Playing everything from a harried hostess to Sherlock Holmes, here are the 2025 Orlando Sentinel honorees for best leading actor in a comedy, as selected by theater critic Matthew J. Palm.

Although it's impossible for one person to see every local production, as the Orlando Sentinel's theater critic, each year I see a broad array of dramas, comedies and musicals. The individuals selected for this 2025 theatrical honor roll, presented here alphabetically, elevated Central Florida's theatrical arts. Go to OrlandoSentinel.com/entertainment to see the honorees in other categories, and check back on Dec. 22 to learn the Critic's Pick in this category.

Cynthia Beckert

'Calendar Girls' ♦ Theater West End

IN JANUARY: As Chris in "Calendar Girls," Cynthia Beckert brought fiery realism to the go-getter whose enthusiasm for the calendar project gets the better of her common sense. Beckert's performance fueled the show's energy. Beckert was awarded the Critic's Pick in this category last year for playing Clairee in Theater West End's "Steel Magnolias."

Keri Hollingsworth

'Welcome to Matteson!' ♦ Orlando Shakes

IN MARCH: Keri Hollingsworth stood out in "Welcome to Matteson," giving her character a bracing no-nonsense attitude and self-assured energy, never condescending to her character's origins and creating a relationship with fellow actor Walter Riddle that hummed with love and energy.

Dayja Le'Chelle

'Welcome to Matteson!' ♦ Orlando Shakes

IN MARCH: As fast-drinking, condescending, touchy Patricia. Dayja Le'Chelle's face and mannerisms indicated Patricia's fear, and her climactic speech dramatically wounded with the force of history's injustices behind it. She cleverly made us uncomfortably see a little of Patricia in ourselves. This is Le'Chelle's third appearance in the year-end honors.

Christopher James Murray

'Welcome to Matteson!' ♦ Orlando Shakes

IN MARCH: Christopher James Murray also had good chemistry with fellow "Welcome to Matteson!" actor Walter Riddle, developing an intriguing male-bonding rapport. And Murray created a crafty and compelling character arc as a man who's affable and comfortable — until his comfort zone is threatened.

Walter Riddle

'Welcome to Matteson' ♦ Orlando Shakes

IN MARCH: Walter Riddle struck a beautiful balance in "Welcome to Matteson" by maintaining his character's pride without being prideful. He, too, was responsible for the believable relationship with fellow actor Keri Hollingsworth that, as I wrote, "hummed with love and energy."

Jonna Kae Volz

'Meteor Shower' ♦ The Ensemble Company

IN DECEMBER: Jonna Kae Volz's Corky provided the moral — or do I mean amoral? — center of absurdist comedy "Meteor Shower."  Volz did tremendous work in grounding the slightly more reserved, if still rather odd, character so that when she too crossed into the totally absurd, we were still on her side. Her slightly detached and nonchalant delivery of seeming non sequiters was just as important to the comedy — maybe more so — than others' more over-the-top shenanigans.

Timothy Williams

'The Hound of the Baskervilles' ♦ Orlando Shakes

IN OCTOBER: Timothy Williams had the widest variety of characters in farcical whodunit "The Hound of the Baskervilles," and he scored in all of them. His wheedling accent as Stapleton — one of the mystery's suspects — was inspired, as was his overdone fluttering as an exotic, mysterious and surprisingly Spanish love interest named Cecile. But his Sherlock Holmes took the clue-filled cake: Clipped, condescending and blissfully unaware he's in a comedy. Williams has appeared in the year-end honors four times previously, in drama categories.

Jeremy Wood

'Meteor Shower' ♦ The Ensemble Company

IN DECEMBER: Jeremy Wood was self-absorbed, rude, always right and concealing a crack pipe for kicks — everything you don't want in a party guest. With no holds barred, he made each social faux pas more shocking than the last in a wonderful buildup of horrified laughter, and his intense energy never wavered once. This is Wood's first year appearing in the theater honors. He also was recognized in the featured acting in a drama category for his work in the Ensemble Company's "Frozen."

Follow me at facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com . Find entertainment news and reviews at orlandosentinel.com/entertainment .