The 5th Annual “Vee-Cee” Awards for Top Performances in Ventura County Theater

It’s time once again for the annual “Vee-Cee” Awards, in which we honor some of the most memorable performances on Ventura County stages over the course of the past year. As I explain each year, I am not a fan of awards ceremonies that present “best” categories. I’ve never been able to compare and rank performances of completely different characters in completely different shows. How can one judge whether one performance is better than another? In addition to it being impossible to compare apples and oranges, we think this devalues outstanding performances that do not “win.” There should be no losers in the theater, only winners. Thus, VC On Stage lists what we judge to be the most effective and moving performances, but do not rank them, making all performances equal in stature. 

Emotion is what drives me when I visit the theater. Does the performer make me cry or laugh? Does the performer disappear into his or her character? Can I see this performance as being one that is worthy of Broadway itself? There were many outstanding performances in the more than 100 shows that I saw in 2017, both musicals as well as plays. We weren’t able to see every show, so this is not a complete list based on all shows staged in Ventura County during the past year; instead, it is a representative sampling of the most impressive performances we viewed.

Below, we have listed what we consider to be the most exceptional performances of the year. They are divided into three groups: high school/youth group/college theater, community/professional theater (musicals), and community/professional theater (plays). Our survey concludes with the 10 Best ensemble casts, in which entire casts are honored for exemplary excellence. If you did not make any of these lists, we still applaud you for all your hard work this year and look forward to seeing you on the stage in 2018. Congratulations, Vee-Cee Award Winners!!

MEMORABLE HIGH SCHOOL/YOUTH GROUP/COLLEGE PERFORMANCES (PLAY OR MUSICAL)

(In alphabetical order)

Alli Belinkoff – Paulette (Legally Blonde – Calabasas High School)

Claudia Bertagna – Mrs. Parker (A Christmas Story – Young Artists Ensemble)

Lauren Bobrow – Fairy May (The Curious Savage – Calabasas High School)

Harry Cho – Berger (Hair – Moorpark College)

Sammy Costanzo – Pinocchio (Pinocchio Jr. – Allwayz On Stage)

Brittany Dakoske – Alice (Alice in Wonderland – Young Artists Ensemble)

Jessica Dial – Ariel (The Little Mermaid – Santa Susana High School)

Joah Ditto – Doody (Grease – Young Artists Ensemble)

Emily Goldstein – Mame (Auntie Mame – Newbury Park High School)

Connor Green – Flounder (The Little Mermaid – Santa Susana High School)

Joe Hebel – Jean Valjean (Les Miserables – Moorpark High School)

Katie Hendrickson – Cinderella (Into the Woods – Thousand Oaks High School)

Sam Herbert – Frederic (The Pirates of Penzance – Newbury Park High School)

Zach Hessemer – The Narrator/Mysterious Man (Into the Woods – Thousand Oaks High School)

Breezy Johnson – Geppetto (Pinocchio Jr. – Allways On Stage)

Ryan Lefton – Black Stache (Peter & the Starcatcher – YA4Ever) 

Amanda Marks – Christina (Curtains – Santa Susana High School)

Quinn Martin – Sandy Dumbrowski (Grease – Young Artists Ensemble)

Nick Meyer – Danny Zuko (Grease – Young Artists Ensemble

Amanda Meyers – Ethel Savage (The Curious Savage – Calabasas High School)

Megan Morales – Rizzo (Grease – Young Artists Ensemble)

Timothy Reese – Mrs. Bumbrake (Peter & the Starcatcher – YA4Ever) 

Jenna Shechter – Mrs. Burnside (Auntie Mame – Newbury Park High School)

Hayley Shukiar – Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins – MATES School)

Rory Smith – Mabel (The Pirates of Penzance – Newbury Park High School)

Hannah Thacker – Bambi (Curtains – Santa Susana High School)

Sami Staitman – Elle Woods (Legally Blonde – Calabasas High School)

Mariah Tobin – Jeanie (Hair – Moorpark College)

Antonia Vivino – Georgia Hendricks (Curtains – Santa Susana High School)

Danielle Williamson – Sheila (Hair – Moorpark College)

Kristin Wisneski – Molly (Peter & the Starcatcher – YA4Ever), The Witch (Into the Woods – Thousand Oaks High School), Marty (Grease – Young Artists Ensemble)

 

MEMORABLE COMMUNITY THEATER/PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCES (MUSICALS)

David White as Igor (Young Frankenstein – Conejo Players Theatre)

(In alphabetical order)

Kayla Bailey  – Billy’s mum (Billy Elliot – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Brittany Bentley – Tiger Lily (Peter Pan – Cabrillo Music Theatre)

Jeff Berg – Giuseppe (The Gondoliers – Ventura County Gilbert & Sullivan Repertoire Company)

R. Shane Bingham – Henry Higgins (My Fair Lady – High Street Arts Center)

Carly Bracco – Peter Pan (Peter Pan – Cabrillo Music Theatre)

Miche Braden – Bessie Smith (The Devil’s Music – Rubicon Theatre Company)

MarLee Candell – Mrs. Wilkinson (Billy Elliot – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

John Dantona – Herr Schultz (Cabaret – Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center)

Hannah Davey – Motormouth Maybelle (Hairspray – Conejo Players Theatre)

Matt DeNoto – Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Young Frankenstein – Conejo Players Theatre)

Judy Domroy – Ursula (The Little Mermaid – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Kevin Ellis – Herr Ludwig (Cabaret – Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center), The Old Man (A Christmas Story – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Catriona Fray – Audrey (Little Shop of Horrors – Panic! Productions)

Patrick Geringer – Ralphie (A Christmas Story – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Sharon Gibson – Frau Schneider (Cabaret – Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center)

David Gilchrist – Jacob/Potiphar (Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – 5 Star Theatricals)

Marc Baron Ginsburg – Reuben (Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – 5 Star Theatricals)

Noah Godard – Michael (Billy Elliot – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Lori Lee Gordon – Rona Lisa Peretti (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Rich Grosso – Alfred P. Doolittle (My Fair Lady – High Street Arts Center)

David Hatfield – Tony (Billy Elliot – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Caleb Heulitt – Edna Turnblad (Hairspray – Conejo Players Theatre)

Erin Hollander – Fraulein Kost (Cabaret – Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center)

Anna Kotula – Harpo/The Professor (Animal Crackers – Ojai Art Center)

Juliana Lamia – Diana (A Chorus Line – High Street Arts Center)

Elijah Malcomb – Seymour (Little Shop of Horrors – Panic! Productions)

Isabella Mancuso – Ariel (The Little Mermaid – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Sean Mason – Groucho/Captain Spaulding (Animal Crackers – Ojai Art Center)

Andy Mattick – Jackie (Billy Elliot – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Andrew Metzger – Scuttle (The Little Mermaid – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Austin Robert Miller – Jean Shepherd (narrator) – (A Christmas Story – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Sarah Miller-Crews – Wendy (Peter Pan – Cabrillo Music Theatre)

Dawn Notagiacomo – Cassie (A Chorus Line – High Street Arts Center), Sally Bowles (Cabaret – Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center)

James Taylor Odom – The D’Ysquith family (9 roles) – (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder – Theater League)

Becca Peyton – Eliza Doolittle (My Fair Lady – High Street Arts Center)

Courtney Potter – Elizabeth (Young Frankenstein – Conejo Players Theatre)

Blake Price – Monty Navarro (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder – Theater League)

Jared Price – Leaf Coneybear (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Debbie Prutsman – Mother Superior (Sister Act – Cabrillo Music Theatre)

Lauren Rachel – Agnes (I Do! I Do! – Camarillo Skyway Playhouse)

Brent Ramirez – Chad (All Shook Up – Studio C Productions)

Rile Reavis – Orin Scrivello (Little Shop of Horrors – Panic! Productions)

Randi Redman – Florence Vassey (Chess – Conejo Players Theatre)

Tanner Redman – Freddie Trumper (Chess – Conejo Players Theatre)

Jen Ridgway – Logaine Schwartzandgrubeneierre (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Will Shupe – Edward (Big Fish – Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center), Vice-Principal Panch (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Marcello Silva – Billy Elliot (Billy Elliot – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Chelsea Morgan Stock – Sister Mary Robert (Sister Act – Cabrillo Music Theatre)

Noah Terry – The Monster (Young Frankenstein – Conejo Players Theatre)

Natalia Vivino – Natalie (All Shook Up – Studio C Productions)

David White – Igor (Young Frankenstein – Conejo Players Theatre)

Adam Womack – Michael (I Do! I Do! – Camarillo Skyway Playhouse)

Ryan Wooden – The Arbiter (Chess – Conejo Players Theatre)

Donovan Wright – King Triton (The Little Mermaid – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi), Mitch Mahoney – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

Kendyl Yokoyama – Belle (Beauty & the Beast – High Street Arts Center)

 

MEMORABLE COMMUNITY THEATER/PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCES (PLAYS) 

(In alphabetical order)

Arryck Adams – Mortimer (Arsenic and Old Lace – High Street Arts Center)

Claire Adams – Various roles (Incognito – Rubicon Theatre Company)

Dale Alpert – Teddy (Arsenic and Old Lace – High Street Arts Center)

Kris Andersson – Dixie Longate (Dixie’s Tupperware Party – Scherr Forum)

Virginia Bingham – Bunny (A Murder Is Announced – Conejo Players Theatre)

Andy Brasted – Craddock (A Murder Is Announced – Conejo Players Theatre)

William Carmichael – Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird – Lit Live)

Isabelle Delman – Melody (Bleacher Bums – Playhouse 101)

Faline England – Treva (Gulf View Drive – Rubicon Theatre Company)

Joseph Fuqua – Various roles (Incognito – Rubicon Theatre Company)

Benjamin Glasner – Eugene (Biloxi Blues – Conejo Players Theatre)

Brian Robert Harris – Steve (Becky’s New Car – Santa Paula Theater Center)

Mark Jacobson – Various roles (Incognito – Rubicon Theatre Company)

Hugh McManigal – David (Social Security – Conejo Players Theatre)

Michael Keane – Marvin (Bleacher Bums – Playhouse 101)

Cynthia Killion – Becky (Becky’s New Car – Santa Paula Theater Center)

Michael King – Tom Robinson (To Kill a Mockingbird – Lit Live)

Ashley Fox Linton – Sylvia (Sylvia – Rubicon Theatre Company)

Mark Maresca – Martin (Social Security – Conejo Players Theatre)

Ray Mastrovito – Dr. Herman Einstein (Arsenic and Old Lace – High Street Arts Center)

Tom Mesmer – The Creature (And Lightning Struck – Lit Live)

Austin Robert Miller – Various (Dark Heart of Poe – Lit Live)

Elena Mills – Mitzi (A Murder Is Announced – Conejo Players Theatre)

Keith Moreton – Jonathan (Arsenic and Old Lace – High Street Arts Center)

Erik Odom – Raleigh (Gulf View Drive – Rubicon Theatre Company)

Janelle Phaneuf – Rose (Dogfight – Camarillo Skyway Playhouse)

Timothy Reese – Bernstein  (Dogfight – Camarillo Skyway Playhouse)

Katie Rodriguez – Mary Anne (When We Were Young and Unafraid – Camarillo Skyway Playhouse)

Clarinda Ross – Mrs. Brummett (Gulf View Drive – Rubicon Theatre Company)

Steven Silvers – Epstein (Biloxi Blues – Conejo Players Theatre)

Lynn Van Emmerik – Agnes (When We Were Young and Unafraid – Camarillo Skyway Playhouse)

Peter Van Norden – Wilhelm Furtwängler (Taking Sides – Rubicon Theatre Company)

Patrick Vest – Major Arnold (Taking Sides – Rubicon Theatre Company)

Robert Weibezahl – Vanya (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike – Panic! Productions)

Travis Winterstein – Bob Ewell (To Kill a Mockingbird – Lit Live)

Joanne Zahorsky-Reeves – Letitia (A Murder Is Announced – Conejo Players Theatre)

Betsy Zajko – Various roles (Incognito – Rubicon Theatre Company)

 

MEMORABLE ENSEMBLE CASTS

Arsenic and Old Lace (High Street Arts Center)

Beauty and the Beast (High Street Arts Center)

Billy Elliot (Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi)

A Chorus Line (High Street Arts Center)

The Curious Savage (Calabasas High School)

Dogfight (Camarillo Skyway Playhouse)

Grease (Young Artists Ensemble)

Incognito (Rubicon Theatre Company)

Into the Woods (Thousand Oaks High School)

Peter and the Starcatcher (YA4Ever)