San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Names 2015 Craig Noel Award Nominees

More than 100 local and national theatre artists representing nearly than 60 San Diego theatrical productions will compete for the 2015 Craig Noel Awards, the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle announced today.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Monday, Feb. 6, 2016, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, in La Jolla.

Leading the list of nominations with eight was the world premiere musical, "Come From Away," which was co-produced by the La Jolla Playhouse and the Seattle Repertory Theatre. Six nominations also went to the La Jolla Playhouse/Yale Repertory Theatre co-production of the world premiere play "Indecent." And The Old Globe/Hartford Stage co-production of Cole Porter's "Kiss Me, Kate" received five nomminations, including nods for its Tony-winnning director Darko Tresnjak, choreographer Peggy Hickey and costumer Fabio Toblini.

Rebecca Taichman was nominated for directing and co-creating with Paula Vogel the play with music "Indecent," which was presented at La Jolla Playhouse. In the touring category, nominations went to MacArthur Fellow Liz Lerman's "Healing Wars," presented as part of La Jolla Playhouse's Without Walls Festival and Tony winner Mary Zimmerman's "The White Snake," presented last winter at The Old Globe.

Michael Benjamin Washington received two nominations, for writing and starring in his world premiere play, "Blueprints to Freedom," which was co-produced by La Jolla Playhouse and Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Film and stage actor Mercedes Ruehl and actor/writer/composer/director/pianist Hershey Felder were both nominated in the solo performance category.

Glenn Paris and Claudio Raygoza of ion theatre shared a new play nomination for co-authoring the world premiere play, "Sea of Souls," which had a brief off Broadway run last summer. And film/stage actor Maggie Carney received two nominations for her leading portrayal in Intrepid Theatre's "The Quality of Life" and for her featured performance in "Sons of the Prophet" at Cygnet Theatre.

Nominees for the 2015 Craig Noel Awards:

Outstanding Musical Direction

Ian Eisendrath - "Come from Away," La Jolla Playhouse

Kris Kukul - "Kiss Me, Kate," The Old Globe

Elan McMahan - "The Music Man," Moonlight Stage Productions

Elan McMahan - "Big Fish," Moonlight Stage Productions

Terry O'Donnell - "Dogfight," Cygnet Theatre

Outstanding Choreography

David Brannen - "Dogfight," Cygnet Theatre

Jill Gorrie - "Singin' in the Rain," San Diego Musical Theatre

Peggy Hickey - "Kiss Me, Kate," The Old Globe

Colleen Kollar Smith - "West Side Story," Lamb's Players Theatre

Ray Limon - "Hello, Dolly!," The Welk Theatre

Outstanding Original Score

Lisa Gutkin & Aaron Halva - "Indecent," La Jolla Playhouse

Jon Lorenz - "OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale," Lamb's Players Theatre

Michael Roth - "The Oldest Boy," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Irene Sankoff & David Hein - "Come from Away," La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Ensemble

"Come From Away," La Jolla Playhouse

"Indecent," La Jolla Playhouse

"The Quality of Life," Intrepid Theatre Company

"My Mañana Comes," San Diego Repertory Theatre

"The Whale," Cygnet Theatre

Outstanding Solo Performance

Hershey Felder - "Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin," La Jolla Playhouse

Darrell Hammond - "The Darrell Hammond Project," La Jolla Playhouse

Cashae Monya - "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill," ion theatre

Mercedes Ruehl - "Full Gallop," The Old Globe

David Turner - "Buyer & Cellar," The Old Globe

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Male

Josh Adamson - "Big Fish," Moonlight Stage Productions

Richard Bermudez - "The King and I," The Welk Theatre

Sean Murray - "My Fair Lady," Cygnet Theatre

Jeffrey Scott Parsons - "Cabaret," The Welk Theatre

Robert J. Townsend - "La Cage aux Folles," San Diego Musical Theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Female

Hannah Corrigan - "Violet," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Cynthia Ferrer - "Hello, Dolly!," The Welk Theatre

Caitie Grady - "Dogfight," Cygnet Theatre

Allison Spratt Pearce - "My Fair Lady," Cygnet Theatre

Victoria Strong - "The King and I," The Welk Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Female

Michelle Alves - "West Side Story," Lamb's Players Theatre

Jenn Colella - "Come From Away," La Jolla Playhouse

Sarah Errington - "Dogfight," Cygnet Theatre

Melissa Fernandes - "Sondheim on Sondheim," Moonlight Stage Productions

Natalie Nucci - "West Side Story," San Diego Musical Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male

Bryan Barbarin - "OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale," Lamb's Players Theatre

Geno Carr - "Come From Away," La Jolla Playhouse

Marc Ginsburg - "Shrek, The Musical," Moonlight Stage Productions

James Vasquez - "La Cage aux Folles," San Diego Musical Theatre

Fernando Vega - "OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale," Lamb's Players Theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Male

Richard Baird - "Betrayal," North Coast Repertory Theatre

Jeffrey Jones - "The Quality of Life," Intrepid Theatre Company

Robert Smyth - "Freud's Last Session," Lamb's Players Theatre

Robert J. Townsend - "The 39 Steps," Premiere Productions

Michael Benjamin Washington - "Blueprints to Freedom," La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Female

Sandy Campbell - "Master Class," ion theatre

Maggie Carney - "The Quality of Life," Intrepid Theatre Company

DeAnna Driscoll - "The Quality of Life," Intrepid Theatre Company

Summer Spiro - "Steal Heaven," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Sylvia M'Lafi Thompson - " 'night, Mother," ion theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Male

Ro Boddie - "Blueprints to Freedom," La Jolla Playhouse

Tsering Dorjee Bawa - "The Oldest Boy," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Manoel Felciano - "Twelfth Night," The Old Globe

David McBean - "Unnecessary Farce," North Coast Repertory Theatre

James Saba - "Hay Fever," Cygnet Theatre

Mike Sears - "Parlour Song," Backyard Renaissance

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Female

Maggie Carney - "Sons of the Prophet," Cygnet Theatre

Kathi Copeland - "Precious Little," InnerMission Productions

Priti Gandhi - "Master Class," ion theatre

Jo Anne Glover - "The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence," Moxie Theatre

Dana Hooley - "The Birthday Party," New Fortune Theatre Company

Outstanding Scenic Design

Alexander Dodge - "The Comedy of Errors," The Old Globe

Sean Fanning - "Full Gallop," The Old Globe

Riccardo Hernandez - "Twelfth Night," The Old Globe

Brian Redfern - "My Mañana Comes," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Jerry Sonnenberg - "The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence," Moxie Theatre

Outstanding Sound Design

Kevin Anthenill - "The Oldest Boy," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Mark Bennett - "Arms and the Man," The Old Globe

Melanie Chen - "Betrayal," North Coast Repertory Theatre

Gareth Owen - "Come From Away," La Jolla Playhouse

David Scott - "Dogfight," Cygnet Theatre Company

Outstanding Costume Design

Elisa Benzoni - "The Fox on the Fairway," North Coast Repertory Theatre

Jacinda Johnston-Fischer - "Trouble in Mind," Moxie Theatre

Jacinda Johnston-Fischer - "Hay Fever"/"The Vortex," Cygnet Theatre

Jeanne Reith - "OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale," Lamb's Players Theatre

Fabio Toblini - "Kiss Me, Kate," The Old Globe

Outstanding Lighting Design

Christopher Akerlind - "Indecent," La Jolla Playhouse

Lonnie Alcaraz - "Oedipus El Rey," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Russell H. Champa - "The Twenty-seventh Man," The Old Globe

Matt Novotny - "Gunmetal Blues," North Coast Repertory Theatre

Jennifer Setlow - "The Oldest Boy," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Projection Design

Joe Huppert - "The Oldest Boy," San Diego Repertory Theatre

John Infante - "Big Fish," Moonlight Stage Productions

Blake McCarty - "Return to the Forbidden Planet," New Village Arts

John Narun - "Blueprints to Freedom," La Jolla Playhouse

Victoria Petrovich - "Steal Heaven," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

Christopher Ashley - "Come From Away," La Jolla Playhouse

Steve Glaudini - "Big Fish," Moonlight Stage Productions

Sean Murray - "Dogfight," Cygnet Theatre

Darko Tresnjak - "Kiss Me, Kate," The Old Globe

Sam Woodhouse - "Violet," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Direction of a Play

Glenn Paris - " 'night, Mother," ion theatre

Rebecca Taichman - "Indecent," La Jolla Playhouse

Delicia Turner Sonnenberg - "My Mañana Comes," San Diego Repertory Theatre

Delicia Turner Sonnenberg - "Trouble in Mind," Moxie Theatre

Christy Yael-Cox - "The Quality of Life", Intrepid Theatre Company

Outstanding New Play

"Blueprints to Freedom" - Michael Benjamin Washington, La Jolla Playhouse

"Indecent" - Paula Vogel and Rebecca Taichman, La Jolla Playhouse

"Orange Julius" - Basil Kreimendahl, Moxie Theatre

"Sea of Souls" - Glenn Paris and Claudio Raygoza, ion theatre

"Uncanny Valley" - Thomas Gibbons, San Diego Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Touring Production

"Healing Wars," La Jolla Playhouse

"Motown, The Musical," Broadway / San Diego

"Murder for Two," The Old Globe

"The White Snake," The Old Globe

Outstanding Dramatic Production

"Indecent" - La Jolla Playhouse

" 'night, Mother" - ion theatre

"Oedipus El Rey" - San Diego Repertory Theatre

"The Quality of Life," Intrepid Theatre Company

"Trouble in Mind" - Moxie Theatre

Outstanding New Musical

"Come From Away," La Jolla Playhouse

"OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale," Lamb's Players Theatre

Outstanding Resident Musical

"Big Fish" - Moonlight Stage Productions

"Dogfight" - Cygnet Theatre

"Kiss Me, Kate" - The Old Globe

"My Fair Lady" - Cygnet Theatre

"Violet" - San Diego Repertory Theatre

Awards to be announced from the stage:

• Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Work by a Small Theater Company

• Outstanding Young Actor & Sandra Ellis-Troy Scholarship

• Actor of the Year, Male and Female

• Director of the Year

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 theatre 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, broadcast media, and Web sites in San Diego County. The Circle's annual awards for outstanding San Diego theatre are named for Craig Noel, founder and longtime artistic director of The Old Globe.