The Springfield Arts Council (SAC) and its Youth Arts Ambassadors (YAA) program have 10 collective nominations, while Dan Hunt, the technical director at Clark State Community College, is recognized for an original musical he wrote and for his work with the SAC. Wittenberg University also has multiple nominations and Gary Geis Dance Studio has a nomination.
Nominations came from BroadwayWorld readers. Krissy Brown of the SAC and YAA was surprised and pleased to learn of the nominations her groups earned and of her own selection for Arts Educator of the Decade, especially as Dayton is a much bigger community than Springfield.
“It’s exciting. It shows all the hard work we’ve done for community theater,” Brown said. “For me to get recognized among professors from Wright State and Wittenberg is such an honor.”
SAC is nominated three separate times for Production of a Musical of the Decade for its Summer Arts Festival presentations of “Hairspray” in 2012, “Oliver!” in 2018 and “Legally Blonde” in 2019; Best Ensemble for “Legally Blonde”; Best Theatre Staff; Top Arts Supporting Organization; and with Hunt for Set Design of the Year for “Oliver!”
YAA are up for Theatre Company of the Decade and Production of a Musical for the Decade for 2019′s “Frozen, Jr.” Brown directed “Oliver” and “Frozen, Jr.” and was the lead in “Legally Blonde.”
Hunt wrote the original comedy-musical “The Last Pirates of the Vast Golden Treasure,” which debuted in 2018 at the Clark State Performing Arts Center. He’s nominated for Original Script of the Decade and the show for Production of a Musical for the Decade.
Along with the Set Designer of the Year nod for “Oliver!,” he also co-directed “Legally Blonde,” up for Production of a Musical for the Decade. James Straley, a frequent collaborator with Hunt, co-directed “Legally Blonde” with him and directed “The Last Pirates of the Vast Golden Treasure,”
Wittenberg is recognized for Best Ensemble for its 2020 production, “Spring Awakenings,” while Debbie Henderson and Jimmy Humphries are nominated for Arts Educator of the Year.
Gary Geis Dance Studio is up for Best Dance Studio of the Decade.
Voting is open through Dec. 31 at www.broadwayworld.com/dayton/voteregion or find the link on the Springfield Arts Council Facebook page. Winners will be announced in January.
About the Author