2010 Craig Noel Award Nominees Announced

The San Diego Theatre Critics Circle has announced the nominees for the 2010 Craig Noel Awards, which will be unveiled at a ceremony in La Jolla on Jan. 10, 2011.

More than 100 nominees from 12 San Diego County theaters will compete in 29 artistic categories at the ninth annual awards program. This year's ceremony will be dedicated to the memory of the awards' namesake, Craig Noel, the founding artistic director of San Diego's Old Globe Theatre who passed away in April at the age of 94. The ceremony is also dedicated to Donald Shiley, who with his wife, Darlene, was a major sponsor of the Craig Noel Awards since their founding. He passed away July 31 at the age of 90.

This year's nominees include three world premiere musicals, up-and-coming and veteran San Diego actors, directors and designers, as well as national and International Artists, including Grammy-winning composer Duncan Sheik, British director Adrian Noble and Broadway director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw.

"With two Tony Award-winning regional theaters in town, The Old Globe and La Jolla Playhouse, the bar for quality in local theater has always been high," said Pam Kragen, president of the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle. "We were pleased to see a consistently high caliber of work at all levels, and that's reflected in our nominations."
Another feature of the upcoming ceremony will be the award of the first Sandra Ellis-Troy Memorial Scholarship. Ellis-Troy, who passed away Dec. 4 at the age of 68, worked in most of San Diego's major theaters over the past 20 years. Ellis-Troy also ran youth drama camps for her employer, Moonlight Stage Productions in Vista. In honor of her work with young actors, a memorial fund has been established to grant scholarships for promising youth actors. Tax-deductible donations to the fund can be made directly to the not-for-profit San Diego Theatre Critics Circle at 1613 Madrid Drive, Vista, CA 92081.

The award ceremony will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. Monday, Jan. 10, 2011, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla. Admission to the ceremony is free. Reservations and details can be found at www.sdcriticscircle.org.

Nominees for the 2010 Craig Noel Awards:

Outstanding Resident Musical

"Sweeney Todd," Cygnet Theatre

"Title of Show," Diversionary Theatre

"Hairspray," San Diego Repertory Theatre

"MiXtape," Lamb's Players Theatre

"Miss Saigon," Moonlight Stage Productions

Outstanding Original Score

Duncan Sheik, "Whisper House," The Old Globe

Christopher Curtis, "Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin," La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding New Musical

"Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin," La Jolla Playhouse

"Whisper House," The Old Globe

"Robin and the 7 Hoods," The Old Globe

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

James Vasquez, "Title of Show," Diversionary Theatre

Sam Woodhouse, " Hairspray," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Sean Murray & James Vasquez, "Sweeney Todd," Cygnet Theatre

Warren Carlyle & Michael Unger, "Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin," La Jolla Playhouse

Casey Nicholaw, "Robin and the 7 Hoods," The Old Globe

Outstanding Musical Direction

Charlie Reuter, "Sweeney Todd," Cygnet Theatre

Eric Stern, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," La Jolla Playhouse

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

Bryan Perri, "Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin," La Jolla Playhouse

Mark Hummel, "Robin and the 7 Hoods," The Old Globe

Outstanding Music for a Play

Mark Bennett, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," La Jolla Playhouse

Scott Paulson, "The Man Who," New Village Arts

Broken Chord, "Ruined," La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Female

Andrea Huber, "A Little Night Music," Lyric Opera San Diego

Deborah Gilmour Smyth, "Sweeney Todd," Cygnet Theatre

Bethany Slomka, "Hairspray," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Ashley Brown, "Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin," La Jolla Playhouse

Jennifer Paz, "Miss Saigon," Moonlight Stage Productions

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Male

Rob McClure, "Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin," La Jolla Playhouse

Eric Schneider, "Robin and the 7 Hoods," The Old Globe

Johann Michael Camat, "Miss Saigon," Moonlight Stage Productions

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male

Tom Zohar, "Sweeney Todd," Cygnet Theatre

Kurt Norby, "Sweeney Todd," Cygnet Theatre

Steve Gunderson, "Hairspray," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Matthew Scott, "Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin," La Jolla Playhouse

Victor Morris, "Storyville," San Diego Repertory Theatre 

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Female

Holly Brook, "Whisper House," The Old Globe

Kandis Chappell, "A Little Night Music," Lyric Opera San Diego

Joy Yandell, "MiXtape," Lamb's Players Theatre

Melissa Fernandes, "Into the Woods," New Village Arts

Hannah Rose Kornfeld, "Into the Woods," New Village Arts

Outstanding Choreography

Colleen Kollar Smith, "Ring Round the Moon," Moonlight Stage Productions

Javier Velasco, "Hairspray," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Warren Carlyle, "Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin," La Jolla Playhouse

Randy Duncan, "Ruined," La Jolla Playhouse

Casey Nicholaw, "Robin and the 7 Hoods," The Old Globe

Outstanding Direction of a Play

Glenn Paris, "Hurlyburly," Ion Theatre

David Ellenstein, "Ghosts," North Coast Repertory Theatre

Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, "Eurydice," Moxie Theatre

Adrian Noble, "The Madness of George III," The Old Globe

Seema Sueko, "Yellow Face, Mo'olelo Performing Arts

Liesl Tommy, "Ruined," La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Sound Design

George Ye, "The Piano Lesson," Cygnet Theatre

Christopher Walker, "The Madness of George III," The Old Globe

Matt Lescault-Wood, "Eurydice," Moxie Theatre

Broken Chord, "Ruined," La Jolla Playhouse

Deborah Gilmour Smyth, "The Glory Man," Lamb's Players Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design

Deirdre Clancy, "The Madness of George III," The Old Globe

Jeanne Reith, "The Norman Conquests," Cygnet Theatre

Linda Cho, "Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin," La Jolla Playhouse

Gregg Barnes, "Robin and the 7 Hoods," The Old Globe

Jeanne Reith, "Storyville," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design

Matthew Richards, "Whisper House," The Old Globe

Eric Lotze, "Sweeney Todd," Cygnet Theatre

Eric Lotze, "Private Lives," Cygnet Theatre

Alan Burrett, "The Madness of George III," The Old Globe

Lap Chi Chu, "Ruined," La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Set Design

Michael Schweikardt, "Whisper House," The Old Globe

Andrew Hull, "Private Lives," Cygnet Theatre

Rachel Hauck, "Surf Report," La Jolla Playhouse

Clint Ramos, "Ruined," La Jolla Playhouse

Ralph Funicello, "The Madness of George III," The Old Globe

Outstanding Ensemble

"Hurlyburly," Ion Theatre

"King Lear," The Old Globe

"The Piano Lesson," Cygnet Theatre

"The Norman Conquests," Cygnet Theatre

"Ruined," La Jolla Playhouse Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Female

Karson St. John, "Hurlyburly," Ion theatre

Miriam White, "Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue," Ion Theatre

Aubrey Saverino, "King Lear," The Old Globe

Carla Duren, "Ruined," La Jolla Playhouse

Zainab Jah, "Ruined," La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Male

Avery Glymph, "The Whipping Man," The Old Globe

Todd Blakesley, "Eurydice," Moxie Theatre

Michael Stewart Allen, "King Lear," The Old Globe

Mark Pinter, "Becky's New Car," North Coast Repertory Theatre

Brian Bielawski, "Yellow Face," Mo'olelo Performing Arts

Jay Whitaker, Old Globe Shakespeare Festival body of work

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Male

Francis Gercke, "Hurlyburly," Ion theatre

Mark Christopher Lawrence, "The Piano Lesson," Cygnet Theatre

Richard Baird, "Ghosts," North Coast Repertory Theatre

Miles Anderson, "The Madness of George III," The Old Globe

Greg Watanabe, "Yellow Face," Mo'olelo Performing Arts

Sean Cox, "The Crucible," Moxie Theatre & Intrepid Shakespeare Company

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Female

Rachael VanWormer, "Speech and Debate," Diversionary Theatre

Rosina Reynolds, "Ghosts," North Coast Repertory Theatre

DeAnna Driscoll, "Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune," Ion Theatre

Shana Wride, "Private Lives," Cygnet Theatre

Tonye Patano, "Ruined," La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Touring Production

"Aurelia's Oratorio," La Jolla Playhouse

"Burn the Floor," Broadway/San Diego

"Notes From Underground," La Jolla Playhouse

"Culture Clash in AmeriCCa," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Dramatic Production

"Hurlyburly," Ion Theatre

"Ghosts," North Coast Repertory Theatre

"The Madness of George III," The Old Globe

"Yellow Face," Mo'olelo Performing Arts

"Ruined," La Jolla Playhouse

Other awards to be announced on Jan. 10:

Outstanding New Play

Outstanding Performance in a Touring Production

Outstanding Young Artist

Producer of the Year

Actor of the Year

Des McAnuff New Visions Award
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, alternative weeklies, entertainment trade publications and Web sites in San Diego County.