San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Reveal 2013 Craig Noel Award Nominees

The San Diego Theatre Critics Circle has announced the nominees for its 2013 Craig Noel Awards.

Dominating the nominations in the musical category is the current Broadway sensation "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," which made its world premiere in February 2013 at San Diego's The Old Globe (a co-production with Hartford Stage). The musical racked up 11 nominations, including nods for New Musical, its versatile star Jefferson Mays (a UC San Diego alumnus) and its director Darko Tresnjak (former co-artistic director and Shakespeare Festival director at The Old Globe).

Also nominated in the new musical category was The Old Globe's "The Last Goodbye," Michael Kimmel's modern re-setting of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" with an alt-rock score by the late Jeff Buckley.

La Jolla Playhouse racked up 15 nominations for its new Without Walls Festival, its DNA New Work Series and other nods for artists associated with its productions of "Side Show," "Tribes," "His Girl Friday" and "The Tallest Tree in the Forest."

The winners will be announced at the group's annual awards ceremony, which will be held on Feb. 10, 2014, at the Museum of Contemporary Arts, San Diego, in La Jolla.

Here are the nominees:

Outstanding New Musical

"A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder ," The Old Globe

"The Last Goodbye," The Old Globe

Outstanding Resident Musical

"Chicago," San Diego Musical Theatre

"Fiddler on the Roof," Lamb's Players Theatre

"South Pacific," Moonlight Stage Productions

"In the Heights," San Diego Repertory Theatre

"Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein," Moonlight Stage Productions

Outstanding Musical Direction

Don LeMaster, "The Sound of Music," San Diego Musical Theatre

G. Scott Lacy, "Fiddler on the Roof," Lamb's Players Theatre

Elan McMahan, "South Pacific," Moonlight Stage Productions

Kris Kukul , "The Last Goodbye," The Old Globe

Greg Jarrett, "Side Show," La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Choreography

Randy Slovacek," Chicago," San Diego Musical Theatre

Javier Velasco, "In the Heights," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Orchestrations

Jonathan Tunick, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," The Old Globe

Kris Kukul, "The Last Goodbye," The Old Globe

Harold Wheeler, "Side Show," La Jolla Playhouse

ACTING AWARDS

Outstanding Ensemble

"The Brothers Size," The Old Globe

"The Bluest Eye," Moxie Theatre & Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company

"Time Stands Still," North Coast Repertory Theatre

"Other Desert Cities," The Old Globe

"Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo," ion theatre

"Extraordinary Chambers," Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company

"The 39 Steps," Lamb's Players Theatre

Outstanding Solo Performance

Hershey Felder, "An American Story for Actor and Orchestra," 88 Entertainment

Sean Sullivan, "Baby Redboots Revenge," San Diego Fringe Festival

Eliza Jane Schneider, "Freedom of Speech," Moxie Theatre

Herbert Siguenza, "A Weekend with Pablo Picasso," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Female

Eileen Bowman, "Pete 'n' Keely," Lamb's Players Theatre

Emma Radwick, "Chicago," San Diego Musical Theatre

Allison Spratt Pearce, "The Sound of Music ," San Diego Musical Theatre

Hilary Maiberger, "South Pacific," Moonlight Stage Productions

Erin Davie & Emily Padgett, "Side Show," La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Male

Randall Dodge, "South Pacific," Welk Resorts Theatre

Phil Johnson, "Pete 'n' Keely," Lamb's Players Theatre

Jefferson Mays, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," The Old Globe

Ken Barnett, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," The Old Globe

Jai Rodriguez, "In the Heights," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male

A. Saunders, "Chicago," San Diego Musical Theatre

Randall Dodge, "The Sound of Music," San Diego Musical Theatre

Phil Johnson, "A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Musical," Intrepid Shakespeare Company

Randall Dodge, "The Wizard of Oz," Moonlight Stage Productions

Spencer Smith, "In the Heights," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Female

Chilina Kennedy, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," The Old Globe

Lisa O'Hare, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," The Old Globe

Victoria Strong, "The Sound of Music," San Diego Musical Theatre

Linda Libby, "Company," Cygnet Theatre

Susan Denaker, "In the Heights," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Male

Miles Anderson, "The Merchant of Venice," The Old Globe

Russell Harvard, "Tribes," La Jolla Playhouse

John Lavelle, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead," The Old Globe

Claudio Raygoza, "Shining City," ion theatre

Steven Lone, "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity," ion theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Female

Sylvia M'Lafi Thompson, "The Trip to Bountiful," New Village Arts

Mhari Sandoval, "Time Stands Still," North Coast Repertory Theatre

Kandis Chappell, "Other Desert Cities," The Old Globe

Caroline Kinsolving, "Venus in Fur," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Deborah Gilmour Smyth, "Wit," Lamb's Players Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Female

Kandis Chappell, "Pygmalion," The Old Globe

Yolanda Franklin, "The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler," Diversionary Theatre

Mary Beth Peil, "His Girl Friday," La Jolla Playhouse

Meghan O'Neill, "Tribes," La Jolla Playhouse

Linda Libby, "The Importance of Being Earnest," Cygnet Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Male

Don Sparks, "Pygmalion," The Old Globe

Antonio T.J. Johnson, "Gem of the Ocean," Cygnet Theatre

Brian Abraham, "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo," ion theatre

Steve Gunderson, "His Girl Friday," La Jolla Playhouse

Sherman Howard, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead," The Old Globe

TECHNICAL AWARDS

Outstanding Sound Design

Joseph Huppert, "Extraordinary Chambers," Mo'olelo Performing Arts

Dan Moses Schreier, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead," The Old Globe

Christopher Luessmann, "The Wizard of Oz," Moonlight Stage Productions

Jon Lorenz, "Wit," Lamb's Players Theatre

Lindsay Jones, "The Tallest Tree in the Forest," La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Costume Design

Robert Morgan, "Pygmalion," The Old Globe

Linda Cho, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," The Old Globe

Deirdre Clancy, "The Merchant of Venice," The Old Globe

Shirley Pierson, "The Importance of Being Earnest," Cygnet Theatre

Paul Tazewell, "Side Show," La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Lighting Design

Christopher Loren Renda, "The Trip to Bountiful," New Village Arts

Philip S. Rosenberg, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," The Old Globe

York Kennedy, "Other Desert Cities," The Old Globe

David Lander, "His Girl Friday," La Jolla Playhouse

Justin Townsend, "The Last Goodbye," The Old Globe

Outstanding Scenic Design

Alexander Dodge, "Pygmalion," The Old Globe

Alexander Dodge, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," The Old Globe

Alexander Dodge, "Other Desert Cities," The Old Globe

Robert Brill, "His Girl Friday," La Jolla Playhouse

David F. Weiner, "Extraordinary Chambers," Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company

Outstanding Projection Design

Aaron Rhyne, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," The Old Globe

Marc Anthony Thompson, "The Mountaintop," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Keith Skretch, "Double Indemnity," The Old Globe

Victoria Petrovich, "A Weekend with Pablo Picasso," San Diego Repertory Theatre

John Narun, "The Tallest Tree in the Forest," La Jolla Playhouse

DIRECTING AWARDS

Outstanding Direction of a Play

Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, "The Bluest Eye," Moxie Theatre & Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company

Claudio Raygoza, "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo," ion theatre

Seema Sueko, "Extraordinary Chambers," Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company

Adrian Noble, "The Merchant of Venice," The Old Globe

Glenn Paris, "Shining City," ion theatre

Sam Woodhouse & Kim Rubinstein, "Venus in Fur," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

Darko Tresnjak, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," The Old Globe

Ray Limon, "Chicago," Welk Resorts Theatre

Randall Hickman, "Monty Python's Spamalot," Premiere Productions

Sam Woodhouse, "In the Heights," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Matthew J. Vargo, "Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein," Moonlight Stage Productions

PRODUCTION AWARDS

Outstanding Dramatic Production

"The Bluest Eye," Moxie Theatre & Mo'olelo Performing Arts

"Extraordinary Chambers," Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company

"The Merchant of Venice," The Old Globe

"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead," The Old Globe

"Venus in Fur," San Diego Repertory Theatre

"Wit," Lamb's Players Theatre

Outstanding Special Event

DNA New Work Series, La Jolla Playhouse

"San Diego, I Love You!," Circle Circle dot dot

"Accomplice: San Diego," La Jolla Playhouse

San Diego Fringe Festival

Without Walls Festival, La Jolla Playhouse

Other awards that will be announced from the stage on Feb. 10:

Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Work by a Small Theater Company

Actor of the Year

Outstanding New Play

Lifetime Achievement Award

Outstanding Young Artist/Sandra Ellis Troy Scholarship

The annual program, honoring the top achievements in local semi-pro and professional theater will be held at 6 p.m. Feb. 10, 2014, at the Museum of Contemporary Arts, San Diego, in La Jolla.

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