BEST LOCAL THEATER GROUP Springfield Municipal Opera Association 815 East Lake Drive Based on the size of the “floor plan,” the 55-acre outdoor amphitheater best known as The Muni is the largest “play ground” in central Illinois and in recent years has added improvements to the site to maintain its popularity with tourists and townies alike. Gil Opferman, association president for the 2009-2010 season was an elementary school principal before retiring and serving The Muni as chief exec. “We had 450 volunteers for the front end this season,” he said. That includes parking, taking tickets and running concessions. Backstage, they had 25 for the production of Annie, more than the entire cast of another production. The Muni employs union sound and light people and someone to cut the grass. On a typical night, almost 100 volunteers are present each time the curtain rises. In 2010, The Muni added 10 new women’s restroom stalls to the site, much to the “relief” of many frequent theater-goers. “That may be why we were voted Best Theater Group this year,” he quipped. Next year’s focus is on blockbusters: Big River, Guys and Dolls, Hair Spray and Wizard of Oz.

BEST RADIO STATION WFMB-FM 104.5 3055 S. Fourth St., 528-3033 Kevin O’Dea became general manager at WFMB in December 1990 after arriving at the station in 1982 and working his way up in sales. FMB was Springfield’s first all-country music station. “We’ve always had great people, and I never tinker with that station very much,” he said. The approach moved IT readers to vote it Best Radio Station for the first time. O’Dea noted, “I have a great staff. John Spalding has been in the building since before I came. Everyone’s been (on air) a long time, and the stability of the on-air staff contributes greatly to the station’s success.” Things have changed a lot. There’s no more tape or vinyl. There’s nothing in the studio but a computer that plays all music and commercials. “You still need people who can open up the microphone and relate to the listeners one on one,” O’Dea said. “What they say is all ad-lib, nothing is scripted. We may be the only station in the market that has a live body in the studio 24/7.” Another factor in the station’s popularity may be the annual St. Jude Hospital Radiothon, approaching its 21st year, which is expected to raise more than $200,000 next February.

BEST LOCAL THEATER PRODUCTION Annie at The Muni 815 East Lake Drive Steve Williams made his Muni directorial debut during the summer’s smash hit that ran Aug. 13-22. Since he returned to the area after graduating as a theater major from Culver- Stockton College, Williams earned his “chops” as an actor in most local productions and directing Springfield Theatre Centre productions. He also directed a production of Annie at school. “The biggest challenge for the show was 16 scene changes involving eight different sets,” he said. The cast of 53, large for a local production, was another challenge. “We ran almost concurrently with the State Fair, and even though it drew the largest audiences (6,500), the weather was against us. It rained opening Friday and the next Friday. Coincidentally, perhaps, on both Fridays, the weathercasters said ‘The sun will come out tomorrow,’ and it did.” Williams credits the quality of the cast for the show’s popularity with IT readers. “We didn’t have a weak link. Every single person fit perfectly into their character.”