Theatre Tampa Bay (TTB), the region’s alliance of professional theatre artists, presented their third annual awards with funny showman/all-around Renaissance Man Matthew McGee once again the emcee of the splashier-than-ever show production at the Palladium Theatre. The awards evolved from the Jeff Norton Awards, named for the late actor, which were people’s choice by theatre. The newly christened Theatre Tampa Bay Awards are now a competitive review of each season by a panel of experts selected by the artistic directors of the nine eligible professional theaters. After compiling hundreds of secret ratings, TTB announced 103 nominations in nineteen categories from the thirty-five eligible professional theatre productions presented during the 2012-13 season.

The star-studded night included fantastic musical numbers, comedy and touching tributes. Among the winners were: Kim Sullivan, Outstanding Featured Actor, Play,The Piano Lesson, American Stage Theatre Company; Outstanding Featured Actor, Musical: Larry Alexander, Cabaret, freefall Theatre; Outstanding Featured Actress, Play: Jennifer Christa Palmer, Romeo and Juliet, freefall Theatre; Roxanne Fay, Cabaret, freefall Theatre; Outstanding Lead Actor, Play: Chris Jackson, Good Egg, A Simple Theatre Company; Outstanding Lead Actress, Play: Katherine Michelle Tanner, The Amish Project, American Stage Theatre Company, and Outstanding Production, Play: The Amish Project, American Stage Theatre Company. For more, click here. Photos by Julie Garisto, Mick McNabb and Desirée Fantal.

TTB’s board member Michael Murphy and Most Outstanding Costume Design winner Katrina Stevenson. Credit: Julie Garisto
The lovely Brianna Larsen helped at the door. Credit: Julie Garisto
Real-life couple Shawn Paonessa and Meg Heimstead, past CL Best of the Bay winners, won the 2012 Best Theatrical Talent Merger critic’s pick award. Credit: Julie Garisto
Acclaimed actors, real-life couple Natalie Symons and Jim Sorenson. Credit: Julie Garisto
Stage favorites Jeff Garland and Tia Jemison. Credit: Julie Garisto
Theater superhumans Bob Devin Jones and Karla Hartley posed for a photo and the world somehow did not collapse on itself. Credit: Julie Garisto
Tampa Rep Artistic Director C. David Frankel and wife Connie LaMarca-Frankel. Credit: Julie Garisto
Gypsy Rep Artistic Director Lil Barcaski. Credit: Julie Garisto
Triple threat Heather Krueger. Credit: Julie Garisto
TTB president Jon Palmer Claridge and CL A&E Editor Julie Garisto. Credit: Michael Murphy
Matt McGee as Patti, Scott Daniel as Scott and their cabaret dancing posse began the event. Credit: Mick McNabb
Zombies… AAAHHHH! Paul McColgan and Anna Robinson from William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead Credit: Julie Garisto
Opening musical number featuring performers from the Scott and Patti cabaret show. Credit: Mick McNabb
New Stage’s Little Shop of Horrors. Credit: Mick McNabb
Scott Daniel helps kick off the night. Credit: Desiree Fantal
Spencer Meyers takes his Hedwig routine to the seats. Credit: Desiree Fantal
More heat from the cast of Hedwig. Credit: Desiree Fantal
freeFall’s Fiddler on the Roof Credit: Desiree Fantal
Michael Mann leads the Fiddler on the Roof cast. He won Most Outstanding Actor, Musical for freeFall’s Cabaret. Credit: Mick McNabb