Laurie Metcalf, Charles Strouse Among L.A. Drama Critics Circle Nominees; Kirk Douglas, Danny Hoch Receive Special Awards

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle has announced the nominations for its 2009 awards that honor excellence in theater in Orange County. The 41st annual Drama Critics Circle Awards ceremony will be held on March 22 at the Colony Theatre.

The Broadway-bound Minsky’s picked up three nominations, including one for musical score for Susan Birkenhead and Charles Strouse, Phil Reno’s music direction, and Gregg Barnes’ costume design. Also multiply nominated are productions such as the Matrix Theatre’s staging of Lydia Diamond’s Stick Fly, South Coast Rep’s production of Julie Marie Myatt’s The Happy Ones, and the Chance Theatre’s revival of Hair.

Other notable nominees include Matthew Bourne (with Stephen Mear and Geoffrey Garratt) for the choreography of Mary Poppins; Shirley Jo Finney for directing Stick Fly; David Lander for his lighting design for Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo; Alan Mandell for his lead performance in No Man’s Land; Laurie Metcalf for her performance in Voice Lessons; and Bruce Norris for his play The Pain and the Itch.

Recipients of special awards include Kirk Douglas, for his lifetime contribution to Los Angeles Theatre; Myatt for Happy Ones, which is being given The Ted Schmitt Award for world premiere of an outstanding new play; Celebration Theatre, the recipient of the Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to mid-size theater; Jason Robert Brown, who is being given the Joel Hirshhorn Award for outstanding achievement in musical theater; and Danny Hoch, for his solo performance,Taking Over.

For further information, visit: www.ladramacriticscircle.com.