P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525
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P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525 |
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Jim Lanier - Recipient of Eight Zenons By: Roy Riedy |
The first time that Jim Lanier's name was connected with Highlands Little Theatre was in September of 1989 when it appeared in a News-Sun article that published the cast of the upcoming musical, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, the following November. It briefly stated that Jim Lanier would play the French prince. With that short announcement Mr. Lanier's career was launched at HLT, and the rest, as writers are so fond of saying, is history.
The Unsinkable Molly Brown was the first of twenty-one plays that Jim would be associated with at the Lakeside Playhouse. He went on to play five more wonderful roles: The Chef in the August, 1990 presentation of Woody Allen's Don't Drink the Water, a part that won him his first Best Supporting Actor Zenon. He also won a Production/Technical Discretionary Zenon at this Fifth Annual Awards Ceremony for his outstanding achievement as the vocal director in that season's musical play Hello Dolly.
In June of 1991 he was heard but not seen as the voice of Audrey II, a part that earned him his second Best Supporting Actor Zenon, in the hugely popular and successful Little Shop of Horrors. Beside his second Zenon as Best Supporting Actor, Jim also won a second Production/Technical Discretionary Zenon at the Sixth Zenon Presentations for his outstanding achievement as music director of Oklahoma, the choral director of The Music Man, music director and assistant director of Little Shop of Horrors, and director of the fourth of July musical review.
In January, 1992 he co-starred with Patty Dumont as Vernon Gersch in Neil Simon's musical They're Playing Our Song; and in April of that year he was the Vocal director of Jule Styne and Bob Merrill's Funny Girl and was seen on stage as Mr. Renaldi. At the Seventh Annual Zenon Ceremonies Jim was rewarded for his outstanding achievement as music director for Mame and Funny Girl, and received his first Board Service Zenon for his outstanding contributions to the theatre for his work in the after show piano bar in Anthony's Lounge. He received his fourth Production/Technical discretionary Zenon at the Eighth Annual Zenon Ceremonies for his work as assistant director of Nunsense and as the music and vocal director of Nunsense and Camelot.
In March of 1994 Jim played the one time Ezio Pinza role of Emile de Becque in Rogers and Hammerstein's big hit South Pacific, and in November of the same year directed Stephen Sondheim's famous musical Gypsy. Gypsy became a big winner at the Zenons at the end of the season. Not only did it win Best Director for Jim, but it also gave Beverly Padgett the Best ActressZenon for her role as Rose; Best Supporting Actress Zenon to Melanie Angus for her portrayal of Gypsy Rose Lee; Best Stage Manager to Janet Waldron; Best Producers to Tena Conyer and Marge Pollard; and Best Lighting Design to Frank Oberhausen - six Zenons in all.
With his eight Zenons as shining proof, Jim Lanier is tied in eighth place with Gordy Mattson and Tammie Pollard as outstanding members of Highlands Little Theatre who have reached a high plateau of honor and recognition.
Thank you Jim for the countless hours of work that went into gaining these awards. We too, your audience, are also winners for having been present to see you in your award winning roles and to listen to your beautiful music, we have enjoyed your work and are grateful to you for sharing your many talents with us.
