Jason Graae will host the March 17 ceremony scheduled to take place in North Hollywood's El Portal Theatre. The awards are given for excellence in L.A. and Orange County theatre for the year 2007.
The aforementioned musicals (presented, respectively by Center Theater Group and West Coast Ensemble) along with dark play or stories for boys (Theater@Boston Court) and Love Loves a Pornographer (Circle X at [Inside] the Ford) took the most nods with five each. Also scoring high in multiple nominations were Elephant Theater's In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings, Geffen Playhouse's The Quality of Life and the Center Theater Group/Kirk Douglas Theater premiere of Sleeping Beauty Wakes — all vying in four categories.
Host Graae himself is among the special honor recipients, receiving the Joel Hirschhorn Award (for outstanding achievement in musical theater). Other special awards will be bestowed as follows: The Margaret Harford Award (for sustained excellence in theatre by an individual, company or theater) to Musical Theatre West. The Polly Warfield Award (for an outstanding single season by a small to mid-sized theatre) goes to Theater Banshee. Jane Anderson garners The Ted Schmitt Award (for outstanding world premiere play in Los Angeles) for The Quality of Life. Leigh Allen earns The Angstrom Award (for career achievement in lighting design). And a special honor goes to Jon Maher for his long-term outstanding achievement as an ASL interpreter.
The 2007 nominees for the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards are:
PRODUCTION
13, CTG, Mark Taper Forum
dark play or stories for boys, Theater@Boston Court
In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings, Elephant Theater Company with VS. Theater Company
The Quality of Life, Geffen Playhouse
Trying, Colony Theater Company REVIVAL
The Hasty Heart, Pacific Resident Theater Company
Tonight at 8:30, Parts 1 and 2, Antaeus Theater Company at Deaf West Theater
Waiting for Godot, A Noise Within
LEAD PERFORMANCE
Dennis Boutsikaris, The Quality of Life
Danny Calvert, Zanna, Don't!, West Coast Ensemble
Gregory Itzin, Shipwrecked: An Entertainment, South Coast Repertory
Matt Letscher, Anatol, Pacific Resident Theater
Alan Mandell, Trying
Rebecca Marcotte, Loyal Women, Theater Banshee
Laurie Metcalf, The Quality of Life
Gabriel Olds, Tryst, Black Dahlia Theater
Deborah Puette, Tryst
Rex Smith, The Pirates of Penzance, Musical Theater West at Carpenter Performing Arts Center
FEATURED PERFORMANCE
Deanne Bray, Sleeping Beauty Wakes, CTG, Kirk Douglas Theater
Stephen Cell, Small Tragedy, Odyssey Theater Ensemble
Misty Cotton, A Little Night Music, South Coast Repertory
Adam Haas Hunter, dark play or stories for boys
Norman Large, The Pirates of Penzance
Shawn Lee, An Impending Rupture of the Belly, Furious Theater Company at Pasadena Playhouse
Kathleen Rose Perkins, Love Loves a Pornographer, Circle X at [Inside] the Ford
JoBeth Williams, The Quality of Life
ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
13, Mark Taper Forum
Loyal Women, Theater Banshee
Waiting for Godot, A Noise Within
Winter Wonderettes, El Portal Forum Theater
Zanna, Don't!, West Coast Ensemble
WRITING
Dan Elish, 13
Joanna McClelland Glass, Trying
Jeff Goode, Love Loves a Pornographer
Stephen Adly Guirgis, In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings
Carlos Murillo, dark play or stories for boys
ADAPTATION
Martin Crimp, The Misanthrope, Andak Stage Company at New Place Studio Theater
Stephen Sachs, Miss Julie, Fountain Theater
Matt Walker, Alice In One-Hit Wonderland, Troubadour Theater Company at Falcon Theater
MUSICAL SCORE
Tim Acito and Alexander Dinelaris, Zanna, Don't!
Jason Robert Brown, 13
Michael John LaChiusa, Little Fish, Blank Theater Company at 2nd Stage Theater
DIRECTION
Jillian Armenante, Love Loves a Pornographer
Dan Bonnell, Anatol, Pacific Resident Theater
Jeff Calhoun, Sleeping Beauty Wakes
Nick DeGruccio, Zanna, Don't!,
Michael Michetti, dark play or stories for boys
MUSICAL DIRECTION
Brian Baker, Winter Wonderettes, El Portal Forum Theater
John Glaudini, Altar Boyz, Musical Theater West at Carpenter Performing Arts Center
David O, 13
Gerald Sternbach, On Your Toes, Reprise! Broadway's Best at UCLA Freud Playhouse
CHOREOGRAPHY
Christine Lakin & Paul Nygro, Zanna, Don't!
Troy Magino, Altar Boyz
Lee Martino, On Your Toes
Janet Miller, Winter Wonderettes
SCENIC DESIGN
Joel Daavid, In Arabia We'd All Be Kings
Robert G. Smith, Bug, Lost Angels Theater Company at Coast Playhouse
Gary Smoot, Love Love's A Pornographer
LIGHTING DESIGN
Joel Daavid, In Arabia We'd All be Kings
Jeremy Pivnick, Calling Aphrodite, International City Theater
Steven Young, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings, Theater@Boston Court
COSTUME DESIGN
Shon LeBlanc, The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore
Maggie Morgan, Sleeping Beauty Wakes
Paul Spadone, Love Loves a Pornographer
SOUND DESIGN
Lindsay Jones, Bug
Cricket Myers, dark play or stories for boys
Eric Snodgrass, Sleeping Beauty Wakes
PUPPET DESIGN
Rick Lyon, Avenue Q, CTG, Ahmanson Theater
Tickets to the ceremony at the El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, CA are available for $35. For further information, visit ladramacriticscircle.com.
