La Jolla Playhouse artistic director Des McAnuff is flying high these days. He is set to receive a specialty award ” the Julia Hansen Award for Excellence in Directing ” at the Drama League’s 72nd annual awards ceremony tomorrow, May 5, in New York. Presenting the award is Aaron Sorkin, whose new stage drama titled “The Farnsworth Invention” will be staged by McAnuff at the Playhouse next season.The McAnuff-directed, top-grossing “Jersey Boys,” which originated at the Playhouse and opened on Broadway last fall, is nominated for distinguished performance of a musical. Two “Jersey Boys” actors, San Diegan Christian Hoff (Tommy DeVito) and John Lloyd Young (Franki Valli), are nominated for Drama League distinguished performance awards. The musical, McAnuff, Hoff and Young are also nominees for Outer Critics Circle Awards, with the winners to be announced May 15. McAnuff is a two-time Tony Award-winning director for “Big River” and “The Who’s Tommy.”Meanwhile, on the La Jolla Playhouse campus, McAnuff is staging the world premiere of Michael Weller and Lucy Simon’s new musical, “Zhivago.” With lyrics by Michael Korie and Amy Powers, “Zhivago” was developed in the Playhouse Page to Stage Program last season. It opens in previews May 10 and continues through June 25, with an official opening set for May 24.Simon wrote music for the hit Broadway musical “The Secret Garden.” Weller based the “Zhivago” book on Boris Pasternak’s epic novel “Doctor Zhivago,” which concerns Yurii Zhivago, a Moscow physician caught up in the Russian Revolution and also in an extramarital affair with a woman named Lara. There are five major characters in the musical.Zhivago is played by San Diego State University graduate Ivan Hernandez, who made a splash recently as Joey in the New York City Opera production of “Most Happy Fella.” Lara is portrayed by Jessica Burrows, who originated the role in last summer’s workshop production. Komarovsky, who despoiled Lara when she was still in her teens, is played by Tom Hewitt, remembered by local audiences in the title role of “Dracula.” Lara is married to a student protester named Pasha, who later becomes the feared military leader, Strelnikov. This role is played by Matt Bogard, who appeared on Broadway in “The Full Monty.” Rena Strober, who sang the role of Cosette in Broadway’s “Les Miserables,” portrays Zhivago’s wife, Tonya.Beginning May 10, “Zhivago” plays at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 7 p.m. Sunday, through June 25 at La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive. Tickets range in price from $48 to $85 and may be obtained by visiting www.lajollaplayhouse.com or calling (858) 550-1010.” Charlene Baldridge interviews “Zhivago” composer Lucy Simon in the spring issue of La Jolla Today magazine, to be published next Thursday, May 11.
