San Jose Rep Earns 12 Noms from SF Bay Area Theatre Critic's Circle

San Jose Repertory Theatre has received 12 nominations from the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle (BATCC) for productions in its 2010-2011 season.

BLACK PEARL SINGS! has been nominated for best drama (ensemble), costume design, lighting design, sound design, set design and its two stars are nominated for best female principal performance, Jannie Jones and Jessica Wortham. Secret Order is also nominated for best drama (ensemble). Backwards in High Heels is nominated for best musical (ensemble), choreography, costume design and principal performance by a female, Anna Aimee White.

"I want to congratulate all of our San Jose Rep artists who have received these nominations from the BATCC," said Artistic Director Rick Lombardo. "I am especially pleased that our production of Black Pearl Sings! received seven nominations - including the entire cast and design teams."

San Jose Rep gave Frank Higgins' play BLACK PEARL SINGS! its West Coast premiere. Directed by Rick Lombardo, the show brought audiences to their feet with Jannie Jones' astonishing vocal renditions of African-American folk classics.

Roger Clymans' SECRET ORDER received its regional premiere at San Jose Rep this season. Focusing on the high-stakes world of cancer-drug research, this bio medical thriller explores the intersection of corporate greed and the politics of science, and was directed for San Jose Rep by Chris Smith.

The second regional premiere of the season was BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS by Lynnette Barkley & Christopher McGovern. Directed by Scott Schwartz, and filled with the music and dance that Rogers and Astaire made immortal, the play exuberantly celebrates Ginger Rogers' life, her men, and her intriguing relationship with her mother.

The San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle has been granting awards annually in the categories of dramas and musicals for over 30 years. The awards will be given at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre on Monday, April 4, 2011.

List of San Jose Rep nominations (theatres over 300 seats):
Drama-Ensemble
BLACK PEARL SINGS! ---San Jose Repertory Theatre *
SECRET ORDER---San Jose Repertory Theatre *
Costume Design
Frances Nelson McSherry---BLACK PEARL SINGS!
Lightening Design
Daniel Meeker---BLACK PEARL SINGS!
Sound Design
Rick Lombardo---BLACK PEARL SINGS!
Set Design
John Iacovelli---BLACK PEARL SINGS!
Principal Performance, Female
Jannie Jones---BLACK PEARL SINGS!
Jessica Wortham---BLACK PEARL SINGS!

MUSICALS - ENSEMBLE
BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS
Specialties
Patty Colombo (Choreography) ---BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS
Costume Design
Alejo Vietti---BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS
Principal Performace, Female
Anna Aimee White---BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS

San Jose Rep is the premier non-profit, professional theatre company in the South Bay, presenting six main stage productions each year. As a major contributor to South Bay's cultural community for 29 years, San Jose Rep's mission is to engage, entertain and inspire people. San Jose Rep produces innovative theatrical performances that offer fresh perspectives into the human condition, educational programs that promote life-long learning, and outreach initiatives that benefit our diverse community. For more information, visit www.SJRep.com.

Photo by Tim Fuller

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