The winners of the 2019 Craig Noel Awards, presented by the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle, include Almost Famous for Outstanding New Musical and Cambodian Rock Band for Outstanding Dramatic Production. Cameron Crowe’s musical, which recently ran at the Old Globe and is eyeing a Broadway transfer, also took home Outstanding Music Direction for Bryan Perri.
Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band, seen at La Jolla Playhouse, won Outstanding Direction of a Play for Chay Yew and Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play for Daisuke Tsuji. The production is currently in previews at Off-Broadway's Signature Theatre with an opening date set for February 23.
The awards were handed out in a ceremony February 10. For the first time in its history, non-gender-specific awards were given out in all of its performance categories. Michael Cusimano and Cashae Monya shared Actor of the Year, both of whom performed in several productions last year.
Moonlight Stage Productions’ West Side Story earned Outstanding Resident Musical while The Hour of Great Mercy by Miranda Rose Hall won Outstanding New Play. Rob Lutfy, who helmed four productions last year, was given the Outstanding Director of the Year award while Cygnet Theatre’s Angels in America won Outstanding Ensemble.
For the full list of winners, visit SDCriticsCircle.org.
Casey Likes and cast in Almost Famous
Anika Larsen in Almost Famous
Casey Likes and Solea Pfeiffer in Almost Famous
Casey Likes and Rob Colletti in Almost Famous
Drew Gehling in Almost Famous
