The Suzi Bass Awards were created to recognize and foster professional theatrical excellence in the Atlanta area, to honor the late and beloved actress Suzi Bass, and to provide a valuable regional and national marketing tool for individual theatres and for the Atlanta professional theatre community as a whole.
Suzi Bass was a well-known actress in the Atlanta area, making a name for herself not only for her talent but as an affable and generous person. She died of cancer in 2002 after a career that included film, theatre and television. It is widely accepted as a point of pride for a production to be listed as “Suzi Recommended.” Additionally, being “Suzi Recommended” designates that a production will also be on the Nominating Ballot at the end of the season. The awards show, now in its eleventh year, was originally modeled after the The Joseph Jefferson Awards in Chicago but has since evolved to better reflect the community in Atlanta. The Awards seek to recognize outstanding contributions in both plays and musicals with almost thirty categories.
This year, some of the nominees include Leon Smith for Outstanding Sound Design in a musical for Black Nativity and Outstanding Lead Actor in a play by Eugene Lee for How I Learned What I Learned at Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company. Chasin’ Dem Blues at Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company nabbed seven “by show” nominations and eight nominations by the theatre company including: Outstanding Lighting Design in a musical by Joseph Futral; Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a musical with Maiesha McQueen, Brad Raymond, Anthony David, Jeremy Cohen, Spencer Bean and Che Marshall; Outstanding Musical Direction by Jeremy Cohen; Outstanding Direction for a musical by Kevin Ramsey; and Outstanding Production in a Musical.
For a complete list of Suzi Bass Awards and Nominees click here.The Suzi Bass Awards will be held on November 2.
