Bogart, Duncan, James, McAnuff, et al. Win San Diego Critics Awards
and Michael Benjamin Washington in The Wiz
(© Kevin Berne)
The La Jolla Playhouse’s production of The Wiz and the Starlight Musical Theatre’s production of Urinetown shared top honors at the San Diego Critics Circle Craig Noel Awards, which were bestowed on January 29.
Both shows were named Outstanding Musical Production. In addition, their respective directors, Tony Award winner Des McAnuff, and Brian Wells and David Brannen, shared the award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical; those show’s respective stars, Nikki M. James and Sarah Summer, were both named Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical.
La Jolla also garnered awards for actors Sharon Lockwood for her lead performance in Culture Clash’s Zorro in Hell; Matt Bogart and Rena Strober for their supporting work in the musical Zhivago; Katie Barrett for her supporting role in Mother Courage and Her Children; as well as Robert Brill for his set design for The Wiz, and Gina Leishman for her original music for Mother Courage.
In addition, McAnuff received the group’s first-ever Artistic Visionary Award, and a new honor, the Des McAnuff Visions Award, was given for the first time to Moxie Theatre artistic director Delicia Turner Sonenberg. That award will be given every year.
The Old Globe was the evening’s big winner with 12 of the group’s 33 awards; its production of Lee Blessing’s A Body of Water won for Outstanding Dramatic Production, Outstanding Direction of a Play for Ethan McSweeny, and Outstanding Ensemble for actors Sandy Duncan, Ned Schmidtke, and Samantha Soule.
Other winners from the Globe included actors Thom Sesma (The Times They Are A-Changin’), James Sutorius and T. Ryder Smith (Lincolnesque), Charles Janasz (Titus Andronicus), and Jonathan McMurtry (Trying).
The national tour of John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt, starring Cherry Jones, was named Outstanding Touring Production. Other companies which picked up awards include San Diego Repertory, North Coast Repertory, Cygnet Theatre, and Moonlight Stage Productions.
For a complete list of winners, go to www.sdcriticscircle.org.
