San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Names 2015 Craig Noel Award Nominees
By: Sally Henry Fuller Jan. 02, 2016
More than 100 local and national theatre artists representing nearly than 60 San Diego theatrical productions will compete for the 2015 Craig Noel Awards, the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle announced today.
Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Monday, Feb. 6, 2016, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, in La Jolla.
Leading the list of nominations with eight was the world premiere musical, "Come From Away," which was co-produced by the La Jolla Playhouse and the Seattle Repertory Theatre. Six nominations also went to the La Jolla Playhouse/Yale Repertory Theatre co-production of the world premiere play "Indecent." And The Old Globe/Hartford Stage co-production of Cole Porter's "Kiss Me, Kate" received five nomminations, including nods for its Tony-winnning director Darko Tresnjak, choreographer Peggy Hickey and costumer Fabio Toblini.
Rebecca Taichman was nominated for directing and co-creating with Paula Vogel the play with music "Indecent," which was presented at La Jolla Playhouse. In the touring category, nominations went to MacArthur Fellow Liz Lerman's "Healing Wars," presented as part of La Jolla Playhouse's Without Walls Festival and Tony winner Mary Zimmerman's "The White Snake," presented last winter at The Old Globe.
Michael Benjamin Washington received two nominations, for writing and starring in his world premiere play, "Blueprints to Freedom," which was co-produced by La Jolla Playhouse and Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Film and stage actor Mercedes Ruehl and actor/writer/composer/director/pianist Hershey Felder were both nominated in the solo performance category.
Glenn Paris and Claudio Raygoza of ion theatre shared a new play nomination for co-authoring the world premiere play, "Sea of Souls," which had a brief off Broadway run last summer. And film/stage actor Maggie Carney received two nominations for her leading portrayal in Intrepid Theatre's "The Quality of Life" and for her featured performance in "Sons of the Prophet" at Cygnet Theatre.
Nominees for the 2015 Craig Noel Awards:
Outstanding Musical Direction
Ian Eisendrath - "Come from Away," La Jolla Playhouse
Kris Kukul - "Kiss Me, Kate," The Old Globe
Elan McMahan - "The Music Man," Moonlight Stage Productions
Elan McMahan - "Big Fish," Moonlight Stage Productions
Terry O'Donnell - "Dogfight," Cygnet Theatre
Outstanding Choreography
David Brannen - "Dogfight," Cygnet Theatre
Jill Gorrie - "Singin' in the Rain," San Diego Musical Theatre
Peggy Hickey - "Kiss Me, Kate," The Old Globe
Colleen Kollar Smith - "West Side Story," Lamb's Players Theatre
Ray Limon - "Hello, Dolly!," The Welk Theatre
Outstanding Original Score
Lisa Gutkin & Aaron Halva - "Indecent," La Jolla Playhouse
Jon Lorenz - "OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale," Lamb's Players Theatre
Michael Roth - "The Oldest Boy," San Diego Repertory Theatre
Irene Sankoff & David Hein - "Come from Away," La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding Ensemble
"Come From Away," La Jolla Playhouse
"Indecent," La Jolla Playhouse
"The Quality of Life," Intrepid Theatre Company
"My Mañana Comes," San Diego Repertory Theatre
"The Whale," Cygnet Theatre
Outstanding Solo Performance
Hershey Felder - "Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin," La Jolla Playhouse
Darrell Hammond - "The Darrell Hammond Project," La Jolla Playhouse
Cashae Monya - "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill," ion theatre
Mercedes Ruehl - "Full Gallop," The Old Globe
David Turner - "Buyer & Cellar," The Old Globe
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Male
Josh Adamson - "Big Fish," Moonlight Stage Productions
Richard Bermudez - "The King and I," The Welk Theatre
Sean Murray - "My Fair Lady," Cygnet Theatre
Jeffrey Scott Parsons - "Cabaret," The Welk Theatre
Robert J. Townsend - "La Cage aux Folles," San Diego Musical Theatre
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Female
Hannah Corrigan - "Violet," San Diego Repertory Theatre
Cynthia Ferrer - "Hello, Dolly!," The Welk Theatre
Caitie Grady - "Dogfight," Cygnet Theatre
Allison Spratt Pearce - "My Fair Lady," Cygnet Theatre
Victoria Strong - "The King and I," The Welk Theatre
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Female
Michelle Alves - "West Side Story," Lamb's Players Theatre
Jenn Colella - "Come From Away," La Jolla Playhouse
Sarah Errington - "Dogfight," Cygnet Theatre
Melissa Fernandes - "Sondheim on Sondheim," Moonlight Stage Productions
Natalie Nucci - "West Side Story," San Diego Musical Theatre
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male
Bryan Barbarin - "OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale," Lamb's Players Theatre
Geno Carr - "Come From Away," La Jolla Playhouse
Marc Ginsburg - "Shrek, The Musical," Moonlight Stage Productions
James Vasquez - "La Cage aux Folles," San Diego Musical Theatre
Fernando Vega - "OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale," Lamb's Players Theatre
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Male
Richard Baird - "Betrayal," North Coast Repertory Theatre
Jeffrey Jones - "The Quality of Life," Intrepid Theatre Company
Robert Smyth - "Freud's Last Session," Lamb's Players Theatre
Robert J. Townsend - "The 39 Steps," Premiere Productions
Michael Benjamin Washington - "Blueprints to Freedom," La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Female
Sandy Campbell - "Master Class," ion theatre
Maggie Carney - "The Quality of Life," Intrepid Theatre Company
DeAnna Driscoll - "The Quality of Life," Intrepid Theatre Company
Summer Spiro - "Steal Heaven," San Diego Repertory Theatre
Sylvia M'Lafi Thompson - " 'night, Mother," ion theatre
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Male
Ro Boddie - "Blueprints to Freedom," La Jolla Playhouse
Tsering Dorjee Bawa - "The Oldest Boy," San Diego Repertory Theatre
Manoel Felciano - "Twelfth Night," The Old Globe
David McBean - "Unnecessary Farce," North Coast Repertory Theatre
James Saba - "Hay Fever," Cygnet Theatre
Mike Sears - "Parlour Song," Backyard Renaissance
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Female
Maggie Carney - "Sons of the Prophet," Cygnet Theatre
Kathi Copeland - "Precious Little," InnerMission Productions
Priti Gandhi - "Master Class," ion theatre
Jo Anne Glover - "The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence," Moxie Theatre
Dana Hooley - "The Birthday Party," New Fortune Theatre Company
Outstanding Scenic Design
Alexander Dodge - "The Comedy of Errors," The Old Globe
Sean Fanning - "Full Gallop," The Old Globe
Riccardo Hernandez - "Twelfth Night," The Old Globe
Brian Redfern - "My Mañana Comes," San Diego Repertory Theatre
Jerry Sonnenberg - "The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence," Moxie Theatre
Outstanding Sound Design
Kevin Anthenill - "The Oldest Boy," San Diego Repertory Theatre
Mark Bennett - "Arms and the Man," The Old Globe
Melanie Chen - "Betrayal," North Coast Repertory Theatre
Gareth Owen - "Come From Away," La Jolla Playhouse
David Scott - "Dogfight," Cygnet Theatre Company
Outstanding Costume Design
Elisa Benzoni - "The Fox on the Fairway," North Coast Repertory Theatre
Jacinda Johnston-Fischer - "Trouble in Mind," Moxie Theatre
Jacinda Johnston-Fischer - "Hay Fever"/"The Vortex," Cygnet Theatre
Jeanne Reith - "OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale," Lamb's Players Theatre
Fabio Toblini - "Kiss Me, Kate," The Old Globe
Outstanding Lighting Design
Christopher Akerlind - "Indecent," La Jolla Playhouse
Lonnie Alcaraz - "Oedipus El Rey," San Diego Repertory Theatre
Russell H. Champa - "The Twenty-seventh Man," The Old Globe
Matt Novotny - "Gunmetal Blues," North Coast Repertory Theatre
Jennifer Setlow - "The Oldest Boy," San Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Projection Design
Joe Huppert - "The Oldest Boy," San Diego Repertory Theatre
John Infante - "Big Fish," Moonlight Stage Productions
Blake McCarty - "Return to the Forbidden Planet," New Village Arts
John Narun - "Blueprints to Freedom," La Jolla Playhouse
Victoria Petrovich - "Steal Heaven," San Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley - "Come From Away," La Jolla Playhouse
Steve Glaudini - "Big Fish," Moonlight Stage Productions
Sean Murray - "Dogfight," Cygnet Theatre
Darko Tresnjak - "Kiss Me, Kate," The Old Globe
Sam Woodhouse - "Violet," San Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Glenn Paris - " 'night, Mother," ion theatre
Rebecca Taichman - "Indecent," La Jolla Playhouse
Delicia Turner Sonnenberg - "My Mañana Comes," San Diego Repertory Theatre
Delicia Turner Sonnenberg - "Trouble in Mind," Moxie Theatre
Christy Yael-Cox - "The Quality of Life", Intrepid Theatre Company
Outstanding New Play
"Blueprints to Freedom" - Michael Benjamin Washington, La Jolla Playhouse
"Indecent" - Paula Vogel and Rebecca Taichman, La Jolla Playhouse
"Orange Julius" - Basil Kreimendahl, Moxie Theatre
"Sea of Souls" - Glenn Paris and Claudio Raygoza, ion theatre
"Uncanny Valley" - Thomas Gibbons, San Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Touring Production
"Healing Wars," La Jolla Playhouse
"Motown, The Musical," Broadway / San Diego
"Murder for Two," The Old Globe
"The White Snake," The Old Globe
Outstanding Dramatic Production
"Indecent" - La Jolla Playhouse
" 'night, Mother" - ion theatre
"Oedipus El Rey" - San Diego Repertory Theatre
"The Quality of Life," Intrepid Theatre Company
"Trouble in Mind" - Moxie Theatre
Outstanding New Musical
"Come From Away," La Jolla Playhouse
"OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale," Lamb's Players Theatre
Outstanding Resident Musical
"Big Fish" - Moonlight Stage Productions
"Dogfight" - Cygnet Theatre
"Kiss Me, Kate" - The Old Globe
"My Fair Lady" - Cygnet Theatre
"Violet" - San Diego Repertory Theatre
Awards to be announced from the stage:
• Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Work by a Small Theater Company
• Outstanding Young Actor & Sandra Ellis-Troy Scholarship
• Actor of the Year, Male and Female
• Director of the Year
Founded in 1983 and re-established in 2002, the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle is an independent, nonprofit organization of print and online theater critics dedicated to open and honest dialogue about theatre in San Diego County and to honoring artistic excellence. The members of our organization are professional critics writing for daily newspapers, magazines, alternative weeklies, entertainment trade publications, broadcast media, and Web sites in San Diego County. The Circle's annual awards for outstanding San Diego theatre are named for Craig Noel, founder and longtime artistic director of The Old Globe.
Comments
Videos