Who will be the 2010 Producer of the Year? Vote now!

Let's get ready to ruuummmmmmbbbbbblllllleeeee!

It's time to cast your votes for Producer of the Year 2010!  

This is the third year of my annual contest.  The honorary winner our first year was the late Gerald Schoenfeld.  Last year, Kevin McCollum took home the Gold in a very heated battle.

Who will take the title this year?

Let's find out who is nominated!

To determine the nominees, I talked to a bunch of my peers at the many holiday parties that are held during these first two weeks of December (that all the same people go to – but hey, they're all excuses to eat and drink, so we'll take 'em!) and get their consensus on who has demonstrated true Producerial spirit over the past year.  (Previous winners are not eligible for the year immediately following their win (sorry, Kevin, there's always next year)).  

Here's who the anonymous Christmas Party Crew chose this year, along with a quote or two from the person who lobbied the hardest for them to make the cut.  

1.  Randy Adams and Sue Frost

"You know how everyone says you need stars to make a show work?  Well, here comes Memphis, the Tony Award winner for 2010 with no stars, no fanfare, just good old fashioned word-of-mouth.  Randy and Sue saw that show through 6 years of development and 4 (!) out-of-town tryouts and took home a Tony for their perserverance.  And that's what being a Producer is all about.  Oh, and they're nice, too."

2.  Michael Cohl

"Regardless of what happens now, he did it.  He actually raised $65 million dollars for a Broadway musical and got Spiderman into performances, amidst a firestorm of bad press and delayed performances.  And every time I see him, he doesn't seem the least bit stressed."

3.  Jeffrey Richards

"Jeffrey didn't have the best recoupment ratio in 2010, but he did produce five shows this calendar year alone.  Five.  A lot of producers don't do that in a lifetime.  And while Enron and Bloody Bloody may not have lasted as long as anyone would have liked, they pushed the envelope, and isn't that a great Producer's charge?"

4.  David Stone

"People were shocked that Next to Normal actually opened on Broadway in 2009, so imagine the screams heard down Shubert Alley when it was announced that the show recouped . . . and then won the Pulitzer! The show wouldn't have happened without David.  That simple."

5.  Barry Weissler

"The King of revivals did it again.  Who knew we needed another La Cage?  Barry knew, that's who, and he picked up a Tony in the process.  And now, with Harvey Fierstein and Jeffrey Tambor stepping in, he's setting up for another Chicago (oh yeah, in case you forgot, that show is still running!)  And then, he brought it Scottsboro?  He had to know that show wasn't going to make money, but he did it anyway.  Because he thought it deserved to be seen."

So there are your nominees, readers.  And now it's time for you to cast your votes!  (And if you're dissatisfied with any of the choices above, there is a "type-in" slot!)

Vote for your choice for 2010 Producer of the Year by clicking here!  Voting must be completed by 11:59 PM on Tuesday, December 28th.  

The winner will be announced on Thursday, December 30th!  

Good luck, nominees!  Thank you to the faceless Christmas Crew for the noms.  Now, Let the best Producer win!

Vote now!