Out of Nowhere: LCT makes a surprise announcement to cold open "Flying Over Sunset" on Broadway

Just when it looked like the 2019-2020 Broadway season would be dubbed "The Year of the Jukebox Musical," original works began popping up with announcements.

Many of these were heavily rumored. Insiders knew that producers wanted to bring "The Lightning Thief" tour to Broadway for a limited engagement. "Diana" has a high profile team that demanded to be seen on the rialto. And with the hype surrounding "SIX," how could it not transfer?

But Lincoln Center Theater made the first true surprise announcement of the season. Without so much as a whisper of any plans for a Broadway mounting, it was just announced that "Flying Over Sunset" will debut at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre this spring.

And there's quite a team behind this original musical. James Lapine serves as director and book writer. Tom Kitt provides the music, with Michael Korie supplying lyrics. Michelle Dorrance choreographs. Leading the cast are Tony nominees Carmen Cusack, Harry Hadden-Paton, and Tony Yazbeck.

The story, according the the synopsis: Set in the 1950's, "Flying Over Sunset" is a work of fiction inspired by the lives of three extraordinary and accomplished people - writer Aldous Huxley (Harry Hadden-Paton); playwright, diplomat, and congresswoman, Clare Booth Luce (Carmen Cusack); and film legend Cary Grant (Tony Yazbeck) - each of whom in real life experimented with the drug LSD. At a crossroads in their lives the three come together, and under the influence of the drug, take a trip and confront the mysteries of their lives and their world.

Previews begin March 12, 2020 ahead of an April 16, 2020 opening night. An original musical, dipped in LSD, that'll bring Carmen Cusack's glorious voice back to Broadway? I'm sold! The spring season is shaping up to be a nice surprise. And stay tuned...new show announcements are still on the way ;-)

The Sammys 2019: If I Was a Tony Voter

I'm not a Tony voter, but I like to imagine I am. Just for fun. Because in my world, deserving folks like Michael Urie and Bonnie Milligan make the cut. It's been a truly incredible season for Broadway. There were an impressive amount of great new plays (dear producers: PLEASE keep these coming! You even had the balls to put Taylor Mac on a Broadway stage, bravo!). Original musicals had heart and ambition. And as much as I've bemoaned the influx of jukebox musicals (because they tend to crowd out original works) the trio we had this year are truly stellar in their own different ways.

It was hard to whittle down, but two shows featuring the underworld dominated my favorites. I expect them to do the same at the Tonys. But much should be said about Heidi Schreck's new play, which should be considered required viewing for all. And Head Over Heels is definitely the most misunderstood show of the season. I'd give anything to go back and have fun in Arcadia again. Such is the business of Bway.

My picks!

Best Musical

Ain’t Too Proud

Hadestown *winner*

Head Over Heels

The Prom

Tootsie

Best Play

The Ferryman *winner*

Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

Ink

To Kill a Mockingbird

What the Constitution Means to Me

Musical Revival

Kiss Me, Kate *winner*

Oklahoma!

Play Revival

All My Sons

The Boys in the Band

Torch Song *winner*

The Waverly Gallery

Score

Beetlejuice

The Ferryman

Hadestown *winner*

The Prom

Tootsie

Book of a Musical

The Cher Show

Hadestown

Head Over Heels

The Prom *winner*

Tootsie

Script of a Play

Choir Boy

The Ferryman *winner*

Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

Hillary and Clinton

What the Constitution Means to Me

Lead Actress - Musical

Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show *winner*

Caitlin Kinnunen, The Prom

Beth Leavel, The Prom

Kelli O’Hara, Kiss Me, Kate

Eva Noblezada, Hadestown

Lead Actor - Musical

Brooks Ashmanskas, The Prom

Alex Brightman, Beetlejuice

Derrick Baskin, Ain’t Too Proud

Reeve Carney, Hadestown

Santino Fontana, Tootsie *winner*

Lead Actress - Play

Annette Bening, All My Sons

Laura Donnelly, The Ferryman

Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery *winner*

Laurie Metcalf, Hillary and Clinton

Heidi Schreck, What the Constitution Means to Me

Lead Actor - Play

Paddy Considine, The Ferryman

Bryan Cranston, Network

Jeff Daniels, To Kill a Mockingbird *winner*

Jeremy Pope, Choir Boy

Michael Urie, Torch Song

Featured Actress - Musical

Amber Gray, Hadestown

Leslie Kritzer, Beetlejuice

Bonnie Milligan, Head Over Heels *winner*

Sarah Stiles, Tootsie

Ali Stroker, Oklahoma!

Featured Actor - Musical

John Behlmann, Tootsie

Andre De Shields, Hadestown

Andy Grotelueschen, Tootsie

Patrick Page, Hadestown *winner*

Ephraim Sykes, Ain’t Too Proud

Featured Actress - Play

Fionnula Flanagan, The Ferryman *winner*

Celia Keenan-Bolger, To Kill a Mockingbird

Dearbhla Molloy, The Ferryman

Mercedes Ruehl, Torch Song

Julie White, Gary

Featured Actor - Play

Bertie Carvel, Ink

Robin de Jesus, The Boys in the Band

Gideon Glick, To Kill a Mockingbird

Tom Glynn-Carney, The Ferryman

Brandon Uranowitz, Burn This *winner*

Director - Musical

Des McAnuff, Ain’t Too Proud

Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown *winner*

Michael Mayer, Head Over Heels

Denis Jones, Oklahoma!

Scott Ellis, Tootsie

Director - Play

Oliver Butler, What the Constitution Means to Me

Moises Kaufman, Torch Song

Joe Mantello, The Boys in the Band

Sam Mendes, The Ferryman *winner*

Bart Sher, To Kill a Mockingbird

Choreography

Ain’t Too Proud

The Cher Show

Hadestown

Head Over Heels

Kiss Me, Kate *winner*

Scenic Design - Musical

Beetlejuice *winner*

Hadestown

Head Over Heels

Kiss Me, Kate

Oklahoma!

Scenic Design - Play

The Ferryman

Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

Ink *winner*

Network

To Kill a Mockingbird

Costume Design - Musical

Beetlejuice

The Cher Show *winner*

Hadestown

Head Over Heels

Tootsie

Costume Design - Play

Bernhardt/Hamlet

The Ferryman

Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus *winner*

To Kill a Mockingbird

The Nap

Lighting Design - Musical

Ain’t Too Proud

Be More Chill

Beetlejuice

Hadestown *winner*

Oklahoma!

Lighting Design - Play

Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

The Ferryman *winner*

Ink

Network

To Kill a Mockingbird

Sound Design - Musical

Beetlejuice

The Cher Show

Hadestown *winner*

King Kong

Tootsie

Sound Design - Play

Choir Boy

The Ferryman *winner*

Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

Ink

To Kill a Mockingbird

Projection Design

Be More Chill

Beetlejuice *winner*

Ink

King Kong

Network

Orchestrations

Hadestown *winner*

Head Over Heels

Kiss Me, Kate

Oklahoma!

Tootsie

WINS

Hadestown - 7

The Ferryman - 6

Beetlejuice - 2

The Cher Show - 2

Kiss Me, Kate - 2

Burn This - 1

Gary - 1

Head Over Heels - 1

Ink - 1

To Kill a Mockingbird - 1

The Prom - 1

Tootsie - 1

Torch Song - 1

2019 Drama League Nominations Announced!

The first major nominations for Broadway's award season have been announced. The Drama Leauge Awards unveiled nominations for their four standard show categories, as well as their unique "Distinguished Performance" award.

That honor includes nominees from plays and musicals, lead or supporting. Performers may only win this award once in their careers. Additionally, no production may have more than 2 nominated performers in this category.

Of important note: The Broadway revival of The Boys in the Band was ineligible for these nominations, as the production was not able to accommodate Drama League voters with tickets during the strictly limited run.

The most surprising omission to me is Ink, and its total shunning has me wondering if it was hindered by the late opening (its still in previews) or if every voter was able to see it in time.

Stray thoughts and observations:

• True West is the only Tony eligible Broadway revival to miss the equivalent category here, though Ethan Hawke was nominated for his performance.
• Truly bizarre that Paddy Considine is the only nominated actor from The Ferryman. One would think Laura Donnelly or Fionnula Flanagan would have registered.
• The only three lead actors from Broadway musicals nominated are Brooks Ashmanskas (The Prom), Santino Fontana (Tootsie) and Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice). Are we underestimating Brightman's Tony chances? 
• It's great news for on-the-bubble and long-shot contenders like Josh Charles (Straight White Men), Bonnie Milligan (Head Over Heels), Leslie Kritzer (Beetlejuice), Janet  McTeer (Bernhardt/Hamlet), and Kerry Washington (American Son). Will any of these translate into Tony nominations?

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY

Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties
Written by Jen Silverman

Dance Nation
Written by Clare Barron

Fairview
Written by Jackie Sibblies Drury

The Ferryman
Written by Jez Butterworth

Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Written by Taylor Mac

The House That Will Not Stand
Written by Marcus Gardley

The Jungle
Written by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson

The Lehman Trilogy
Written by Stefano Massini, adapted by Ben Power

Network
Adapted by Lee Hall; Based on the film by Paddy Chayefsky

Paradise Blue
Written by Dominique Morisseau

Teenage Dick
Written by Mike Lew

To Kill A Mockingbird
Written by Aaron Sorkin; Based on the novel by Harper Lee

What The Constitution Means To Me
Written by Heidi Shreck


OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY

All My Sons
Written by Arthur Miller
Directed by Jack O'Brien

Boesman and Lena
Written by Athol Fugard
Directed by Yaël Farber

Burn This
Written by Lanford Wilson
Directed by Michael Mayer

By The Way, Meet Vera Stark
Written by Lynn Nottage
Directed by Kamilah Forbes

Choir Boy
Written by Tarell Alvin McCraney
Directed by Trip Cullman

King Lear
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Sam Gold

Torch Song
Written by Harvey Fierstein
Directed by Moisés Kaufman

Twelfth Night
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Oskar Eustis and Kwame Kwei-Armah

The Waverly Gallery
Written by Kenneth Lonergan
Directed by Lila Neugebauer

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations
Book by Dominique Morisseau; Music and Lyrics from The Legendary Motown Catalog

Beetlejuice
Book by Scott Brown and Anthony King; Music by Eddie Perfect; Lyrics by Eddie Perfect

Be More Chill
Book by Joe Tracz; Music and Lyrics by Joe Iconis

The Cher Show
Book by Rick Elice; Music by Various Artists

Hadestown
Music, Lyrics and Book by Anais Mitchell

Head Over Heels
Songs by The Go-Go's; Conceived by Jeff Whitty; Original Book by Jeff Whitty; Book adapted by James Magruder; Based on 'The Arcadia' by Sir Philip Sidney

The Hello Girls
Music and Lyrics by Peter Mills; Book by Peter Mills and Cara Reichel

King Kong
Written by Jack Thorne; Score Composed and Produced by Marius de Vries; Songs by Eddie Perfect

The Prom
Book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin; Music by Matthew Sklar; Lyrics by Chad Beguelin

Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Book, Music and Lyrics by Andrew R. Butler

Tootsie
Book by Robert Horn; Music by David Yazbek; Lyrics by David Yazbek

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

Carmen Jones
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, based on Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy's adaptation of Prosper Merimee's Carmen; Music by Georges Bizet
Directed by John Doyle

Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish
Book by Joseph Stein; Music by Jerry Bock; Lyrics By Sheldon Harnick
Directed by Joel Grey

Kiss Me, Kate
Book by Sam Spewack and Bella Spewack; Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Directed by Scott Ellis

Oklahoma!
Book by Oscar Hammerstein; Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
Directed by Daniel Fish

Ordinary Days
Music and Lyrics by Adam Gwon
Directed by Jonathan Silverstein

Smokey Joe's Cafe
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Directed by Joshua Bergasse

NOMINEES FOR THE DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD

Brooks Ashmanskas, The Prom
Annette Bening, All My Sons
Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Our Lady of 121st Street
Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show
Eboni Booth, Dance Nation
Alex Brightman, Beetlejuice
Josh Charles, Straight White Men
Paddy Considine, The Ferryman
Jordan E. Cooper, Ain't No Mo'
Bryan Cranston, Network
Jeff Daniels, To Kill A Mockingbird
Jessica Frances Dukes, By The Way, Meet Vera Stark
André De Shields, Hadestown
Adam Driver, Burn This
Edie Falco, The True
Santino Fontana, Tootsie
Harriett D. Foy, The House That Will Not Stand
Lynda Gravatt, The House That Will Not Stand and The Revolving Cycles Truly and Steadily Roll'd
Amber Gray, Hadestown
Jake Gyllenhaal, Sea Wall/A Life
Ammar Haj Ahmad, The Jungle
Ethan Hawke, True West
Marin Ireland, Blue Ridge and Summer and Smoke
Zainab Jah, Boesman and Lena
Nikki M. James, Twelfth Night
Celia Keenan-Bolger, To Kill A Mockingbird
Leslie Kritzer, Beetlejuice
Beth Leavel, The Prom
Tracy Letts, All My Sons
Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery
Janet McTeer, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Laurie Metcalf, Hillary and Clinton
Bonnie Milligan, Head Over Heels
Gregg Mozgala, Teenage Dick
Kelli O'Hara, Kiss Me, Kate
Jeremy Pope, Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations and Choir Boy
Carey Mulligan, Girls and Boys
Anika Noni Rose, Carmen Jones
Debra Jo Rupp, The Cake
Stacey Sargeant, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Heidi Schreck, What The Constitution Means To Me
Steven Skybell, Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish
Keith Randolph Smith, Paradise Blue
Ali Stroker, Oklahoma!
Michael Stuhlbarg, Socrates
Ephraim Sykes, Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations
Ben Turner, The Jungle
Ana Villafañe, Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag
Kerry Washington, American Son
Julie White, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ruth Wilson, King Lear
BD Wong, The Great Leap

The Drama League also wishes to acknowledge the previous recipients of the Distinguished Performance Award who appeared in Broadway or Off-Broadway productions this season. As the Award can only be won once in a performer's lifetime, they are ineligible to be nominated; however, their exemplary work is recognized and applauded.

Stockard Channing, Apologia
Glenn Close, Mother of the Maid
Glenda Jackson, King Lear
Cherry Jones, The Lifespan of a Fact
Nathan Lane, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
John Lithgow, Hillary and Clinton
Stephen Rea, Cyprus Avenue

The Sammys 2019! Or: If I was an Oscar voter

We are finally at a close. This unpredictable Oscar season is at an end and the Academy's choices will soon be unveiled. While I'm used to my favorite film losing Best Picture, I'm not used to my favorite being shut out of nominations entirely. In fact, my top three films of the year all failed to register with Oscar voters.

Annihilation is a sci-fi fever dream. It feels like a spiritual successor to Aliens in many ways. It presents some of the most beautiful, disturbing, and hypnotic visuals of the year. The finale has haunted my mind since I saw it. The film dares to ask unanswered questions of the audience, and your interpretation of the film and its meanings will differ from your friends. It's a movie that offers new insights and revelations upon each viewing.

Eighth Grade has the most incredible screenplay of the year. Full stop. I have no idea how Bo Burnham so successfully captured the cadence and mannerisms in the way eighth-graders speak. The "umms," the stilted dialogue, the insecurity. And none of it ever feels like a schtick. Marry this writing with Elsie Fisher's painfully honest performance and you have one incredibly recognizable and moving film experience.

And then there's Leave No Trace. I knew next to nothing about the movie going in, but it quickly jumped to the top of my list after I sobbed my way through it. It's not a dialogue-heavy piece. The script is sparing with its language, there is no excess or fat on this thing. Instead, much of the story comes from the chemistry forged between its two stars Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie. And from the way Debra Granik charts them with the camera. She knows exactly when to get in close so you can see the story in their eyes and when to pull back and bring in the environment. An environment she can manipulate to be lush and gorgeous one moment and a dire threat the next.

I alternated between which of these three films was my favorite. Ultimately the gut punch of Leave No Trace is what is seared into my mind and heart. But all three were entirely ignored by the Academy. So let's fix that. Here are my own personal Oscars, the Sammys, for the year in film.

Picture

10. Colette

9. Can You Ever Forgive Me?   

8. Mary Poppins Returns

7. BlacKkKlansman

6. A Star is Born
5. Black Panther

4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

3. Annihilation

2. Eighth Grade (runner-up)

1. Leave No Trace (winner)

Director

Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade

Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born

Alex Garland, Annihilation (runner-up)

Debra Granik, Leave No Trace (winner)

Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman

Lead Actor

Christian Bale, Vice

Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born (runner-up)

Ben Foster, Leave No Trace (winner)

Ethan Hawke, First Reformed

Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody

Lead Actress

Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns

Glenn Close, The Wife (runner-up)

Toni Collette, Hereditary (winner)

Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade

Keira Knightley, Colette

Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, Green Book

Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (runner-up)

Josh Hamilton, Eighth Grade (winner)

Dominic West, Colette

Ben Wishaw, Mary Poppins Returns

Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt, A Quiet Place

Danai Gurira, Black Panther

Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

Thomasin McKenzie, Leave No Trace (winner)

Rachel Weisz, The Favourite (runner-up)

Ensemble

Black Panther (winner)

Crazy Rich Asians (runner-up)

The Favourite

Mary Poppins Returns

A Star is Born

Animated Feature

Incredibles 2 (runner-up)

Isle of Dogs

Ruben Brandt, Collector

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (winner)

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Documentary Feature

Free Solo

McQueen

Minding the Gap (runner-up)

RBG

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (winner)

Original Screenplay

Colette

Eighth Grade (winner)

The Favourite (runner-up)

Private Life

A Quiet Place

Adapted Screenplay

Annihilation

BlacKkKlansman (runner-up)

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Leave No Trace (winner)

A Star is Born

Film Editing

Annihilation (runner-up)

BlacKkKlansman (winner)

First Man

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse   

A Star is Born

Cinematography

First Man (winner)

Hereditary

If Beale Street Could Talk

Roma (runner-up)

A Star is Born

Production Design

Annihilation

Black Panther (runner-up)

The Favourite

Mary Poppins Returns (winner)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Costume Design

Black Panther (winner)

Colette

The Favourite

Mary Poppins Returns (runner-up)

Mary Queen of Scots

Makeup/Hairstyling

Black Panther (winner)

Mary Poppins Returns

Mary Queen of Scots

Suspiria (runner-up)

Vice

Sound Editing

Annihilation (winner)

Avengers: Infinity War

First Man

Ready Player One

A Quiet Place (runner-up)

Sound Mixing

Annihilation

A Quiet Place

First Man (runner-up)

Mary Poppins Returns (winner)

A Star is Born

Score

Black Panther

Annihilation (winner)

Colette

Hereditary

Mary Poppins Returns (runner-up)

Song

“Nowhere to Go But Up,” Mary Poppins Returns (runner-up)

“The Place Where Lost Things Go,” Mary Poppins Returns

“A Place Called Slaughter Race,” Ralph Breaks the Internet

“Sunflower,” Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

“Shallow”, A Star is Born (winner)

Visual Effects

Annihilation (runner-up)

Avengers: Infinity War (winner)

Christopher Robin

Ready Player One

Solo: A Star Wars Story

WINS

4 - Leave No Trace

3 - Black Panther

2 - Annihilation

2 - Eighth Grade

2 - Mary Poppins Returns

1 - Avengers: Infinity War

1 - BlacKkKlansman
1 - First Man

1 - Hereditary

1 - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

1 - A Star is Born

1 - Won’t You be my Neighbor?