SAN DIEGO THEATRE CRITICS CIRCLE 2016

           Craig Noel Award nominees announced.

SAN DIEGO (Jan 1, 2017) ---- More than 90 local and national theatre artists representing 56 San Diego theatrical productions from 20 different producing companies will compete for the 2016 Craig Noel Awards, the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle announced today.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony from 6 to 10 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6, 2017, at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, 404 Euclid Ave, San Diego, CA 92114.

A full list of nominees can be found at the end of this press release.

      Five productions led the list of nominations with six each: “Love’s Labor’s Lost” and “October Sky,” both produced by The Old Globe; the August Wilson repertory of “Seven Guitars” and “King Hedley II,” produced by Cygnet Theatre; “Sunday in the Park with George,” produced by ion theatre at the San Diego Museum of Art; and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” produced by Intrepid Theatre.

     San Diego Musical Theatre’s production of “Ragtime” received five nominations. Productions with four nominations included San Diego Repertory Theatre’s world premiere play “Manifest Destinitis,” ion theatre’s “The Normal Heart” and New Village Arts’ “Oklahoma!”

Individual nominees with multiple nominations

     Individuals scoring multiple nominations were John Lee Beatty, who received scenic design nominations for the world premiere of Ayad Akhtar’s play, “Junk: The Golden Age of Debt," at La Jolla Playhouse and for The Old Globe’s production of “Love’s Labor’s Lost”; Laurence Brown, for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Male, for both "Jesus Hates Me" at ion theatre and for "Seven Guitars" at Cygnet Theatre; Sean Fanning, for scenic designs for both the world premiere of "Manifest Destinitis" at San Diego Repertory Theatre and for the August Wilson repertory at Cygnet Theatre; Jennifer Brawn Gittings, for costume designs for both “Manifest Destinitis" and Cygnet Theatre’s production of "Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show.”

     Also receiving multiple nominations are Bets Malone, for her solo performance in "Tell Me on a Sunday" at The Broadway Theater and her featured performance in "Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show”; Glenn Paris, for co-direction of ion theatre’s “Sunday in the Park with George” and “The Normal Heart”; Jennifer Paredes, for her leading performance in ion theatre’s “Lydia” and her featured performance in InnerMission Productions’ "Seven Spots on the Sun”; Claudio Raygoza, for co-direction and leading performance in ion theatre’s “The Normal Heart;” Colleen Kollar Smith, for outstanding direction of New Village Arts’ “Big River” and for outstanding choreography in Lamb’s Players Theatre’s production “American Rhythm”; Deborah Gilmour Smyth, for her leading performance in Intrepid Theatre’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and for her original score for "Equivocation" at Lamb's Players Theatre; and Kim Strassburger, for co-directing “Sunday in the Park with George” and for her featured performance in ion’s “The Normal Heart.”

Production award nominees

     Competing for the Outstanding Resident Musical award will be "Gypsy," produced by Cygnet Theatre, "Lizard Boy," produced by Diversionary Theatre, "October Sky," produced by The Old Globe, "Ragtime," produced by San Diego Musical Theatre, "Sunday in the Park with George," produced by ion theatre, and "Titanic: The Musical," produced by Moonlight Stage Productions.

      Competing for the Outstanding Dramatic Production award will be "Disgraced," produced by San Diego Repertory Theatre, "Love's Labor's Lost," produced by The Old Globe, "The Normal Heart," produced by ion theatre, the August Wilson repertory of "Seven Guitars" and "King Hedley II," produced by Cygnet Theatre, and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," produced by Intrepid Theatre.

     Competing for the Outstanding Touring Production award will be "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" and "Cabaret," both presented by Broadway/San Diego, "Maestro," presented by San Diego Repertory Theatre, "The Metromaniacs," presented by The Old Globe, and Le Moana’s "1918," presented at the San Diego International Fringe Festival.

Musical and dramatic performances

     In the musical acting categories, the Outstanding Lead Performance, Female, nominees are Carolyn Agan in "Ragtime," Melissa Fernandes in "Sunday in the Park with George," Linda Libby in "Gypsy," Daebreon Poiema in Moonlight Stage Productions’ "Sister Act," and Sharon Rietkerk in The Old Globe’s "Sense and Sensibility.”

     The Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Male, nominees are Bryan Barbarin in "Big River," Jacob Brent in the San Diego State University School of Theatre, Television & Film production of "The Drowsy Chaperone," Jack French in "Oklahoma!", Justin Huertas in "Lizard Boy," and Reed Lievers in "Big River.”

     In the dramatic acting categories, the Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Female, nominees are Deborah Gilmour Smyth in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," Jo Anne Glover in "The Kid Thing," produced by Moxie Theatre, Cashae Monya in "Our Lady of Kibeho," also produced by Moxie Theatre, Jennifer Paredes in "Lydia", and M'Lafi Thompson in "Brownsville Song (b-side for Tray)," produced by Moxie Theatre.

     The Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Male, nominees are Richard Baird in "Way Downriver," produced by North Coast Repertory Theatre, Ro Boddie in "Seven Guitars,” Ronobir Lahari in "Disgraced," Claudio Raygoza in "The Normal Heart," and Robert Smyth in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

     The Outstanding Ensemble Award will be presented to the cast of one of the following productions: San Diego Rep’s "Manifest Destinitis"; InnerMission Productions’ "Seminar”; Cygnet’s August Wilson repertory ("Seven Guitars"/"King Hedley II”); Cygnet’s "When the Rain Stops Falling”; and Intrepid’s "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

Special awards

     The Critics Circle will also present the annual Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Work by a Small Theater Company, which includes a cash award from his widow, Yolanda Braunagel; the Outstanding Young Actor & Sandra Ellis-Troy Scholarship; awards for Actor of the Year, Male and Female, and an inaugural award for Designer of the Year.

     Admission to the ceremony is free. Details can be found at www.sdcriticscircle.org.

                  Nominees for the 2016 Craig Noel Awards:

                             MUSICAL CATEGORIES

Outstanding Music Direction

Charlie Alterman - "October Sky," The Old Globe

Mark  Danisovszky- "Sunday in the Park with George," ion theatre

Tony Houck – “Oklahoma!" New Village Arts

Don LeMaster - "Ragtime," San Diego Musical Theatre

Elan McMahan – "Titanic, the Musical," Moonlight Stage Productions

Outstanding Choreography

Paul David Bryant - "Ragtime," San Diego Musical Theatre

Jill Gorrie - "42nd Street," San Diego Musical Theatre

Colleen Kollar Smith - "American Rhythm," Lamb's Players Theatre

Ray Limon - "Jesus Christ Superstar," Welk Resort Theatre

Nejla Y. Yatkin - "The Boy Who Danced on Air," Diversionary Theatre

Outstanding Original Score

Deborah Gilmour Smyth - "Equivocation," Lamb's Players Theatre

Peter Golub - "Love's Labor's Lost," The Old Globe

Robert Grossman - "Way Downriver," North Coast Repertory Theatre

Erin McKeown - "Miss You Like Hell," La Jolla Playhouse

Tim Rosser & Charlie Sohne - "The Boy Who Danced on Air," Diversionary Theatre

                                              ACTING CATEGORIES

Outstanding Ensemble

"Manifest Destinitis," San Diego Repertory Theatre

"Seminar," InnerMission Productions

"Seven Guitars"/"King Hedley II," Cygnet Theatre

"When the Rain Stops Falling," Cygnet Theatre

"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Intrepid Theatre

Outstanding Solo Performance

Mike Daisey - "The Trump Card," La Jolla Playhouse

Bets Malone - "Tell Me on a Sunday," The Broadway Theater

Rosina Reynolds - "Golda's Balcony," New Village Arts

Benjamin Scheuer - "The Lion," The Old Globe

Keith A. Wallace - "The Bitter Game," La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Male

Bryan Barbarin - "Big River," New Village Arts

Jacob Brent - "The Drowsy Chaperone," San Diego State University School of Theatre, Television & Film

Jack French - "Oklahoma!" New Village Arts

Justin Huertas - "Lizard Boy," Diversionary Theatre

Reed Lievers - "Big River," New Village Arts

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Female

Carolyn Agan - "Ragtime," San Diego Musical Theatre

Melissa Fernandes - "Sunday in the Park with George," ion theatre

Linda Libby - "Gypsy," Cygnet Theatre

Daebreon Poiema - "Sister Act," Moonlight Stage Productions

Sharon Rietkerk - "Sense and Sensibility," The Old Globe

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Female

Bets Malone - "Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show," Cygnet Theatre

Nicole Pryor - "Ragtime," San Diego Musical Theatre

Allison Spratt Pearce - "Gypsy," Cygnet Theatre

Alexandra Slade - "Oklahoma," New Village Arts

Wendy Waddell - "Fiddler on the Roof," Welk Resort Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male

Ron Bohmer - "October Sky," The Old Globe

Cornelius Jones Jr. - "Sister Act," Moonlight Stage Productions

Sean Allan Krill - "Sense and Sensibility," The Old Globe

David McBean - "Ruthless! The Musical," Moxie Theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Male

Richard Baird - "Way Downriver," North Coast Repertory Theatre

Ro Boddie - "Seven Guitars," Cygnet Theatre

Ronobir Lahiri  - "Disgraced," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Claudio Raygoza - "The Normal Heart," ion theatre

Robert Smyth - "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Intrepid Theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Female

Deborah Gilmour Smyth - "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Intrepid Theatre

Jo Anne Glover - "The Kid Thing," Moxie Theatre

Cashe Monya - "Our Lady of Kibeho," Moxie Theatre

Jennifer Paredes - "Lydia," ion theatre

M'Lafi Thompson - "Brownsville Song (b-side for Tray)," Moxie Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Male

Laurence Brown - "Jesus Hates Me," ion theatre

Laurence Brown - "Seven Guitars," Cygnet Theatre

Kevin Cahoon - "Love's Labor's Lost," The Old Globe

Ross Hellwig - "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Intrepid Theatre

Antonio TJ Johnson - "Seven Guitars"/King Hedley II," Cygnet Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Female

Dana Fares - "Airline Highway," ion theatre

Jennifer Paredes - "Seven Spots on the Sun," InnerMission Productions

Erin Petersen - "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Intrepid Theatre

Kim Strassburger - "The Normal Heart," ion theatre

Jacque Wilke - "Stupid F**king Bird," Cygnet Theatre  DESIGN CATEGORIES

Outstanding Scenic Design

John Lee Beatty - "Junk: The Golden Age of Debt," La Jolla Playhouse

John Lee Beatty - "Love's Labor's Lost," The Old Globe

Kevin Depinet - "October Sky," The Old Globe

Sean Fanning - "Manifest Destinitis," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Sean Fannning - "Seven Guitars"/"King Hedley II," Cygnet Theatre

Mark Wendland - "Rain," The Old Globe

Outstanding Sound Design

Mark Bennett - "Junk: The Golden Age of Debt," La Jolla Playhouse

Charles Coes & Nathan A. Roberts - "tokyo fish story," The Old Globe

Emily Jankowski - "Brownsville Song (b-side for Tray)," Moxie Theatre

Bray Poor - "The Last Match," The Old Globe

Ken Travis - "Rain," The Old Globe

Outstanding Costume Design

Jennifer Brawn Gittings - "Manifest Destinitis," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Jennifer Brawn Gittings - "Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show," Cygnet Theatre

Michael Krass - "Love's Labor's Lost," The Old Globe

Janet Turner Pitcher - "Sunday in the Park with George," ion theatre

Jeanne Reith - "American Rhythm," Lamb's Players Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design

Howell Binkley - "Hollywood," La Jolla Playhouse

Wen-Ling Liao - "The Boy Who Danced on Air," Diversionary Theatre

Jason Lyons - "Love's Labor's Lost," The Old Globe

Nathan Peirson - "The Miracle Worker," Lamb's Players Theatre

Ben Stanton - "Junk: The Golden Age of Debt," La Jolla Playhouse

Japhy Weideman - "October Sky," The Old Globe

Outstanding Projection Design

Jonathan Infante - "Titanic, The Musical," Moonlight Stage Productions

Tara Knight - "Hollywood," La Jolla Playhouse

Blake McCarty - "Sunday in the Park with George," ion theatre

Michael McKeon - "Woody Guthrie's American Song," Intrepid Theatre

Shawn Sagady - "October Sky," The Old Globe

                DIRECTING CATEGORIES

Outstanding Direction of a Play

Rob Lutfy - "When the Rain Stops Falling," Cygnet Theatre

Kathleen Marshall - "Love's Labor's Lost," The Old Globe

Jennifer Nelson - "Seven Guitars"/"King Hedley II," Cygnet Theatre

Glenn Paris & Claudio Raygoza - "The Normal Heart," ion theatre

Christy Yael-Cox, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Intrepid Theatre

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

Stephen Brotebeck - "The Drowsy Chaperone," SDSU School of Theatre, TV & Film

Barbara Gaines - "Sense and Sensibility," The Old Globe

Colleen Kollar Smith - "Big River," New Village Arts

Sean Murray - "Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show," Cygnet Theatre

Glenn Paris & Kim Strassburger - "Sunday in the Park with George," ion theatre

                                             

                   PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

Outstanding New Play

"Damascus" by Bennett Fisher - Wagner New Play Festival, University of California, San Diego

"Junk: The Golden Age of Debt" by Ayad Akhtar, La Jolla Playhouse

"The Last Match" by Anna Ziegler, The Old Globe

"The Last Tiger in Haiti" by Jeff Augustin, La Jolla Playhouse

"Manifest Destinitis" by Herbert Siguenza, San Diego Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Touring Production

"Beautiful: The Carole King Musical," Broadway/San Diego

"Cabaret," Broadway/San Diego

"Maestro," 88 Entertainment at San Diego Repertory Theatre

"The Metromaniacs," The Old Globe

"1918" - Le Moana, San Diego International Fringe Festival

Outstanding Dramatic Production

"Disgraced," San Diego Repertory Theatre

"Love's Labor's Lost," The Old Globe

"The Normal Heart," Ion Theatre

"Seven Guitars"/"King Hedley II," Cygnet Theatre

"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," Intrepid Theatre

Outstanding Resident Musical

"Gypsy," Cygnet Theatre

"Lizard Boy," Diversionary Theatre

"October Sky," The Old Globe

"Ragtime," San Diego Musical Theatre

"Sunday in the Park with George," ion theatre

"Titanic: The Musical," Moonlight Stage Productions

                       SPECIAL CATEGORIES

 Winners to be announced from the stage.

 Outstanding Young Artist Award & Sandra Ellis-Troy Scholarship

 Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Work by a Small Theater

 Actor of the Year, Male

 Actor of the Year, Female

 Designer 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.

Big Date: Feb 6^th 2017

Organization: San Diego Theatre Critics Circle

Production Type: Gala Affair

Where: 404 Euclid Ave, San Diego, CA 92114.

Ticket Prices: Free

Web: www.sdcriticscircle.org.

Venue: Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation