The 34th Annual Artie Awards will take place on June 9
Nominees for the 2025 Artie Awards, sponsored by Buffalo Toronto Public Media, were announced Monday spotlighting some of the best of the best of Western New York’s theater scene. The celebration is an opportunity to recognize Western New York’s theater arts, as well as raise funds for charity! Started in 1991 by Anthony Chase, cohost of BTPM NPR’s Theater Talk, Buffalo Toronto Public Media became the presenting organization in 2017. Over the years, through contributions from theater audiences and proceeds from fundraising at individual theaters, the Arties have raised over $500,000 for AIDS-related charities.
The Artie Awards will take place on Monday, June 9 at 8:00 PM at Babeville and will be hosted by Anthony Chase, actor Amy Jakiel, and actor/director Curtis Lovell. Philip Farugia is the music director. The evening will feature numbers from nominated musicals. You can find more information about the event here.
2025 ARTIE AWARD NOMINATIONS
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
- The African Company Presents Richard III, Ujima Theatre Company
- Dorian, Irish Classical Theatre Company
- The Hobbit, Theatre of Youth
- Our Lady of 121st Street, Road Less Traveled Productions
- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Alleyway Theatre
- The Wanderers, Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
- 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Second Generation Theatre
- Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Second Generation Theatre
- Newsies, D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre
- The Producers, Lancaster Opera House
- The Prom, MusicalFare Theatre
- Waitress, MusicalFare Theatre
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A PLAY
- Mason Beggs, Dorian, Irish Classical Theatre Company
- Chris J Handley, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Alleyway Theatre
- John Hurley, Burn This, Road Less Traveled Productions
- Kyle LoConti, The Loved Ones, Irish Classical Theatre Company
- Gabriella McKinley, The Niceties, Second Generation Theatre
- Steve Vaughan, The Wanderers, Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
- Susan Drozd, Waitress, MusicalFare Theatre
- Terri Filips Vaughan, Into the Woods, O’Connell & Company
- Michael Gilbert-Wachowiak, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Second Generation Theatre
- Robyn Lee, Sweet Charity, D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre
- Eric Deeb Weaver, Newsies, D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre
- Doug Weyand, The Prom, MusicalFare Theatre
OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
- Leah Berst, Burn This (Anna), Road Less Traveled Productions
- Kai Crumley, Early Girl (Lily), Brazen-Faced Varlets
- Eileen Dugan, The Loved Ones (Nell), Irish Classical Theatre Company
- Tracie Lane, Scenes from A Marriage (Marianne), Torn Space Theater
- Anika Pace, The Niceties (Zoe), Second Generation Theatre
- Alexandria Watts, The Wanderers (Sophie), Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY
OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
- Kristopher Bartolomeo, Dorian (Dorian et al), Irish Classical Theatre Company
- Brendan Didio, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors (Jonathan), Irish Classical Theatre Company
- Trevor Dugan, The Informer (Gypo), American Repertory Theatre of WNY
- Peter Johnson, (Rooftop) Our Lady of 121st Street, Road Less Traveled Productions
- David Lundy, Remember This (Jan), Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY
- Brian Tabak, Shawshank Redemption (Andy), Desiderio’s Dinner Theatre
OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
- Merrick Allen, Chess (Anatoly), Lancaster Opera House
- Vanna Deux, Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Hedwig), Second Generation Theatre
- Connor Hesch, Pippin (Pippin), O’Connell & Company
- Quinn Christopher McGillion, Bonnie and Clyde (Clyde Barrow), Bellissima Productions
- Ben Michael Moran, Sweet Charity (the men), D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre
- Ricky Needham, Something Rotten (Nigel), MusicalFare Theatre
OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
- Heather Casseri, Into the Woods (The Baker’s Wife), O’Connell & Company
- Jetaun Louie, Pippin (Player), O’Connell & Company
- Maria Pedro, Waitress (Jenna), MusicalFare Theatre
- Jenn Stafford, The Prom (Dee Dee), MusicalFare Theatre
- Aimee Walker, Sweet Charity (Charity), D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre
- Emily Yancey, Chess (Florence), Lancaster Opera House
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE OF A PLAY
- The Early Girl, Brazen-Faced Varlets
- Everybody, Ujima Theatre Company
- The Hobbit, Theatre of Youth
- The Hung Man, Buffalo United Artists
- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Alleyway Theatre
- Our Lady of 121st Street, Road Less Traveled Productions
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE OF A MUSICAL
- 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Second Generation Theatre
- Into the Woods, O’Connell & Company
- Khan!!! The Musical!, O’Connell & Company
- Newsies, D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre
- The Prom, MusicalFare Theatre
- Sweet Charity, D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY
- Todd Benzin, The Winter’s Tale (Polixenes), Shakespeare in Delaware Park
- Thomas Evans, The Hobbit (Thorin et al), Theatre of Youth
- Jorge Luna, Dracula: Comedy of Terrors (Dracula), Irish Classical Theatre Company
- David Marciniak, Witch (Arthur), Road Less Traveled Productions
- Gerald Ramsey, The African Company Presents Richard III (Papa Shakespeare), Ujima Theatre Company
- Adam Yellen, The Wanderers (Schmuli), Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
- Arin Lee Dandes, The Wanderers (Esther), Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY
- Rebecca Elkin, The Loved Ones (Orla), Irish Classical Theatre Company
- Anna Fernandez, Private Lives (Sibyl), Irish Classical Theatre Company
- Anna Kremholtz, The Hobbit (Gandalf et al), Theatre of Youth
- Sheila McCarthy, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Caroline), Alleyway Theatre
- Ember Tate, The Loved Ones (Gabby), Irish Classical Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
- Brittany Bassett-Baran, Something Rotten (Bea), MusicalFare Theatre
- Kelly Copps, The Producers (Ulla), Lancaster Opera House
- Sam Crystal, Into the Woods (Little Red), O’Connell & Company
- Amy Jakiel, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Rona), Second Generation Theatre
- Lily Jones, Waitress (Becky), MusicalFare Theatre
- Ashleigh Chrisena Ricci, Pippin (Catherine), O’Connell & Company
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
- Kristopher Bartolomeo, Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Yitzhak), Second Generation Theatre
- Steve Copps, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Panch), Second Generation Theatre
- Joe Greenan, Into the Woods (Jack), O’Connell & Company
- John Kaczorowski, Waitress (Dr. Jim), MusicalFare Theatre
- Matt Rittler, Newsies (Crutchie), D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre
- Aaron Gabriel Saldana, Bonnie and Clyde (Buck), Bellissima Productions
OUTSTANDING FEATURED PERFORMANCE
- Caitlin Coleman, The Hung Man (Alfred Hitchcock / Mother), Buffalo United Artists
- Jeffrey Coyle, Arsenic & Old Lace (Jonathan), Lancaster Opera House
- Ann DeFazio, The Day I Learned to Fly (Mom), First Look Buffalo
- Daniel Lendzian, Dracula: Comedy of Terrors (Mina/Van Helsing), Irish Classical Theatre Company
- Lisa Ludwig, Pippin (Berthe), O’Connell & Company
- Jeremy Ephraim Meyers, Waitress (Ogie), MusicalFare Theatre
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
- Dyan Burlingame, Shipwrecked!, Road Less Traveled Productions
- Chris Cavanagh, Waitress, MusicalFare Theatre
- David Dwyer, Arsenic and Old Lace, Lancaster Opera House
- Steve Harter, Monsters of the American Cinema, Buffalo United Artists
- Andrew Machovec, The Hobbit, Theatre of Youth
- Collin Ranney, Our Lady of 121st Street, Road Less Traveled Productions
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL ELEMENT
- Brian Cavanagh, Lighting, The Wanderers, Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY
- Chris Cavanagh, Lighting, The Hobbit, Theatre of Youth
- Lowden Flower, Lighting, Dorian, Irish Classical Theatre Company
- Tom Makar, Sound, Remember This, Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY
- Danielle Rosvally, Fight Direction, Dorian, Irish Classical Theatre Company
- Emma Schimminger, Lighting, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Alleyway Theatre
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
- Cassie Cameron, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, Irish Classical Theatre Company
- Kari Drozd, Something Rotten, MusicalFare Theatre
- Ann R. Emo, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Alleyway Theatre
- Timmy Goodman, Into the Woods, O’Connell & Company
- Devin Prokop, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Second Generation Theatre
- Collin Ranney, Dorian, Irish Classical Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
- Joey Bucheker, Pippin, O’Connell & Company
- Kristy E. Cavanagh, Something Rotten, MusicalFare Theatre
- Bobby Cooke, Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare in Delaware Park
- Eric Deeb Weaver, Newsies, D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre
- Michael Deeb Weaver, Sweet Charity, D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre
- Tara Kaczorowski, The Wizard of Oz, Lancaster Opera House
OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION
- Rebecca Kroetsch, Into the Woods, O’Connell & Company
- Bridget Moriarty, The Fitzgeralds of Saint Paul, Irish Classical Theatre Company
- Allan Paglia, Newsies, D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre
- Theresa Quinn, The Prom, MusicalFare Theatre
- Dominic Vesely, Bonnie and Clyde, Bellissima Productions
EMANUEL FRIED AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY
- Lara Haberberger, Shylock, American Repertory Theatre of WNY
- Donna Hoke, Brilliant Works of Art, Bellissima Productions
- Mark Humphrey, The Break Song, American Repertory Theatre of WNY
- Matthew LaChiusa, The Informer, American Repertory Theatre of WNY
- Bella Poynton, The Mighty Maisie, American Repertory Theatre of WNY
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
- Eileen Dugan
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