Kurt Landisman News

Voting is now underway for the San Francisco Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January.

Voting is now underway for the San Francisco Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January. Check out the live standings below.

The Bay Area Critics Circle Award nominations are in and Berkeley's Aurora Theatre Company, now celebrating its 20th season, garnered 33 nods for the company's 2011 productions, the most of any company in its theater tier in the Bay Area. Top honors included nominations in the Drama category with recognition going to A DELICATE BALANCE, METAMORPHOSIS, THE ECCENTRICITES OF A NIGHTINGALE, and THE SOLDIER'S TALE. Aurora Artistic Director Tom Ross received two nominations for direction, as well as a co-directing nomination with Muriel Maffre. The 33 nominations are a record number for Aurora, the most nominations received during the company's 20 seasons.

Outrageous situations lead to hilarious complications in the legendary musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum opening on the Main Stage at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival Friday, June 25. With previews June 23 and 24, Forum continues through July 11. Ticket prices range from $25 to $53.

Outrageous situations lead to hilarious complications in the legendary musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum opening on the Main Stage at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival Friday, June 25. With previews June 23 and 24, Forum continues through July 11. Ticket prices range from $25 to $53.

Outrageous situations lead to hilarious complications in the legendary musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum opening on the Main Stage at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival Friday, June 25. With previews June 23 and 24, Forum continues through July 11. Ticket prices range from $25 to $53.

Outrageous situations lead to hilarious complications in the legendary musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum opening on the Main Stage at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival Friday, June 25. With previews June 23 and 24, Forum continues through July 11. Ticket prices range from $25 to $53.

This year's Critics Circle Awards, sponsored by Actor's Equity Association, today announced is nominees for excellence in San Francisco Bay area theater. Berkeley Rep's production of American Idiot, which played in the fall of 2009, leads with 12 nominations and will open on Broadway this spring.

Arizona Theatre Company presents George Is Dead, a new comedy by acclaimed writer and director Elaine May.

Arizona Theatre Company presents George Is Dead, a new comedy by acclaimed writer and director Elaine May.

Arizona Theatre Company presents George Is Dead, a new comedy by acclaimed writer and director Elaine May.

The SF Playhouse (Bill English, Artistic Director; Susi Damilano, Producing Director) is pleased to announce casting for the Bay Area Premiere of Sarah Ruhl's Dead Man's Cell Phone which will fill the previously unannounced 5th slot in its 2008-09 season line up.

The SF Playhouse (Bill English, Artistic Director; Susi Damilano, Producing Director) is pleased to announce casting for the Bay Area Premiere of Sarah Ruhl's Dead Man's Cell Phone which will fill the previously unannounced 5th slot in its 2008-09 season line up.

Representing the print and electronic media, 23 members of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle announce the winners of 37 Drama awards and 37 Musical awards from 257 nominated actors, designers, productions, and more reviewed in 2008. Over 400 productions were seen in 2008 by Circle critics reviewing theatre from San Jose to Santa Rosa, San Francisco to Concord.

DLOC?s (Diablo Light Opera Company?s) 50th anniversary season continues in high gear February 13 with the East Bay premiere of ? The Producers,? the Mel Brooks zany Broadway mega-hit musical that won the most Tony Awards ever.

DLOC?s (Diablo Light Opera Company?s) 50th anniversary season continues in high gear February 13 with the East Bay premiere of ? The Producers,? the Mel Brooks zany Broadway mega-hit musical that won the most Tony Awards ever.

DLOC?s (Diablo Light Opera Company?s) 50th anniversary season continues in high gear February 13 with the East Bay premiere of ? The Producers,? the Mel Brooks zany Broadway mega-hit musical that won the most Tony Awards ever. Including the outrageous ?Springtime for Hitler,? one of the show?s big production numbers, ?The Producers? is based on Brooks? 1968 classic cult comedy film. . DLOC?s production will be presented for 20 performances, from February 13 through March 15, 2009, in the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek. Tickets ($34-$43) are on sale at the center ticket office: (925) 943-7469, www.dloc.org

Loretta Greco has chosen Tough Titty to start off the new year, a dynamically theatrical and surprisingly funny odyssey through one woman's battle with breast cancer. Tough Titty, written by Oni Faida Lampley and directed by Robert O'Hara, marks the third play of Magic Theatre's 2008/09 season. In Tough Titty, when Angela's routine cannot keep breast cancer at bay, she must learn to face the disease, her family, and her community with equal doses of tenacity and humor. Richly emotional, Tough Titty is a boisterous exploration of one woman's willful search for grace.

THE 30thth ANNUAL SHELLIE AWARDS gala celebration honoring outstanding achievement in the performing arts in Central Contra Costa County was held Saturday, January 17th at 7:30pm at the Lesher Center for the Arts. The black-tie event featured production numbers from each of the nominated musicals along with scenes from each of the nominated plays. Ken Bergmann conducted the Shellie Awards Orchestra and the MC's for the evening were Jeff Collister, Jerry Motta, Kerri Shawn, and Michael White. Throughout the evening the audience was entertained with live and 'remote' video broadcasts from backstage and other areas throughout the Center. Shellie Awards innovator, Scott Denison, says 'The Shellie Awards were founded thirty years ago in order to recognize outstanding achievement in the performing arts in Central Contra Costa. This is an evening to honor the nominees, as well as the winners.' Patterned after Broadway's Tony awards, this year's Shellie Awards honored over 120 individuals and their work in musical and non-musical theatrical productions, which took place between September 1, 2007 and August 31, 2008. The 12 regional companies participating were: Act Now!, Antioch Rivertown Theatre, Center REPertory Company, Contra Costa Musical Theatre, DLOC, Galatean Players Ensemble Theatre, Onstage Repertory Theatre, Pittsburgh Community Theatre, Role Players Ensemble Theatre, Town Hall Theatre Company, The Vagabond Players, and Willows Theatre Company.

THE 30thth ANNUAL SHELLIE AWARDS gala celebration honoring outstanding achievement in the performing arts in Central Contra Costa County was held Saturday, January 17th at 7:30pm at the Lesher Center for the Arts. The black-tie event featured production numbers from each of the nominated musicals along with scenes from each of the nominated plays. Ken Bergmann conducted the Shellie Awards Orchestra and the MC's for the evening were Jeff Collister, Jerry Motta, Kerri Shawn, and Michael White. Throughout the evening the audience was entertained with live and 'remote' video broadcasts from backstage and other areas throughout the Center.