La Jolla Playhouse Celebrates COME FROM AWAY, INDECENT Tony Nominations

La Jolla Playhouse has announced that the world-premiere, Playhouse-born productions of Come From Away, featuring book, music and lyrics by David Hein and Irene Sankoff and direction by Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley, and Indecent, by Paula Vogel, have both received multiple Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, Obie and Lucille Lortel Award nominations for their subsequent Broadway and/or Off-Broadway productions this season.

"It is tremendously gratifying to see our own Christopher Ashley and these two Playhouse-born shows be so warmly embraced on Broadway and receive such incredible award recognition," said Playhouse Managing Director Michael S. Rosenberg. "It's a true testament to the caliber of work originating at La Jolla Playhouse, to the incredible production teams and staff who helped build and support this work, as well as to our devoted San Diego audiences, who consistently join us on the play development journey."

Come From Away had its world-premiere at La Jolla Playhouse in May, 2015, where it played to overwhelming critical and audience acclaim, winning six San Diego Critics' Circle Awards. The show then went on to Seattle Repertory Theatre, DC's Ford's Theatre and Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre, breaking box office records in each city, before opening at Broadway's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in March, 2017. Indecent, co-produced with Yale Repertory Theatre, had its world premiere at The Playhouse in November, 2015. It enjoyed a subsequent Off-Broadway run at the Vineyard Theatre and later opened at Broadway's Cort Theatre in April, 2017, marking the 28th La Jolla Playhouse production to transfer to Broadway.

On May 2, Come From Away received 7 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Score: David Hein and Irene Sankoff, Best Book of a Musical: David Hein and Irene Sankoff, Best Director of a Musical: Christopher Ashley, Best Choreography: Kelly Devine, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical: Jenn Colella and Best Lighting Design for a Musical: Howell Binkley.

Indecent received 3 Tony Award nominations, including Best Play: Paula Vogel, Best Director of a Play: Rebecca Taichman and Best Lighting Design for a Play: Christopher Akerlind. The Tony Awards will be presented on June 11 at 8:00pm, broadcast on CBS.

The two productions also received multiple Drama Desk Award nominations, which were announced on April 27. Come From Away earned nine nods, including Outstanding Musical; three for David Hein and Irene Sankoff for Outstanding Music, Outstanding Lyrics and Outstanding Book of a Musical; Christopher Ashley for Outstanding Director of a Musical; Kelly Devine for Outstanding Choreography;Jenn Colella for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical; August Eriksmoen for Outstanding Orchestrations; and Toni-Leslie James for Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical. Indecent scored two nominations: Outstanding Play and Christopher Akerlind for Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play. The Drama Desk Awards will be presented on June 4.

On April 25, each production earned several Outer Critics Circle Award nominations, with Come From Away garnering seven nods, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical, David Hein and Irene Sankoff for Outstanding Book of a Musical and Outstanding New Score, Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley for Outstanding Director of a Musical, Kelly Devine for Outstanding Choreography,Jenn Colella for Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, and Gareth Owen for Outstanding Sound Design. Indecent received six Outer Critics Circle Award nominations, including Outstanding New Broadway Play, as well as Rebecca Taichman for Outstanding Director of a Play, Christopher Akerlind for Outstanding Lighting Design, Tal Yarden for Outstanding Projection Design, Richard Topol for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, and Katrina Lenk for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play. The awards will be presented on May 8.

On April 19, both productions were honored with a Drama League Award nomination, including a nod for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play for Indecent and for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical for Come From Away.

For its Off-Broadway incarnation, Indecent received four Lucille Lortel Award nominations, including Outstanding Play; Outstanding Director (Rebecca Taichman); Outstanding Choreography (David Dorfman); and Outstanding Costume Design (Emily Rebholz). The Lucille Lortel Awards will be presented at the awards ceremony on May 7. The Off-Broadway Alliance also honored Indecent with a Best New Play nomination, while playwright Paula Vogel was named a Legend of Off-Broadway Honoree. Vogel will also receive this year'sObie Award for Lifetime Achievement at their annual ceremony on May 22.

The Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse is internationally-renowned for creating some of the most exciting and adventurous work in American theatre, through its new play development initiatives, its innovative Without Walls series, artist residencies and commissions. Led by Artistic Director Christopher Ashley and Managing Director Michael S. Rosenberg, The Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and Mel Ferrer, and reborn in 1983 under the artistic leadership of Des McAnuff, La Jolla Playhouse has seen 28 productions transfer to Broadway, garnering 35 Tony Awards, among them the currently-running Come From Away and Indecent, as well as Jersey Boys, Memphis, The Who's Tommy, Big River, as well as Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays and the Pulitzer Prize-winning I Am My Own Wife, both fostered as part of The Playhouse's Page To Stage Program. Visit LaJollaPlayhouse.org.

Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy

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