San Diego Theatre Critics Circle honors
2007’s best at gala awards ceremony

Jack O’Brien, Floyd Gaffney honored at San Diego Theatre Critics Circle’s 2007 Craig Noel Awards

Old Globe and La Jolla Playhouse's Broadway-bound musicals pick up combined 10 awards; Cygnet, New Village Arts, Moxie, Moonlight, Welk Resort Theatre and Starlight among other honorees

   LA JOLLA ---- Two 1950s-themed, Broadway-bound musicals dominated the musical categories and plays based on African-American themes were multiple award winners on Jan. 21, 2008, as the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle presented the sixth annual Craig Noel Awards for Theatrical Excellence, spotlighting the best stage work of 2007.

   Of the 41 awards presented in 27 categories to 14 theater companies, San Diego’s Old Globe captured 14. In addition, Jack O’Brien, leaving his post as Globe artistic director, received a special tribute and was honored with a perpetual award named in his honor, the Jack O’Brien Award for Excellence in Directing. Its first recipient was Esther Emery for her direction of three notably different plays at Cygnet and Moxie Theatres in 2007.  As in years past, the namesake for the awards program, 94-year-old Craig Noel handed out all of the evening's awards.

   Seven of the Globe’s wins went to the musical “A Catered Affair,” a world premiere penned by Harvey Fierstein. It was named outstanding musical and honored in the categories of direction (John Doyle), score (John Bucchino), orchestrations (Don Sebesky), lighting (Brian MacDevitt) and lead performances, female (Faith Prince) and male (Tom Wopat). “A Catered Affair” will open in previews in New York in March.

   La Jolla Playhouse was also a multiple winner for its Broadway-bound musical “Cry-Baby.” Based on the John Waters film, the musical was honored for its choreography (Rob Ashford) and its lyrics (David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger). Alli Mauzey, who played the kooky character Lenora, won for featured performance in a musical.

   Another Globe production was cited in two categories. The company’s reprise of August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running” captured awards for lead actor (Chuck Cooper) and costume design (Karen Perry).

   Another multiple winner was Carlsbad’s New Village Arts Theatre, honored for its dance-filled work “Sailor’s Song.” The play won for direction (Kristianne Kurner), ensemble, choreography (Robin Christ and Kathy Meyer) and costumes (Jessica John). "Sailor" set designer Nick Fouch was honored for this production as well as for Cygnet’s Theatre’s “Yellowman” and Moxie Theatre’s “Devil Dog Six.”  

   Cygnet Theatre’s “Yellowman” was named outstanding drama, and Monique Gaffney was honored for her performance in the production. Other Cygnet commendations went to Ron Choularton, for solo performance in “St. Nicholas,” and Sandy Campbell, for featured performance in “Communicating Doors.”

   Outstanding resident musical awards went to Moonlight Stage Productions for “West Side Story” and Starlight Theatre for “Ragtime.” In the latter musical, Deborah Gilmour Smyth was honored for her lead performance as Mother. “Jersey Boys,” produced by Broadway/San Diego, was named outstanding touring production.

   O’Brien’s tribute included a film featuring Fierstein, Tom Stoppard, Des McAnuff, Sheldon Epps, David Yazbek, Norbert Leo Butz, the casts of O'Brien-directed "The Coast of Utopia" and "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas," along with many others important in his life and career. The critics also gave a posthumous salute to Dr. Floyd Gaffney, who for decades was San Diego’s driving force in African-American theater.

   Founded in 1983, the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle is a non-profit collective of print and 

online theater critics covering live, professional theater in San Diego County. In 2002, the 

awards program was renamed in honor of Craig Noel, founding artistic director of San Diego’s 

Old Globe Theatre, acclaimed regional theater innovator and 2007 recipient of the 

National Medal of Arts.