Announcing: Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Announces 2013 Winners and Special Awards for Excellence in Theatre in Los Angeles and Orange County

LOS ANGELES DRAMA CRITICS CIRCLE
ANNOUNCES 2013 WINNERS AND SPECIAL AWARDS
FOR EXCELLENCE IN THEATRE
IN LOS ANGELES AND ORANGE COUNTY

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle has announced the 2013 Award-winners for excellence in Los Angeles and Orange County theatre. Awards were presented in 19 categories along with six previously announced special awards. Hosted by Nicole Parker, the 45th Annual LADCC Awards ceremony took place on Monday, March 17, at the Colony Theatre in Burbank.

Founded in 1969, the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle is dedicated to excellence in theatrical criticism and to the encouragement and improvement of theatre in Greater Los Angeles and Orange County.

The complete list of recipients follows:

Production

• One Night in Miami…, John Perrin Flynn and Roxanne Hart, Rogue Machine Theatre
• Our Class, Son of Semele Ensemble, Atwater Village Theatre
• The Scottsboro Boys, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
• Walking the Tightrope, Debbie Devine and Jay McAdams, 24th Street Theatre

McCulloh Award for Revival

• Dreamgirls, Mike Abramson and Dolf Ramos, DOMA Theatre Co. at The MET Theatre
• The Normal Heart, Deborah Lawlor and Stephen Sachs, The Fountain Theatre

Direction

• Jessica Kubzansky, R II, The Theatre @ Boston Court
• Matthew McCray, Our Class, Son of Semele Ensemble at Atwater Village Theatre

Writing

• Jennifer Haley, The Nether, Kirk Douglas Theatre

Writing (Adaptation)

• Richard Alger, Track 3, Theatre Movement Bazaar and Bootleg Theater at Bootleg Theater
• Nancy Keystone, Alcestis, The Theatre @ Boston Court and Critical Mass Performance Group at The Theatre @ Boston Court

Musical Score

• John Kander and Fred Ebb, The Scottsboro Boys, Ahmanson Theatre

Music Direction

• Corey Hirsch, A Man of No Importance, Good People Theater Company at Lillian Theatre
• Ross Seligman, One Night With Janis Joplin, Pasadena Playhouse

Choreography

• Matthew Bourne, Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty, Ahmanson Theatre

Lead Performance

• Tim Cummings, The Normal Heart, The Fountain Theatre
• Mary Bridget Davies, One Night With Janis Joplin, Pasadena Playhouse
• Constance Jewell Lopez, Dreamgirls, DOMA Theatre Co. at The MET Theatre
• Paige Lindsey White, Walking the Tightrope, 24th Street Theatre

Featured Performance

• Sabrina Elayne Carten, One Night With Janis Joplin, Pasadena Playhouse,
• Michael Nehring, Our Class, Son of Semele Ensemble at Atwater Village Theatre
• Patrick Stafford, Red, International City Theatre

Ensemble Performance

• One Night in Miami…, Rogue Machine Theatre
• Our Class, Son of Semele Ensemble at Atwater Village Theatre
• We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884–1915, Matrix Theatre

Solo Performance

• Lorenzo Pisoni, Humor Abuse, Mark Taper Forum

Set Design

• Adrian W. Jones, The Nether, Kirk Douglas Theatre

Lighting Design

• Paule Constable, Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty, Ahmanson Theatre
• Jeremy Pivnick, R II, The Theatre @ Boston Court

Costume Design

• Lez Brotherston, Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty, Ahmanson Theatre
• Michael Mullen, Dreamgirls, DOMA Theatre Co. at The MET Theatre

Sound Design

• John Zalewski, Walking the Tightrope, 24th Street Theatre

Video Design

• Adam Flemming, The Normal Heart, The Fountain Theatre
• Kaitlyn Pietras (Projection Design), R II, The Theatre @ Boston Court

Movement/Fight Choreography

• Ned Mochel, Cops and Friends of Cops, VS. Theatre

Illusions/Magic Design

• Johnny Thompson, Play Dead, Geffen Playhouse

Special Awards

• The Ted Schmitt Award for the world premiere of an outstanding new play was awarded to Kemp Powers for One Night in Miami … The award was accompanied by an offer to publish by Samuel French, Inc.
• The Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to mid-size theatre was awarded to Actors Co-op. The award was accompanied by an honorarium, funded by the Nederlander Organization.
• The Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theatre was awarded to L.A. Theatre Works. The award was accompanied by an honorarium, funded by The Knitting Factory Entertainment Company.
• The Joel Hirschhorn Award for outstanding achievement in musical theatre was awarded to David Elzer. The award was accompanied by an honorarium, funded by an anonymous donor.
• The Milton Katselas Award for career or special achievement in direction was awarded to Bart DeLorenzo. The award was accompanied by an honorarium, funded by The Beverly Hills Playhouse.
• The Kinetic Lighting Award for outstanding achievement in theatrical design was awarded Angela Balogh Calin, for her sustained achievement in costume design. The award was accompanied by an honorarium, funded by Kinetic Lighting.

The list of recipients is also available online at www.ladramacriticscircle.com.

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03-17-14

Announcing: ‘Altar Boyz’ Opens at Chromolume Theatre Friday 4/4 at 8pm – Six Weeks Only

CHROMOLUME THEATRE AT THE ATTIC
PRESENTS
BOOK BY KEVIN DEL AGUILA
MUSIC & LYRICS BY
GARY ADLER & MICHAEL PATRICK WALKER
CHOREOGRAPHY BY SAMANTHA WHIDBY
DIRECTED BY KRISTIN TOWERS-ROWLES

APRIL 4 — MAY 11 ONLY

Chromolume Theatre has announced Altar Boyz, the 9th longest-running off-Broadway musical of all time, as its next production. The show has a book by Kevin Del Aguila and music and lyrics by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker, and will be directed for Chromolume by Kristin Towers-Rowles. With choreography by Samantha Whidby and music direction by Richard Berent, opening is set for Friday, April 4 at 8pm. Altar Boyz will play a strictly limited engagement through May 11 only.

Altar Boyz is a foot-stomping, rafter-raising musical comedy satire about a fictitious Christian boy-band on the last night of their national “Raise the Praise” tour. The Boyz are five all-singing, all-dancing heartthrobs from Ohio — Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan, and Abraham. With their tight harmonies and spectacular choreography, the Altar Boyz will delight as they perform their signature hits such as “Rhythm In Me,” “The Calling,” and “I Believe,” all the while trying to reduce the number of burdened souls in the theatre to zero by the end of the concert.

The Chromolume cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Joey Acuna, Jason Chacon, Michael Marchak, Craig McEldowney, and Tyler Vess. Scenic and sound design are by James Esposito, lighting design is by Craig Batory, costume design is by Wes Jenkins, and the stage manager is Lauren J. Peters.

Director Kristin Towers-Rowles is a third generation musical theatre actress. Her grandmother was the MGM film star Kathryn Grayson and her grandfather was musician, film actor and Broadway leading man Johnny Johnston. Her mother, Patricia Towers, was a stage actress and singer and her father, Robert Towers, is also a film/stage/TV/radio vet of almost 65 years. Towers-Rowles performed in several national and international tours and at theatres all over California. She spent a year in rep at Sierra Repertory Company and also directed for Kelrik Productions in Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo. She is the co-artistic director of Sustaining Sound Theatre Company.

Altar Boyz opens on Friday, April 4 at 8pm. The regular performance schedule is Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm through May 11. Tickets are $28, with discounts for students and seniors ($25) and children 12 and under ($23), and may be purchased online at www.crtheatre.com, or via telephone at 323-205-1617. Chromolume Theatre at the Attic is located at 5429 W. Washington Boulevard (between the 10 freeway and Hauser Boulevard), in Los Angeles, 90016. Ample street parking is available.

For more information, visitwww.crtheatre.com or call 323-510-2688.

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03-13-14

Announcing: ‘L.A. Deli’ Opening Night (Sat 3/22) Will Benefit the Nancy Painter Home for Mothers with Children

OPENING NIGHT OF
L.A. DELI
A NEW COMEDY BY SAM BOBRICK
DIRECTED BY WALTER PAINTER

SET TO BENEFIT THE NANCY PAINTER HOME
FOR MOTHERS WITH CHILDREN

SATURDAY, MARCH 22 AT 8PM
MARILYN MONROE THEATRE

The opening night performance of L.A. Deli, a new comedy by Sam Bobrick, will benefit The Nancy Painter Home for Mothers with Children. L.A. Deli, helmed by award-winning director Walter Painter, will open Saturday, March 22 at 8pm at the Marilyn Monroe Theatre in West Hollywood. The limited engagement is set to run through April 27 only.

The Nancy Painter Home for Mothers with Children, operated by experienced Salvation Army staff, is a community-based grass roots transitional housing program devoted to single mothers and their children who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless. Hundreds of single mothers with children in the Los Angeles area find themselves without any financial support and facing homelessness due to loss of a job, a medical emergency, spousal abuse, or lack of child support. The Nancy Painter Home provides a stable and loving home environment for mothers and their children who find themselves in this situation. For up to two years these moms and their children will have the opportunity to bring stability and peace of mind to their lives. For more information, visit www.nancypainterhome.org.

Tickets for the opening night benefit performance of L.A. Deli are $100, which includes the performance, parking, and a post-show reception with the cast and creative team. To purchase tickets for this special performance only, call (818) 985-0111 or send an email to danrothblatt@ aol.com. The Nancy Painter Home is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and a portion of the ticket price is tax deductible as allowed by law.

L.A. Deli is a series of comedic sketches that take place in a Hollywood delicatessen giving the audience a wicked and hilarious look inside show business. The cast of outrageous, shameless, and sometimes certifiable characters includes movie and TV producers, writers, directors, actors, their wives, ex-wives, and a very patient waitress named Kathleen. Some of the events portrayed actually happened to the playwright, some to his friends, and some to people he just happened to be sitting next to at lunch.

The cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Rachel Boller, Scott Kruse, Jeffrey Landman, Gail Matthius, Phil Proctor, and Darrin Revitz. The set design is by Jeffery P. Eisenmann, lighting design is by Michael Gend, costume design is by Michael Mullen, music is arranged and supervised by Larry Grossman, sound design is by Chris Moscatiello, and the stage manager is Liana Dillaway. L.A. Deli is produced by Theatre Planners.

For regular performances of L.A. Deli, general seating admission is $30. The running schedule is Friday and Saturday at 8pm with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 3pm through April 27 only. Tickets for all regular performances may be purchased online at www.plays411.com/ladeli or by calling (323) 960-7738.

The Marilyn Monroe Theatre at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute is located at 7936 Santa Monica Boulevard (one block west of Fairfax), in West Hollywood.

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03-11-14