TheaterWorks Receives 24 Bay Area Critics Circle Nominations

The Bay Area Critics Circle nominations are in and TheatreWorks, the nationally-acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, garnered 24 nominations for the company's 2008 productions. With nearly 10,000 subscribers and 100,000 patrons per year, TheatreWorks has captured a national reputation for artistic innovation and integrity. Top honors included nominations in the Drama and Musical categories, with multiple recognitions for CAROLINE, OR CHANGE, Grey Gardens, RADIO GOLF and the touching, new musical LONG STORY SHORT. TheatreWorks founding Artistic Director, Robert Kelley, who has previously garnered several Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards for "Outstanding Direction" for his productions of the classic musicals Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods and last season's Merrily We Roll Along, has been nominated again for his 2008 production of CAROLINE, OR CHANGE. Additionally, TheatreWorks favorite Dan Hiatt, fresh from his hilarious performance in Twentieth Century, was announced as the winner of the 2008 Barbara Bladen Porter Award.

In addition to Best Director for Kelley, CAROLINE, OR CHANGE, dubbed "vivid, deeply-felt and uplifting... a stunning achievement" by the San Francisco Chronicle, garnered a total of eleven nominations, including "Entire Production," "Principle Female Performance" for C. Kelly Wright, "Supporting Male Performance" for then 12-year-old Julian Hornik and "Supporting Female Performance" for Allison Blackwell, and nods for "Best Musical Direction" for William Liberatore, "Choreography" for Pjay Phillips, "Set Design" for J.B. Wilson, "Costume Design" for Fumiko Bielefeldt and "Lighting Design" for Pamila Grey.

Declared "perversely masterful" by the San Francisco Chronicle, Grey Gardens boasts nine nominations, including "Entire Production," "Direction of a Musical" for Kent Nicholson, "Principle Female Performance" for Beth Glover, "Supporting Female Performance" for Dale Soules and "Supporting Male Performance" for Paul Myrvold. The production also earned nominations for "Best Musical Direction" for William Liberatore, "Lighting Design" for Pamila Gray, "Costume Design" for Cathleen Edwards, and "Set Design" for J.B. Wilson. For Pamila Gray, J.B. Wilson and William Liberatore, this is their second 2008 nomination in their prospective categories.

August Wilson's topical play RADIO GOLF, which the San Francisco Chronicle called "an engrossing, even intense experience," received nominations for "Principle Male Performance" for Aldo Billingslea and "Supporting Female Performance" for C. Kelly Wright, her second 2008 nomination for acting. The production also received a nomination for "Costume Design" for Connie Strayer.

LONG STORY SHORT, dubbed "another exhilarating ride" by the San Jose Mercury News received nominations for "Direction of a Musical" for Tracy Brigden as well as "Principle Female Performance" for Pearl Sun.

Dan Hiatt, one of the Bay Area's finest and most versatile actors and fresh from the hilarious TheatreWorks production Twentieth Century, was honored with the Barbara Bladen Porter Award. The Barbara Bladen Porter Award is presented to an active, mid-career member of the theatre community.

TheatreWorks has announced the line-up for its 40th Anniversary season (2009-10) that includes the World Premiere musical DADDY LONG LEGS, by Paul Gordon, the composer of last season's triumphant hit Emma, in collaboration with John Caird (Tony Award-winning director of Les Miserables) who will also direct; the West Coast premiere of Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel's A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS; the West Coast premiere of the hilarious comic confección SUNSETS AND MARGARITAS by José Cruz González; regional premieres of David Henry Hwang's ferociously funny look at the mixed-up melting pot of modern America, YELLOW FACE; and a behind-the-scenes look at the world of great music, OPUS; plus two revived gems: the stunning American drama TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, and Chaim Potok's tale of two Jewish teenagers in 1941 Brooklyn, THE CHOSEN. The season will launch with an extended New Works Festival, in which Festival Pass holders will be able to witness works-in-progress by the nation's leading playwrights, participate in discussions, and attend workshops, book-in-hand readings, and sing-throughs. The highlight of the New Works Festival will be a vibrant World Premiere musical, TINYARD HILL. Five productions will be mounted at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts and three will be staged at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto.

TheatreWorks' BATCC Nominations for Musical

Grey Gardens, Entire Production
Kent Nicholson, Direction of a Musical for Grey Gardens
Beth Glover, Principle Female Performance for Grey Gardens
Dale Soules, Supporting Female Performance for Grey Gardens
Paul Myrvold, Supporting Male Performance for Grey Gardens
William Liberatore, Musical Direction for Grey Gardens
Pamila Grey, Lighting Design for a Musical for Grey Gardens
J.B. Wilson, Set Design for a Musical for Grey Gardens
Cathleen Edwards, Costume Design for a Musical for Grey Gardens
Caroline, or Change, Entire Production
Robert Kelley, Direction of a Musical for Caroline, or Change
C. Kelly Wright, Principle Female Performance for Caroline, or Change
Julian Hornik, Supporting Male Performance for Caroline, or Change
Allison Blackwell, Supporting Female Performance, Caroline, or Change
William Liberatore, Musical Direction for Caroline, or Change
J.B. Wilson, Set Design for a Musical for Caroline, or Change
Pamila Grey, Lighting Design for a Musical for Caroline, or Change
Fumiko Bielefeldt, Costume Design for a Musical for Caroline, or Change
Pjay Phillips, Choreography for Caroline, or Change
Tracy Brigden, Direction of a Musical for Long Story Short
Pearl Sun, Principle Female Performance for Long Story Short

TheatreWorks' BATCC Nomination for Drama

Aldo Billingslea, Principal Male Performance for Radio Golf
C. Kelly Wright, Supporting Female Performance for Radio Golf
Connie Strayer, Costume Design for Radio Golf

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