Special Awards:

Orange Curtain Award 2025:
Amberley Chamberlain
Link to award message: https://theorangecurtainrev.com/2025-orange-curtain-award-amberly-chamberlain/

OC Spirit Award 2025:
Matthew M. Hayashi
Link to award message: https://theorangecurtainrev.com/2025-oc-spirit-award-matthew-m-hayashi/

BEST ORIGINAL ORANGE COUNTY SHOW

Vanguard University presents: Journey to the Center of the Earth @ Lyceum Theater
You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! @ South Coast Rep
La Belle et la Bête @ UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts

BEST STRAIGHT PLAY

Gloria @ Chance Theater
You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! @ South Coast Rep
Uncle Vanya @ Costa Mesa Playhouse
ACTC presents: Death of a Salesman @ Lyceum Theater
Fences @ Laguna Playhouse

BEST LIGHTING

Matt Mankiewicz – In The Heights @ The Electric Company Theatre
Donny Jackson – Fences @ Laguna Playhouse
Barbara Samuels – You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! @ South Coast Rep
Sofia Duran-Kniep – Uncle Vanya @ Costa Mesa Playhouse
Heather Harless – These Shining Lives @ Curtis Theatre/Begins And Ends With A Productions

BEST YOUNG ACTRESS

Raquel DePorto (Fraulein Schneider) Cabaret @ Fullerton College
Alyssa Ultereras (Liesl Von Trapp) The Sound of Music @ JStage
Jordan Hicks (Logainne SchwartzandGrubenierre) The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee @ Black Jack Theatrical
Marie Zolezzi (Catherine) A View from the Bridge @ Laguna Playhouse
Hayley Johnson (Dolly Gallagher Levi) Hello Dolly @ Cypress College

BEST YOUNG ACTOR

Coleman Blue Summers (Brutus) Julius Caesar @ Larking House
Drew Downs (Franklin Hart, Jr.) 9 to 5 @ UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Micah Munck (Biff Loman) Death of a Salesman @ Lyceum Theater/ACTC
Dane Hobrecht (Bernard) Death of a Salesman @ Lyceum Theater/ACTC
Logan Cabieles (Barry Glickman) The Prom @ CSUF

BEST MUSICAL

Little Shop of Horrors @ South Coast Rep
One More Productions presents: End of the Rainbow @ The GEM Theatre
In the Heights @ The Electric Company Theatre
Something Rotten! @ Newport Theatre Arts Center
Curtis Theatre & Southgate Productions presents: Beautiful – The Carole King Musical @ Curtis Theatre

BEST COSTUME

Aja Bell – These Shining Lives @ Curtis Theatre/Begins And Ends With A Productions
Haven Hanson – Beauty and the Beast (musical) @ JStage
Ashley Morgan – La Belle et la Bête @ UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Kate Galleran – A Midsummer Night’s Dream @ The Larking House
Rebecca Shepherd – 9 to 5 @ UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts

BEST ACTOR

Joel de la Fuente (Greg) You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! @ South Coast Rep
Justyn Gonzalez (Will Shakespeare) Shakespeare in Love @ Maverick Theater
Corey Jones (Troy Maxson) Fences @ Laguna Playhouse
Angel Correa (Uncle Vanya) Uncle Vanya @ Costa Mesa Playhouse
Richard Baird (Eddie) A View from the Bridge @ Laguna Playhouse

BEST ACTRESS

Emma Laird (Catherine Donohue) These Shining Lives @ Curtis Theatre/Begins And Ends With A Productions
Samantha Green (Viola De Lesseps) Shakespeare in Love @ Maverick Theater
Rose London (Violet Weston) August: Osage County @ STAGEStheatre/Curtis Theatre
Mary Price Moore (Phyllis) Greetings @ Newport Theatre Arts Center
Kendall Sinclair (Yelena) Uncle Vanya @ Costa Mesa Playhouse

BEST ONE-PERSON SHOW
Callie Prendiville Johnson – White Rabbit Red Rabbit @ The Electric Company Theatre

BEST DIRECTOR

Yvette Freeman-Hartley – Fences @ Laguna Playhouse
Zi Alikhan – You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! @ South Coast Rep
Damien Lorton – End of the Rainbow @ The GEM Theatre/One More Productions
Amanda DeMaio – August: Osage County @ STAGEStheatre/Curtis Theatre
Amanda Hallman – These Shining Lives @ Curtis Theatre/Begins And Ends With A Productions

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Wesley Chavez (Usnavi) In the Heights @ The Electric Company Theatre
Thomas Patrick Propofsky (Captain Von Trapp) The Sound of Music @ JStage
Nick Lunetta (Gerry Goffin) Beautiful – The Carole King Musical @ Curtis Theatre/Southgate Productions
Tj Punchard (Nick Bottom) Something Rotten! @ Newport Theatre Arts Center
Emerson Boatwright (Seymour) Little Shop of Horrors @ South Coast Rep

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Katie Perry Page (Carole King) The Carole King Musical @ Curtis Theatre/Southgate Productions
Michelle Veintimilla (Audrey) Little Shop of Horrors @ South Coast Rep
Nicole Cassesso (Judy Garland) End of the Rainbow @ The GEM Theatre/One More Productions
Darcy Rose Byrnes (Darlene) Honky Tonk Angels @ Laguna Playhouse
Lindsey VanGerpen (Belle) Beauty and the Beast (musical) @ JStage

BEST FEATURED ACTOR

Rafael Goldstein (Will/Others) You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! @ South Coast Rep
K.J. Powell (Cory Maxson) Fences @ Laguna Playhouse
Peter Hilton (Serebryakov) Uncle Vanya @ Costa Mesa Playhouse
Coby Rogers (Rodolpho) A View from the Bridge @ Laguna Playhouse
Ben Green (Howard/Stanley) Death of a Salesman @ Lyceum Theater/ACTC

BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Joe Gallina & Michael A. Shepperd (Audrey 2) Little Shop of Horrors @ South Coast Rep
Trevin Stephenson (Anthony) End of the Rainbow @ The GEM Theatre/One More Productions
Peter Crisafulli (Mickey Deans) End of the Rainbow @ The GEM Theatre/One More Productions
Gavin Hamze (LeFou) Beauty and the Beast (musical) @ JStage
Brandon Sanchez (Barry Mann) The Carole King Musical @ Curtis Theatre/Southgate Productions

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Shayanne Marin (Camila) In the Heights @ The Electric Company Theatre
Raquel DePorto (Fraulein Schneider) Cabaret @ Fullerton College
Briana Bauer (Lola) Damn Yankees @ The GEM Theatre/One More Productions
Jaime Hoover (Mother Abbess) The Sound of Music @ JStage
Danielle Heaton (Cynthia Weil) The Carole King Musical @ Curtis Theatre/Southgate Productions

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

David Rodriguez (Fight Choreography) Killer Joe @ Costa Mesa Playhouse
Mercy Louise Thornton – In the Heights @ The Electric Company Theatre
Anthony Tuason – Something Rotten! @ Newport Theatre Arts Center
Annie Loui – La Belle et la Bête @ UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Andrew Pinon (Fight Choreography) Shakespeare in Love @ Maverick Theatre

BEST LIVE BAND

Angela Steiner – Little Shop of Horrors @ South Coast Rep
Damien Lorton – Damn Yankees @ The GEM Theatre/One More Productions
Damien Lorton – End of the Rainbow @ The GEM Theatre/One More Productions
Sain Leyva – 9 to 5 (musical) @ UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Rick Heckman – Escape to Margaritaville @ Golden West College

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS

Sharon Omi (Janet/Others) You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! @ South Coast Rep
Brooke Lewis Cruz (Sabrina Daldry) In the Next Room (or the vibrator play) @ Costa Mesa Playhouse
Stephanie Savic (Gretchen) Boeing Boeing @ Costa Mesa Playhouse
Genevieve Kauper (Charlotte) These Shining Lives @ Curtis Theatre/Begins And Ends With A Productions
Shekinah Rainwater (Gretchen) Journey to the Center of the Earth @ Lyceum Theater/Vanguard University

BEST SOUND DESIGN

Jarid McCarthy & Josh Causley – Julius Caesar @ Larking House
Noel Nichols, Uptown works – You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! @ South Coast Rep
Andrew Yoder – La Belle et la Bête @ UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Jesse Worley – Fences @ Laguna Playhouse
Joshua Serrano – Rumors @ Newport Theatre Arts Center

BEST WRITING

Annie Loui – La Belle et la Bête @ UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Steven Dietz – Peril in the Alps @ Laguna Beach Playhouse
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins – Gloria @ Chance Theater
Amanda Fagan & Susan K. Berkompas – Journey to the Center of the Earth @ Lyceum Theater/Vanguard University
Keiko Green – You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! @ South Coast Rep

BEST ENSEMBLE

Shakespeare in Love @ Maverick Theatre
A View from the Bridge @ Laguna Playhouse
Death of a Salesman @ Lyceum Theater/ACTC
Gloria @ Chance Theater
Something Rotten! @ Newport Theatre Arts Center

BEST SET

Colin Lawrence – These Shining Lives @ Curtis Theatre/Begins And Ends With A Productions
Adam Rigg – You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! @ South Coast Rep
Victor Crisafulli – Damn Yankees @ The GEM Theatre/One More Productions
Tyler Scrivner – Ride the Cyclone @ Chapman University College of Performing Arts
Edward E. Haynes Jr. – Fences @ Laguna Beach Playhouse

BEST MAKEUP

Haven Hanson – Beauty and the Beast (musical) @ JStage
Kaylynn Sutton – She Kills Monsters @ Fullerton College
Paul Hadobas – Hello Dolly @ Cypress College
Mikaela (Miki) Gonzalez – Ride the Cyclone @ Chapman University College of Performing Arts
Jeff Weeks (Wig Stylist) Shakespeare in Love @ Maverick Theatre

AUDIENCE AWARD

Spring Awakening @ Chance Theater
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee @ Black Jack Theatricals
Boeing Boeing @ Costa Mesa Playhouse
Bye Bye Birdie @ No Square Theatre
Godspell @ The Wayward Artist