‘Cycle,’ ‘Angels’ Top Critic Awards : Theater: ‘Kentucky Cycle’ takes 5 honors including outstanding production, shared with ‘Angels in America’ and ‘Melody Jones.’

The Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum has walked away with the lion’s share of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle’s 24th annual awards, garnering nine of 30, the critics announced Monday.

This includes two awards for outstanding production, won by last year’s pair of two-part marathons, “The Kentucky Cycle” and “Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes.”

“Cycle” took more awards--five--than any other show, while “Angels” took three, in addition to the Circle’s previously announced Ted Schmitt Award for its playwright, Tony Kushner.

The only other award for outstanding production went to “Melody Jones,” adapted by Dan Gerrity and Jeremy Lawrence from the novel by David Galloway, and staged at Ted Schmitt’s Cast Theatre. It is also the recipient of awards in direction, lighting and sound design, for a total of four.

The Long Beach Civic Light Opera’s revival of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s “Chicago” picked up three awards. Productions of “Cock & Bull Story” at the Fountainhead Theatre and Kander and Ebb’s “The World Goes ‘Round” at the Henry Fonda Theatre each received two awards.

Costa Mesa’s South Coast Repertory, which usually makes a strong showing, received a surprisingly slim four awards for four different shows. Six other productions each received a single award.

The major theaters garnered 18 awards, to the smaller companies’ 12. The Circle, which currently consists of 18 print-media critics, does not give out “bests,” reserving the right to give multiple awards or none in any category.

The awards will be presented April 4 at a luncheon at Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City and are open to the public. Tickets at $25 are available through Theatix.

The list of award recipients:

* Production: “Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes,” Gordon Davidson, producer for Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum in association with the New York Shakespeare Festival; “The Kentucky Cycle,” Gordon Davidson, producer for Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum in association with Intiman Theatre Company; “Melody Jones,” Diana Gibson, producer for Ted Schmitt’s Cast Theatre and BeBe Love Productions.

* Writing: Tony Kushner, “Angels in America”; Robert Schenkkan, “The Kentucky Cycle.”

* Direction: Julie Cobb, “Twelve Angry Men,” Company of Angels; Oskar Eustis and Tony Taccone, “Angels in America”; Ron Link, “Melody Jones.”

* Performance: Kandis Chappell, “Woman in Mind,” South Coast Repertory; Trevor Goddard, “Cock & Bull Story,” Fountainhead Theatre; Charles Hallahan, “The Kentucky Cycle”; Ed Harris, “Scar,” Met Theatre; Nan Martin, “Odd Jobs,” South Coast Repertory; Bebe Neuwirth, “Chicago,” Terrace Theater; Mark Sheppard, “Cock & Bull Story”; Morgan Weisser, “Being At Home With Claude,” Stages Theatre Center.

* Ensemble Performance: Joel Blum, Shelley Dickinson, Marin Mazzie, John Ruess, Karen Ziemba, “The World Goes ‘Round,” Henry Fonda Theatre.

* Creation Performance: John Fleck, “A Snowball’s Chance in Hell,” Taper, Too/Coast Playhouse; Charlayne Woodard, “Pretty Fire,” Fountainhead Theatre/Odyssey Theatre.

* Scenic Design: Michael Olich, “The Kentucky Cycle.”

* Lighting Design: Ken Booth, “Melody Jones”; Peter Maradudin, “The Kentucky Cycle.”

* Costume Design: Ann Bruice, “The Philadelphia Story,” South Coast Repertory; Cara Varnell, Alex Jaeger, Lori Martin, “Under the Gaslight,” Pacific Theatre Ensemble.

* Sound Design: Scott Watson, “Melody Jones.”

* Choreography: Ann Reinking, “Chicago”; Susan Stroman, “The World Goes ‘Round.”

* Musical Direction: Steven Applegate, “Candide,” Colony Studio Theatre; John McDaniel, “Chicago.”

* Musical Performance: Djimbe West African Dancers and Drummers, “Twelfth Night,” South Coast Repertory.

As previously announced, the Circle’s Margaret Harford Award goes to the West Coast Ensemble and two special awards go to Theatre Row Hollywood and to Ben Donenberg and his Shakespeare Festival/LA.