Entertainment

Leonie Forbes honored at Actor Boy Awards; Wiz Wins Big

KINGSTONG – Jamaica’s first lady of the stage, Leonie Forbes, was honored for her lasting legacy to the world of theatre with a special Actor Boy Award at the Little Theatre last Tuesday night, March 28.

The Actor Boy Awards – an International Theatre Institute (ITI) event – is the Jamaican theatre gala event which honors the previous year’s outstanding works and individual performances in a number of categories.

Forbes, stunningly dressed in a shimmering black dress graciously accepted her special award and thanked many persons who contributed to her success in theatre. She also read a letter written to her on the occasion from Easton Lee.

A montage of her works was also showed on a giant screen as part of the tribute to her.


Sydney Roberts, Leonie Forbes and Eddy Edwards

The big winner for the night was The Jamaica Musical Theatre Company (JMTC) production The Wiz dominating the awards by winning seven statuettes of its ten nominations. The Wiz topped the list as Best Production, Musical, Choreography and Costuming. Director of the The Wiz Robin Baston, (who doubled as event producer and nominee) swept the major technical awards, including Best Set Design, Lighting and Special Effects.

Other multiple nominees included Karl Williams The Black That I Am, which garnered four awards (including Best Drama and Best New Jamaican Play) and Aston Cooke’s Jamaica 2 Rahtid which won Best Revue, Best Comedy, Original Song (Jamaica 2 Rahtid) and Original Score, which were picked up by veteran musician Grub Cooper, Chris McFarlane, Everaldo Creary and Chris ‘Johnny’ Daley.

After the Actor Boy Gala, everyone headed to the Barn Theater for ‘One Rahtid Party’, as the cast and production personnel of Jamaica 2 Rahtid celebrated their 150th performance and success with members of the theatre fraternity.

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