2022 Equity Jeff Awards
Nominees Jim Ortlieb, Vanessa Aurora Sierra, Robert Perry, and Betsy Morgan spoke with me about their nominations.
Those interviews are below.
Jim Ortlieb was nominated for Performer in a Short Run Production for his work in Stand Up If You're Here Tonight, which ran from March 18 to April 9, 2022 at American Blues Theater in Chicago, Ill.
To listen to the interview with Jim Ortlieb, click the play button below (or click here to open the audio player in a new tab/window).
Vanessa Aurora Sierra was nominated for Performer in a Supporting Role in a Musical for her work in West Side Story, which ran from February 2 to March 27, 2022 at The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Ill.
To listen to the interview with Vanessa Aurora Sierra, click the play button below (or click here to open the audio player in a new tab/window).
Robert Perry was nominated for Lighting Design in a Large Production for his work on Gem of the Ocean, which ran from January 22 to February 27, 2022 at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Ill.
To listen to the interview with Robert Perry, click the play button below (or click here to open the audio player in a new tab/window).
Betsy Morgan was nominated for Performer in a Principal Role in a Musical for her work in Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I, which ran from April 1 to May 22, 2022 at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.
She also performed as part of the awards ceremony.
To listen to the interview with Betsy Morgan, click the play button below (or click here to open the audio player in a new tab/window).
The full list of 2022 Equity Jeff Award nominees and recipients is available on the Jeff Awards website.
(If the page has been updated to reflect a different year, an archived link is available here.).
The date/time, location, and ticket information for the 2023 Equity Jeff Awards will be announced at a later date.
Mike Reflects
As this was my first year covering the Joseph Jefferson [Jeff] Awards, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
What I did know was that the Jeff Awards are among the most prestigious regional theatre awards in the United States, as well as probably the most prestigious for Chicagoland theatre.
So, naturally, the nominee list was a real “who’s who” of the prior season’s local Equity productions, including the above=named individuals, who were more than happy to discuss their nominations and what it (and that night) meant to them. Be sure to listen to those, if you haven’t already.
The evening also included live performances of musical numbers from nominated productions, including Betsy Morgan’s rendition of “Hello, Young Lovers” from The King and I, a show which I had previously interviewed her about here.
It truly felt like, and was, an opportunity to see the best of the best of what the previous season of Chicago Equity theatre had to offer.
The only downside was that, because of how the season works, the shows were closed, with no opportunity to see more of the nominated works from these performers and creatives.
But it certainly was great to see Betsy (and the other talented performers who took to the stage) perform those songs once again.
Details for the 2023 Equity Jeff Awards haven’t yet been announced, but tickets are expected to be available to the general public. When the time comes, that information will be available on the Jeff Awards website.