The George Abbott Award

Each year, the Carbonell Awards sponsor the George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement In The Arts, awarded to an individual (or team) who has contributed significantly to the artistic and cultural development of the region. The award may be given for accomplishments within the year or for a lifetime. The Abbott Award is voted upon by former recipients, members of the Carbonell Awards program, plus a cross-section of media, arts and cultural community members.

Since its beginnings, the list of Abbott Award honorees has become the chronicle of the artistic and cultural elite of South Florida’s modern history.

Mr. Abbott (1887-1995), long a resident of Miami Beach, made his professional acting debut in 1913, as a playwright in 1925, as director in 1926 and as producer in 1934. A major influence on American theater, he is responsible in various and often multiple capacities, for “Broadway” and “Three Men On A Horse” (1925), “On Your Toes” (1936, 1983), “Pal Joey” (1940), “On The Town” (1944), “Damn Yankees” (1955, 1994), “Fiorello” (1959, Pulitzer Prize), “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum” (1962) and many others. His wife Joy Abbott continues to participate in the awards program and presents the award to each year’s recipient.

2008: DAVID ARISCO, artistic director of the Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theater, has been a part of that regional theater for 21 years, where he has directed more than 100 shows including seven which received Carbonell Awards for both Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical. His diverse career spans more than 30 years as director, actor, musical director, stage manager, symphonic conductor and instrumentalist.

2007: JACK ZINK, Carbonell Awards co-founder and South Florida Sun-Sentinel entertainment writer Jack Zink first won the award in 1989 and has been recognized again for his continuing role of encouraging growth and excellence in the South Florida arts industry.

2006: MICHAEL SPRING, director of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs.  Spring has been responsible for establishing policies and programs that have helped build Miami-Dade County’s cultural community into a $538 million annual industry comprised of more than 1,000 non-profit cultural groups and thousands of individual artists.

2005: No awards presented in any categories. Program migrates from autumn to spring ceremony, with annual eligibility year moving from Labor Day to New Year’s. Awards moved from November 2005 to April 2006.

2004: SHERRON LONG, executive director of the Florida Professional Theatres Association (FPTA), CEO of the Florida Cultural Alliance, and manager of the Florida Assn. of Local Arts Agencies, for tireless and distinguished service to the arts community statewide. Ms. Long has worked to raise the profile of the arts in the community, brought arts organizations together to address common needs and goals, and been an effective catalyst between the arts and government.

2003: ALEX W. DREYFOOS, CARL L. MAYHUE, ROBERT B. LOCHRIE JR.-Alex W. Dreyfoos spearheaded efforts to build The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in Palm Beach and continues to serve as chairman of its board. Carl L. Mayhue was the visionary behind the effort to create the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and continues to serve on its governing board.  He is honored with Robert B. Lochrie, Jr., who has led the Center’s foundraising arm, the Broward Performing Arts Foundation, since its in inception providing leadership to generate support from the private sector.  Both facilities have the served as a catalyst for arts development and economic growth in the downtown areas of their respective communities.

2002: MITCHELL KAPLAN, founder of the Miami Book FairFor his role in South Florida’s literary development. Begun in 1984 as “Books by the Bay,” the event has grown to become the largest book fair in America, drawing prize-winning writers to its Congress of Authors, and hundreds of thousands of patrons annually to the literary festival.

2001: CHRISTINE DOLEN, theater critic for The Miami Herald, charter member and current president of the South Florida Critics’ Circle & Carbonell Awards, former officer of the American Theatrre Critics’ Association-For critiques and commentary in The Miami Herald and her role in the Carbonell Awards program since its inception, collectively to raise the standards of both performance and public appreciation of the arts in South Florida.

2000: JOSEPH ADLER,  theater director-For his role in opening new artistic directions as producing artistic director of the GableStage, and for career contributions and achievement in South Florida theater.

1999: BILL HINDMAN, actor (posthumous)-For career achievement as a performer and his role in the development of the South Florida regional theater community both on and offstage.

1998: BARRY STEINMAN, theater director and manager, founding chairman, Theatre League of South Florida-For his roles in the establishment and development of the League, and the development of the regional arts community as director and manager.

1997: EDWARD VILLELLA, artistic director, Miami City Ballet-For his role in the development of The Miami City Ballet as a nationally-recognized ensemble.

1996: BILL VON MAURER, arts columnist and critic-For his role in the foundation of the Carbonell Awards, and contributions to the development of regional artistic and journalistic standards as Entertainment Editor of The Miami News, and critic for The Sun-Sentinel.

1995: LOUIS TYRRELL, actor, director, producer-For the development of The Florida Stage and its dedication to the ongoing development of the literature of the nation’s theater.

1994: BILL COSFORD, arts columnist and critic (posthumous)-For critiques and commentary in The Miami Herald to raise the standards of both performance and public appreciation of the arts in South Florida.

1993: JAMES JUDD, maestro, Florida Philharmonic Orchestra and musical director, Greater Miami Opera-For his contributions to the development of performance and artistic goals and standards, and reknown, of South Florida’s classical music community.

1992: BRIAN C. SMITH, theater actor, director & producer-For his dedication to the development of South Florida’s resident regional theater community.

1991: TOBY ANSIN, Miami City Ballet founder-For the vision and artistic standards behind the creation of South Florida’s premiere dance company, recognized as the region’s cultural ambassador.

1990: BOB BOGDANOFF, theater director-For his dedication to the development and unification of South Florida’s resident theater community at the Royal Palm Dinner Theatre and other regional theaters.

1989: JACK ZINK, columnist, critic & editor-For the foundation of the Carbonell Awards, and contributions to artistic and journalistic standards via career spanning  The Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale News, Palm Beach Post & Times, Miami Herald, Variety & Daily Variety.

1988: RUTH FOREMAN, founder & director, The Ruth Foreman Theatre Company-For her pivotal role in laying the foundations for South Florida’s resident regional theater community.

1987: MICHAEL HALL, theater director and producer-For the founding of The Caldwell Theatre Company and its place in the development  of artistic excellence in South Florida’s regional theater community.

1986: NAT CHEDIAK, Miami Film Festival founder-For the development of the film festival as a showcase for national and international film as art.

1985: CLYDE FYFE, impresario-For the foundation of Regional Arts Productions and development of a cultural showcase for the world’s premiere artists.

1984: JAN McART, actress/theater producer-For career performance and for nurturing the resident theater community’s development as the founder and operator of the Royal Palm Dinner Theatre and other theaters.

1983: CHARLES CINNAMON, public relations executive and arts activist-Founder of the Coconut Grove & Miami Beach Arts Festivals, and for widespread contributions to the growth of the arts in South Florida.

1982: BURT REYNOLDS, actor, director, theater producer-For the foundation of the Burt Reynolds Institute For Theatre Training apprentice program for the development of aspiring theater professionals.

1981: RON GLAUBMAN and STEVE PARSONS, founders of Performing Arts For Community And Education (P.A.C.E.)-For the development of musical and arts programs to support the livelihoods of performing artists throughout South Florida.

1980: ZEV BUFMAN, theater impresario-For the development of Broadway, off-Broadway and regional touring theater throughout South Florida.

1979: JUDITH DRUCKER, concert impresaria-For the foundation of the Concert Association of Florida as a cultural showcase for the world’s premiere artists.

1978: PETER GRAVES, bandleader-For contributions to the artistic development and national recognition of South Florida’s music community and recording industry.