Nick DeGruccio
Director, SDC/AEA/SAG
KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN
KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN
by John Kander, Fred Ebb
Book by Terrance McNally based on the Manuel Puig novel
HAVOK THEATRE COMPANY,
THE BOOTLEG THEATRE
SEPTEMBER 26, 2008
2009 OVATION AWARDS
PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL, INTIMATE THEATRE
CHOREOGRAPHY - LEE MARTINO
Other Nominations:
Direction of a Musical - Nick DeGruccio
Lighting Design, Intimate Theatre - Steven Young
Lead Actor in a Musical - Chad Borden
NOMINATED for 4 L.A. Drama Critics' Circle Awards!
Choreography - Lee Martino
Musical Direction - Michael Paternostro
Lighting Design - Steven Young
Lead Performance - Chad Borden
#1 in TOP TEN OF 2008 – Frontiers Magazine
BACKSTAGE GARLAND AWARD
”A consummately crafted revival... Deftly scaling down Harold Prince's original staging concepts, DeGruccio and company achieve an electrifying visceral experience while imparting stirring emotional resonance and musical splendor.
...a superlative ensemble captures this show's soaring musicality, harrowing drama, and edgy humor, seamlessly woven by DeGruccio into a gloriously theatrical tapestry. This feels like the right show in the right performing space staged by the right artists at the right time — a serendipitous marvel. "I do miracles," croons the Spider Woman. Indeed.”
- Backstage West, Les Spindle
“The cast under Nick DeGruccio’s masterful direction gets just about all of it right. Captivating…weaves a theatrical web of rare professionalism.”
- In Magazine
“Director Nick DeGruccio and choreographer Lee Martino have mounted a terrific production.”
- LA Weekly
“...that this Nick DeGruccio directed-Lee Martino choreographed Havoc Theatre Company production could pretty much transfer as-is to the Ahmanson or the Pasadena Playhouse puts this Kiss right at the top of anyone’s Fall 2008 Must-See List.
Nick DeGruccio, as this year’s Ovation Award nominations once again prove, is L.A.’s preeminent director of musicals. Here again, he works his magic in transporting the audience from the dank and terrifying cells which house Kiss’s political prisoners to the fantasy world of movie musicals,
"This once-in-a-dozen-years production ought to top anyone’s list of must-sees. People will be talking, and raving for months to come."
- Stage Scene LA (Steven Stanley)
"Magnificent! Flawless! 5 Stars!" - Grigware Talks Theatre
"STUNNNING! One of the year's finest!" - Frontiers Magazine