The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle announced the recipients of its 49th annual awards for distinguished achievement in theatre on March 19, 2018, at A Noise Within in Pasadena. Wenzel Jones presided over the festivities, and Christopher Raymond served as music director.
There were two winners of the 2017 Production award: Hamilton (Hollywood Pantages Theatre) and Rotterdam (Skylight Theatre). Awards in 17 other categories went to touring hits as well as productions by local 99-seat companies. In addition, the LADCC presented seven previously announced awards, including the Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theatre, to the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center; and the Gordon Davidson Award for distinguished contribution to the Los Angeles theatrical community, to Steven Leigh Morris.
Here is the complete list of winners. In some categories, multiple winners were named.
Production
- Hamilton, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- Rotterdam, Skylight Theatre
McCulloh Award for Revival (plays written between 1920 and 1992)
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus Theatre Company
Lead Performance
- Tim Cummings in The House in Scarsdale: A Memoir for the Stage, The Theatre @ Boston Court
- Carmen Cusack in Bright Star, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
- Joe Morton in Turn Me Loose, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
- Tonya Pinkins in Time Alone, Los Angeles Theatre Center
- Ashley Romans in Rotterdam, Skylight Theatre
- Debra Jo Rupp in The Cake, The Echo Theater Company
Featured Performance
- Harry Groener in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus Theatre Company
- Matt McGrath in The Legend of Georgia McBride, Geffen Playhouse
Ensemble Performance
- Into the Woods, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
Solo Performance
- Alex Alpharaoh, WET: A DACAmented Journey, Ensemble Studio Theatre/Los Angeles
Direction
- Noah Brody and Ben Steinfeld, Into the Woods, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
- Thomas Kail, Hamilton, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- Jaime Robledo, Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, Sacred Fools Theater Company at the Broadwater
Writing
- Jon Brittain, Rotterdam, Skylight Theatre
Writing (Adaptation)
- Lisa Kron, Fun Home, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
Musical Score
- Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, Something Rotten!, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
- Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron, Fun Home, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
Music Direction
- Julian Reeve, Hamilton, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
Choreography
- Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- Matthew Bourne, The Red Shoes, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
- Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
Set Design
- Joel Daavid, Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, Sacred Fools Theater Company at the Broadwater
Lighting Design
- Paule Constable, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
Costume Design
- E.B. Brooks, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Geffen Playhouse
- Lez Brotherston, The Red Shoes, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
Sound Design
- Ian Dickinson (for Autograph), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
- Christopher Moscatiello, Rhinoceros, Pacific Resident Theatre.
CGI/Video
- Finn Ross, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
Specialty
- Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi for Aerial/Acrobatic Choreography, Moby Dick, South Coast Repertory
- Lyndie Wright and Sarah Wright for Puppets, 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips,Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
The following special award winners were previously announced:
The Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theatre
- Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center
The Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to mid-size theatre
- The Theatre @ Boston Court
The Ted Schmitt Award for the world premiere of an outstanding new play
- Alessandro Camon for Time Alone, originally produced by Belle Rêve Theatre Co. at the Los Angeles Theatre Center
The Kinetic Lighting Award for distinguished achievement in theatrical design
- Set Designer Stephanie Kerley Schwartz
The Joel Hirschhorn Award for distinguished achievement in musical theatre
- Musical Theatre West’s Reiner Staged Reading Series
The Milton Katselas Award for distinguished achievement in direction
- Shirley Jo Finney
The Gordon Davidson Award for distinguished contribution to the Los Angeles theatrical community
- Steven Leigh Morris
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.
The 2017 membership:
Pauline Adamek, ArtsBeatLA.com
Frances Baum Nicholson, Southern California News Group, Stage Struck Review
Paul Birchall, Stage Raw
Katie Buenneke, Stage Raw
Erin Conley, On Stage & Screen
Lovell Estell III, Stage Raw
Shirle Gottlieb, Gazette Newspapers, StageHappenings.com
Margaret Gray, Los Angeles Times
Hoyt Hilsman, Huffington Post
Deborah Klugman, Stage Raw, L.A. Weekly, Capital & Main
Jenny Lower, Stage Raw
Jon Magaril, CurtainUp.com
Dany Margolies, ArtsInLA.com, Southern California News Group
Myron Meisel, Stage Raw
Terry Morgan, TalkinBroadway.com, Stage Raw
Steven Leigh Morris, LA Stage Alliance
Melinda Schupmann, ShowMag.com, ArtsinLA.com
Jonas Schwartz-Owen, Theatermania.com, ArtsinLA.com
Don Shirley, LA Observed
Les Spindle, EDGE LA
Rob Stevens, haineshisway
Neal Weaver, Stage Raw, ArtsinLA.com