| ANNOUNCING THE NOMINEES FOR THE 71ST ANNUAL OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS COMMEMORATING THE 2021-2022 BROADWAY & OFF-BROADWAY SEASON |
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| Broadway’s The Lehman Trilogy leads the pack with nine nominations, followed by Off-Broadway musicals Harmony and Kimberly Akimbo with eight nods eachJohanna Day, David Morse, Mary-Louise Parker, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson To Receive Special Achievement AwardsNominees for the John Gassner Award for New American Playwrights are Erika Dickerson-Despenza, Sanaz Toossi, Sylvia Khoury, Dave Harris and Keenan Scott II |
| (NEW YORK, NY – Tuesday, April 26, 2022) The Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of writers on New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers and national publications, are pleased to announce the nominees for the 71st Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards, honoring the 2021-2022 Broadway and Off-Broadway season.Leading the pack with the most honors of the season is the Broadway play The Lehman Trilogy with nine nominations, followed by the Off-Broadway musicals Harmony and Kimberly Akimbo which earned eight nods each. The most recognized Broadway musicals of the season are MJ the Musical and Paradise Square, with seven nominations each.Nominees for the annual John Gassner Award — for a new American play, preferably by a new playwright — are Erika Dickerson-Despenza for Cullud Wattah, Sanaz Toossi for English, Sylvia Khoury for Selling Kabul, Dave Harrisfor Tambo and Bones, and Keenan Scott II for Thoughts of a Colored Man.Returning to an in-person ceremony this spring after the 2020 virtual honors, the Outer Critics Circle Award winners will be announced on Monday, May 16, with a ceremony honoring the award recipients on Thursday, May 26 at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.Special Achievement Awards will be presented to How I Learned to Drive stars Johanna Day, David Morse, and Mary-Louise Parker, as well as Lackawanna Blues star Ruben Santiago-Hudson, to mark their outstanding returns to roles they originated two decades ago.Additionally, the Outer Critics Circle presents commendations to two groups whose contributions to the 2021-22 season were immeasurable: the Standbys, Understudies, and Swings, as well as the Covid-19 Safety Officers.”In the spring of 2020, we gathered on Zoom to determine that year’s slate of Outer Critics Circle Awards recipients, not knowing when or if we’d ever have the chance to do it again,” said Outer Critics Circle President David Gordon. “We are very grateful to have been able to see more than 100 productions for this year’s consideration, and even more appreciative of all the work that it took to bring live performance back to New York City safely. Every single person involved in the 2021-2022 theater season, from onstage and backstage to front of house, should be immensely proud of this accomplishment.” |
| The 2021-2022 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations |
| Outstanding New Broadway Musical MJ the Musical Mr. Saturday Night Mrs. Doubtfire Paradise Square Six Outstanding New Broadway Play Birthday Candles Clyde’s Skeleton Crew The Lehman Trilogy The Minutes Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical Black No More Harmony Intimate Apparel Kimberly Akimbo Little Girl Blue Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play Morning Sun On Sugarland Prayer for the French Republic Sanctuary City The Chinese Lady John Gassner Award (presented to a new American play, preferably by a new playwright) Cullud Wattah by Erika Dickerson-Despenza English by Sanaz Toossi Selling Kabul by Sylvia Khoury Tambo and Bones by Dave Harris Thoughts of a Colored Man by Keenan Scott II Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) Assassins Caroline, or Change Company The Music Man The Streets of New York Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway) for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf How I Learned to Drive Take Me Out A Touch of the Poet Trouble in Mind Outstanding Actor in a Musical Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo Myles Frost, MJ the Musical Rob McClure, Mrs. Doubtfire Jaquel Spivey, A Strange Loop Chip Zien, Harmony Outstanding Actress in a Musical Kearstin Piper Brown, Intimate Apparel Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo Sharon D Clarke, Caroline, or Change Carmen Cusack, Flying Over Sunset Joaquina Kalukango, Paradise Square Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Quentin Earl Darrington, MJ the Musical Matt Doyle, Company Steven Pasquale, Assassins A.J. Shively, Paradise Square Will Swenson, Assassins Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Shoshana Bean, Mr. Saturday Night Jenn Colella, Suffs Judy Kuhn, Assassins Patti LuPone, Company Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo Outstanding Actor in a Play Patrick J. Adams, Take Me Out Simon Russell Beale, The Lehman Trilogy Adam Godley, The Lehman Trilogy Adrian Lester, The Lehman Trilogy Sam Rockwell, American Buffalo Outstanding Actress in a Play Betsy Aidem, Prayer for the French Republic Stephanie Berry, On Sugarland Edie Falco, Morning Sun LaChanze, Trouble in Mind Debra Messing, Birthday Candles Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Chuck Cooper, Trouble in Mind Brandon J. Dirden, Skeleton Crew Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Take Me Out Michael Oberholtzer, Take Me Out Austin Pendleton, The Minutes Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Chanté Adams, Skeleton Crew Uzo Aduba, Clyde’s Francis Benhamou, Prayer for the French Republic Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew Nancy Robinette, Prayer for the French Republic Outstanding Solo Performance Alex Edelman, Just For Us Jenn Murray, A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing Arturo Luís Soria, Ni Mi Madre Kristina Wong, Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord Outstanding Director of a Play Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf Scott Ellis, Take Me Out Sam Mendes, The Lehman Trilogy Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Skeleton Crew Anna D. Shapiro, The Minutes Outstanding Director of a Musical Warren Carlyle, Harmony Moisés Kaufman, Paradise Square Jessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo Christopher Wheeldon, MJ the Musical Jerry Zaks, Mrs. Doubtfire Outstanding Choreography Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf Warren Carlyle, Harmony Warren Carlyle, The Music Man Bill T. Jones, Alex Sanchez, Garrett Coleman, and Jason Oremus, Paradise Square Christopher Wheeldon and Rich + Tone Talauega, MJ the Musical Outstanding Book of a Musical Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, and Babaloo Mandel, Mr. Saturday Night Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, Mrs. Doubtfire David Lindsay-Abaire, Kimberly Akimbo Lynn Nottage, Intimate Apparel Bruce Sussman, Harmony Outstanding Score Jason Howland, Nathan Tysen, and Masi Asare, Paradise Square Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, Mrs. Doubtfire Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, Harmony Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, Six Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire, Kimberly Akimbo Outstanding Orchestrations John Clancy, Kimberly Akimbo David Holcenberg and Jason Michael Webb, MJ the Musical Greg Jarrett, Assassins Jason Howland, Paradise Square Doug Walter, Harmony Outstanding Scenic Design (Play or Musical) Beowulf Boritt, Flying Over Sunset Es Devlin, The Lehman Trilogy Scott Pask, American Buffalo Adam Rigg, The Skin of Our Teeth David Zinn, The Minutes Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical) Jane Greenwood, Plaza Suite Santo Loquasto, The Music Man Gabriella Slade, Six Emilio Sosa, Trouble in Mind Catherine Zuber, Mrs. Doubtfire Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical) Jon Clark, The Lehman Trilogy Natasha Katz, MJ the Musical Bradley King, Flying Over Sunset Brian MacDevitt, The Minutes Jen Schreiver, Lackawanna Blues Outstanding Sound Design (Play or Musical) Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey, The Lehman Trilogy André Pluess, The Minutes Ben and Max Ringham, Blindness Dan Moses Schreier, Harmony Matt Stine, Assassins Outstanding Video/Projection Design (Play or Musical) 59 Productions and Benjamin Pearcy, Flying Over Sunset Stefania Bulbarella and Alex Basco Koch, Space Dogs Shawn Duan, Letters of Suresh Luke Halls, The Lehman Trilogy Jeff Sugg, Mr. Saturday Night Special Achievement Awards are presented to: Johanna Day, David Morse, Mary-Louise Parker, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson for reprising their outstanding performances in How I Learned to Drive and Lackawanna Blues two decades later. All had been eligible in previous seasons. Outer Critics Circle Commendations are presented to:· The Standbys, Understudies, and Swings of the theatrical community who step up to perform, often on hours’ notice, to keep their shows running.· To the Covid Safety Supervisors, Managers, and Compliance Officers who put themselves in harm’s way eight times a week to keep the curtains up. This season’s fully eligible Broadway productions included Pass Over, Six, Lackawanna Blues, Chicken & Biscuits, Thoughts of a Colored Man, The Lehman Trilogy, Caroline, or Change, Diana, Trouble in Mind, Clyde’s, Mrs. Doubtfire, Company, Flying Over Sunset, Skeleton Crew, MJ the Musical, The Music Man, Plaza Suite, Paradise Square, Take Me Out, Birthday Candles, The Little Prince, American Buffalo, The Minutes, How I Learned to Drive, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, Funny Girl, The Skin of Our Teeth, Mr. Saturday Night, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive. After consideration in previous seasons, only new elements of the following productions were eligible for awards: Girl from the North Country, Is This A Room, Dana H., Hangmen, A Strange Loop. By mutual agreement with the production, owing to Covid-19-related delays, the Broadway revival of Macbeth will be considered for awards during the 2022-2023 season. The following return engagements were not eligible for awards: Springsteen on Broadway, Waitress, American Utopia, Freestyle Love Supreme, Slave Play, Beetlejuice. Founded during the 1949-50 Broadway season by respected theater journalist John Gassner, The Outer Critics Circle is an esteemed association with members affiliated with more than ninety newspapers, magazines, broadcast stations, and online news organizations, in America and abroad. Led by its current president David Gordon, the OCC Board of Directors also includes Vice President Simon Saltzman, Recording Secretary Joseph Cervelli, Corresponding Secretary Patrick Hoffman, Treasurer David Roberts, Harry Haun, Cynthia Allen, Richard Ridge, Janice Simpson and Stanley L. Cohen. Productions with Multiple Nominations The Lehman Trilogy – 9 Harmony – 8 Kimberly Akimbo – 8 MJ the Musical – 7 Paradise Square – 7 Assassins – 6 Mrs. Doubtfire – 6 The Minutes – 6 Skeleton Crew – 5 Take Me Out – 5 Flying Over Sunset – 4 How I Learned to Drive – 4 (including special awards) Mr. Saturday Night – 4 Prayer for the French Republic – 4 Trouble in Mind – 4 Company – 3 for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf – 3 Intimate Apparel – 3 Six – 3 The Music Man – 3 Birthday Candles – 2 American Buffalo – 2 Caroline, or Change – 2 Clyde’s – 2 Lackawanna Blues – 2 (including special award) Morning Sun – 2 On Sugarland – 2 |
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