San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Honors 2004’s Best at Gala Awards Ceremony

Nearly 300 members of the local theater community filled the San Diego Natural History Museum on Jan. 24 to attend the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle’s third annual Craig Noel Awards for Excellence in Theatre.

The awards, honoring outstanding theatrical achievements in San Diego County in 2004, were chosen by theater critics from the San Diego Union-Tribune, North County Times, San Diego Reader, San Diego Magazine, Back Stage West, San Diego Jewish Times, La Jolla Village News, Riverside Press-Enterprise and Ramona Home and Julian Journals.

The awards are named for the longtime artistic director of The Old Globe, San Diegos oldest theater, Craig Noel, who was on hand Jan. 24 to present the awards.

Anne Marie Welsh, president of the Critics Circle and theater critic for the San Diego Union-Tribune, said that she and her fellow critics were impressed with the caliber of theater presented in San Diego County in 2004.

“This was a year of tremendous artistic growth — in the acting pool, in the number of small theaters operating at a high professional level, and in the sheer numbers of musicals seen here — 38 between June and December, two on their way to Broadway,” Welsh said. “Put another way, the scene is expanding in every artistic and geographic direction — an Equity theater just opened in Ramona. And so the Critics Circle had a wonderfully contentious voting process and bestows these awards, knowing that scores of other artists were just as deserving.”

The Old Globe led the list of honorees with 20 awards for various individuals and productions, including top honors for New Musical (“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”) and Dramatic Production (“Don Juan”). The Globe shared the New Musical prize with the La Jolla Playhouse, which was honored for its production of “Jersey Boys.” 6th @ Penn Theatre shared the Dramatic Production prize for its production of “Kimberly Akimbo.” Two theaters were honored in the Musical Revival category — Starlight Theater (“Sweeney Todd”) and Cygnet Theatre (“Bed and Sofa”). Broadway/San Diego won in the Touring Production category for its production of “Hairspray.”

The husband and wife director/choreographer team Don and Bonnie Ward were honored with a lifetime achievement award for their distinguished work in musical theater over the past five decades.

A total of 47 awards were handed out to various individuals and organizations involving in producing theater in San Diego County in 2004. The awards recognized achievements in acting, directing, production, design and special categories.

Following is a comprehensive list of awards and recipients:

Lifetime Achievement

Don and Bonnie Ward

Sound Design

George Ye, Escanaba in da Moonlight, Cygnet

Costume Design

Gregg Barnes, Lucky Duck, Old Globe

Anna Oliver, Don Juan, Old Globe

Jeanne Reith and Aina S. O’Kane, The Boy Who Fell Into a Book, Lamb’s Players

Lighting Design

Joan Arhelger, Don Juan, Old Globe

Aaron Copp, Bus Stop, Old Globe

Set Design

Sean Murray, Escanaba in da Moonlight, Cygnet

David Rockwell, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Old Globe

Robin Sanford Roberts, Bus Stop, Old Globe

Music Direction

Parmer Fuller, Sweeney Todd, Starlight

Ron Melrose, Jersey Boys, La Jolla Playhouse

Ted Sperling, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Old Globe

Choreography

Jerry Mitchell, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Old Globe

Featured Performance In A Musical

Stan Chandler, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Theatre in Old Town

Featured Performance, Female

Jill Drexler, Fit to Be Tied, Diversionary

DeAnna Driscoll, Bus Stop, Old Globe

Bree Elrod, Two Noble Kinsmen, Old Globe

Featured Performance, Male

Stephen Payne, Bus Stop, Old Globe

Andrew Weems, Don Juan, Old Globe

Lead Performance In A Musical, Male

Eric Anderson, Bed & Sofa, Cygnet

Norbert Leo Butz, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Old Globe

David Norona, Jersey Boys, La Jolla Playhouse

Lead Performance In A Musical, Female

Melinda Gilb, Sweeney Todd, Starlight

Julie Jacobs, Bed and Sofa, Cygnet

Lead Performance, Female

Linda Castro, Kimberly Akimbo, Sixth at Penn

Seema Sueko, The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow, Old Globe

Lead Performance, Male

Richard Baird, Measure for Measure, Poor Players

Robert Grossman, The Chosen, North Coast Rep

Adam Stein, Don Juan, Old Globe

Solo Performance

David McBean, Fully Committed, Cygnet

Rosina Reynolds, Shirley Valentine, Renaissance

Ensemble

Kimberly Akimbo, Sixth at Penn

A Lie of the Mind, New Village Arts

Direction Of A Musical

Des McAnuff, Jersey Boys, La Jolla Playhouse

Sean Murray, Bed & Sofa, Cygnet

Jack O’Brien, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Old Globe

Direction Of A Play

Kirsten Brandt, The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow

Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, Kimberly Akimbo, Sixth at Penn

Stephen Wadsworth, Don Juan, Old Globe

Touring Production

Hairspray, Broadway/San Diego

Musical Revival

Bed & Sofa, Cygnet

Sweeney Todd, Starlight

New Musical

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Old Globe

Jersey Boys, LJ Playhouse

Dramatic Production

Don Juan, Old Globe

Kimberly Akimbo, Sixth at Penn

Fraley Returns Home for Holiday Bowl By Joe Naiman

Ramona’s Paul Fraley was back in San Diego in December as part of the Cal football team which participated in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl December 30.

“It’s always good to be back home,” Fraley said.

Fraley attended The Bishop’s School and played football there before his 2002 graduation. He redshirted on Cal's 2002 squad, and while he was not eligible for a second redshirt year in 2003 he did not see action in his second collegiate season. This year he moved into the backup role as left tackle and saw playing time both during the season and in the Holiday Bowl.

“Getting a little bit more time in there, always quality time,” he said.

“He’s been in the backup role this year and done a nice job,” said Cal coach Jeff Tedford. “He’s going to be a very good player in the future for us.”

During his return to the San Diego area, Fraley was able to have dinner with his family in between team activities. The team activities included visits to the San Diego Zoo and Sea World, which Fraley had seen before but not with his team. “It’s always good going out with the team and going out with friends and having a good time,” he said.

Cal was under consideration for a Bowl Championship Series bowl but was not selected to one of those BCS bowls, giving the Holiday Bowl an opportunity to obtain the Bears as its PAC-10 conference team. “We don’t really look at it as a consolation,” Fraley said of going to the Holiday Bowl. “We’re just very happy to be here.”

Before Fraley was in college, he would attend Holiday Bowl games with his family. “Always enjoyed going to the game. Just part of the holiday,” he said. “Getting a chance to play in it and actually being part of the game is a gift to me, almost a dream come true.”