On Theater:

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second of two columns reviewing local theater in 2009.

Since 1974, the Daily Pilot has chosen two people at the end of the year for additional tributes in recognition of their exemplary work in local theater. One might imagine that, after 34 years and 68 honorees, the field had been picked clean. One would be mistaken.

This year saw exceptional accomplishments from an industrious actor who has shone in recent years on stages in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, and a veteran director/musical director and educator whose original revue graced a local college stage.

They are the two local standouts in a year replete with them. They are Michael Keeney and Vanda Eggington.

Keeney first caught local attention as the crazed victim of the title character in the Costa Mesa Playhouse’s production of “Dracula” more than a decade ago, launching a career that would take him around Orange County. He hit his stride a few years ago as McMurphy in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” at the Huntington Beach Playhouse.

More recently, Keeney has shown his artistic diversity at the Newport Theater Arts Center, where he played an English vicar in “See How They Run” and — just a month ago — the sinister Roat in “Wait Until Dark.”

“He is always hungry to learn and has a fine natural gift for embracing the extremely physical nature of the role of Harry Roat and worked very hard bringing his character to life,” said Terri Miller-Schmidt, Keeney’s director in “Wait Until Dark. “He was great fun to watch in ‘See How They Run’ and seems to be an audience favorite.”

Keeney also helped charter new territory at the Huntington Beach Playhouse, performing in the world premieres of “The Golden Dream” and “Born to Ride the Waves.”

Vanguard University has shared the talents of Eggington with the Lamb’s Players Theater in San Diego, where she has amassed a prodigious number of credits.

More recently, she has been especially active with the Costa Mesa college, mounting productions of “Godspell,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Guys and Dolls,” “The Fantasticks” and her original show, “Boomers.”

The latter production, staged this summer for Vanguard’s professional stock operation, American Cost Theater Company, was a reprise of a revue she created and directed for the San Diego theater in the early 1990s.

“Vanda’s skills as a musical director and arranger are top-notch, and she is able to tell great stories through the way she visualizes music and lyrics,” said Vanguard’s producing artistic director Susan Berkompas. “’Boomers’ should have had a great run in an off-Broadway house in New York. It just doesn’t get any better than that when it comes to a musical revue.”

Equally at home with nonmusical productions, Eggington also directed Vanguard’s renditions of “Oklahoma Rigs,” “Cleopatra’s Wake” and “You Can’t Take It With You.”

Keeney and Eggington have distinguished themselves in local theater for many years, but particularly during this season. Their selection as the Daily Pilot’s man and woman of the year in theater is long overdue.

TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot.