The San Diego Theatre Critics Circle announces
2017 Craig Noel Award nominations
SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Theatre Critics Circle has announced the nominations for its 16th annual Craig Noel Awards for Theatrical Excellence, which will be presented in a ceremony on Feb. 12, 2018, at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation in San Diego.
Named for the late founding artistic director of San Diego’s longest-established theater, The Old Globe, the Craig Noel Awards honor the top achievements in San Diego professional theater.
For more information on the Critics Circle and the Craig Noel Awards, visit sdcriticscircle.org.
The 2017 Craig Noel Nominations:
Outstanding Dramatic Production
“Blue Door” – Moxie Theatre
“Awake and Sing” – New Village Arts
“Ballast” – Diversionary Theatre
“The Ballad of Emmett Till” – ion theatre
“Father Comes Home from the Wars, Parts 1, 2 & 3” – Intrepid Theatre
Outstanding New Musical
“Freaky Friday” – La Jolla Playhouse
“Benny & Joon” – The Old Globe
“SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical” – La Jolla Playhouse
“Tarrytown” – Backyard Renaissance Theatre Company
Festival of Christmas: “North of Normal”– Lamb’s Players Theatre
Outstanding Resident Musical
“On the 20th Century” – Cygnet Theatre
“Shockheaded Peter” – Cygnet Theatre
“Guys and Dolls” – The Old Globe
“Billy Elliot” – San Diego Musical Theatre & California Ballet
“In The Heights” – Moonlight Stage Productions
“Spring Awakening” – OnStage Playhouse
Outstanding New Play
Hershey Felder – ”Our Great Tchaikovsky,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Will Cooper – “Margin of Error,” The Roustabouts Theatre Co.
Georgette Kelly – “Ballast,” Diversionary Theatre
Mat Smart – “Kill Local,” La Jolla Playhouse
Hansol Jung – “Wild Goose Dreams,” La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding Touring Production
“The Old Man and The Old Moon” – PigPen Theatre Co. at The Old Globe
“An American in Paris” – Broadway/San Diego
“The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey” – The Old Globe
“Matilda the Musical” – Broadway San Diego
“Flight” – Curbside (Long Beach) at San Diego International Fringe Festival
Outstanding Ensemble
“Awake and Sing” –New Village Arts
“Ballast” – Diversionary Theatre
“The Ballad of Emmett Till” – ion theatre
“A Piece of My Heart” – OnStage Playhouse
“Tarrytown” – Backyard Renaissance Theatre Company
Outstanding Solo Performance
Hershey Felder – “Our Great Tchaikovsky,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Linda Libby – “An Iliad,” New Village Arts
Shana Wride – “2.5 Minute Ride,” Diversionary Theatre
James Lecesne – “The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey,” The Old Globe
Claudio Raygoza – “Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll,” ion theatre
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Male
David S. Humphrey – “The Music Man,” Welk Resort Theatre
Paul Swenson Eddy – “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” Intrepid Theatre & New Village Arts
Richard Bermudez – “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” Welk Resort Theatre
Bryce Pinkham – “Benny and Joon,” The Old Globe
Tom Zohar – “Tarrytown,” Backyard Renaissance Theatre Company
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Female
Heidi Blickenstaff – “Freaky Friday,” La Jolla Playhouse
Hannah Elless – “Benny and Joon,” The Old Globe
LaChanze – “SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical,” La Jolla Playhouse
Minka Wiltz – “Black Pearl Sings,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Kay McNellen – “Tarrytown,” Backyard Renaissance Theatre Company
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Female
Veronica J. Kuehn – “Guys and Dolls,” The Old Globe
Joy Yandell – “Billy Elliot,” San Diego Musical Theatre & City Ballet
Cashae Monya – “Cabaret,” ion theatre
Caitlyn Calfas – “In the Heights,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Katie Sapper – “Damn Yankees,” San Diego Musical Theatre
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male
Michael Cusimano – “On the 20th Century,” Cygnet Theatre
Steve Gouveia – “Shockheaded Peter,” Cygnet Theatre
Randall Hickman – “The Little Mermaid,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Rudy Martinez – “In the Heights,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Bryan Banville – “Tarrytown,” Backyard Renaissance Theatre Company
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Female
Jessica John – “Les Liaisons Dangereuses,” New Fortune Theatre Company
Milena Phillips – “Having Our Say,” New Village Arts
Sylvia M’Lafi Thompson – “Having Our Say,” New Village Arts
DeAnna Driscoll – “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds,” Cygnet Theatre
Jacque Wilke – “Ironbound,” Moxie Theatre
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Male
Vimel Sephus – “Blue Door,” Moxie Theatre
Cortez L. Johnson – “The Ballad of Emmett Till,” ion theatre
Steven Lone – “Roz and Ray,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Caleb Foote – “Hand to God,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Robert Malave – “Falling,” InnerMission Productions
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Female
Sandy Campbell – “Beau Jest,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Amanda Schaar – “Les Liaisons Dangereuses,” New Fortune Theatre Company
Annie Hinton – “Well,” Diversionary Theatre
Candy Buckley – “Kill Local,” La Jolla Playhouse
Jennifer Paredes – “Into the Beautiful North,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Male
Omri Schein – “Beau Jest,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Andrew Ableson – “The Illusion,” North Coast Repertory Theatre
Francis Jue – “Wild Goose Dreams,” La Jolla Playhouse
Tom Stephenson – “Father Comes Home from the Wars, Parts 1, 2 & 3,” Intrepid Theatre
David McBean – “The Legend of Georgia McBride,” Cygnet Theatre
Outstanding Scenic Design
Sean Fanning – “On the 20th Century,” Cygnet Theatre
Tim Mackabee – “Ken Ludwig’s Robin Hood!,” The Old Globe
Mike Buckley – “The Explorers Club,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Charles Murdock Lucas – “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds,” Cygnet Theatre
Marty Burnett – “Of Mice and Men,” North Coast Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Sound Design
Joanna Lynne Staub – “Wild Goose Dreams,” La Jolla Playhouse
Matt Lescault-Wood – “Roz & Ray,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Kevin Anthenill – “Homos, or Everyone in America,” Diversionary Theatre
Gareth Owen – “SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical,” La Jolla Playhouse
Melanie Chen – “At the Old Place,” La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding Costume Design
Jennifer Brawn Gittings – “The Revolutionists,” Moxie Theatre
Shirley Pierson – “Shockheaded Peter,” Cygnet Theatre
Jeanne Reith – “The Explorers Club,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Renetta Lloyd – “Sunset Boulevard,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Jennifer Brawn Gittings – “The Legend of Georgia McBride,” Cygnet Theatre
Outstanding Lighting Design
A.J. Paulin – “Les Liaisons Dangereuses,” New Fortune Theatre Company
Sherrice Mojgani – “Blue Door,” Moxie Theatre
Stephen Strawbridge – “Hamlet,” The Old Globe
Conor Mulligan – “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds,” Cygnet Theatre
Jennifer Edwards – “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” Welk Resort Theatre
Outstanding Projection Design
Christopher Ash – “Our Great Tchaikovsky,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Michael McKeon – “Silent Sky,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Victoria Petrovich – “Black Pearl Sings!,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Sean Nieuwenhuis – “SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical,” La Jolla Playhouse
Blake McCarty – “On the 20th Century,” Cygnet Theatre
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Delicia Turner Sonnenberg – “Blue Door,” Moxie Theatre
Yolanda Marie Franklin & Claudio Raygoza – “The Ballad of Emmett Till,” ion theatre
Christy Yael-Cox – “Father Comes Home from the Wars, Parts 1, 2 & 3,” Intrepid Theatre
Richard Baird – “Of Mice and Men,” North Coast Repertory Theatre
Samantha Ginn – “Falling,” InnerMission Productions
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Sean Murray – “On the 20th Century,” Cygnet Theatre
Rob Lutfy – “Shockheaded Peter,” Cygnet Theatre
Josh Rhodes –“Guys and Dolls,” The Old Globe
James Vasquez – “In the Heights,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Claudio Raygoza – “Cabaret,” ion theatre
Outstanding Musical Direction
Terry O’Donnell – “On the 20th Century,” Cygnet Theatre
Patrick Marion – “Shockheaded Peter,” Cygnet Theatre
Elan McMahan – “In the Heights,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Morgan Carberry – “Cabaret” – ion theatre
Jon Lorenz – Festival of Christmas: North of Normal,” Lambs Players Theatre
Outstanding Choreography
Jill Gorrie – “Damn Yankees,” San Diego Musical Theatre
Josh Rhodes – “Guys and Dolls,” The Old Globe
Javier Velasco – “Evita,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Carlos Mendoza – “In the Heights,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Ray Limon – “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” Welk Resort Theatre
Special Award categories that will be announced from the Stage:
Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Achievement by a Small Theater
Actor of the Year, Male and Female
Outstanding Young Artist – Sandra Ellis-Troy Award
Outstanding Special Event
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 theater in San Diego County and to honoring artistic excellence. The members of our organization are professional critics writing for daily newspapers, magazines, entertainment trade publications and websites in San Diego County. The organization’s major event is an awards program held each February, honoring the previous year’s finest in theater production, direction, acting, playwriting, scoring and technical achievements. The event is presented free of charge to the theatrical community,Lucas thanks to the gracious support of private underwriters. In 2002, the awards were renamed in honor of Craig Noel, longtime artistic director at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre and the founding father of San Diego’s theater community, who passed away in 2010.
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