Vista-based actor Jonathan McMurtry was a major honoree at the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle's Craig Noel Awards on Monday.

McMurtry, who stars this month in "The Dresser" at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach, was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony held at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, in La Jolla. The Critics Circle's awards are named in honor of Craig Noel, the 93-year-old founding artistic director of The Old Globe, which is a fitting tribute for McMurtry, who has been performing at the Globe for the past 47 years.

A filmed tribute in McMurtry's honor was the highlight of the ceremony, which also included tributes to Arthur Wagner, founder of the department of theater and dance at UC San Diego, and Steve Karo, who led the drive to restore the Balboa Theatre in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter.

More than 350 members of the theater community attended the ceremony, which featured 31 awards honoring local professional theatrical achievements. Other North County winners included Steve Glaudini, for his direction of "Les Miserables" at the Moonlight Amphitheatre; and two actors (Amanda Sitton and Manny Fernandes) featured in "Golden Boy" at New Village Arts Theatre in Carlsbad.

The La Jolla Playhouse won awards for its musical productions of "Memphis" and "Xanadu"; the Old Globe earned a New Play award for Steven Drukman's "In This Corner"; and Cygnet Theatre in San Diego earned an overall production award for "Fences."

The San Diego Theatre Critics Circle (of which I'm the president) is a panel of 11 theater critics for local newspapers, magazines and online publications in San Diego County. For a full list of winners and photos of the event, visit www.sdcriticscircle.org.

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If you've been around downtown Escondido on the weekends this month, you may have seen an elderly man "busking" on the street corners, performing his original songs for passers-by.

That 85-year-old Escondidan is Roy Freesinger (nee Jorgensen), a retired WWII veteran and teacher who is singing for the love of it on the street corners outside O'Sullivan's Pub and Vinz Wine Bar. Since Freesinger started busking three weekends ago, he said he's had a lot of positive feedback from the community, if not always from some of the nearby merchants.

Freesinger sings, or more aptly "raps," to pre-recorded electronic pop music on a small battery-operated speaker and tape player he carries around with him. His songs (he says he has written 25 original "novels-in-song") include riffs on sex, marriage and other personal dilemmas, money ("Money can buy happiness") and his latest number, "Georgie Porgie," inspired by President Obama's inauguration last week (sample lyrics include "Georgie Porgie / capitalism and war / kissed de wealthy / turned into a whore").

Freesinger grew up listening to jazz and blues in his native Chicago and flew B-24s for the Army Air Force in World War II. After the war, he spent 10 years as a flight trainer/supervisor for Pan Am Airlines and then 21 years as a schoolteacher before retiring in the Bay Area. He took up singing at the tender age of 70 when he wrote a few songs on a department store keyboard and talked an Emeryville punk rock club owner into letting him take the stage one night.

For many years, Freesinger performed at various Bay Area clubs with his son, guitarist Sven Jorgensen, under the name Freesinger & Sons. Jorgensen later moved to North County and Freesinger followed, moving to Escondido six years ago. Freesinger's now a solo act (his son is a touring concert sound engineer) and he said he's had a hard time finding places to perform, so this year he has decided to hit the streets as a busker.

While Freesinger says he has no grand plans for a major music career or recording contract, he likes interacting with the public and bringing his music to a new audience. So if you're downtown this weekend and you see a man in a floppy hat with an oversized microphone in his hand, Freesinger hopes you'll give him a listen.

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Oceanside blues singer Candye Kane just may be the toughest girl alive. After surviving a life-and-death battle with pancreatic cancer last year, Kane is cancer-free and still touring around the globe.

Kane has written an autobiographical play, aptly titled " The Toughest Girl Alive," that will be presented in a workshop this weekend at Diversionary Theatre in San Diego. Javier Velasco, director/choreographer for San Diego Velasco, has adapted the script and is directing the workshop, which will star Kane and actors Amy Biedel and Daren Scott. Musical accompaniment will be provided by Sue Palmer and the Candye Kane band featuring Laura Chavez.

Kane describes the story as "the 99.9 percent true, stranger-than-fiction story of an ex-gang member, unwed teen mother, rockabilly, punk rock, plus-sized, ex-adult film star, cancer-surviving, multi-award-winning, bisexual, blues phenomenon," told in her own words and uplifting music.

Showgoers are sure to notice that the once-zaftig Kane has changed a bit as the result of her cancer battle. She has shed more than 100 pounds (and eight dress sizes) in the past year and recently held an online auction to sell some of her old clothes (sizes 18 to 24).

Peformances are at 8 p.m. Thursday-Sunday at 4545 Park Blvd. in San Diego.Tickets are $16. Because of the subject matter so performances will be themed for an adult audience and some will be more family friendly. Call the box office for dteails at (619) 861-6162.

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In my column last week, I was off by a week in telling viewers to tune into the "Monk" episode that was filmed partly at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium. That episode will actually air at 9 p.m. this Friday on USA Network.

Pam Kragen is the entertainment editor of the North County Times