South Shore actors among winners of IRNE theater awards

From Scrooge to Shakespeare to a young showstopper from Sharon, a trio of local actors were among the winners at the 19th annual Independent Reviewers of New England Awards.

Braintree native Danny Bolton was named Best Actor in a Musical for his role in “The Drowsy Chaperone,” performed at The Company Theatre in Norwell.

Sharon’s Noah Parets earned the Promising Young Performer award for playing the title role in the musical “Billy Elliot.”

Best Solo Performance went to Neil McGarry, the artistic director of the South Shore-based Bay Colony Shakespeare Company. McGarry is narrator, Scrooge, Tiny Tim and dozens of other characters in his one-man performance of “A Christmas Carol.”

The IRNE Awards, handed out Monday night in a ceremony held at the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts, recognize the work of playwrights, designers, actors, choreographers and directors of small, midsize and fringe theater companies throughout New England.

Bolton, a Braintree native who got his start in acting at the Company Theater, led a sold-out run of “The Drowsy Chaperone” last April. He played Man in Chair and was onstage throughout the show.

Parets performed in the Broadway national tour of “Billy Elliot the Musical” in 2012 before landing in a regional production last summer at the The Ogunquit Playhouse.

The complete list of winners:

Small Theater

Best New Play

“Pattern of Life,” by Walt McGough (New Repertory Theatre)

 Best Set Design

Janie E. Howland, “The Whipping Man,” (New Repertory Theatre)

Best Lighting Design

Franklin Meissner, Jr. “Sweeney Todd,” (Lyric Stage Company of Boston)

Best Projection Design

Jared Mezzocchi. “Astro Boy,” (Company One)

Best Costume Design

Scott Martino, “Snow White and the Seven Bottoms,” (Gold Dust Orphans)

Best Sound Design

Edward Young, “Pattern of Life,” (New Repertory Theatre)

Best Choreography

Christian Bufford, “The Color Purple,” (SpeakEasy Stage Company)

Best Solo

Neil McGarry, “A Christmas Carol,” (Bay Colony Shakespeare)

Best Ensemble

Midsize – “Into the Woods” (Lyric Stage Compay);

Fringe – “Knock: The Daniil Kharms Project” (Imaginary Beasts)

Best Supporting Actress

Midsize (Drama) – Paula Plum, “Death of a Salesman,” (Lyric Stage Company)

Fringe (Drama) – Lynn R. Guerra, “Neighborhood Watch (Zeitgeist Stage Company)

Best Supporting Actor

Midsize (Drama) – Kelby T. Aken, “Death of a Salesman,” (Lyric Stage Company)

Fringe (Drama) – Brooks Reeves “Bent” (Zeitgeist Stage Company

Best Actresses (Drama)

Fringe – The women of “Imaginary Beasts”: Erin Eva Butcher Sarah Gazdowicz Lynn Guerra Molly Kimmerling Maria Grazia LaFauci Caroline Rose Markham Amy Meyer Beth Pearson Anneke Reich Kiki Samko Libby Schap Kaitee Tredway Melissa Walker

Midsize – Jacqui Parker “Fences,” (Gloucester Stage Company)

Best Actor

Fringe (Drama) – Victor Shopov “Bent” (Zeitgeist Stage Company)

MIDSIZE (Drama) – Daver Morrison “Fences” (Gloucester Stage Company)

Best Supporting Actress (Musical)

Crystin Gilmore – “The Color Purple (SpeakEasy Stage)

Best Supporting Actor (Musical)

Maurice Emmanuel Parent “The Color Purple” (SpeakEasy Stage)

Best Actress (Musical)

Lovely Hoffman “The Color Purple” (SpeakEasy Stage)

Best Actor (Musical)

Danny Bolton, “The Drowsy Chaperone” (Company Theatre)

Best Music Director

Nicholas J. Connell, “The Color Purple,” (SpeakEasy Stage)

Best Director of a Musical

Spiro Veloudos, “Into the Woods,” (Lyric Stage)

Best Director of a Drama

Fringe – David J. Miller “Bent,” (Zeitgeist Stage)

Midsize – Joe Antoun “God of Carnage,” (Next Door Theatre)

Best Visiting Production

Carolee Carmello, “The Boston Concert” (Joey DeMita, Matt Phillips, F.U.D.G.E.)

Best Musical

“Into the Woods,” (Lyric Stage)

Best Play

Fringe – “Bent,” (Zeitgeist Stage)

Midsize – “Death of a Salesman,” (Lyric Stage)

Promising Performance by a Young Actor

Wil Moser, “The Little Prince,” (New Repertory Theatre)

Large Theater

Best New Play

“Finding Neverland,” by James Graham/Gary Barlow/Eliot Kennedy (A.R.T)

Best Set Design

James Youmans “Ether Dome” (Huntington Theatre Co.)

Best Lighting Design

M. L. Geiger “Venus in Fur” (Huntington Theatre Company)

Best Projection Design

Gilles Papain “Neverland (A.R.T)

Best Costume Design

Charles Schoonmaker “Venus in Fur” (Huntington Theatre)

Best Sound Design

Jonathan Deams “Witness Uganda (A.R.T)

Best Choreography

Adam Petty “Billy Elliot,” (Ogunquit Playhouse)

Best Solo

Penny Fuller, “13 Things About Ed Carpolotti” (Merrimack Repertory Theatre)

Best Ensemble

“Billy Elliot,” (Ogunquit Playhouse)

Best Supporting Actress (Drama)

Miranda Craigwell “Smart People” (Huntington Theatre)

Best Supporting Actor

(Drama) Will Lebow, “Awake and Sing!” (Huntington Theatre)

Best Actress (Drama)

Andrea Syglowski, “Venus in Fur” (Huntington Theatre)

Best Actor (Drama)

Michael Bakkersen “Ether Dome” (Huntington Theatre)

Best Supporting Actress (Musical) Carolee Carmello, “Finding Neverland,” (A.R.T)

Best Supporting Actor (Musical)

Michael McGrath, “Finding Neverland,” (A.R.T)

Best Actress (Musical)

Laura Michelle Kelly, “Finding Neverland,” (A.R.T)

Best Actor (Musical)

Jeremy Jordan, “Finding Neverland,” (A.R.T)

Best Music Director

Ana Flavia Zuim, “Billy Elliot,” (Ogunquit Playhouse)

Best Director of a Musical

Diane Paulus, “Finding Neverland,” (A.R.T)

Best Director of a Drama

David Esbjornson, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” (Huntington Theatre)

Best Visiting Production

Large – “The Trip to Bountiful,” (ArtsEmerson and Jonathan Reinis Productions)

Small – “The Old Man and the Old Moon,” (Arts Emerson)

Best Visiting Performer

Cicely Tyson, “The Trip to Bountiful,” (Arts Emerson)

Best Musical

“Finding Neverland,” (A.R.T)

Best Play

“Venus in Fur,” (Huntington Theatre)

Promising Performance by Young Actor

Noah Parets/Sam Faulkner (alternating) “Billy Elliot” (Ogunquit Playhouse)

Dana Barbuto may be reached at dbarbuto@ledger.com or follow her on Twitter @dbarbuto_Ledger.