|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Andrew Kato is Producer/Director and Caryl Fantel is Music Director
Gary Schweikhart, board president of the Carbonell Awards, South Florida’s Theatre & Arts Honors, today announced that the 48th annual awards ceremony will be held on Monday, November 17 at 7:30 pm at the University Theatre on the Boca Raton Campus of Florida Atlantic University. This will be the first time since 1997 that the annual Carbonell Awards ceremony has been held in Palm Beach County.
Another Boca connection will be the launch of the new Jan McArt Award for significant achievement by a small theatre, named after the “First Lady of South Florida Theater” who helmed several local theaters including the popular Royal Palm Dinner Theatre in Mizner Park.
Hundreds of actors, musicians, performers, writers, directors, back-stage technicians, producers, reviewers, designers, specialty artists, and diehard theater fans are expected to attend this year’s Carbonell Awards, a glittery, entertainment-packed event that is South Florida’s version of Broadway’s Tony Awards®.
At this year’s Carbonell Ceremony awards will be presented in 20 competitive categories, along with up to eight Special Awards including the prestigious George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts. Also, this year’s Jack Zink Memorial Scholarships will be presented to three talented high school graduates: one each in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties.
The talented and dynamic team that will be producing, writing, and directing this year’s Carbonell Awards Ceremony are:
Producer/Director, Andrew Kato is celebrating his 20th season at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre as the Producing Artistic Director/Chief Executive. During his tenure, he has produced over 95 productions and subscriptions have grown to over 7,000 patrons. Overall attendance has grown to nearly 100,000 guests annually, securing the Theatre to be one of the most successful regional theatres in the southeast. He was the Creative Consultant/Coordinating Producer on the Tony Awards® for 13 years, and his Broadway credits include Jelly’s Last Jam, Angels in America and the off-Broadway production of Cryptogram. In addition, he conceived and developed several musicals, including Switch!, Academy, 1001 Nights, Street Songs, Diva Diaries, Through the Looking Glass, and Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, which made its off-Broadway debut in September 2023. Under his leadership, the Maltz recently opened The Island Theatre, a more intimate venue, and launched a $5-million upgrade of its educational arm, the Goldner Conservatory.
Caryl Fantel is an award-winning Music Director and Pianist, as well as an active Arts Advocate and Educator. She serves as Music Coordinator/Music Director for Florida Atlantic University’s new BFA in Musical Theatre program and continues to collaborate with theatre professionals on projects throughout the South Florida region, including the annual Carbonell Awards ceremony. Her other credits include performances at Carnegie Hall and Seattle’s acclaimed 5th Avenue Theatre, as well as many regional theatres around the country, including South Florida’s Maltz Jupiter Theatre and Zoetic Stage. She has accompanied performances for Andrea Bocelli and numerous Broadway performers including Liz Callaway and Beth Malone and has prepared vocal ensembles for performances with Hugh Jackman and at the TONY Awards. Caryl is a private audition coach, workshop presenter for the South Florida Theatre League and other groups and is a member of the Broward County Cultural Council. For more information, visit www.FantelMusic.com.
Carbonell Awards Timeline 2025
April
- Announce three recipients of Jack Zink Memorial Scholarship
May
- Solicit nominations for George Abbott Award 2025
June
- Announce recipient of George Abbott Award 2025
July
- Solicit nominations for seven Special Awards, including the new Jan McArt Award
August
- Announce recipients of Special Awards 2025
September
- Launch Judging Process for 2025-2026 Season
- Announce Carbonell Award finalists in 20 competitive categories
- Tickets go on sale for 48th annual Carbonell Awards Ceremony
October
- Party honoring Carbonell Award finalists and judges
November 17
- Carbonell Awards Ceremony & After Party at FAU-Boca Raton
About The Carbonell Awards
The Carbonell Awards fosters the artistic growth of professional theater in South Florida by celebrating the diversity of our theater artists, providing educational scholarships, and building audience appreciation and civic pride by highlighting achievements of our theater community. Around 30 professional theater companies in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties participate in the awards process every year. The Carbonell Awards also celebrate the accomplishments of local artistic leaders by presenting eight Special Awards.
Along with New York’s Drama Desk and Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Awards, the Carbonell Awards are among the nation’s senior regional arts awards and predate others, including Washington, D.C.’s Helen Hayes Awards. The Carbonell Awards are named after Manuel Carbonell, an internationally renowned sculptor, who designed the original solid bronze and marble award in 1976, the signature trophy that is given annually to Carbonell Award winners. Over the last nearly 50 years, the Carbonell family has donated more than $250,000 in awards. For more information, please visit www.carbonellawards.org.
