Theater News

Hamilton's Kail, Blankenbuehler, and Miranda Receive LA Drama Critics Awards

The Drama Critics Circle Awards have been presented.

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle has announced the recipients of its 49th annual awards for distinguished achievement in theater. Wenzel Jones presided over the festivities, and Christopher Raymond served as music director.

Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler, and Lin-Manuel Miranda have received Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards for Hamilton.
Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler, and Lin-Manuel Miranda have received Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards for Hamilton.
(© David Gordon)

The complete list of award recipients is as follows:

Production
Hamilton, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
Rotterdam, Skylight Theatre Company

McCulloh Award for Revival (plays written between 1920 and 1992)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus Theatre Company

Lead Performance
Tim Cummings in The House in Scarsdale: A Memoir for the Stage, Boston Court
Carmen Cusack in Bright Star, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre
Joe Morton in Turn Me Loose: A Play About Comic Genius Dick Gregory, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
Tonya Pinkins in Time Alone, Belle Rêve Theater Co., Los Angeles Theatre Center
Ashley Romans in Rotterdam, Skylight Theatre Company
Debra Jo Rupp in The Cake, the Echo Theater Company

Featured Performance
Harry Groener in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus Theatre Company
Matt McGrath in The Legend of Georgia McBride, Geffen Playhouse

Ensemble Performance
Into the Woods, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre

Solo Performance
Alex Alpharaoh, WET: A DACAmented Journey, Ensemble Studio Theatre/Los Angeles

Direction
Noah Brody and Ben Steinfeld, Into the Woods, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre
Thomas Kail, Hamilton, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
Jaime Robledo, Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play, Sacred Fools Theatre Company at the Broadwater

Writing
Jon Brittain, Rotterdam, Skylight Theatre Company

Musical Score
Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, Something Rotten!, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron, Fun Home, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre

Music Direction
Julian Reeve, Hamilton, Hollywood Pantages Theatre

Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
Matthew Bourne, The Red Shoes, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre
Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre

Set Design
Joel Daavid, Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play, Sacred Fools Theatre Company at the Broadwater

CGI/Video Design
Finn Ross, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre

Lighting Design
Paule Constable, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre

Costume Design
E.B. Brooks, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Geffen Playhouse
Lez Brotherston, The Red Shoes, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatr

Sound Design
Ian Dickinson, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre
Christopher Moscatiello, Rhinoceros, Pacific Resident Theatre

Specialty
Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi for Aerial/Acrobatic Choreography in Moby Dick, South Coast Repertory
Lyndie Wright and Sarah Wright for Puppets in 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

The following special award winners were previously announced:

2017 Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theatre
The Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center

2017 Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to mid-size theatre
Boston Court

2017 Ted Schmitt Award for the world premiere of an outstanding new play
Alessandro Camon for Time Alone, originally produced by Belle Rêve Theater Co., Los Angeles Theatre Center

2017 Kinetic Lighting Award for outstanding achievement in theatrical design
Stephanie Kerley Schwartz

2017 Joel Hirschhorn Award for outstanding achievement in musical theatre
The Reiner Staged Reading Series at Musical Theatre West

2017 Milton Katselas Award for career or special achievement in direction
Shirley Jo Finney

2017 Gordon Davidson Award for distinguished contribution to the Los Angeles theatrical community
Steven Leigh Morris

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