Theatre 1
100 Macomb Center for the Performing Arts 1
101 Mixed Company Troupe 1
102 Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit 1
103 Motoprism 1
104 Nerve 1
105 New York Dinner Theater 1
106 NoSuch Group 1
107 Olympia Entertainment & The Ringwald 1
108 Palace of Auburn Hills 1
109 Play with Your Food Dinner Theatre 1
110 Riverbank Theatre 1
111 Shop Floor Theatre Company 1
112 Slipstream Theatre Initiative 1
113 Stark Turn Players 1
114 The Acorn Theater 1
115 The Bach Dor Shakespeare Company 1
116 The Hinterlands 1
117 The Last Word LLC 1
118 The Music Box at The Max / Detroit Symphony Orchestra 1
119 The Penny Seats Theatre Company 1
120 Theatre 1 1
121 Torch With a Twist 1
122 Uncovered Theatre Company 1
123 Van Buren Street Theatre 1
124 West End Productions 1
125 Y-Arts Detroit 1

1700

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Tuesday, August 30, 2016

The 2016 Wilde Awards honor best productions and performances of Michigan’s 2015-16 professional theater season



ANN ARBOR, Mich – It was another Wilde night at West Bloomfield’s Berman Center for the Performing Arts, as Michigan’s professional theater community came together for The 15th Annual Wilde Awards presented by EncoreMichigan.com. Established in 2002, The 2016 Wilde Awards honored the best productions, performances and technical accomplishments of the recently concluded 2015-16 season.

In all, 37 artists and 26 productions produced or presented by 20 professional theaters across the state earned an award. In an unusual feat, no single show, artist or production dominated the awards – a trend that is becoming more common with each passing year.

“Although it might look like we’re trying to spread the number of awards across as many theaters and artists as possible, that’s certainly never our intent,” said co-founder of The Wilde Awards Donald V. Calamia. “But when you have more than a dozen critics spanning out across the state reviewing nearly 250 shows produced or presented by more than five dozen theaters like we did this past season, it becomes very tough for one artist, one show or one company to win multiple awards. And to me, that’s a good thing, because it’s a sign that great work is happening in theaters of every size, shape and budget – and they’re being recognized for it.”

This year’s top theaters – Saugatuck’s Mason Street Warehouse, Hamtramck’s Planet Ant Theatre, and Ferndale’s Ringwald Theatre – each earned four awards. The top production was Mason Street’s “Cabaret,” with four wins; Planet Ant’s “Antenna” was next with three. And only Kurt Stamm, founding artistic director of Mason Street Warehouse, was the only artist to win multiple awards – with two.

“The wealth of talent on display at theaters all across the state is evident by these awards,” said David Kiley, owner and publisher of EncoreMichigan.com. “Since taking over the company last year, I’ve been blown away by the work I’ve seen on our stages. And this year’s results – with so many people being honored for their work – should prove to the world that Michigan can compete with the best of them when it comes to producing high quality theater.”

The awards were determined by EncoreMichigan.com’s team of professional critics who reviewed 241productions produced or presented by 66 professional theater companies located in 36 communities across the state. The critics included Paula Bradley, Calamia, Tom Emmott, Carolyn Hayes-Harmer, Marin Heinritz, Tanya Gazdik Irwin, Kiley, Martin F. Kohn, Jenn McKee, Sue Merrell, Amy J. Parrent, Frank Anthony Polito, John Quinn and Bridgette M. Redman.

Thespians from theaters around the state attended the event that began at 6:30 p.m. with a social hour of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres; the awards presentation began at 8 p.m. Hosted by Calamia, the evening included performances of songs from shows nominated for Best Musical, and an original mini-production created by Brandy Joe Plambeck of The Ringwald Theatre.

“It’s been a long-standing tradition to poke fun of ourselves at The Wilde Awards, and Brandy Joe’s spoof of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ did just that. While the awards themselves we take seriously, we can’t help but laugh at ourselves and our industry at an event such as this, since it’s not often that the community comes together in a single spot to celebrate what ties us together,” Calamia said. “And laughter IS the best medicine, after all!”

Other top productions include “Charlotte’s Web” by Ann Arbor’s Wild Swan Theater (Best Theater for Young Audiences; Best Performance – Theater for Young Audiences); “Mary Poppins” by Augusta’s Barn Theatre (Best Design – Sets; Best Design – Lights); “The Rivals” by Jackson’s Michigan Shakespeare Festival (tie for Best Supporting Actress – Play; Best Design – Costumes); and “The Passenger” by Detroit’s Michigan Opera Theatre (Best Opera; Best Performance – Opera).

Even the recently defunct Performance Network Theatre walked away with two awards for its spectacular production of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (tied for Best Play; Best Performance, Lead Actor – Play). “Performance Network is the winner of more Wilde Awards than any other theater in our history, and they certainly left us on a high-note,” said Kiley. “They’ll truly be missed.”

Special awards were presented to Rochester’s Meadow Brook Theatre in honor of its 50th season; Hal Soper of Planet Ant Theatre; David Regal in honor of his retirement from the University of Detroit Mercy and the UDM Theatre Company; Tom and Kathy Vertin of The Snug and Riverbank Theatres (Marine City); Scott Myers of Little Man Public Relations; and recently retired George Cvetanovski of the 7 Brothers Bar, whose love for the Metro Detroit theater community will be missed.

Only shows that were produced or presented by Michigan’s professional theaters and opera companies—both union and non-union—and reviewed by EncoreMichigan.com’s theater critics during the 2015-16 season were eligible for a 2016 Wilde Awards nomination. Shows had to be performed for four consecutive days or more or over two weekends or more to be eligible for a review.

The 2016 Wilde Awards were sponsored by Comcast, Pride Source Media Group, Actors’ Equity Association, The Berman Center for the Performing Arts, and Little Bill’s Trophies.

EncoreMichigan.com is web-based publication established in 2008 that is focused on Michigan's professional theater industry. Designed as a one-stop shop for consumers, industry professionals and others with an interest in the performing arts, EncoreMichigan.com is updated daily and packed with informative interviews, insightful reviews, comprehensive show listings, thoughtful commentary, audition notices, podcasts and much, much more. Original content is created by a dedicated team of veteran freelance journalists and theater professionals. For more information about EncoreMichigan.com, log onto www.encoremichigan.com.


WINNERS: The 2016 Wilde Awards

Best Musical
Cabaret, Kurt Stamm, director; Mason Street Warehouse

Best of The Bard
Henry IV, Janice L. Blixt, director; Michigan Shakespeare Festival

Best One-Person Show
From Broadway to Obscurity, Brian P. Sage, director; Detroit Public Theatre

Best Opera
The Passenger, Rob Kearley, director; Michigan Opera Theatre

Best Original Production or One-Act
Antenna, Mike McGettigan, director; Planet Ant Theatre

Best Play
A Streetcar Named Desire, Randy Wolfe, director; What A Do Theatre
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Suzi Regan, director; Performance Network Theatre

Best Theater for Young Audiences
Charlotte's Web, Lauren Mounsey, director; Wild Swan Theater

Best Touring Production
A Christmas Carol, Graham McLaren, director; University Musical Society

Best Performance - One-Person Show
Sebastian Gerstner, Chesapeake; Theatre Nova
Richard Payton, Buyer & Cellar; The Ringwald Theatre

Best Performance - Opera
Adrienn Miksch, The Passenger; Michigan Opera Theatre

Best Performance - Original Production or One-Act
Lauren Bickers, Antenna; Planet Ant Theatre

Best Performance - Rising Star
Maxim Vinogradov, BFs!; Slipstream Theatre Initiative

Best Performance - The Bard
David Montee, As You Like It; Interlochen Shakespeare Festival

Best Performance - Theater for Young Audiences
Sandy Ryder, Charlotte's Web; Wild Swan Theater

Best Performance, Lead Actor – Musical
Christopher Behmke, Cabaret; Mason Street Warehouse

Best Performance, Lead Actor – Play
Joe Bailey, The Whale; UDM Theatre Company and The Ringwald Theatre
John Seibert, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Performance Network Theatre

Best Performance, Lead Actress – Musical
Stacey Harris, Cabaret; Mason Street Warehouse

Best Performance, Lead Actress – Play
Jamie Warrow, A Streetcar Named Desire; The Ringwald Theatre

Best Performance, Supporting Actor – Musical
Vince Kelley, Heathers: The Musical; The Ringwald Theatre

Best Performance, Supporting Actor – Play
Dax Anderson, Orson's Shadow; Planet Ant Theatre

Best Performance, Supporting Actress – Musical
Shinnerrie Jackson, Ghost the Musical; Barn Theatre

Best Performance, Supporting Actress – Play
Wendy Katz Hiller, The Rivals; Michigan Shakespeare Festival
Allison Megroet, Precious Little; Matrix Theatre Company

Best Choreography
Kurt Stamm, Cabaret; Mason Street Warehouse

Best Design – Costumes
Laura Heikkinen, R.U.R.; Puzzle Piece Theatre
Melanie Schuessler, The Rivals; Michigan Shakespeare Festival

Best Design – Lights
Andrew Carson, Mary Poppins; Barn Theatre

Best Design – Props
Thomas Koehler, August: Osage County; What A Do Theatre

Best Design - Sets
Shy Iverson, Mary Poppins; Barn Theatre

Best Design - Sound or Video
Mike Eshaq, Antenna; Planet Ant Theatre
Tom Whalen and Noele Stollmack, 2AZ; The Purple Rose Theatre Company

Best Music Direction
Tyler Driskill, Into the Woods; The Encore Musical Theatre

Best New Script
David Wells and R. Mackenzie Lewis, Irrational; Theatre Nova



SPECIAL AWARDS:

Critics’ Choice Award:
Meadow Brook Theatre
50th Anniversary

Critic’s Choice Award
George Cvetanovski
7 Brothers Bar

Founders Award for Excellence
Hal Soper
Planet Ant

Jim Posante Community Pride Award
Scott Myers

Council Cargle Award for Dedication to the Michigan Theatre Community
David Regal

Publisher’s Award
Tom and Kathy Vertin
The Snug and Riverbank Theatres


edited 8/31/16
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