The 27th Annual Ostrander Awards show began at 7 p.m. on Sunday, August 29th with a live performance by the cast of Hank Williams: Lost Highway
Oh wait, that wasn’t the Lost Highway cast. Sorry about that but my camera misfired and I missed the one number I wanted most to preserve. This group of actor-musicians fronted by Tim Greer transcended a messy script and put the lanky, cranky ghost of Hank Williams Sr. in front of some surprised and truly appreciative audiences. They might as well have been the real thing.
The fake Drifting Cowboys were followed by a monologue in which Janie McCrary the theater awards tireless organizer made many amusing if not always accurate comments. La Cage director Mitzi Hamilton wasn’t the first Memphis director to cast Jonathan Christian in a drag role, silly goose. Way back in the 1990’s a reluctant Christian, who was new to Memphis and worried that he might be typecast, signed on to play a grotesque yet strangely MILFy old gypsy woman in New Bridge Theatre Ensemble’s production of Tennessee WIlliams’ 10-Blocks on the Camino Real at TheatreWorks. Christian was brilliant although some of the credit has to go to a young visionary director whose name escapes me although I seem to recall that he became some kind of theater blogger for The Memphis Flyer, whatever that means.
McCrary—who didn’t hurt my feelings at all with her drag dis— went on to describe the shoddy state of state of theater journalism in Memphis right there in front of her co-sponsors the Journalists. It wasn’t the most elegant way to transition into into a pitch for ArtsMemphis’ own stable of critics, and a website where readers can find reviews written by a show’s producing angel. In fact, it was really kind of awkward but Janie’s always a hoot and the weirdness passed quickly enough.
Enter Sister Myotis whose performance at last year’s Ostranders was only a warm up for her big mainstream breakthrough as hostess for the Orpheum’s High School Musical awards.
Well, like the sister asked, are you ready for some rewards?
