COME FROM AWAY and More Win Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle announced the recipients of its 50th annual awards for distinguished achievement in theatre last night, Monday, April 8, 2019, at Pasadena Playhouse. Wenzel Jones presided over the festivities, and Christopher Raymond served as music director.

There were four recipients of the 2018 Production award: Cambodian Rock Band (South Coast Repertory), Come From Away (Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre), Cry It Out (Echo Theater Company), and Sell/Buy/Date (Geffen Playhouse / Los Angeles LGBT Center). Awards in 17 other categories celebrated a wide range of Los Angeles theater, with 17 different productions taking home honors. Celebration Theatre's Cabaret took home the most awards for a single production, with six, including a nod for Revival. Antaeus Theatre Company received the most awards, with three of its productions winning a combined seven trophies. In a competitive category, Tom Hanks received a lead actor award for his performance as Falstaff in The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles production of Henry IV.

In addition, the LADCC presented eight previously announced special awards, including the Ted Schmitt award for the world premiere of an outstanding new play to Lauren Yee for Cambodian Rock Band, the Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater to Sacred Fools Theater Company, and the inaugural Theater Angel award for distinguished service to Los Angeles theater to Yvonne Bell.

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The complete list of award recipients is as follows:

PRODUCTION (4):

Cambodian Rock Band, produced by South Coast Repertory and Honorary Producers Carolyn and Bill Klein and Samuel and Tammy Tang, South Coast Repertory.

Come From Away, produced by Junkyard Dog Productions, Jerry Frankel, Latitude Link, Smith & Brant Theatricals, Steve & Paula Reynolds, David Mirvish, Michael Rubinoff, Alhadeff Productions, Michael Alden & Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Sam Levy, Rodney Rigby, Spencer Ross, Richard Winkler, Yonge Street Theatricals, Sheridan College, Michael & Ellise Coit, Ronald Frankel, Sheri & Les Biller, Richard & Sherry Belkin, Marlene & Gary Cohen, Allan Detsky & Rena Mendelson, Lauren Doll, Barbara H. Freitag, Wendy Gillespie, Laura Little Theatricals, Carl & Jennifer Pasbjerg, Radio Mouse Entertainment, The Shubert Organization, Cynthia Stroum, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Gwen Arment/Molly Morris & Terry McNicholas, Maureen & Joel Benoliel/Marjorie & Ron Danz, Pamela Cooper/Corey Brunish, Demos Bizar/Square 1 Theatrics, Joshua Goodman/Lauren Stevens, Just for Laughs Theatricals/Judith Ann Abrams Productions, Bill & Linda Potter/Rosemary & Kenneth Willman and La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.

Cry It Out, produced by Chris Fields and Rachael Zambias / Echo Theater Company, Echo Theater Company at Atwater Village Theatre.

Sell/Buy/Date, produced by Geffen Playhouse / Los Angeles LGBT Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center, Andrew Carlberg, and Foment Productions, Geffen Playhouse / Los Angeles LGBT Center.

MCCULLOH REVIVAL (3):

• Cabaret, produced by Michael Matthews, Michael O'Hara, Jay Marcus, Mark Giberson, Alan Wethern, David Tran, Parnell Damone Marcano, Constance Jewell Lopez, Celebration Theatre.
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, A Noise Within.
• The Little Foxes, Antaeus Theatre Company.

LEAD PERFORMANCE (5):

• MaameYaa Boafo, School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play,Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre.
• Tom Hanks, Henry IV, The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles.
• Kasey Mahaffy, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, A Noise Within.
• Alex Nee, Cabaret, Celebration Theatre.
• Conrad Ricamora, Soft Power, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.

FEATURED PERFORMANCE (2):

• Rob Nagle, The Little Foxes, Antaeus Theatre Company.
• Daisuke Tsuji, Cambodian Rock Band, South Coast Repertory.

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE (2):

• Come From Away, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.
• The Little Foxes, Antaeus Theatre Company.

SOLO PERFORMANCE (1):
Sarah Jones, Sell/Buy/Date,Geffen Playhouse / Los Angeles LGBT Center.

WRITING (2):

• Sarah Jones, Sell/Buy/Date,Geffen Playhouse / Los Angeles LGBT Center.
• Molly Smith Metzler,Cry It Out, Echo Theater Company.

WRITING ADAPTATION (1):
Patrick Marber,Three Days in the Country, Antaeus Theatre Company.

MUSICAL SCORE (1):
Irene Sankoff and David Hein,Come From Away, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.

MUSICAL DIRECTION (2):

• Ian Eisendrath, Come From Away, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.
• Anthony Zediker, Cabaret, Celebration Theatre.

CHOREOGRAPHY (1):
Janet Roston, Cabaret, Celebration Theatre.

DIRECTION (2):

• Jennifer Chang, Vietgone, East West Players.
• Geoff Elliott, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, A Noise Within.

SET DESIGN (2):

• Stephen Gifford, Cabaret, Celebration Theatre.
• John Iacovelli, The Little Foxes, Antaeus Theatre Company.

LIGHTING DESIGN (2):

• Matthew Brian Denman, Cabaret, Celebration Theatre.
• Andrew Schmedake, Native Son, Antaeus Theatre Company.

COSTUME DESIGN (2):

• Allison Dillard, BLISS (or Emily Post is Dead!),Moving Arts at Atwater Village Theatre.
• Allison Dillard, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Celebration Theatre.

SOUND DESIGN (2):

• Jeff Gardner, Native Son, Antaeus Theatre Company.
• Joshua D. Reid, A Christmas Carol, Geffen Playhouse.

CGI/PROJECTION (1):
Kaitlyn Pietras and Jason H. Thompson,Vietgone, East West Players.

SPECIALTY (2):

• Thomas Isao Morinaka and Aaron Aoki for Fight Choreography,Vietgone, East West Players.
• Jim Steinmeyer for Illusions, Stagecraft, and Magic Carpet, Aladdin, Hollywood Pantages Theatre.

The LADCC special award recipients were as follows:

The Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theatre was awarded to Sacred Fools Theater Company.

The Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to mid-size theatre was awarded to Echo Theater Company.

The Ted Schmitt Award for the world premiere of an outstanding new play was awarded to Lauren Yee for Cambodian Rock Band, originally produced by South Coast Repertory.

The Kinetic Lighting Award for distinguished achievement in theatrical design was awarded to sound designer Robert Oriol.

The Joel Hirschhorn Award for distinguished achievement in musical theatre was awarded to La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment.

The Milton Katselas Award for distinguished achievement in direction was awarded to Cameron Watson.

The Gordon Davidson Award for distinguished contribution to the Los Angeles theatrical community was awarded to Native Voices at the Autry.

TheTheater Angel Awardfor distinguished service to Los Angeles theater was awarded to Yvonne Bell.

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle was founded in 1969. It is dedicated to excellence in theatrical criticism, and to the encouragement and improvement of theatre in Greater Los Angeles. The 2018 membership consisted of:

Frances Baum Nicholson, Southern California News Group, Stage Struck Review

Paul Birchall, Stage Raw, Stage & Cinema

Katie Buenneke, LA Weekly, Stage Raw

Erin Conley, On Stage & Screen

Ellen Dostal, BroadwayWorld LA, Musicals in LA

Lovell Estell III, Stage Raw, Arts in LA

Shirle Gottlieb, Arts in LA, StageHappenings.com

Margaret Gray, Los Angeles Times

Hoyt Hilsman, Huffington Post

Harker Jones, Edge Media Network

Deborah Klugman, Stage Raw, LA Weekly, Capital & Main

Jenny Lower, Stage Raw

Dany Margolies, ArtsInLA.com, Southern California News Group

Myron Meisel, Stage Raw

Terry Morgan, Stage Raw, TalkinBroadway.com

Steven Leigh Morris, LA Stage Alliance

Melinda Schupmann, ShowMag.com, ArtsinLA.com

Jonas Schwartz-Owen, Theatermania.com, ArtsinLA.com

Don Shirley, LA Observed

Les Spindle, EDGE LA

Rob Stevens, haineshisway

Neal Weaver, Stage Raw, ArtsinLA.com