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TIP-OFF May 14, 2003 TWO NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS ALUMNI NOMINATED FOR TONY AWARDS May 31 Commencement Speaker Also Receives Nominations
WINSTON-SALEM – Two alumni of the North Carolina School of the Arts received Tony Award nominations on Monday. NCSA School of Drama alumnus Joe Mantello is nominated for Best Direction of a Play, for "Take Me Out,” which is also nominated for Best Play. He also directed “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune,” which is nominated for Best Revival of a Play. Mantello studied acting at NCSA, where he received a College Arts Diploma in 1984. NCSA School of Dance alumnus Keith Roberts is nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, for “Movin’ Out.” He studied ballet at NCSA, where he graduated with a high school diploma in 1987. “Movin’ Out” received a total of 10 Tony nominations, including one for Best Musical. The genius behind the dance celebration of Billy Joel’s music is Twyla Tharp, who will be the NCSA commencement speaker on May 31. Tharp is nominated for Best Direction of a Musical and Best Choreography. In addition to Keith Roberts, “Movin’ Out” also includes NCSA School of Dance alumni Benjamin Bowman, John J. Todd and Holly Cruikshank in the cast. Roberts, who lived in Lumberton, N.C., before coming to NCSA, is also a dancer with Twyla Tharp Dance and previously was a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. He has appeared in the Broadway musicals “Fosse” and Matthew Bourne’s “Swan Lake,” as The Swan. This is Joe Mantello’s third Tony nomination; he was previously nominated for Best Featured Actor for “Angels in America” and for Best Director for “Love! Valour! Compassion!” Last week, Mantello won Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway for Outstanding Director and Outstanding Play for “Take Me Out,” which played at the Public Theatre before moving to the Walter Kerr. Also winning a Lucille Lortel Award was NCSA School of Design & Production alumnus Brett Jarvis ’97, for Outstanding Sound Design for “Avenue Q.” Three NCSA alumni have won Tony Awards in the past: Mary-Louise Parker, Best Actress, for “Proof,” 2001; Gary Beach, Best Featured Actor, for “The Producers,” 2001; and Jennifer Ehle, Best Actress, 2000, for “The Real Thing.” In addition, other NCSA alumni have been nominated for Tonys in the past; they include Tom Hulce (“A Few Good Men”), Terrence Mann (“Beauty and the Beast” and “Les Miserables”), and K. Todd Freeman (“The Song of Jacob Zulu”). Mary-Louise Parker was also previously nominated for “Prelude to a Kiss”; and Gary Beach, for “Beauty and the Beast.” The Tony Awards will be held June 8 at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Media: For more information, contact Marla Carpenter at 336-770-3337 in the public relations office at NCSA. Please note that the NCSA commencement ceremony on May 31 is not open to the general public because of space limitations. ###
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TIP-OFF May 14, 2003

TWO NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS ALUMNI

NOMINATED FOR TONY AWARDS

May 31 Commencement Speaker Also Receives Nominations

WINSTON-SALEM – Two alumni of the North Carolina School of the Arts received Tony Award nominations on Monday.

NCSA School of Drama alumnus Joe Mantello is nominated for Best Direction of a Play, for "Take Me Out,” which is also nominated for Best Play. He also directed “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune,” which is nominated for Best Revival of a Play. Mantello studied acting at NCSA, where he received a College Arts Diploma in 1984.

NCSA School of Dance alumnus Keith Roberts is nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, for “Movin’ Out.” He studied ballet at NCSA, where he graduated with a high school diploma in 1987.

“Movin’ Out” received a total of 10 Tony nominations, including one for Best Musical. The genius behind the dance celebration of Billy Joel’s music is Twyla Tharp, who will be the NCSA commencement speaker on May 31. Tharp is nominated for Best Direction of a Musical and Best Choreography.

In addition to Keith Roberts, “Movin’ Out” also includes NCSA School of Dance alumni Benjamin Bowman, John J. Todd and Holly Cruikshank in the cast.

Roberts, who lived in Lumberton, N.C., before coming to NCSA, is also a dancer with Twyla Tharp Dance and previously was a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. He has appeared in the Broadway musicals “Fosse” and Matthew Bourne’s “Swan Lake,” as The Swan.

This is Joe Mantello’s third Tony nomination; he was previously nominated for Best Featured Actor for “Angels in America” and for Best Director for “Love! Valour! Compassion!”

Last week, Mantello won Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway for Outstanding Director and Outstanding Play for “Take Me Out,” which played at the Public Theatre before moving to the Walter Kerr.

Also winning a Lucille Lortel Award was NCSA School of Design & Production alumnus Brett Jarvis ’97, for Outstanding Sound Design for “Avenue Q.”

Three NCSA alumni have won Tony Awards in the past: Mary-Louise Parker, Best Actress, for “Proof,” 2001; Gary Beach, Best Featured Actor, for “The Producers,” 2001; and Jennifer Ehle, Best Actress, 2000, for “The Real Thing.” In addition, other NCSA alumni have been nominated for Tonys in the past; they include Tom Hulce (“A Few Good Men”), Terrence Mann (“Beauty and the Beast” and “Les Miserables”), and K. Todd Freeman (“The Song of Jacob Zulu”). Mary-Louise Parker was also previously nominated for “Prelude to a Kiss”; and Gary Beach, for “Beauty and the Beast.”

The Tony Awards will be held June 8 at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Media: For more information, contact Marla Carpenter at 336-770-3337 in the public relations office at NCSA. Please note that the NCSA commencement ceremony on May 31 is not open to the general public because of space limitations.

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