San Diego Musical Theatre Announces a New Home and a New Season of Musicals

With a brand new year upon us, San Diego Musical Theatre is making a fresh start in 2012 by beginning an exciting new chapter in its already impressive (albeit relatively brief) musical theatre journey.

SDMT officially announced that they have taken up residence at the Birch North Park Theatre and will be breaking in their new home with a brand new season of professional musicals. The three shows in their well-rounded 2012 season are as follows:

This move is a full circle moment for the company, as they produced their very first musical, The Full Monty, at the Birch back in 2007. Since then, they have played the role of roving gypsies, producing musicals at the East County Performing Arts Center and, most recently, at Horton Plaza’s Lyceum theatres downtown.

But, this time at the Birch they are the resident theatre company (with no plans of moving anytime soon) and the only arts group presenting an actual season at the theatre. In addition, SDMT plans to supplement their 2012 season with additional events, such as readings and concerts, at their Kearny Mesa rehearsal space.

Congratulations to SDMT founders and trailblazers Erin and Gary Lewis on this very exciting new venture!

For more information about San Diego Musical Theatre and to purchase tickets, please visit www.sdmt.org or call (858) 560-5740.

The Drama King's TOP 5 Theatre Productions of 2011

As 2011 comes to an end, it is time to reflect back on the best and brightest in San Diego theatre this past year. While I didn’t get to see every theatrical production that graced our local stages, I did see enough to compile a list of my five favorites.

So, here are my TOP 5 picks (in no particular order) along with excerpts from my reviews of these top-notch productions:

1. Cabaret at Cygnet Theatre:

“Director Sean Murray should be commended for not producing a carbon copy version of the original 1966 Broadway production, the 1972 Bob Fosse film, or the 1998 Sam Mendes revival. Instead, he has shied away from all these various interpretations and re-imagined the show from the ground up. He has kept the compelling book by Joe Masteroff and the delicious Kander and Ebb score intact, but has found creative ways to twist the staging so that the material feels fresh and relevant.”

2. August: Osage County at The Old Globe:

“As skeletons are ripped out of the closet, no topic is off limits and arguments about incest and infidelity are just the tip of the branches in the twisted and tangled Weston family tree….Despite the play’s roller coaster of heightened, raw emotion and volatile personalities, there is still an incredible amount of unexpected humor and wit. It is comedy of a sarcastic, biting nature. And every single line of it is brilliantly written and brilliantly delivered.”

3. Lend Me A Tenor at North Coast REP:

“Director Matthew Wiener’s spry staging hits all of the right marks at exactly the right time. That is no easy feat given a farce of this magnitude being performed on a stage the size of a postage stamp. However, Wiener imbues his seasoned comic actors with a pace and timing that is as close to perfection as possible. Nowhere is this more apparent than the show’s curtain call in which the entire cast comes out and re-enacts the plot of the nearly two hour play in 90 seconds or less (and every door slam and sight gag is right on the mark, all the way up until the play’s end).”

4. Of Mice and Men at New Village Arts Theatre:

“New Village Arts’ Of Mice and Men is one of those rare productions in which all the theatrical stars align perfectly to create a memorable and magical theatrical experience. As gritty and gripping as it is real, this sublime revival gives new hope to the potential of live theatre, proving its power to transport us to a different time and place to tell us a tale that touches our hearts as well as our minds.”

5. The Servant of Two Masters at Lamb’s Players Theatre:

“If you are in the mood for a delightful and delicious evening of screwball comedy, then Lamb’s Players Servant is a must-see. It is a fresh and vibrant new musical filled to the brim with broad physical comedy, laugh-out-loud lines, and some tour-de-force performances that will have you laughing (or at least chuckling) all the way home.”

Photos courtesy of (from top to bottom): Daren Scott, Henry DiRocco, Aaron Rumley, Daren Scott, and J.T. Macmillan.

San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Announces the 2011 Craig Noel Award Nominees

More than 100 local and national theatre artists representing more than 40 San Diego theatrical productions at a dozen local theatres have been nominated for 2011 Craig Noel Awards, the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle announced last week. The annual awards, which honor artistic excellence and outstanding achievements in San Diego theatre, are named for the late Craig Noel, founder and longtime artistic director of the Old Globe.

The 10^th annual awards ceremony will take place from 6-10pm on Monday, February 6, 2012 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla.

Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees. I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing quite a few of the nominated productions and they are all deserving of recognition.

Without further ado, here’s the complete list of nominees:

Outstanding Resident Musical

“Cabaret,” Cygnet Theatre

“Jane Austen's Emma,” The Old Globe

“Little Shop of Horrors,” Cygnet Theatre

“Sleeping Beauty Wakes,” La Jolla Playhouse

“The Who’s Tommy,” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Female

Melissa Fernandes, “Little Shop of Horrors,” Cygnet Theatre

Linda Libby, “Gypsy: A Musical Fable,” ion Theatre

Patti Murin, “Jane Austen's Emma,” The Old Globe

Karson St. John, “Cabaret,” Cygnet Theatre

Aspen Vincent, “Sleeping Beauty Wakes,” La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Male

Geno Carr, “The Servant of Two Masters,” Lamb’s Players Theatre

Randall Dodge, “The Fantasticks,” Welk Resorts Theatre

Bryce Ryness, “Sleeping Beauty Wakes,” La Jolla Playhouse

B. Slade, “The Who’s Tommy,” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Robert Townsend, “The Story of My Life,” San Diego Musical Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male

Doug Davis, “Hairspray,” Moonlight Stage Productions

Derek Gaffney, “Spring Awakening,” Actors' Conservatory Theatre

Randall Hickman, “Hairspray,” Moonlight Stage Productions

Dick Latessa, “Little Miss Sunshine,” La Jolla Playhouse

Bob Stillman, “Sleeping Beauty Wakes,” La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Female

Melissa Fernandes, “Cabaret,” Cygnet Theatre

Linda Libby, “Cabaret,” Cygnet Theatre

Dani Marcus, “Jane Austen's Emma,” The Old Globe

Jill Van Velzer, “The Great American Trailer Park Musical,” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Katie Whalley, “Gypsy: A Musical Fable,” ion Theatre

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

Jeff Calhoun, “Jane Austen's Emma,” The Old Globe

Steve Glaudini, “Hairspray,” Moonlight Stage Productions

Sean Murray, “Cabaret,” Cygnet Theatre

Claudio Raygoza and Kim Strassburger, “Gypsy: A Musical Fable,” ion Theatre

Sam Woodhouse, “The Who’s Tommy,” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Outstanding Musical Direction

Laura Bergquist, “Jane Austen's Emma,” The Old Globe

Steve Gunderson, “The Who’s Tommy,” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Don LeMaster, “A Chorus Line,” San Diego Musical Theatre

Elan McMahan, “Hairspray,” Moonlight Stage Productions

Outstanding Choreography

David Brannen, “Cabaret,” Cygnet Theatre

JT Horenstein, “Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show,” The Old Globe

Michael Mizerany, “Dooley,” Diversionary Theatre

Doug Varone, “Sleeping Beauty Wakes,” La Jolla Playhouse

Javier Velasco, “The Who’s Tommy,” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Outstanding Music for a Play

Shaun Davey, “The Tempest,” The Old Globe

John Gromada, “A Dram of Drummhicit,” La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Dramatic Production

“Angels in America,” ion Theatre

“August: Osage County,” The Old Globe

“Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” Moxie Theatre

“Lend Me A Tenor,” North Coast Repertory Theatre

“Of Mice and Men,” New Village Arts Theatre

“The Tempest,” The Old Globe

Outstanding Ensemble

“Angels in America,” ion Theatre

“August: Osage County,” The Old Globe

“Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” Moxie Theatre

“Lend Me a Tenor,” North Coast Repertory Theatre

“Peer Gynt,” La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Male

Miles Anderson, “The Tempest,” The Old Globe

Jeffrey DeMunn, “Death of a Salesman, “The Old Globe

Manny Fernandes, “Of Mice and Men,” New Village Arts Theatre

Robert Foxworth, “Superior Donuts,” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Jon Rua, “Somewhere,” The Old Globe

Kyle Sorrell, “Angels in America,” ion Theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Female

Jill Drexler, “Foxfire,” Moonlight Stage Productions

Melinda Gilb, “Walter Cronkite is Dead,” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Jo Anne Glover, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” Moxie Theatre

Lois Markle, “August: Osage County,” The Old Globe

Rosina Reynolds, “The Glass Menagerie,” Cygnet Theatre

Aubrey Saverino, “In the Next Room (or the vibrator play),” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Female

Lisel Gorell-Getz, “In the Next Room (or the vibrator play)” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Catalina Maynard, “Angels in America,” ion Theatre

Tonya Pinkins, “Milk Like Sugar,” La Jolla Playhouse

Diana Reasonover, “Stick Fly,” Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company

Karson St. John, “Ten Cent Night,” Moxie Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Male

Ben Diskant, “The Tempest,” The Old Globe

David Ellenstein, “My Name is Asher Lev,” North Coast Repertory Theatre

Nick Kennedy, “Grace,” ion Theatre

Brian Mackey, “The Glass Menagerie,” Cygnet Theatre

Matt Thompson, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” Moxie Theatre

Jay Whittaker, “Amadeus,” The Old Globe

Outstanding Touring Production

“Jesus Christ Superstar,” La Jolla Playhouse

“Next to Normal,” Broadway/San Diego

“Shrek the Musical,” Broadway/San Diego

Outstanding New Play

Kirsten Greenidge, “Milk Like Sugar,” La Jolla Playhouse

Matthew Lopez, “Somewhere,” The Old Globe

Stephen Metcalfe, “The Tragedy of the Commons,” Cygnet Theatre

David Myers, “Small Prophecies,” University of California, San Diego, Baldwin New Play Festival

Outstanding Direction of a Play

Sam Gold, “August: Osage County,” The Old Globe

Adrian Noble, “The Tempest,” The Old Globe

Glenn Paris & Claudio Raygoza, “Angels in America,” ion Theatre

Daren Scott, “Of Mice and Men,” New Village Arts Theatre

Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” Moxie Theatre

Matthew Wiener, “Lend Me A Tenor,” North Coast Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Sound Design

David Ballard, “Amadeus,” The Old Globe

Melanie Chen, “Angels in America,” ion Theatre

Deborah Gilmour Smyth, “The Book of the Dun Cow,” Lamb's Players Theatre

Jeremy J. Lee, “Somewhere,” The Old Globe

George Ye, “Tragedy of the Commons,” Cygnet Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design

Deirdre Clancy, “Amadeus,” The Old Globe

Jennifer Brawn Gittings, “In the Next Room (or the vibrator play),” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Jennifer Brawn Gittings, “The Who’s Tommy,” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Sonia Elizabeth Lerner, “Lend Me A Tenor,” North Coast Repertory Theatre

Jeanne Reith, “The Servant of Two Masters,” Lamb’s Players Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design

Christopher Akerlind, “Sleeping Beauty Wakes,” La Jolla Playhouse

Alan Burrett, “The Tempest,” The Old Globe

Karen Filijan, “Angels in America,” ion Theatre

Michael Gilliam, “Jane Austen's Emma,” The Old Globe

Japhy Wiedeman, “August: Osage County,” The Old Globe

Outstanding Set Design

Marty Burnett, “Lend Me a Tenor,” North Coast Repertory Theatre

David Korins, “Little Miss Sunshine,” La Jolla Playhouse

Michael McKeon, “Trying,” Lamb’s Players Theatre

Tobin Ost, “Jane Austen's Emma,” The Old Globe

Victoria Petrovich, “In the Next Room (or the vibrator play),” San Diego REPertory Theatre

David Zinn, “August: Osage County,” The Old Globe

Other awards to be announced on February 6:

Outstanding Young Artist/Sandra Ellis-Troy Scholarship

Outstanding Special Event

Actor of the Year

Braunagel Award

For more information about the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle, visit: http://sdcriticscircle.org/