Boston Conservatory Plays a Leading Role at the 41st Annual Elliot Norton Awards With six wins and eight additional nominations, the Conservatory's theater community fared well at the 2024 awards ceremony.
By
Sarah Godcher Murphy
May 24, 2024
Jack Mullen, shown here in Oklahoma!, received his first Elliot Norton Award less than two weeks after graduating from Boston Conservatory.
Robert Pascucci
Recognizing the best of Boston-area theater, the Elliot Norton Awards are named for a well-known local critic who-like the Boston theater scene itself-wielded an unusually high degree of influence on the art form in America. From the 1930s through the 1980s, Norton was often the first to review new works by prominent playwrights, as their Broadway-bound productions were given tryouts with Boston's sophisticated audiences.
Boston Conservatory at Berklee makes itself at home in the city's still-thriving theater community, with alums, faculty, and students consistently winning Norties for performance, directing, choreography, and technical production. Year after year, the awards shine a spotlight on the theater artists and companies that have shaped Boston's reputation as a standout in regional theater-including several companies helmed by Theater Division faculty, such as SpeakEasy Stage Company (founded by Paul Daigneault, professor of theater) and Arlekin Players Theatre (founded by Igor Golyak, associate professor of theater).
At this year's Elliot Norton ceremony, members of the Boston Conservatory community won six awards for their work in the plays The Gaaga and Fat Ham as well as the musicals Oklahoma! and The Band's Visit. A current student, three alums, and three faculty members received an additional eight nominations for their work in local productions that included The Color Purple, Sister Act, and How I Learned to Drive.
Alum Rachel Bertone won an Elliot Norton Award for choreographing Oklahoma! at the Reagle Music Theatre.
Robert Pascucci
The Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston's production of Oklahoma! earned Norties for one Boston Conservatory staff member and two alums. The award for Outstanding Musical Direction was presented to Dan Rodriguez, who works as a voice accompanist in the Music Division and recently served as music director for the Center Stage production of Something Rotten.
Contemporary dance alum Rachel Bertone (B.F.A. 07) earned a win for Outstanding Choreography. She also directed Oklahoma! for the Reagle, where she has served as artistic director since 2022. Bertone previously taught in Boston Conservatory's Musical Theater Department, including courses in jazzdance and 20th-century popular vocal styles.
Jack Mullen (B.F.A. 24, musical theater) took home the award for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical-less than two weeks after graduating from the Conservatory with a bachelor's degree in musical theater. In addition to playing Will Parker, Mullen served as fight captain for the production.
Mullen's costar and fellow Boston Conservatory alum Jared Troilo (B.F.A. 08, musical theater) played Curly McClain and received a lead acting nomination for that role-in addition to being nominated for his featured performance as Itzik in The Band's Visit, which was coproduced by the Hungtington and SpeakEasy Stage.
Daigneault directed The Band's Visit, which won the award for Outstanding Musical and earned him Outstanding Director honors in the large theater category. Two additional Boston Conservatory faculty who collaborated with Daigneault on the production were recognized with nominations. Jos Delgado, associate professor of theater, was nominated for Outstanding Musical Direction, and Daniel Pelzig, professor of dance, for Outstanding Choreography.
Golyak won Outstanding Director in the small theater category (with codirector Sasha Denisova) for The Gaaga, produced by his Arlekin Players Theatre. He also was credited for virtual design and technical direction of the innovative play, which was presented in both live and online formats simultaneously.
Former Boston Conservatory student Marshall W. Mabry IV (22) won the award for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play (large theater category) for his starring role in Fat Ham, a contemporary adaptation of Hamlet, produced by the Huntington in association with Alliance Theatre and the Front Porch Arts Collective.
Two members of the Boston Conservatory community were nominated for their work on The Color Purple at the Umbrella Stage Company: Nathanael Wilkerson (B.F.A. 23, musical theater) was recognized for Outstanding Musical Direction and current student Shy'Kira Allen (B.F.A. 25, musical theater) for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical. Allen faced off in this category against Troilo and yet another Boston Conservatory alum: Yewande Odetoyinbo (M.F.A. 18, musical theater), who was nominated for her role in Sister Act at Lyric Stage Company of Boston.
Rounding out the list of Conservatory nominees, Dennis Trainor Jr., associate professor of theater, was nominated for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play (midsize theater category). Trainor received the nomination for his role as Uncle Peck in How I Learned to Drive at Actors' Shakespeare Project.
Learn more about Boston Conservatory's top-ranking theater programs.
Most Popular
Image by Michael D. Spencer
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2024 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
Latest
Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin
Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin Named Chair of the Ensemble Department A renowned vocalist, arranger, and educator, Robinson-Martin is known for developing innovative resources for vocal instruction.
LGBTQ+ Student Group to Hold Inaugural Pride Music Festival Lavanda,
North America Stories
27/01/2026
L-R: Jonathan Cuchacovich, Sonia Kennebeck, Alan Fischer, Daeil Kim, Andrew Sta...
27/01/2026
Nielsen will continue to drive growth and provide local audience measurement
in...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Amagi Media Labs Limited, the only cloud-native SaaS provider offering end-to-end solutions across live production, content preparation, distribution, and monet...
27/01/2026
Miri Technologies Inc. today unveiled its V410 live 4K video encoder/decoder for streaming, IP-based production workflows and AV-over-IP distribution. Designed ...
27/01/2026
The Paul E. Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell in Massachusetts has chosen Ikegami cameras for incorporation into its broadcast-quality television production facili...
27/01/2026
SipRadius, specialists in secure, low latency media transport, will show the pro AV community its end-to-end solution for high quality content distribution and ...
27/01/2026
Hiltron will highlight the fruits of its 45-plus years of experience in satellite communications system integration and product development at the annual GovSat...
27/01/2026
Klvr will demonstrate how its Charger Pro solution is delivering cost reduction and performance benefits for live entertainment and pro AV markets at ISE 2026 (...
27/01/2026
Amino, a global media technology leader in enterprise video and digital signage, today announced that its Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 booth (4N700) wil...
27/01/2026
ANI, India's leading news agency and a major content provider across the Asia Pacific region, today announced a significant expansion of its long standing p...
27/01/2026
Independent analysis confirms faster encoding, lower CPU usage, and improved perceptual quality compared to CBR and CRF
VisualOn, a leader in multimedia playba...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
When It Feels Real, Is It Still a Lie? The Art of Sarah' ...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
That Night premiering on Netflix March 13
Entertainment
27 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
DOWNLOAD THE KEY ART
DOWNLO...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Revealed the Future of Mexican Stories Coming in 2026
Entertainment
27 January 2026
GlobalMexico
Link copied to clipboard
Among t...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
Four New Japan Titles Announced for 2026: Viral Hit', On...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
What's Next on Netflix from Japan: Expanding the Possibili...
27/01/2026
AI, graphics and virtual software power new production capabilities...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Advanced Systems Group (ASG) today announced an exclusive partnership with Nu Studio, the company behind the first modular, portable studio designed for immersi...
26/01/2026
OpenDrives, the leader in high-end video data management and workflow solutions, today announced an add-on investment to its previous funding rounds, led by IAG...
26/01/2026
SmallHD today announced a major update to its award-winning PageOS software, introducing Fleet Control, Portrait Mode, expanded Camera Control features, and Dow...
26/01/2026
Whether rigging a PTZ on a truss, sliding a Blackmagic camera across a mezzanine railing, or capturing the mayhem from inside a drum, Filipic delivers visuals t...
26/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils Official Trailer for Salvador
Entertainment
26 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
DISCOVER THE TRAILER
DO...
26/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Presents Our 2026 Series and Films and Announces New Projects
Entertainment
26 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
...
26/01/2026
Back to All News
Made in Louisiana: People We Meet on Vacation' Lights Up New Orleans
Emily Bader and Tom Blyth film on Royal Street in New Orleans' ...
26/01/2026
LinkedIn Gives Professionals the Edge with Verified Skills and Tools to Navigate the Job Search Show Proficiency of AI Tools such as Descript, Lovable, Relay.ap...
26/01/2026
Alfalite, Brainstorm, Dejero, Domo Broadcast Systems, FOR-A, KitPlus, Ontario So...
26/01/2026
Tyngsboro, Mass. - January 26, 2026 - Broadcast Pix is excited to exhibit at the Alliance for Community Media West Region Conference and Trade Show, taking plac...
25/01/2026
Back to All News
Sins of Kujo' Premieres April 2: Teaser Trailer, Art and ...
24/01/2026
Masami Kawai Selected as the 2026 Merata Mita Fellow; Isabella Madrigal and Tsanavi Spoonhunter Named 2026 Graton Fellows During Native Forum Celebration in Par...
24/01/2026
The MC-55A Peregrine aircraft will give the Royal Australian Air Force information superiority and serve as strategic assets for future Australian Defence Force...
24/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
24/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
24/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
23/01/2026
WWE's Virtual Production Playbook: How the Professional Wrestling Super Powe...
23/01/2026
Tight set up: Squeezing the PSA's Tournament of Champions into Grand Central...
23/01/2026
Evolving production: The PSA on bringing squash to more viewers at the Tournamen...
23/01/2026
AFC Championship Preview: Behind the Scenes With NFL on CBS' Producer Jim R...
23/01/2026
NFC Championship Preview: FOX Sports Director Rich Russo Talks Technology, Story...
Boston Conservatory Plays a Leading Role at the 41st Annual Elliot Norton Awards With six wins and eight additional nominations, the Conservatory's theater community fared well at the 2024 awards ceremony. 
