By Mike Pettinella
For Video News Service
The Batavia Players theatrical troupe is moving forward – preparing for its 2025 Annual Gala and Harvie Awards’ presentation in two weeks – as its leadership waits to hear from the City of Batavia about an extension of its City Centre lease.
That’s the latest word from Patrick Burk, the nonprofit, all-volunteer organization’s president/executive/artistic director.
“We’re continuing to do what we need to do to be successful,” Burk said on Monday while announcing the nominees for the 2025 Harvie Awards for Excellence in Theater.
Award recipients will be honored at the 2025 Annual Gala at 7 p.m. Jan. 11 at Main St. 56 Theater.
Burk said the Harvie Awards “reflect the dedication, creativity and passion of the local theater community.” Categories include lead, supporting and featured performances in plays and musicals, cabaret and youth and child performances.
Tickets for the Gala are available at https://our.show/2025-gala.
While it’s business as usual on stage, the lack of communication with city officials is a bit unsettling, Burk said.
“No one has gotten back to us,” he said. “We’re working on the Gala, and I’m swamped with that.”
Video News Service sent an email to City Manager Rachael Tabelski, asking if a meeting with Batavia Players has been scheduled prior to the Jan. 1st expiration of the five-year lease.
UPDATE:12.31.24 from City Manager Rachael Tabelski
“Currently the City of Batavia considers the Batavia Players’ as a hold over tenant in the space that they rent at City Centre. The Theater has provided myself and the City Attorney an executive plan and proposed budget forecast for the next five years. The City recognizes the Batavia Players as a valuable asset to the community, however they must prove their ability to remain viable and pay debts while continuing to operate. We look forward to meeting with members of the Players’ executive committee in the New Year,” said Rachael J. Tabelski, City Manager, City of Batavia.
As far as the Batavia Players’ finances are concerned, Burk said the 2025 budget is set at $190,000, with $65,000 of that derived from ticket sales. The remainder is generated through corporate fundraising, educational programs, donations, program advertising, concessions and grants – including a grant from GO Art!
“Sponsors pay for the majority of our expenses,” Burk said. “Productions aren’t necessarily – even though all of them make us a profit — (the major income source). We wouldn’t exist without our membership and our sponsors and so forth. Our memberships, sponsors and grants, hopefully, cover our overhead expenses.”
Burk said membership and donations have increased since the publication of a story on Video News Service on Dec. 21 about the organization’s lease with the city and the troupe’s “Musical Christmas Party” presentation on Dec. 22.
“We’ve received a lot of feedback – most of it positive,” he said, referring to readers’ social media comments.
HARVIE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE NOMINEES
Best Male Lead Performance in a Play
James Barcomb – Whirligig in Time
Richard Ferris – Pygmalion
Anthony Haitz – King John
Stephen Van Valkenburg – Love Lines
Best Female Lead Performance in a Play
Samatha Balbi – Love Lines
Dorothy Gerhart – King John
Sarah Hill – Whirligig in Time
Sophie Houseman – Pygmalion
Best Male Supporting Performance in a Play
Seth Coburn – Whirligig in Time
Steve Coburn – Pygmalion
Richard Ferris – King John
Kerrick Woyshner – King John
Best Female Supporting Performance in a Play
Dorothy Gerhart – Pygmalion
Dorothy Gerhart – Whirligig in Time
Abigail Noonan – Love Lines
Amanda Melissa Taylor – Love Lines
Best Male Featured Performance in a Play
Samuel Bowman – King John
Patrick Burk – Love Lines
Jack Patrick Crandall – King John
Deacon Smith – Murder in the Speakeasy
Elijah Van Epps – Pygmalion
Best Female Featured Performance in a Play
Sophie Crandall – Love Lines
Spencer Efing – Pygmalion
Heather Ferris – King John
Sophie Houseman – Whirligig in Time
Mollie Wadhams – Pygmalion
Best Male Lead Performance in a Musical
Anthony Haitz – White Christmas
Sam Sevor – White Christmas
Deacon Smith – Bye Bye Birdie
Elijah Van Epps – Evita
Best Female Lead Performance in a Musical
Samantha Balbi – Bye Bye Birdie
Kristin Gelia – Evita
Kristin Gelia – White Christmas
Sophie Houseman – White Christmas
Best Male Supporting Performance in a Musical
Robert Balbick – White Christmas
Skylar Dence – Evita
Cameron Liedmann – Bye Bye Birdie
Deacon Smith – White Christmas
Best Female Supporting Performance in a Musical
Cass Dzielski – Bye Bye Birdie
Teressa Hirsch – White Christmas
Rose Mosher – Bye Bye Birdie
Maia Zerillo – Bye Bye Birdie
Best Male Featured Performance in a Musical
Seth Coburn – Bye Bye Birdie
Bill Moon – White Christmas
Deacon Smith – Evita
Kerrick Woyshner – Evita
William Zerillo – Bye Bye Birdie
Best Female Featured Performance in a Musical
Jessica Brandt – White Christmas
Mia Pellegrino – White Christmas
Rory Van Epps – Evita
Mollie Wadhams – White Christmas
Best Male Performance in a Cabaret
James Barcomb – Just One More Time & Something New
Patrick Burk – Just One More Time & Something New
Deacon Smith – Four the Record
Kerrick Woyshner – Wickedly Musical
Best Female Performance in a Cabaret
Jocelyn Coburn – Four the Record
Kristin Gelia – Just One More Time & Something New
Sophie Houseman – Just One More Time & Something New
Amelia Schuster – Wickedly Musical
Tess Uline – Wickedly Musical
Best Group Performance in a Cabaret
At the Ballet – Four the Record
Murder Murder – Wickedly Musical
Side by Side – Just One More Time & Something New
Standing On the Corner – Just One More Time & Something New
This Man – Just One More Time & Something New
Best Solo Performance in a Cabaret
Ian Cannioto – Confrontation – Wickedly Musical
Kristin Gelia – What Only Love Can See – Just One More Time & Something New
Sophie Houseman – When It All Falls Down – Just One More Time & Something New
Lilah Mordell – Circus – Wickedly Musical
Kerrick Woyshner – The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – Wickedly Musical
Best Youth Performance in a Cabaret
Lilah Mordell – Just One More Time & Something New
Lilah Mordell – Wickedly Musical
Elle Williams – Christmas Party
William Zerillo – Just One More Time & Something New
Best Youth Performance in a Musical or Play
Sophie Crandall – King John
Ephraim Hanna – King John
Lily Kaspryzk – King John
Maia Zerillo – Bye Bye Birdie
Best Child Performance in a Musical or Play
Annalie Crandall – Little Mermaid Jr.
Adelynn Gephart – Little Mermaid Jr.
Adam Jursted – Bye Bye Birdie
Sylar Kuenzi – Little Mermaid Jr.
Elle Williams – White Christmas
Best Solo Performance in a Musical
Kristin Gelia – Don’t Cry For Me Argentina – Evita
Kristin Gelia – Love You Didn’t Do Right By Me – White Christmas
Rory Van Epps – Another Suitcase Another Hall – Evita
Elle Williams – Let Me Sing/I’m Happy – White Christmas
Maia Zerillo – How Lovely To Be A Woman – Bye Bye Birdie
Best Group Performance in a Musical
And the Money Kept Rolling In – Evita
Baby Talk to Me – Bye Bye Birdie
Human Stuff – Little Mermaid Jr.
I Love A Piano – White Christmas
White Christmas – White Christmas