If I was a Tony voter: The 2018 Sammys

The 2018 Tony Awards are upon us! But before we gather to watch the real nominees and winners tonight, it's time for my annual list of Dream Tonys: The Sammys!

I love the Tonys, but like any awards show they always get a few things wrong. So thank God Sondheim I'm here to set things straight. I stick to the same categories with only a few adjustments: I have a Best New Script category because it continually blows my mind that our playwrights don't have a race of their own at the Tonys. And that category, as well as Score and Book only have 3 nominees each. In a thin year for new work and original scores, that's all that seemed necessary. As you can see by the totals at the bottom of this list, I ended up spreading the wealth quite a bit.

Full list of nominees and winners below!

Best Musical
"The Band's Visit" (winner)
"Frozen"
"Mean Girls"
"SpongeBob SquarePants" (runner-up)

Best Play
"The Children" (winner)
"Farinelli and the King'
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" (runner-up)
"Junk"

Best Revival of a Musical
"Carousel"
"My Fair Lady" (runner-up)
"Once on This Island" (winner)

Best Revival of a Play
"Angels in America" (winner)
"Lobby Hero"
"Three Tall Women" (runner-up)
"Travesties"

Lead Actor in a Musical
Harry Hadden-Paton, "My Fair Lady" (runner-up)
Joshua Henry, "Carousel"
Tony Shalhoub, "The Band's Visit"
Ethan Slater, "SpongeBob SquarePants" (winner)

Lead Actress in a Musical
Lauren Ambrose, "My Fair Lady" (runner-up)
Hailey Kilgore, "Once on This Island"
Katrina Lenk, "The Band's Visit" (winner)
Taylor Louderman, "Mean Girls"
Patti Murin, "Frozen"

Lead Actor in a Play
Andrew Garfield, "Angels in America" (winner)
Tom Hollander, "Travesties" (runner-up)
John Lithgow, "Stories by Heart"
Steven Pasquale, "Junk"
Mark Rylance, "Farinelli and the King"

Lead Actress in a Play
Glenda Jackson, "Three Tall Women" (winner)
Condola Rashad, "Saint Joan"
Lauren Ridloff, "Children of a Lesser God" (runner-up)
Lili Taylor, "Marvin's Room"

Featured Actor in a Musical
Adam Kantor, "The Band's Visit"
Norbert Leo Butz, "My Fair Lady" (winner)
Gavin Lee, "SpongeBob SquarePants"
Alex Newell, "Once on This Island" (runner-up)
Wesley Taylor, "SpongeBob SquarePants"

Featured Actress in a Musical
Ariana DeBose, "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical"
Lindsay Mendez, "Carousel" (winner)
Kenita R. Miller, "Once on This Island" (runner-up)
Ashley Park, "Mean Girls"
Kate Rockwell, "Mean Girls"

Featured Actor in a Play
Anthony Boyle, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child"
Ron Cook, "The Children"
Nathan Lane, "Angels in America" (winner)
James McArdle, "Angels in America" (runner-up)
Lee Pace, "Angels in America"

Featured Actress in a Play
Francesca Annis, "The Children"
Susan Brown, "Angels in America"
Deborah Findlay, "The Children" (winner)
Denise Gough, "Angels in America" (runner-up)
Laurie Metcalf, "Three Tall Women"

Director of a Musical
Michael Arden, "Once on This Island" (winner)
David Cromer, "The Band's Visit" (runner-up)
Tina Landau, "SpongeBob SquarePants"
Casey Nicholaw, "Mean Girls"
Bartlett Sher, "My Fair Lady"

Director of a Play
Marianne Elliott, "Angels in America" (runner-up)
James Macdonald, "The Children"
Joe Mantello, "Three Tall Women"
Patrick Marber, "Travesties"
John Tiffany, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" (winner)

Original Score
Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, "Frozen"
David Yazbeck, "The Band's Visit" (winner)
Various Artists, "SpongeBob SquarePants"

Book of a Musical
Tina Fey, "Mean Girls"
Kyle Jarrow, "SpongeBob SquarePants"
Itamar Moses, "The Band's Visit" (winner)

New Script
Ayad Akhtar, "Junk"
John Leguizamo, "Latin History for Morons"
Lucy Kirkwood, "The Children" (winner)

Choreography
Camille A. Brown, "Once on This Island" (winner)
Christopher Gattelli, "SpongeBob SquarePants"
Steven Hoggett, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child"
Casey Nicholaw, "Mean Girls"
Justin Peck, "Carousel" (runner-up)

Orchestrations
"The Band's Visit" (winner)
"Carousel"
"Once on This Island"
"Prince of Broadway"
"SpongeBob SquarePants" (runner-up)

Scenic Design of a Musical
"The Band's Visit"
"Frozen"
"My Fair Lady" (runner-up)
"Once on This Island" (winner)
"SpongeBob SquarePants"

Scenic Design of a Play
"Angels in America"
"The Children"
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" (winner)
"Three Tall Women" (runner-up)
"Travesties"

Costume Design of a Musical
"Mean Girls"
"My Fair Lady" (winner)
"Once on This Island" (runner-up)
"SpongeBob SquarePants"
"Summer: The Donna Summer Musical"

Costume Design of a Play
"Angels in America"
"Farinelli and the King" (winner)
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" (runner-up)
"Time and the Conways"
"Three Tall Women"

Lighting Design of a Musical
"The Band's Visit" (runner-up)
"Carousel"
"My Fair Lady" (winner)
"Once on This Island"
"SpongeBob SquarePants"

Lighting Design of a Play
"Angels in America" (runner-up)
"The Children"
"Farinelli and the King"
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" (winner)
"Junk"

Sound Design of a Musical
"The Band's Visit" (runner-up)
"Carousel"
"My Fair Lady"
"Once on This Island"
"SpongeBob SquarePants" (winner)

Sound Design of a Play
"Angels in America" (winner)
"The Children"
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" (runner-up)
"Time and the Conways"
"Travesties"

WINS
"The Band's Visit" - 5
"Angels in America" - 4
"Once on This Island" - 4
"The Children" - 3
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" - 3
"My Fair Lady" - 3
"SpongeBob SquarePants" - 2
"Carousel" - 1
"Farinelli and the King" - 1
"Three Tall Women" - 1

MOST NOMINATED
"SpongeBob SquarePants" - 13
"Angels in America" - 12
"The Band's Visit" - 11
"Once on This Island" - 11
"The Children" - 9
"My Fair Lady" - 9
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" - 8
"Mean Girls" - 8
"Carousel" - 7
"Three Tall Women" - 6
"Frozen" - 5
"Travesties" - 5

2018 Tony Award Nominations

Nominations were announced this morning for the 2018 tony Awards. Many of the top categories panned out as expected, though plenty of surprises were in store.

"Harry Potter" racked up an impressive tally of 10, but "Angels in America" slipped in with 11. That is good enough for the most nominated play in Tony history, surpassing "The Coast of Utopia" and "Fences" (they both had 10 like "Harry Potter"). Never underestimate the home field advantage when it comes to the Tonys. Over in Best Play, "Latin History for Morons" edged into the new fifth slot as it's sole nomination (though John Leguizamo will also receive a Special Tony Award).

"The Band's Visit" remains out front for Best Musical with 11 nominations, but "Mean Girls" and "SpongeBob SquarePants" made a strong showing, bolstered by plenty of design support for 12 nominations a piece. Voters didn't care much for "Frozen" which saw both Caissie Levy and Patti Murin left out in the cold, despite a 6 nominee strong Lead Actress category. The show racked up three nominations for Musical, Score, and Book; fields they were expected to place in by default.

Musical Revival remains the most competitive top category. "Once on This Island" was shut out of both featured acting races and, even more puzzling, Choreography. Michael Arden still feels competitive for Director though. "Carousel" on the other hand, over-performed with 11 noms, including all four acting categories. "My Fair Lady" managed a quartet of acting nominations as well.

For me, the most shocking snub was James McArdle. His Louis was a highlight of "Angels in America," a play the nominators clearly loved. His spot was taken by Michael Cera ("Lobby Hero"), who is very effective in his role, but should have been deemed Lead. Elsewhere, Camille A. Brown's choreography in "Once on This Island" was worthy of a win, but she isn't even nominated. Standout performers Kate Rockwell, Alex Newell, Ron Cook, Lee Pace, and Kenita R. Miller were also given the cold shoulder.

There was happier news for surprise inclusions like LaChanze and Ariana DeBose of "Summer," Renee Fleming and Alexander Gemignani of "Carousel," and Deborah Findlay of "The Children." The strangest nominee? "Angels in America" appearing in Best Score. Since there were far less than 9 eligible scores (which would have automatically pushed the category to 5 nominees), a fifth spot for "Angels" meant there was a tie in voting...which probably means one or more of the ones nominated have little support. Even weirder was the lack of ruling to deem "Angels in America" eligible for this category in the first place. Dear Tony Awards: PLEASE make eligibility rulings more straightforward in the future. It shouldn't take a Sherlock Holmes investigative team to decipher who can compete where after reading your quarterly decisions.

full list below


Best Musical
“Frozen”
“Mean Girls”
“SpongeBob SquarePants”
“The Band’s Visit”

Best Musical Revival
“Carousel”
“My Fair Lady”
“Once On This Island”

Best Actor (Musical)
Harry Hadden-Paton, “My Fair Lady”
Joshua Henry, “Carousel”
Tony Shalhoub, “The Band’s Visit”
Ethan Slater, “SpongeBob SquarePants”

Best Actress (Musical)
Lauren Ambrose, “My Fair Lady”
Hailey Kilgore, Once On This Island”
LaChanze, “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”
Katrina Lenk, “The Band’s Visit”
Taylor Louderman, “Mean Girls”
Jessie Mueller, “Carousel”

Best Featured Actor (Musical)
Norbert Leo Butz, “My Fair Lady”
Alexander Gemignani, “Carousel”
Grey Henson, “Mean Girls”
Gavin Lee, “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Ari’el Stachel, “The Band’s Visit”

Best Featured Actress (Musical)
Ariana DeBose, “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”
Renée Fleming, “Carousel”
Lindsay Mendez, “Carousel”
Ashley Park, “Mean Girls”
Diana Rigg, “My Fair Lady”

Best Director (Musical)
Michael Arden, “Once On This Island”
David Cromer, “The Band’s Visit”
Tina Landau, “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Casey Nicholaw, “Mean Girls”
Bartlett Sher, “My Fair Lady”

Best Choreography
Christopher Gattelli, “My Fair Lady”
Christopher Gattelli, “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Steven Hoggett, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Casey Nicholaw, “Mean Girls”
Justin Peck, “Carousel”

Best Book of a Musical
“The Band’s Visit,” Itamar Moses
“Frozen,” Jennifer Lee
“Mean Girls, Tina Fey
“SpongeBob SquarePants,” Kyle Jarrow

Best Original Score
“Angels in America”
Music: Adrian Sutton

“The Band’s Visit”
Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek

“Frozen”
Music & Lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

“Mean Girls”
Music: Jeff Richmond, Lyrics: Nell Benjamin

“SpongeBob SquarePants”
Music & Lyrics: Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper & Rob Hyman, John Legend, Panic! at the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, T.I., Domani & Lil’C

Best Orchestrations
John Clancy, “Mean Girls”
Tom Kitt, “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Annmarie Milazzo & Michael Starobin, “Once On This Island”
Jamshied Sharifi, “The Band’s Visit”
Jonathan Tunick, “Carousel”

Best Costume Design (Musical)
Gregg Barnes, “Mean Girls”
Clint Ramos, “Once On This Island”
Ann Roth, “Carousel”
David Zinn, “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Catherine Zuber, “My Fair Lady”

Best Lighting Design (Musical)
Kevin Adams, “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Jules Fisher, Peggy Eisenhauer, “Once On This Island”
Donald Holder, “My Fair Lady”
Brian MacDevitt, “Carousel”
Tyler Micoleau, “The Band’s Visit”

Best Scenic Design (Musical)
Dane Laffrey, “Once On This Island”
Scott Pask, “The Band’s Visit
Scott Pask, Finn Ross, Adam Young, “Mean Girls”
Michael Yeargan, “My Fair Lady”
David Zinn, “SpongeBob SquarePants”

Best Sound Design (Musical)
Kai Harada, “The Band’s Visit”
Peter Hylenski, “Once On This Island”
Scott Lehrer, “Carousel”
Brian Ronan, “Mean Girls”
Walter Trarbach and Mike Dobson, “SpongeBob SquarePants”

Best Play
“The Children”
“Farinelli and the King”
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
“Latin History for Morons”
“Junk”

Best Play Revival
“Angels in America”
“The Iceman Cometh”
“Lobby Hero”
“Three Tall Women”
“Travesties”

Best Actor (Play)
Andrew Garfield, “Angels in America”
Tom Hollander, “Travesties”
Jamie Parker, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Mark Rylance, “Farinelli and the King”
Denzel Washington, “The Iceman Cometh”

Best Actress (Play)
Glenda Jackson, “Three Tall Women”
Condola Rashad, “Saint Joan”
Lauren Ridloff, “Children of a Lesser God”
Amy Schumer, “Meteor Shower”

Best Featured Actor (Play)
Anthony Boyle, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Michael Cera, “Lobby Hero”
Brian Tyree Henry, “Lobby Hero”
Nathan Lane, “Angels in America”
David Morse, “The Iceman Cometh”

Best Featured Actress (Play)
Susan Brown, “Angels in America”
Noma Dumezweni, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Deborah Findlay, “The Children”
Denise Gough, “Angels in America”
Laurie Metcalf, “Three Tall Women”

Best Director (Play)
Marianne Elliott, “Angels in America”
Joe Mantello, “Three Tall Women”
Patrick Marber, “Travesties”
John Tiffany, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
George C. Wolfe, “The Iceman Cometh”

Best Costume Design (Play)
Jonathan Fensom, “Farinelli and The King”
Nicky Gillibrand, “Angels in America”
Katrina Lindsay, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Ann Roth, “Three Tall Women”
Ann Roth, “The Iceman Cometh”

Best Lighting Design (Play)
Neil Austin, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Paule Constable, “Angels in America”
Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenhauer, “The Iceman Cometh”
Paul Russell, “Farinelli and The King”
Ben Stanton, “Junk”

Best Scenic Design (Play)
Miriam Buether, “Three Tall Women”
Jonathan Fensom, “Farinelli and The King”
Christine Jones, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Santo Loquasto, “The Iceman Cometh”
Ian MacNeil and Edward Pierce, “Angels in America”

Best Sound Design (Play)
Adam Cork, “Travesties”
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, “Angels in America”
Gareth Fry, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Tom Gibbons, “1984”
Dan Moses Schreier, “The Iceman Cometh”

2018 Drama Desk Nominations (mostly) tell the Broadway season to Sashay Away

The Drama Desks revealed their 2018 nominations, which include Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. And boy are they...weird.

It appears that the nominating committee didn't care for the Broadway season as much as the shows taking place in smaller venues Off-Broadway. Not a single new Broadway play was nominated for Best Play. "Frozen" was tossed out of the Best Musical category. "Harry Potter" couldn't even break into Scenic Design. A seemingly bizarre list is often the case with this awards body given the small pool of nominators who choose to sift through an entire season of New York theater. When you have just 8 people deciding the nominees, it is easy for singular tastes to emerge in the results.

So can we use any of this to predict the Tonys? Not really, but there are still some curiosities to mention. After the OCC noms, this is the second group to snub "The Iceman Cometh" for Play Revival, Lead Actor, and Director. Yet both Drama Desks and OCC cited Robert Morse in Featured Actor. So he should definitely be considered a threat. Ditto Brian Tyree Henry for "Lobby Hero." The play is well liked enough for one of it's three actors to break through, and the critical darling might be who voters are settling on.

Over in Featured Actor in a Musical, Alexander Gemignani racks up a second nomination for "Carousel." He should be competitive, but I still worry that he will be knocked out of the Tony race by one of the men from "The Band's Visit." Tony Yazbeck keeps popping up too, and he could surprise as the only Tony nomination for "Prince of Broadway." As for Featured Actress in a Musical...who knows. Lindsay Mendez is on track for her first Tony nomination. Other than that, it's clear the category will have at least two ladies from "Mean Girls" but there is zero consensus on which ones. Flip a coin I suppose.

Full list below:

Outstanding Play
Admissions, by Joshua Harmon, Lincoln Center Theater
Mary Jane, by Amy Herzog, New York Theatre Workshop
Miles for Mary, by The Mad Ones, Playwrights Horizons
People, Places & Things, by Duncan Macmillan, National Theatre/St. Ann's Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong
School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, by Jocelyn Bioh, MCC Theater

Outstanding Musical
Desperate Measures, The York Theatre Company
KPOP, Ars Nova/Ma-Yi Theatre Company/Woodshed Collective
Mean Girls
Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2b Theatre Company/59E59
SpongeBob SquarePants

Outstanding Revival of a Play
Angels in America
Hindle Wakes, Mint Theater Company
In the Blood, Signature Theatre Company
Three Tall Women
Travesties, Menier Chocolate Factory/Roundabout Theatre Company

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Amerike-The Golden Land, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
Carousel
My Fair Lady, Lincoln Center Theater
Once on This Island
Pacific Overtures, Classic Stage Company

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Johnny Flynn, Hangmen, Royal Court Theatre/Atlantic Theater Company
Andrew Garfield, Angels in America
Tom Hollander, Travesties, Menier Chocolate Factory/Roundabout Theatre Company
James McArdle, Angels in America
Paul Sparks, At Home at the Zoo, Signature Theatre Company

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Carrie Coon, Mary Jane, New York Theatre Workshop
Denise Gough, People, Places & Things, National Theatre/St. Ann's Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong
Glenda Jackson, Three Tall Women
Laurie Metcalf, Three Tall Women
Billie Piper, Yerma, Young Vic/Park Avenue Armory

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Jelani Alladin, Frozen
Harry Hadden-Paton, My Fair Lady
Joshua Henry, Carousel
Evan Ruggiero, Bastard Jones, the cell
Ethan Slater, SpongeBob SquarePants

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Gizel Jiménez, Miss You Like Hell, The Public Theater
LaChanze, Summer
Jessie Mueller, Carousel
Ashley Park, KPOP, Ars Nova/Ma-Yi Theater Company/Woodshed Collective
Daphne Rubin-Vega, Miss You Like Hell, The Public Theater

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Anthony Boyle, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Ben Edelman, Admissions, Lincoln Center Theater
Brian Tyree Henry, Lobby Hero, Second Stage
Nathan Lane, Angels in America
David Morse, The Iceman Cometh
Gregg Mozgala, Cost of Living, Manhattan Theatre Club

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Jocelyn Bioh, In the Blood, Signature Theatre
Jamie Brewer, Amy and the Orphans, Roundabout Underground
Barbara Marten, People, Places & Things, National Theatre/St. Ann's Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong
Deirdre O'Connell, Fulfillment Center, Manhattan Theatre Club
Constance Shulman, Bobbie Clearly, Roundabout Underground

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Damon Daunno, The Lucky Ones, Ars Nova
Alexander Gemignani, Carousel
Grey Henson, Mean Girls
Gavin Lee, SpongeBob SquarePants
Tony Yazbeck, Prince of Broadway, Manhattan Theatre Club

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Lindsay Mendez, Carousel
Kenita R. Miller, Once on This Island
Ashley Park, Mean Girls
Diana Rigg, My Fair Lady
Kate Rockwell, Mean Girls

Outstanding Director of a Play
Marianne Elliott, Angels in America
Jeremy Herrin, People, Places & Things, National Theatre/St. Ann's Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong
Joe Mantello, Three Tall Women
Lila Neugebauer, Miles for Mary, Playwrights Horizons
Simon Stone, Yerma, Young Vic/Park Avenue Armory
John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2b Theatre Company/59E59
Teddy Bergman, KPOP, Ars Nova/Ma-Yi Theater Company/Woodshed Collective
Jack O'Brien, Carousel
Tina Landau, SpongeBob SquarePants
Bartlett Sher, My Fair Lady

The LaDuca Award for Outstanding Choreography
Camille A. Brown, Once on This Island
Christopher Gattelli, SpongeBob SquarePants
Casey Nicholaw, Mean Girls
Justin Peck, Carousel
Nejla Yatkin, The Boy Who Danced on Air, Abingdon Theatre Company

Outstanding Music
The Bengsons, The Lucky Ones, Ars Nova/Piece by Piece Productions/Z Space
Ben Caplan, Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2b Theatre Company/59E59
David Friedman, Desperate Measures, The York Theatre Company
Erin McKeown, Miss You Like Hell, The Public Theater
Helen Park, Max Vernon, KPOP, Ars Nova/Ma-Yi Theater Company/Woodshed Collective

Outstanding Lyrics
Nell Benjamin, Mean Girls
Quiara Alegría Hudes/Erin McKeown, Miss You Like Hell, Public Theatre
Peter Kellogg, Desperate Measures, The York Theatre Company
Helen Park, Max Vernon, KPOP, Ars Nova/Ma-Yi Theater Company/Woodshed Collective

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Tina Fey, Mean Girls
Kyle Jarrow, SpongeBob Squarepants
Peter Kellogg, Desperate Measures, York Theatre Company
Hannah Moscovitch, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2B Theatre/59E59

Outstanding Orchestrations
Tom Kitt, SpongeBob SquarePants
Annmarie Milazzo and Michael Starobin (John Bertles and Bash the Trash, found instrument design) Once on This Island
Charlie Rosen, Erin McKeown, Miss You Like Hell, Public Theater
Jonathan Tunick, Pacific Overtures, Classic Stage Company
Jonathan Tunick, Carousel

Outstanding Music in a Play
Imogen Heap, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Justin Hicks, Mlima's Tale, Public Theatre
Amatus Karim-Ali, The Homecoming Queen, Atlantic Theater Company
Justin Levine, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Public Theater
Adrian Sutton, Angels in America

The Hudson Scenic Studio Award for Outstanding Set Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, Three Tall Women
Bunny Christie, People, Places & Things, St. Ann's Warehouse/National Theatre/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong
Lizzie Clachan, Yerma, Young Vic/Park Avenue Armory
Maruti Evans, Kill Move Paradise, National Black Theatre
Louisa Thompson, In the Blood, Signature Theatre

Outstanding Set Design for a Musical
Louisa Adamson, Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2b Theatre Company/59E59
Beowulf Boritt, Prince of Broadway, Manhattan Theatre Club
Dane Laffrey, Once on This Island
Santo Loquasto, Carousel
David Zinn, SpongeBob SquarePants

Outstanding Costume Design for a Play
Dede M. Ayite, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, MCC Theater
Jonathan Fensom, Farinelli and the King
Katrina Lindsay, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Ann Roth, Three Tall Women
Emilio Sosa, Venus, Signature Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Mean Girls
Clint Ramos, Once on This Island
David Zinn, SpongeBob SquarePants
Catherine Zuber, My Fair Lady, Lincoln Center Theater
Dede M. Ayite, Bella: An American Tall Tale, Playwrights Horizons

Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play
Neil Austin, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Natasha Chivers, 1984
Alan C. Edwards, Kill Move Paradise, National Black Theatre
Paul Gallo, Three Tall Women
Paul Russell, Farinelli and the King

Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical
Louisa Adamson, Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2B Theatre Company/59E59
Amith Chandrashaker, The Lucky Ones
Jules Fisher, Peggy Eisenhauer, Once on This Island
Brian MacDevitt, Carousel
Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, KPOP, Ars Nova, Ma-Yi Theater Company, Woodshed Collective

Outstanding Projection Design
David Bengali, Van Gogh's Ear, Ensemble for the Romantic Century
Andrezj Goulding, People, Places & Things, National Theatre/St. Ann's Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong
Peter Nigrini, SpongeBob SquarePants
Finn Ross and Adam Young, Mean Girls
Finn Ross and Ash J. Woodward, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
Brendan Aanes, Balls, One Year Lease Theater Company/Stages Repertory Theatre/59E59
Gareth Fry, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Tom Gibbons, 1984
Tom Gibbons, People, Places & Things, National Theatre/St. Ann's Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong
Stefan Gregory, Yerma, Young Vic/Park Avenue Armory
Palmer Hefferan, Today is My Birthday, Page 73 Productions

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
Kai Harada, The Band's Visit
Scott Lehrer, Carousel
Will Pickens, KPOP, Ars Nova, Ma-Yi Theatre Company, Woodshed Collective
Dan Moses Schreier, Pacific Overtures, Classic Stage Company

Outstanding Wig and Hair
Carole Hancock, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Campbell Young Associates, Farinelli and the King
Cookie Jordan, School Girls;, or The African Mean Girls Play, MCC Theater
Charles G. LaPointe, SpongeBob SquarePants
Josh Marquette, Mean Girls

Outstanding Solo Performance
Billy Crudup, Harry Clarke, Vineyard Theatre
David Greenspan, Strange Interlude, Transport Group
Jon Levin, A Hunger Artist, The Tank/Flint & Tinder
Lesli Margherita, Who's Holiday!
Sophie Melville, Iphigenia in Splott, Sherman Theatre, Cardiff/59E59

The Chase Award for Unique Theatrical Experience
Derren Brown: Secret, Atlantic Theater Company
Master, Foundry Theatre
Say Something Bunny!

Outstanding Fight Choreography
J. David Brimmer, Is God Is, Soho Rep
Steve Rankin, Carousel
Unkle Dave's Fight House, Oedipus El Rey, The Public Theater/The Sol Project

Outstanding Puppet Design
Finn Caldwell, Nick Barnes, Angels in America
Michael Curry, Frozen
Charlie Kanev, Sarah Nolan, and Jonathan Levin, A Hunger Artist, The Tank/Flint & Tinder
Vandy Wood, The Artificial Jungle, Theatre Breaking Through Barriers

2018 Outer Critics Circle Nominations Announced! "Spongebob" leads with 11 noms

The Outer Critics Circle unveiled their list of 2018 nominees today. "Spongebob SquarePants" topped the list with eleven nominations, followed closely by "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" with ten and "My Fair Lady" with nine.

The Outer Critics Circle is comprised of writers who cover the New York theater scene for out-of-town and national media. The awards include both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. This tends to decrease their relevancy as a Tony precursor, since Off-Broadway transfers are only eligible in their first incarnation. This year, that means Tony frontrunner "The Band's Visit" isn't found anywhere among the nominees, having been recognized for the Off-Broadway run last year.

Still there are some interesting picks and snubs which may or may not foretell the tide changing right before Tony nominations are announced. Complete list of nominees below:

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY
The Children
Farinelli and the King
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Junk

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL
Escape to Margaritaville
Frozen
Mean Girls
Prince of Broadway
SpongeBob SquarePants

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
Admissions
Cost of Living
Hangmen
The Low Road
Mlima's Tale

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
Cruel Intentions
Desperate Measures
Jerry Springer - The Opera
Miss You Like Hell
Woody Sez

OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Tina Fey - Mean Girls
Quiara Alegría Hudes - Miss You Like Hell
Kyle Jarrow - SpongeBob SquarePants
Peter Kellogg - Desperate Measures

OUTSTANDING NEW SCORE
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper & Rob Hyman, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T's, They Might Be Giants, T.I., Domani & Lil'C, Jonathan Coulton, Tom Kitt - SpongeBob SquarePants

David Friedman & Peter Kellogg - Desperate Measures

Imogen Heap - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Erin McKeown & Quiara Alegría Hudes - Miss You Like Hell

Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez - Frozen

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Angels in America
Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train
Lobby Hero
Three Tall Women
Travesties

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Carousel
My Fair Lady
Once on This Island
Pacific Overtures

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Jo Bonney - Cost of Living
Marianne Elliott - Angels in America
Patrick Marber - Travesties
Joe Mantello - Three Tall Women
John Tiffany - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Michael Arden - Once on This Island
Bill Castellino - Desperate Measures
Tina Landau - SpongeBob SquarePants
Casey Nicholaw - Mean Girls
Bartlett Sher - My Fair Lady

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER
Camille A. Brown - Once on This Island
Christopher Gattelli - My Fair Lady
Christopher Gattelli - SpongeBob SquarePants
Steven Hoggett - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Justin Peck - Carousel

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
(Play or Musical)

Miriam Buether - Three Tall Women
Myung Hee Cho - In the Body of the World
Christine Jones - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Michael Yeargan - My Fair Lady
David Zinn - SpongeBob SquarePants

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
(Play or Musical)

Katrina Lindsay - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Clint Ramos - Once on This Island
Paloma Young - Time and the Conways
David Zinn - SpongeBob SquarePants
Catherine Zuber - My Fair Lady

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
(Play or Musical)

Kevin Adams - SpongeBob SquarePants
Neil Austin - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Paule Constable - Angels in America
Paul Russell - Farinelli and the King
Lap Chi Chu - Mlima's Tale

OUTSTANDING PROJECTION DESIGN
(Play or Musical)

Tim Reid - 1984
Finn Ross - Frozen
Finn Ross - In the Body of the World
Finn Ross & Adam Young - Mean Girls
Finn Ross & Ash Woodward - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN
(Play or Musical)

Gareth Fry - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Kate Marvin - [Porto]
Fitz Patton - Napoli, Brooklyn
Marc Salzberg - My Fair Lady
Darron L. West - Mlima's Tale

OUTSTANDING ORCHESTRATIONS
Jason Robert Brown - Prince of Broadway
Tom Kitt - SpongeBob SquarePants
AnnMarie Milazzo & Michael Starobin - Once on This Island
Jonathan Tunick - Carousel
Claire Van Kampen - Farinelli and the King

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Sean Carvajal - Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train
Andrew Garfield - Angels in America
Tom Hollander - Travesties
Gregg Mozgala - Cost of Living
Michael Urie - The Government Inspector

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
MaameYaa Boafo - School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play
Jessica Hecht - Admissions
Glenda Jackson - Three Tall Women
Lauren Ridloff - Children of a Lesser God
Katy Sullivan - Cost of Living

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Harry Hadden-Paton - My Fair Lady
Joshua Henry - Carousel
David M. Lutken - Woody Sez
Conor Ryan - Desperate Measures
Ethan Slater - SpongeBob SquarePants

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Lauren Ambrose - My Fair Lady
Erika Henningsen - Mean Girls
Hailey Kilgore - Once On This Island
Taylor Louderman - Mean Girls
Patti Murin - Frozen

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Anthony Boyle - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Johnny Flynn - Hangmen
Nathan Lane - Angels in America
David Morse - The Iceman Cometh
Paul Sparks - At Home at the Zoo

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Jamie Brewer - Amy and the Orphans
Denise Gough - Angels in America
Harriet Harris - The Low Road
Laurie Metcalf - Three Tall Women
Mary Testa - The Government Inspector

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Norbert Leo Butz - My Fair Lady
Alexander Gemignani - Carousel
Gavin Lee - SpongeBob SquarePants
Nick Wyman - Desperate Measures
Tony Yazbeck - Prince of Broadway

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Kerry Butler - Mean Girls
Lindsay Mendez - Carousel
Lauren Molina - Desperate Measures
Ashley Park - Mean Girls
Emily Skinner - Prince of Broadway

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Billy Crudup - Harry Clarke
Eve Ensler - In the Body of the World
Alison Fraser - Squeamish
John Lithgow - Stories By Heart
Sharon Washington - Feeding the Dragon

JOHN GASSNER AWARD
(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)

Kate Benson - [Porto]
Jocelyn Bioh - School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play
Lindsey Ferrentino - Amy and the Orphans
Meghan Kennedy - Napoli, Brooklyn
Dominique Morisseau - Pipeline

2018 Drama League Nominations Announced! Who will take the Distinguished Performance award?

The nominations for the 2018 Drama League Awards were announced today. Take a look at the nominees below:

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY

Animal
Written by Clare Lizzimore

Hangmen
Written by Martin McDonagh

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child: Parts One and Two
Written by Jack Thorne, based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany

In the Body of the World
Written by Eve Ensler

Is God Is
Written by Aleshea Harris

Meteor Shower
Written by Steve Martin

Oedipus El Rey
Written by Luis Alfaro

School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play
Written by Jocelyn Bioh

Until the Flood
Written by Dael Orlandersmith

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY

Angels in America
Written by Tony Kushner

Children of a Lesser God
Written by Mark Medoff

Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo
Written by Edward Albee

Hamlet
Written by William Shakespeare

The Iceman Cometh
Written by Eugene O'Neill

Lobby Hero
Written by Kenneth Lonergan

Saint Joan
Written by George Bernard Shaw

Three Tall Women
Written by Edward Albee

Torch Song
Written by Harvey Fierstein

Travesties
Written by Tom Stoppard

Yerma
Written by Federico García Lorca

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

The Band's Visit
Book by Itamar Moses; Music and Lyrics by David Yazek

Bella: An American Tall Tale
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Kirsten Childs

Frozen
Book by Jennifer Lee; Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

Hundred Days
Book by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher; Music and Lyrics by The Bengsons

KPOP
Book by Jason Kim; Music and Lyrics by Helen Park and Max Vernon

Mean Girls
Book by Tina Fey; Music by Jeff Richmond; Lyrics by Nell Benjamin

SpongeBob SquarePants
Book by Kyle Jarrow; Based on the Series by Stephen Hillenburg
Original Songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan
Coulton, Alex Ebert, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, Rob Hyman, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T's, They Might Be Giants, T.I., Domani and Lil' C. Songs by David Bowie, Brian Eno, Tom Kenny and Andy Paley. Additional music by Tom Kitt; Additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Book by Colman Domingo, Robert Cary and Des McAnuff; Songs by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder and Paul Jabara

Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie
Devised by David M. Lutken with Nick Corley and Darcie Deaville, Helen Jean Russell and Andy Teirstein

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

Carousel
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; Music by Richard Rodgers

My Fair Lady
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner; Music by Frederick Loewe

Once On This Island
Book and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens; Music by Stephen Flaherty

Pacific Overtures
Book by John Weidman; Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

NOMINEES FOR THE DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD

Jelani Alladin, Frozen
Lauren Ambrose, My Fair Lady
Annaleigh Ashford, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Laura Benanti, Meteor Shower
MaameYaa Boafo, School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play
Anthony Boyle, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two
Juan Castano, Oedipus El Rey
Billy Crudup, Harry Clarke
Eisa Davis, Kings
Ariana DeBose, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Noma Dumezweni, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two
Deanna Dunagan, The Treasurer
Eve Ensler, In The Body of the World
Chris Evans, Lobby Hero
Johnny Flynn, Hangmen
Alfie Fuller, Is God Is
Andrew Garfield, Angels in America
Harry Hadden-Paton, My Fair Lady
Rebecca Hall, Animal
Harriet Harris, The Low Road
Brian Tyree Henry, Lobby Hero
Joshua Henry, Carousel
Tom Hollander, Travesties
Oscar Isaac, Hamlet
Chukwudi Iwuji, The Low Road
Glenda Jackson, Three Tall Women
Joshua Jackson, Children of a Lesser God
Hailey Kilgore, Once On This Island
LaChanze, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Katrina Lenk, The Band's Visit
Robert Sean Leonard, Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo
Taylor Louderman, Mean Girls
Elizabeth Marvel, Julius Caesar
James McArdle, Angels in America
Laurie Metcalf, Three Tall Women
Jessie Mueller, Carousel
Patti Murin, Frozen
Alex Newell, Once On This Island
Sahr Ngaujah, Mlima's Tale
Seth Numrich, Travesties
Deirdre O'Connell, Fulfillment Center
Ashley Park, Mean Girls and KPOP
Billie Piper, Yerma
Karen Pittman, Pipeline
Condola Rashad, Saint Joan
Lauren Ridloff, Children of a Lesser God
Roslyn Ruff, X: Or, Betty Shabazz v. The Nation
Amy Schumer, Meteor Shower
Tony Shalhoub, The Band's Visit
Paul Sparks, Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo
Katy Sullivan, Cost of Living
John Douglas Thompson, Julius Caesar
Michael Urie, Torch Song and The Government Inspector
Denzel Washington, The Iceman Cometh
Dianne Wiest, Happy Days

At first glance, this crop of nominees doesn't do much to shape the Tony race. Since the Drama League allows more than 5 nominees in their show categories, nearly all of the major contenders are present.

The one curiosity is the Best New Play category. The League largely shafted the light-on-new-works Broadway season in favor of Off-Broadway. The only two Broadway contenders here are "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" and "Meteor Shower." That is certainly a boon for the Steve Martin comedy, which is seen as "on the bubble" for a Tony nomination. The most surprising omission is "The Children," but we must remember that the League can be joined by anyone who wants to pay for membership. Very limited runs with minimal advertising/buzz will always struggle to resonate with such a group, no matter the quality. The play still looks good for a Tony nomination.

The most shocking omissions in the Distinguished Performance category are Denise Gough ("Angel in America"), Caissie Levy ("Frozen"), and Ethan Slater ("Spongebob Squarepants"). Levy's co-stars Patti Murin and Jellani Alladin were nominated, and the League caps a production at 2 performer nominees maximum. Denise Gough was hit by this rule too, with her cast mates Andrew Garfield and James McArdle taking the two spots for "Angels in America." I don't know how to explain Slater's omission other than snobby theater folk turning their nose up at SpongeBob. He's sublime.

In terms of the ultimate win, it looks like Glenda Jackson's to lose. Though Michael Urie, Denzel Washington, and Katrina Lenk may give her some competition.

"The Sammys" 2018! It's like the Oscars but better.

It's that time of year! The Oscars always get plenty wrong with their nominations and winners, so I'm bringing you my own personal picks. It's "The Sammys" (OR: how the Oscars should have voted).

I have seen a bunch, but I don't claim to have gotten to every film this year. I failed at getting to most of the documentaries for instance. I can't wait to catch up on them, but as a result I've eliminated that category this year. I also have six nominees for Cinematography because I couldn't decide, and it's my awards so I'll do what I please. I made up for it by only nominating 4 Animated Features...because I couldn't really come up with a fifth that I loved.

The year ultimately came down to three films for me, which tower above the rest in my mind.

Logan is one of the most satisfying superhero films I've experienced. How ironic that it really bares no resemblance to any conventional superhero flick. Featuring career best performances from Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, the touching script takes cues from classic westerns to explore the concepts of death, legacy, and self worth via characters who are something of a dying species in the world. Wolverine and Xavier couldn't have asked for a more beautiful send off.

There are a thousand ways Blade Runner 2049 could and should have failed. How do you make a proper sequel to one of the greatest films of all time? A film with such distinct style and dangling open-ended questions that kept viewers mind's occupied for decades? Somehow Denis Villeneuve succeeded in his task. 2049 captures the essence of the original while building upon the questions it posed and creating some new ones. You don't watch it so much as give yourself over to it, letting it wash over you like a wave. People complained about the run-time, but I thought the deliberate pacing was perfect and I can't wait to submerge myself in the world many more times.

And then there's Call me by Your Name. Andre Aciman's novel was a huge moment for me as a teen. I've returned to passages over and over again. I was worried that a film adaptation could never capture the experience and live up to the book. But I shouldn't have been worried. Different, sure. But Luca Guadagnino's film made me feel like no other film has before (just like the book). It gloriously captures that feeling of first love. The sensuality, the longing, the way that it infects and takes over every molecule of your body and mind. And for young queer people, that specific sort of secrecy: That you and this other person have a whole private world together. writing about it makes me want to dive back into that idyllic summer again.

On with it then. Here are The Sammys!

Best Picture
10. Coco
9. The Shape of Water
8. BPM (Beats Per Minute)
7. Dunkirk
6. Get Out
5. The Florida Project
4. Lady Bird
3. Logan
2. Blade Runner 2049 (runner-up)
1. Call me by Your Name (winner)

Best Director
Sean Baker, The Florida Project
Luca Guadagnino, Call me by Your Name (runner-up)
Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Jordan Peele, Get Out
Denis Villeneuve, Blade Runner 2049 (winner)

Best Actor
Jamie Bell, Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
Nahuel Perez Biscayart, BPM (Beats Per Minute)
Timothee Chalamet, Call me by Your Name (winner)
Hugh Jackman, Logan (runner-up)
Josh O'Connor, God's Own Country

Best Actress
Annette Bening, Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
Jessica Chastain, Molly's Game
Brooklynn Prince, The Florida Project (runner-up)
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird (winner)

Best Supporting Actor
Harrison Ford, Blade Runner 2049
Armie Hammer, Call me by Your Name
Patrick Stewart, Logan (winner)
Michael Stuhlbarg, Call me by Your Name (runner-up)
Arnaud Valois, BPM (Beats Per Minute)

Best Supporting Actress
Hong Chau, Downsizing
Tiffany Haddish, Girls Trip (runner-up)
Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird (winner)
Lois Smith, Marjorie Prime

Ensemble
BPM (Beats Per Minute)
Lady Bird (runner-up)
The Meyerowitz Stories
Mudbound (winner)
The Post

Adapted Screenplay
Blade Runner 2049
Call me by Your Name (winner)
Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
Logan (runner-up)
Molly's Game

Original Screenplay
The Big Sick
The Florida Project
Get Out (winner)
Lady Bird (runner-up)
The Shape of Water

Film Editing
Baby Driver (winner)
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk (runner-up)
Get Out
Molly's Game

Cinematography
Blade Runner 2049 (winner)
Call me by Your Name
Dunkirk
God's Own Country
The Florida Project
Mudbound (runner-up)

Production Design
Blade Runner 2049 (winner)
Dunkirk
It
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water (runner-up)

Costume Design
The Greatest Showman
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water (winner)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Wonder Woman (runner-up)

Makeup/Hair
Darkest Hour (runner-up)
Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2
It
I, Tonya
Logan (winner)

Sound Editing
Baby Driver (runner-up)
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk (winner)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Wonder Woman

Sound Mixing
Baby Driver (winner)
Blade Runner 2049 (runner-up)
Dunkirk
Thor: Ragnarok
War for the Planet of the Apes

Score
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
Good Time (runner-up)
Phantom Thread
Wind River (winner)

Original Song
"Mystery of Love" from Call me by Your Name (written by: Sufjan Stevens) (winner)
"Visions of Gideon" from Call me by Your Name (written by : Sufjan Stevens)
"Remember Me" from Coco (written by: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez)
"Beyond the Moon" from Hello Again (written by: Michael John Lachiusa)
"This is Me" from The Greatest Showman (written by Pasek and Paul) (runner-up)

Visual Effects
Blade Runner 2049 (runner-up)
Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Thor: Ragnarok
War for the Planet of the Apes (winner)

Animated Feature
Coco (winner)
The LEGO Batman Movie
Loving Vincent (runner-up)
Mary and the Witch's Flower

Foreign Language Feature
BPM (Beats Per Minute) (winner)
A Fantastic Woman (runner-up)
First They Killed my Father
On Body and Soul
Thelma

WINS
4 - Call me by Your Name
3 - Blade Runner 2049
2 - Baby Driver
2 - Lady Bird
2 - Logan
1 - BPM (Beats Per Minute)
1 - Coco
1 - Dunkirk
1 - Get Out
1 - Mudbound
1 - War for the Planet of the Apes
1 - Wind River

Top 10 Film Moments of 2017

I don't know about you, but when I think of specific movies I often remember them by moments. Specific images or lines that evoked enough feeling to burn into my memory. It could be a piece of action, like Uma Thurman's silhouetted fight scene in "Kill Bill vol. 1." It might be a cathartic image, like Samwise Gamgee finding the strength to carry Frodo up Mount Doom in "The Return of the King." Or it might simply be a line that resonates, like Rosemary Harris' "I believe there's a hero in all of us" from "Spider-Man 2." Or anything Norma Desmond says in "Sunset Boulevard."

So I decided to sift through the movie moments that have remained with me from this year in film. This isn't a list of favorite films (my own personal nominations will come out tomorrow before the Oscars), but these are the moments that struck me the most. Needless to say, but major spoilers for this year's movies follow. Here are the ten best moments in film from the year 2017 (according to me).

Honorable Mention: Romeo and Juliet, "Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool"

Annette Bening and Jamie Bell were shafted by most awards bodies this year. I don't know why Sony couldn't get this film to take off, because this scene alone is worth the price of admission. Just when Gloria Grahame is at her worst and her body the weakest, Peter has one last surprise for her. A reading of Act 1 sCene 5 from "Romeo and Juliet." In this one scene Bening and Bell chart the entire emotional trajectory of their relationship, and Grahame finally has the chance to play her dream role. Age be damned. And she's sensational.

10.) Love and Attention, "Lady Bird"
"Lady Bird" is constructed with exquisite economy by writer/director Greta Gerwig, and is filled with quiet moments that are instantly recognizable for anyone who had a modicum of teen angst. But the film's best moment arrives when Gerwig dares to be the slightest bit poetic with her language. Ronan's Lady Bird sits with Sister Sarah Joan (played brilliantly by Lois Smith). "You clearly love Sacramento" she tells her. "You write about Sacramento with such affection and care." Lady Bird scoffs that "I was just describing it." "Well it comes across as love" says Sister Sarah. "Sure, I guess I pay attention." "Don't you think maybe they are the same thing?" offers the sister, "Love and attention?" It's an example of Gerwig's beautiful simplicity, Smith's affecting charms as an actress, and the type of lesson that most of us received often as teens without realizing it.

9.) Her Eyes Were Green, "Blade Runner 2049"
In this pivotal moment from Denis Villeneuve's exceptional "Blade Runner 2049," both Deckard and the audience have their jaws on the floor. In a bid to bend Deckard to his will, Jared Leto trots out a replicant of Deckard's deceased lover Rachael to taunt him. As the shape of Sean Young circa 1982 emerges from the shadows, we glimpse the first CGI character to truly cross the uncanny valley. Harrison Ford also proves why he is one of our best movie stars when he stares into the eyes of his true love and mutters "Her eyes were green." Rachael gets her head blown off and Deckard is shattered. But most shocking of all: fans will remember that Rachael's eyes weren't green. Deckard saw a perfect recreation and still let her go.

8.) The Sunken Place, "Get Out"
A year later and I'm still freaked out by clinking spoons. And Catherine Keener. This scene is so expertly constructed. It starts out with innocent questions, but dread creeps in as Keener continues to pry. The scraping of the spoon is incessant and unbearable until: "Now sink. Into the floor." Daniel Kaluuya's tear stained face became one of the most iconic images of the year, and for good reason. When his character does indeed sink through the floor to "the sunken place" (which is a mesmerizing use of the "dry for wet" filming technique), the black void swallowed up all preconceived notions or theories about the film in the same way it swallowed up Kaluuya.

7.) Live. Die. Grieve. Fight. Fuck. Dance. Repeat., "BPM"
I was struck by the ways in which "BPM (Beats Per Minute)" used a cyclical storytelling format to craft an AIDS era movie that was about vitality and life, instead of death and darkness. The film is unafraid to depict the ways in which activism and sex are intrinsically linked to queer life, especially during the height of the AIDS crisis. This is most exemplified at the end of the film when the group protests a gala by spreading the ashes of Sean over the food and attendees. Colorful lights and strobes fill the space as the space transforms, dreamlike, into a rave. Bodies writhe to the rhythms of pulsing beats and reach for one another in dark. The camera pulls back to focus on dust particles floating through the air like cells flowing through a bloodstream. The group in the movie will continue flowing too, continue fighting for a better life, and continue showing the world what it is like to truly live.

6.) Home Arrives, "Dunkirk"
"Dunkirk" was certainly the most stressful film experience of 2017. A chaotic frenzy that captures the horrific nature of war. So when Kenneth Branagh looks out over the water expecting the worst, so does the audience. But what does he see instead? "Home." The sight of small British fishing vessels sailing towards Dunkirk beach is like a giant exhale. For the stranded soldiers, their home lies frustratingly out of reach the entire movie. And the people who finally crossed the channel weren't military, but citizens. As Hans Zimmer's score swells and tugs on heartstrings, the same sense of relief washed over my face as it did Branagh's.

5.) Hyperspace Fatality, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
I had plenty of issues with "The Last Jedi" but Laura Dern was not one them. Her brilliant purple wig deserves a supporting actress nomination of its own, and her surprising performance confirms my theory that Laura Dern makes any project better with her mere presence. But when her Admiral Holdo realizes the rebels are sitting ducks for the First Order's canons, she makes the ultimate sacrifice. Rotating her own ship towards the enemy she activates the hyperdrive, slamming her vessel into the enemy fleet at light speed. It creates a brilliant arc of light and blows their ships to smithereens. Not only does Dern redeem what has to be the slowest chase scene depicted in cinema, but she lays claim to the most badass kill of the saga thus far.

4.) Xavier's Goodbye, "Logan"
In James Mangold's "Logan" Patrick Stewart's Professor X is losing control of his abilities as dementia and old age set it. There are small hints that Xavier accidentally killed most of his X-Men team with one psychic sweep. He awakes from a dream one night, and has a rare moments of clarity. With Logan standing beside the bed, Stewart launches into a heartfelt confessional. He remembers the loved ones he's killed. He asks Logan for forgiveness but is instead stabbed in the chest by the X-24 clone. The fact that one scene prior, he was discussing the future with his protege and now believes he is going to die by his hand is the ultimate gut punch. The monologue is a perfect swan song for Stewart's iconic character and should have earned him an Oscar.

3.) Tragic Kingdom, "The Florida Project"
Disney World looms in the background of "The Florida Project," as a tantalizing fantasy and cruel reminder of the poverty of the main characters. Brooklynn Prince's Moonee can't go to Disney, so she creates a Magic Kingdom of her own design. But when Child Protective Services finally comes to separate her from her mother, the girl flees to her friend Jancey's motel room. Moonee can't speak, only sob, before gushing "you're my best friend and I may never see you again." And suddenly the camera lens changes, Jancey grabs her hand and they run. Run away from the CPS and into their own land of fantasy. But this time they reach the gates of the real Magic Kingdom, race down Main Street hand in hand, and stand in front of Cinderella Castle. Or they didn't. Many films mixed fantasy with realism this year, but none of them were as devastating.

2.) A Father's Lesson, "Call me by Your Name"
I was a teenager when I first read Andre Aciman's "Call me by Your Name,"
 and I instantly fell in love with the book. Elio's father delivers a powerful monologue at the end of the novel and I cannot tell you how many times I have referred back to it over the years. So I was gobsmacked when Michael Stuhlbarg was able to deliver that monologue at the end of the film adaptation, and evoke the same gut wrenching emotions in me. As if I was sixteen again and reading it for the first time. James Ivory wisely left the words alone for the most part, only excising a single line of Aciman's (which probably would have been too lyrical for the screen). Stuhlbarg displays brilliant economy as an actor as he imparts key wisdom to his son, with a reassuring sense of understanding and acceptance that takes Elio by surprise. The best moments often surprise you.

1.) No Man's Land, "Wonder Woman"
I never expected to cry during "Wonder Woman." But something happened when Gal Gadot's Diana climbed out of that trench during World War I. Her character is an impeachable one. Someone who shows other humans in the movie how important it is to fight for the helpless. Even if it means risking your own life. There is also no shortage of symbolism to the fact that a woman is the one to finally cross the infamous "no man's land." So I cried. I cried for the little girls who got to see a woman lead a superhero film for the first time. Directed by a female director no less. I cried for the courage Diana displays as she shucks bullets to the side with her gauntlets, charging towards danger and death. I cried because no single image in film this year made me feel more empowered, or better represented the year that was 2017. More like this please. We are all charging forward like Wonder Woman.

Hold on to your butts: Final 2018 Oscar Predictions and an impending shitstorm

Nominations for the 2018 Academy Awards will be announced tomorrow morning. How we have gotten to this point without a crystal clear frontrunner as in most years is an incredible mystery. But we need to talk about Three Billboards.

Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri claimed SAG Ensemble last night. Couple that with it's previous Golden Globe (Drama) win, and it's a formidable contender for Best Picture. But the problem with emerging as the leader of the pack, is that it paints a giant target on your back. And boy have people been waiting to take this film down. There has been plenty of think pieces about this film, and whether it accurately depicts the climate in middle America, or if it can successfully redeem racist characters, and should it redeem racist characters, and does the movie have a serious problem in the way it depicts (or doesn't depict) black people?

That's a lot of questions to sift through and I'm not here to answer them. But if your're looking at what can win Best Picture, the important takeaway here is: Three Billboards could prove divisive. Divisive films have a heel of a time winning on the preferential ballot. Just ask The Revenant or La La Land. A contingent of voters who hate a nominee can rank it last, or not at all, and sink the films chances in favor a a film that everyone can agree on. A film that everyone has ranked at 1, or 2, or 3.

It makes sense why Three Billboards would be a frontrunner when you know how the Academy works. First and foremost, it's an acting showcase. It's a cast of performers that everyone loves who get to chew the scenery with big memorable sequences. Actors rule the Academy, and they often decide how this thing goes. Second: We are living in a time of cultural division and fire and anger and rage. Whether you agree with the manner in which this movie depicts those things, it taps into an element of this post election America. Complete with Frances McDormand at the center, whose character literally wants to burn the world down. The question becomes, will the Academy voters feed their anger or fear controversy and go with something else?

Well, the tricky part is there are 3 other films they could go with. The Shape of Water is the next obvious choice. It won the PGA (also decided with a preferential ballot) and Critics Choice, and it is highly likely that del Toro takes the DGA. And yet, it failed to make SAG's Ensemble category. They also snubbed Octavia Spencer in Supporting Actress. So I have doubts as to whether the actors will firmly unite behind this one. But it's beautiful, and unique, and has a nice message about acceptance. So it's absolutely possible.

Actors DID nominate Lady Bird and Get Out for Ensemble. And that's why I can't count them out for Best Picture quite yet. Lady Bird not only won the Globe (Comedy), but that entire ceremony was almost a PSA as for why Hollywood should rally behind Greta Gerwig. Powerful women like Natalie Portman are doing Q&A's with her to bolster the film's chances. And in the era of the #metoo movement and our "Year of Women," Lady Bird becomes an obvious choice. Only it doesnt REALLY have a strong message about those things. It's a beautiful film about a young woman finding her way and discovering what is important to her. Plenty of voters have already groaned that they are trying to make too much out of a movie that is created by a woman, but doesnt have a strong female cause at its center.

Then there's Get Out. I'm frankly shocked it didn't win the PGA. A movie that makes 50x its budget and became THE story of the year should have won over a group of producers in a cakewalk. but it didn't. If Three Billboard detractors are split as to which film they should support instead, Get Out might be the hardest for them to back. It's a horror film, and they hardly ever like those. It will probably make the old white voters uncomfortable. There are few categories it can win besides Picture, probably just Original Screenplay. Yet, in a year where so many in Hollywood fretted over the piss poor overall box office, won't they sort of look foolish for NOT giving the most talked about film the Oscar?

Dunkirk, Call me by Your Name, and The Post have been fighting it out, trying to establish some sort of narrative to usurp the above four films. They will all be nominated, but unless the Academy does something truly unexpected with nominations, I can't see any of these taking the top prize.

Time will tell if Three Billboards can hold its frontrunner status or if backlash takes it down. In any case, here are my final Oscar predictions. Full rankings for each category can be found in the "Contenders" section.

Best Picture
1. Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri
2. The Shape of Water
3. Lady Bird
4. Get Out
5. Dunkirk
6. Call Me by Your Name
7. The Post
8. I, Tonya
9. The Big Sick
10. The Florida Project
alternate: Darkest Hour - or- Molly's Game

Director
1. Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water
2. Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
3. Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
4. Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
5. Joran Peele, Get Out
alternate: Luca Guadagnino, Call me by Your Name

Lead Actor
1. Gary Oldman, The Darkest Hour
2. Timothee Chamalet, Call Me by Your Name
3. Daniel Day Lewis, Phantom Thread
4. James Franco, The Disaster Artist
5. Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
alternate: Denzel Washington, Roman J Israel, Esq.

Lead Actress
1. Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing Missouri
2. Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
3. Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
4. Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
5. Meryl Streep, The Post
alternate: Chastain, or Bening, or Dench

Supporting Actor
1. Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri
2. Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
3. Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
4. Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World 
5. Armie Hammer, Call Me by Your Name
alternate: Woody Harrelson or Michael Stuhlbarg

Supporting Actress
1. Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
2. Allison Janney, I, Tonya 
3. Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water
4. Holly Hunter, The Big Sick
5. Hong Chau, Downsizing
alternate: Mary J. Blige, Mudbound

Original Screenplay
1. Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
2. Jordan Peele, Get Out
3. Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside of Ebiing, Missouri
4. Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, The Shape of Water
5. Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjani, The Big Sick
alternate: I, Tonya

Adapted Screenplay

1. James Ivory, Call Me by Your Name 

2. Aaron Sorkin, Molly's Game

3. Scott Neustadtler and Michael H. Weber, The Disaster Artist

4. Dee Rees & Virgil Williams, Mudbound 

5. James Mangold & Scott Frank, Logan

alternate: James Gray, The Lost City of Z

Film Editing
1. Dunkirk (Lee Smith)
2. The Shape of Water (Sidney Wolinski)
3. Get Out (Gregory Plotkin)
4. Baby Driver (Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss)
5. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Jon Gregory)
alternate: Blade Runner 2049 or The Post

Cinematogaphy
1. Blade Runner 2049 (Roger Deakins)
2. Dunkirk (Hoyte Van Hoytema)
3. The Shape of Water (Dan Lausten)
4. Mudbound (Rachel Morrison)
5. Call Me by Your Name (Sayombhu Mukdeeprom)
alternate: Darkest Hour (Bruno Delbonnel)

Animated Feature
1. Coco
2. The Breadwinner
3. Loving Vincent
4. The LEGO Batman Movie
5. Mary and the Witch's Flower
alternate: Despicable Me 3

Foreign Film
1. In the Fade (Germany)
2. A Fantastic Woman (Chile)
3. The Square (Sweden)
4. Foxtrot (Israel)
5. Loveless (Russia)
alternate: The Insult (Lebanon)

Documentary Feature
1. Jane
2. Faces Places
3. City of Ghosts
4. Icarus
5. Strong Island
alternate: Last Men in Aleppo

Visual Effects
1. War of the Planet of the Apes
2. Blade Runner 2049
3. Dunkirk
4. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
5. Okja
alternate: The Shape of Water