Gambit's 2019 Big Easy Entertainment Awards

LOUISIANA OFFICE OF TOURISM PRESENTS

BIG EASY ENTERTAINMENT

AWARDS

Dear Friends: I am happy to, once again, celebrate the amazing artists of Louisiana at the Big Easy Awards. This event, now in its 31st year, never fails to showcase the vast amount of musical and theatrical talent we have in our great state.

Those honored at the Big Easy Awards are in good company with decades of Louisiana talent, including a multitude of GRAMMY® winners.

The only thing that rivals the talent of a Louisiana artist is their passion, which is why I’ve made it my mission to support them through our Louisiana Music Ambassador Project. That project won the Big Easy Award and provides a stipend to Louisiana musicians when they perform at a qualifying event outside the state.

Improvements to the program will take effect this year, including doubling the available budget. We will also be starting a musician’s roster on LouisianaSoundtrack.com. The roster will provide details on each artist, along with a link to their sites for booking information, and will be free to all Louisiana musicians.

If you’re not yet involved in the Louisiana Music Ambassador Program, I encourage you to reach out to the Louisiana Office of Tourism and learn more about it. In addition to the benefits to artists, you will be able to play a critical role in sharing how Louisiana music can “Feed Your Soul”, and encourage audiences to visit and experience it for themselves.

I would like to thank all of Louisiana’s musicians and artists, whether Big Easy Award recipients or not, for your amazing work and contributions to Louisiana’s rich tapestry of sound and stage production.

I hope you enjoy all the music and entertainment Louisiana musicians have to offer and, as locals say, “Laissez les bon temps rouler” (Let the good times roll)!

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser

T N E M N I A T R E T EN

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HE BIG EASY ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING MUSIC AND THEATER PERFORMANCES IN 2018. Nominees have been announced, and the category winners will be recognized at an awards ceremony held on April 22, 6 p.m. at the Orpheum Theater.

Award; Jefferson Performing Arts Society (JPAS) Executive Director Dennis Assaf will receive a the Theater Lifetime Achievement Award; Michael Aaron Santos is the Theatre Person of the Year; Hot 8 Brass Band will be recognized as the Ambassadors of New Orleans Music.

Special recognition awards include Lost Bayou Ramblers as the Entertainers of the Year; Blues guitarist Little Freddie King will receive the Music Lifetime Achievement

The event will also include performances from PJ Morton, Rory Danger & The Danger Dangers, “The Wiz,” “Hedwig & The Angry Inch” and more.

Gambit’s Big Easy Entertainment Awards is sponsored by the Louisiana Office of Tourism, New Orleans Advocate, Bulleit Bourbon, Adler’s, Hall Piano, Regions Bank, Moet-Chandon, Abita Beer, and Orpheum Theater. Tickets to the event are $45. VIP tickets are $150. Tickets are available at bestofneworleans.com/bea2019 SPECIAL THANKS TO WHITE OAK PRODUCTIONS, MORROW VIDEO PRODUCTION SERVICES, SU GONCZY, HARRY MAYRONNE, FRED KASTEN, BIG EASY LIVE, AND THE BIG EASY ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS NOMINATING COMMITTEES.

BIG EASY THEATER NOMINEES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Dennis Assaf

THEATRE PERSON OF THE YEAR Michael Aaron Santos

Best Musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” Rainbow Carnage Productions “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” Jefferson Performing Arts Society (JPAS)

“Ragtime” Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University “The Wiz” Delgado Community College and See ’Em On Stage: a Production Company

Best Play

Best Director of a Musical

“All the Way” Southern Rep Theatre

Christopher Bentivegna “The Wiz” Delgado Community College and See ’Em On Stage: a Production Company

“A Christmas Carol” Le Petit Theatre “The Stranger Disease” Goat in the Road Productions, Louisiana State Museum and Friends of the Cabildo “The Three Musketeers” The NOLA Project and New Orleans Museum of Art

Banu Gibson “Dames at Sea” BB’s Stage Door Canteen, The National World War II Museum Michael McKelvey “Ragtime” Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University

BIG EASY ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS

The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans Liann Pattison “A Doll’s House, Part 2” Southern Rep Theatre

Best Supporting Actor in a Play AJ Allegra “All’s Well That Ends Well” The New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane Kyle Daigrepont “Vieux Carre” The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans Ian Hoch “Sueno” Cripple Creek Theatre Company Michael Aaron Santos “The Pillowman” The NOLA Project

Best Actress in a Play

PH OTO BY J O H N B . BAR ROIS

Michael Aaron Santos and James Bartelle star in the NOLA Project’s production of “The Pillowman.”

Michelle Taylor “Catch Me If You Can” JPAS

Best Director of a Play Beau Bratcher “Vieux Carre” The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans Aimée Hayes “A Doll’s House, Part 2” Southern Rep Theatre Chris Kaminstein and Kiyoko McCrae “The Stranger Disease” Goat in the Road Productions, Louisiana State Museum and Friends of the Cabildo Maxwell Williams “A Christmas Carol” Le Petit Theatre

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical Charis Gullage “Ragtime” Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University Kimberly Kaye “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” Rainbow Carnage Productions Whitney Mixon “The Wiz” Delgado Community College and See ’Em On Stage: a Production Company

Christian Tarzetti “Catch Me If You Can” Jefferson Performing Arts Society

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical Butch Caire “Catch Me If You Can” JPAS Bob Edes Jr. “My Fair Lady” Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University Rahim Glaspy “The Wiz” Delgado Community College and See ’Em On Stage: a Production Company Kevin T. Murphy “Ragtime” Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University

Best Actress in a Musical Leslie Castay “Ragtime” Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University

Delgado Community College and See ’Em On Stage: a Production Company Rachel Looney “The Music Man” Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts

Best Actor in a Musical Enrico Cannella “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” JPAS Anthony Harvey “Catch Me If You Can” Jefferson Performing Arts Society Brandon Michael Nase “Ragtime” Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University Edward Carter Simon “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” Rainbow Carnage Productions

Best Supporting Actress in a Play Troi Bechet “A Streetcar Named Desire” Le Petit Theatre

Micah Richerand Desonier “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” Jefferson Performing Arts Society

Leslie Claverie “The Three Musketeers” The NOLA Project and New Orleans Museum of Art

Charis Gullage “The Wiz”

Tracey E. Collins “Vieux Carre”

Margeaux Fanning “The Mutilated” The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans Jessica Podewell “A Doll’s House, Part 2” Southern Rep Theatre Kali Russell “The Three Musketeers” The NOLA Project and New Orleans Museum of Art Devyn A. Tyler “Sueno” Cripple Creek Theatre Company

Best Actor in a Play James Bartelle “The Pillowman” The NOLA Project Jake Bartush “Vieux Carre” The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans Jason Kirkpatrick “All the Way” Southern Rep Theatre Cameron-Mitchell Ware “Sueno” Cripple Creek Theatre Company

Best Ensemble “All is Calm” NOCCA Stage Company “Dames at Sea” BB’s Stage Door Canteen, The National World War II Museum “The Dumb Waiter” Radical Buffoons “The Stranger Disease” Goat in the Road Productions, Louisiana State Museum and Friends of the Cabildo

Best Original Work of Theater “A Christmas Carol”

BIG EASY ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS

Curtis Billings and Maxwell Williams Le Petit Theatre “Foreign to Myself” Goat in the Road Productions “The Stranger Disease” Goat in the Road Productions “The Three Musketeers” Pete McElligott The NOLA Project

Best Choreography Jaune Buisson and Polanco Jones Jr. “Ragtime” Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University Diane Lala “Newsies” Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University Heidi Malnar “Dames at Sea” The National World War II Museum Clayton Shelvin “The Wiz” Delgado Community College and See ’Em On Stage: a Production Company P H O T O B Y M E L I S S A FA R G O

Best Music Director

Hot 8 Brass Band will receive the Ambassadors of New Orleans Music Award.

Donna Clavijo “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” JPAS

Nicholas Dayton “All is Calm” NOCCA Stage Company Robert L. Pate Jr. “The Wiz” Delgado Community College and See ‘Em On Stage: a Production Company Jefferson Turner “Ragtime” Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University

Best Set Design Evan F. Adamson “A Christmas Carol” Le Petit Theatre Derek Blanco “Beauty and the Beast” Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts Dustin Gibson “Vieux Carre” The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans Kevin Griffith “The Dumb Waiter” Radical Buffoons Dennis Assaf is this year’s Lifetime Achievement in Theatre recipient.

Melissa Martinez “Beauty and the Beast” Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts Jean-Yves Tessier “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” JPAS Mandi Wood “Vieux Carre” The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans

Best Costume Design Sara Bandurian “The Wiz” Delgado Community College and See ’Em On Stage: a Production Company Hope Bennett “The Stranger Disease” Goat in the Road Productions, Louisiana State Museum and Friends of the Cabildo

Best Lighting Design

Cecile Casey Covert and Kaci Thomassie “The Three Musketeers” The NOLa Project and New Orleans Museum of Art

Andrew F. Griffin “A Christmas Carol” Le Petit Theatre

Kathleen Van Horn “A Christmas Carol” Le Petit Theatre

Best Sound Design Brendan Connelly “All the Way” Southern Rep Theatre Clare Marie Nemanich “Men on Boats” The NOLA Project Kevin O’Donnell “A Christmas Carol” Le Petit Theatre Nick Shackleford “One Arm” The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans

Best University Production “The Boys Next Door” Kris LaMorte, Director Delgado Community College “Clytemnestra” Ellen Bull, Hannah Lax, Jessica Podewell, Directors Tulane University “A Doll’s House” Kristin Shoffner, Director Theatre UNO “These Shining Lives” Kristi Jacobs-Stanley, Director Loyola University

BIG EASY ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS Best Rap/Bounce Alfred Banks Big Freedia 5th Ward Weebie Nesby Phips

Best Heavy Metal/Punk DiNOLA Eyehategod PEARS Thou

Best Rock Mike Dillon Band Rory Danger & The Danger Dangers Sweet Crude Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Best Country/ Folk Band Spencer Bohren Gal Holiday & The Honky Tonk Revue Sarah Quintana Paul Sanchez

Best Zydeco PH OTO BY B RIAN RICHAR D

The Lost Bayou Ramblers are the Big Easy Awards’ Entertainers of the Year.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Little Freddie King

ENTERTAINERS OF THE YEAR Lost Bayou Ramblers

Best Brass Band Big Six Brass Band Hot 8 Brass Band The Original Pinettes Brass Band The Soul Rebels

Best Gospel

2019 BIG EASY AWARD NOMINEES

Isabel Davis Tyrone Foster and the Arc Singers Josh Kagler & Harmonistic Praise Crusade Betty Winn & One A-Chord

Best Male Performer

(Anti-/Epitaph) Jon Cleary “Dyna-Mite” (FHQ Records/Thirty Tigers) PJ Morton “Gumbo Unplugged” (Morton Records)

Best Funk Band

Best Traditional Jazz Gregory Agid Quartet Mark Braud Tuba Skinny Dr. Michael White

Robin Barnes PJ Morton Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters Water Seed

Best Contemporary Jazz

Best Blues

Quiana Lynell Nolatet Jamison Ross Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah

Samantha Fish Alvin Youngblood Hart Little Freddie King Johnny Sansone

AMBASSADORS OF NEW ORLEANS MUSIC Hot 8 Brass Band

Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews PJ Morton Cyril Neville Walter “Wolfman” Washington

Best Female Performer Tarriona “Tank” Ball Germaine Bazzle Erica Falls Samantha Fish

Best Album Of 2018 The Radiators “Welcome to the Monkey House” (Radz Records) Walter “Wolfman” Washington “My Future Is My Past”

Cha Wa Dumpstaphunk Corey Henry & the Treme Funktet Sexy Dex & the Fresh

Best Rhythm and Blues

Sean Ardoin Dwayne Dopsie and The Zydeco Hellraisers Chubby Carrier and The Bayou Swamp Band Corey Ledet & his Zydeco Band

Best Cajun Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band Daiquiri Queens Michot’s Melody Makers Jourdan Thibodeaux et les Rodailleurs

Best Latin/World Blato Zlato Kumasi Afrobeat Orchestra Alexey Marti New Orleans Klezmer All Stars

Best Emerging Artist Bon Bon Vivant The Iceman Special Special Interest Max Moran and Neospectric

Best DJ/Electronic AF THE NAYSAYER DJ Jubilee Mannie Fresh Sharks’ Teeth

Winners to be announced at Big Easy Awards

APRIL 22

tickets available at best ofneworleans.com/ bea2019

LOUISIANA OFFICE OF TOURISM PRESENTS

BIG EASY ENTERTAINMENT

AWARDS PERFORMANCES FROM:

PJ MORTON CHA WA BON BON VIVANT

ROBIN BARNES, ERICA FALL S & IDELL A JOHNSON AND MORE...

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