AFI announces Top 10 films of 2017, Best Picture race takes shape

The AFI (American Film Institute) announced their top ten films of 2017. Everything (mostly) fell into place, as the Best Picture race firms up. The AFI selections:

The Big Sick
Call me by Your Name
Dunkirk
The Florida Project 
Get Out
Lady Bird
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri 
Wonder Woman

The first and last on the list, The Big Sick and Wonder Woman, are certainly on the shakiest ground for Best Picture. Especially since the other 8 films cited have been firming up their Oscar claims, appearing just about everywhere.

The utility players this season, who so far have dominated the awards circuit are Call me by Your Name, Get Out, and Lady Bird. The Post has also come on strong despite a late entry to the race. Dunkirk remains a visual marvel and directorial feat that will remain in conversations until the end. If we were dealing with a five film Best Picture lineup, I think these might be the five. I still contend that Dunkirk will have a hard time winning since it is not an "actor movie."

So which of the other four would win instead? Hard to say. Will Lady Bird represent the strong year in women in film? Does Call me by Your Name win over voters with visual sumptuousness and a gorgeous coming of age tale? Is Get Out their way to acknowledge the lack of opportunities and equality for people of color? Or will The Post serve as the ultimate middle finger to the Trump administration, being raised high by Hollywood's holy trinity of the father (Spielberg), the son (Hanks), and the holy spirit (Streep)? They all have plausible narratives.

The Shape of Water is also rebounding after a rocky start, and could overtake Dunkirk as the below the line juggernaut (with a very competitive Best Actress entry). And though Martin McDonagh might produce too divisive work to ultimately win the top award, Three Billboards is certainly poised for a nomination thanks to a crusading performance by Frances Mcdormand. The actors are with it. The Florida Project, which I've feared may have only been a "critic's movie" has seen universal praise and rounds out this top 8 pack.

With a 10 picture lineup mathematically improbable, we are looking at maybe one more slot to fill. Most assume it belongs to Darkest Hour. But as of now, the film looks more like Iron Lady (remembered for its winning central performance and makeup) rather than a Best Picture juggernaut. It'll be up to the upcoming industry kudos to change the tide for this one. I'm sure Netflix was thinking Mudbound would be able to resonate with AFI, but they may have to settle for some major awards without an accompanying Best Picture citation. It'll probably be up to the PGA to say otherwise (and a SAG ensemble nomination would also be welcome).

Will a comedy breakthrough? The Big Sick is competitive for Supporting Actress and Original Screenplay, but will undoubtedly feel too light to many voters. Another (much darker) comedy is also in play with I, Tonya. But I have a feeling the voters will go for stories with likable people this year. As Sasha Stone says: "good people doing good things."

Wonder Woman would be one of those good people. If Gal Gadot's pic shows up at the PGA, we will have to reassess its chances. But the issue is that so many genre films were incredible this year. The Academy will probably only have space for one of them, if at all. Will voters looking outside the box be united behind Wonder Woman? Or will they be split between her, Logan, Blade Runner 2049, Beauty and the Beast, Baby Driver, and War of the Planet of the Apes? If it's the later, they all lose.

Of course, maybe I'm looking too hard to find a consensus approved ninth nominee. Maybe the strong eight is our strong eight. And that's it.

"Sweat" claims 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Tony next?

The winners for the 2017 Pulitzer Prizes were announced, and Lynn Nottage has claimed the Drama prize for her new play “Sweat.” With Tony nominations just a few weeks away, will this kudos give the play’s odds a bump?

“Sweat” began its New York life at the Public Theater Off-Broadway. After a sold out and critically acclaimed limited run, it transferred to Studio 54 on Broadway. It has continued to wow critics in its new home. The culturally relevant play focuses on a group of factory workers in a rural Philadelphia town during 2000 and 2008. Nottage explores the rising economic fears and racial tensions as factories close their doors.

This marks the second Pulitzer Prize win for Nottage, who also won this award for “Ruined” in 2009. That dramatic work examined the lives of women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during a civil war. Nottage is now just the 8th playwright with multiple Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. To find the most recent example you will have go all the way back to 1990, when August Wilson claimed his Pulitzer for “The Piano Lesson.” He had previously won for “Fences.”

Producers for “Sweat” are surely celebrating and making up some new marquee signage to tout the surprise win. The show is about to enter a heated Tony race for Best Play, where it faces off against  “Oslo,” “Indecent,” “Significant Other,” “The Play That Goes Wrong,” The Encounter,” “Heisenberg,” “Oh, Hello” and “The Present.” Any bump in prestige and/or press will be welcome.

The other two finalists for the Drama prize were: “The Wolves” by Sarah DeLappe and “A 24-Decade History of Popular Music” by Taylor Mac. Both productions played to much acclaim Off-Broadway earlier this season. Though they didn’t win, their citations are still just as impressive: “The Wolves” is DeLappe’s first play, and by my count Taylor Mac is the first genderqueer playwright to be recognized by the Pulitzers. Not too shabby.

2016 Outer Critics Circle Nominees Announced

Broadway veterans Brian d'Arcy James (Something Rotten!) and Jennifer Simard (Disaster) announced the nominees for the 2016 Outer Critics Circle Awards today at the Algonquin Hotel. They are the first major theatre awards body to announce nominees this season.

The group is creating a new award this season for "Outstanding Video/Projection Design", mirroring a similar category that recently popped up at the Drama Desk Awards. This recognition of increasingly used projection elements brings the number of categories at the OCC to 25.

This season marks the 66th year of the Outer Critics Circle Awards, which bestow honors to productions both on and off Broadway. Winners will be announced May 9th. Note: Because they were eligible for their Off-Broadway incarnations, the productions Hamilton, Blackbird, and Disaster! were only eligible for new elements.

UPDATE: Since Shuffle Along is not open and has not invited any press yet, the producers asked the OCC voters to consider the musical for next season's awards. The musical will still qualify for the Tony Awards, but the OCC has decided to consider it for the 2016-2017 season.

The nominees are as follows:

Outstanding New Broadway Musical
American Psycho
Bright Star
On Your Feet!
Tuck Everlasting
Waitress

Outstanding New Broadway Play
Eclipsed
The Father
The Humans
King Charles III
Therese Raquin

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical
Cagney
Daddy Long Legs
Dear Evan Hansen
Lazarus
Southern Comfort

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play
The Christians by Lucas Hnath
Familiar by Danai Gurira
Gloria by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Hold On to Me Darling by Kenneth Lonergan
The Legend of Georgia McBride by Matthew Lopez

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
The Color Purple
Dames at Sea
Fiddler on the Roof
She Loves Me
Spring Awakening

Outstanding Revival of a Play
Blackbird
The Crucible
Fool for Love
Long Day's Journey Into Night
A View From the Bridge

Outstanding Solo Performance
Mike Birbiglia in Thank God for Jokes
Kathleen Chalfant in Rose
Anne Hathaway in Grounded
James Lecesne in The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
Daphne Rubin-Vega in Empanada Loca

John Gassner Playwriting Award (for an American play, preferably a new author)
Boy by Anna Ziegler
I and You by Lauren Gunderson
Ironbound by Martyna Majok
The Royale by Marco Ramirez
Ugly Lies the Bone by Lindsey Ferrentino

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Alex Brightman, School of Rock
Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof
Robert Creighton, Cagney
Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen
Benjamin Walker, American Psycho

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Reed Birney, The Humans
Gabriel Byrne, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Frank Langella, The Father
Mark Strong, A View From the Bridge
Ben Whishaw, The Crucible

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Laura Benanti, She Loves Me
Carmen Cusack, Bright Star
Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple
Jessie Mueller, Waitress
Ana Villafañe, On Your Feet!

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans
Jessica Lange, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Lupita Nyong'o, Eclipsed
Nicola Walker, A View From the Bridge
Michelle Williams, Blackbird

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Nicholas Barasch, She Loves Me
Roger Bart, Disaster!
Michael Esper, Lazarus
Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress
Terrence Mann, Tuck Everlasting

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Andrea Burns, On Your Feet!
Sophia Anne Caruso, Lazarus
Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me
Hélene Yorke, American Psycho

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Sanjit De Silva, Dry Powder
Matt McGrath, The Legend of Georgia McBride
Jim Norton, The Crucible
Robert Sella, Sylvia
Michael Shannon, Long Day's Journey Into Night

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Pascale Armand, Eclipsed
Zainab Jah, Eclipsed
Judith Light, Thérèse Raquin
Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed
Myra Lucretia Taylor, Familiar

Outstanding New Score
Sara Bareilles, Waitress
Paul Gordon, Daddy Long Legs
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Bright Star
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Dear Evan Hansen
Duncan Sheik, American Psycho

Outstanding Book of a Musical
David Bowie and Enda Walsh, Lazarus
John Caird, Daddy Long Legs
Alexander Dinelaris, On Your Feet!
Steven Levenson, Dear Evan Hansen
Steve Martin, Bright Star

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Michael Arden, Spring Awakening
Walter Bobbie, Bright Star
Scott Ellis, She Loves Me
Rupert Goold, American Psycho
Michael Greif, Dear Evan Hansen

Outstanding Director of a Play
Evan Cabnet, Gloria
Mike Donahue, The Legend of Georgia McBride
Rupert Goold, King Charles III
Joe Mantello, The Humans
Ivo van Hove, A View From the Bridge

Outstanding Choreographer
Joshua Bergasse, Cagney
Spencer Liff, Spring Awakening
Josh Rhodes, Bright Star
Randy Skinner, Dames at Sea
Sergio Trujillo, On Your Feet!

Outstanding Set Design (Play or Musical)
Beowulf Boritt, Thérèse Raquin
David Korins, Misery
Mimi Lien, John
David Rockwell, She Loves Me
Walt Spangler, Tuck Everlasting

Outstanding Lighting Design (Play of Musical)
Donald Holder, She Loves Me
Natasha Katz, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Kenneth Posner, On Your Feet!
Ben Stanton, Spring Awakening
Justin Townsend, American Psycho

Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical)
ESosa, On Your Feet!
Jane Greenwood, Bright Star
Katrina Lindsay, American Psycho
Jeff Mahshie, She Loves Me
Tom Scutt, King Charles III

Outstanding Video/Projection Design (Play or Musical)
Lucy Mackinnon, Spring Awakening
Peter Nigrini, Dear Evan Hansen
Peter Nigrini, Grounded
Finn Ross, American Psycho
Tal Yarden, Lazarus

Hamilton Wins 2016 Pulitzer Prize

Hamilton has won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was announced today in a press conference by Mike Pride, administer of The Pulitzer Prizes. Lin-Manuel Miranda is the recipient of the award for having created the music, lyrics, and book. This is the 100th year of the Pulitzer Prizes.

The other finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama were The Humans by Stephen Karam (currently playing on Broadway) and Gloria by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (which previously played The Vineyard Theatre Off-Broadway).

Usually awarded to a play, Hamilton is the first musical to win the award since 2010's Next to Normal. Hamilton is actually just the 9th musical to take this award. Besides the two mentioned above, the other winners are Rent (1996), Sunday in the Park with George (1984-85), A Chorus Line (1975-76), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961-61), Fiorello! (1959-60), South Pacific (1949-50), and Of Thee I Sing (1931-32).

This continues an unprecedented success rate for Miranda's hip hop musical. If the show was not already sold out for months, this may have made tickets harder to come by. But, its already the toughest ticket to find, with the musical regularly grossing around $1.7 million a week. And with a certain Tony win in June, the buzz on this show is not going to die down anytime soon. Start saving your money for those dastardly priced re-sale tickets.

Who Will Win the Drama League's Distinguished Performance Award?

The Drama League announced today that Megan Hilty (Noises Off) and Zachary Levi (She Loves Me) will host the 2016 Drama League nominees on Friday May 20th.

One of the highlights of the theatre award season is guessing which sole performer will take the group's Distinguished Performance Award. Only one performer is awarded per year, from eligible Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. And once a person has won the award, they can never win it again.

Last year, the legendary Chita Rivera won for Kander and Ebb's final musical The Visit. In years prior it was Neil Patrick Harris (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Nathan Lane (The Nance), Audra McDonald (Porgy and Bess), and Mark Rylance (Jerusalem). As you can see, the award often goes to an iconic performance that helped define the theatre season. Who fits that bill this year?

The first person who comes to mind is the front-runner for the Best Actress in a Musical Tony, Cynthia Erivo. The British belter made her Broadway debut in The Color Purple and has been the talk of the town since the first performance. With a voice that soars to the stratosphere and a deep emotional well to mine on stage, she is an early favorite.

Close behind her is her Tony competition: Laura Benanti. She was born to play Amalia in She Loves Me. In the musical comedy classic, Benanti gets to showcase her signature comedic chops as well as a glorious coloratura soprano rarely heard on Broadway these days. And since she is a New York theatre mainstay, voters will be more familiar with her and her work.

As for other performers the League will be quite familiar with, Danny Burstein makes a worthy choice for his first Broadway leading role in Fiddler on the Roof. After working for years and graduating from ensemble member to the industry's go to supporting man, Burstein finally gets the chance to anchor a big Broadway musical. As Tevye, his pitch perfect performance is able to capture the character's humor and intense internal struggle about navigating a drastically changing world.

Should the League be feeling more inclined to reward a drama, Phylicia Rashad makes a strong case for herself in Head of Passes, Off-Broadway at the Public Theatre. A contemporary parable of The Book of Job, Rashad portrays a woman who sees her life collapsing around her in apocalyptic fashion. At the end of her gut wrenching journey, there isn't a dry eye in the house.

Of course, one cannot discount the unparalleled year that Hamilton is having. Leading men Leslie Odom Jr. and Lin-Manuel Miranda both make sense as a winner here. Though I think Odom Jr. is ahead in the Tony race, thanks to "The Room Where it Happened", Miranda might be ahead for this particular kudos. No other persona in New York has had as much buzz and exposure as he. And though both men were eligible and did not win for the musical's Off-Broadway run, a Miranda win would be a fitting cap to the year that Hamilton took over our lives.

Performers Frank Langella, Audra McDonald, and Brian Stokes Mitchell are on stage this season, but ineligible for this award having previously won. For my money, one of the six actors mentioned above will get to join them at the winner's table next year.

The Drama League Announces 2016 Special Honors

The Drama League announced Monday that three visionaries of the stage will be honored at the upcoming 82nd Annual Drama League Awards. The awards ceremony will take place on May 20th at the Marriott Marquis Times Square.

The Tony winning Deaf West Theatre will receive the "Unique Contribution to the Theatre Award". The LA based company was represented on Broadway this season with their highly acclaimed signed-and-sung revival of Spring Awakening.

Sheldon Harnick will receive the "distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award". The Tony, Grammy, and Pulitzer Prize winning lyricist is currently represented on Broadway with the revivals of Fiddler on the Roof and She Loves Me. He was a frequent collaborator of composer Jerry Bock. other celebrated works include Fiorello!, The Apple Tree, and Cyrano: The Musical.

Finally, Olivier Award winning director Ivo van Hove will take home the "Founders Award for Excellence in Directing". The avant-garde director has had a banner year in New York and abroad. He was represented on Broadway this season with The Crucible and A View From the Bridge, as well as Off-Broadway with Antigone (BAM) and Lazarus (New York Theatre Worskshop).

In addition to the special honors, the Drama League gives out awards in five competitive categories: Outstanding Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, and the Distinguished Performance Award. The nominees for these fields, culled from On and Off Broadway, will be announced Wednesday April 20th at Sardi's.

DGA Nominees Solidify Oscar Hopefuls

The 2016 Directors Guild of America announced their annual nominees today. This is an important precursor in the Oscar race since it is a guild of around 1,600 members (much larger than the 377 strong directors branch of The Academy). In fact, this guild award is often more significant in terms of predicting Best Picture nominees than Best Director at the Oscars, because of the large voting body. So while the directors in the Academy sometimes have a slot for a dark horse, quirky candidate, the DGA shows who is leading the pack. And today's nominations reflect the presumed front-runners of this awards season:

Best Director
Alejandro Gonzalez Inaritu, The Revenant
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Adam McKay, The Big Short
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Ridley Scott, The Martian

In addition, the DGA announced nominees for the inaugural "best directorial achievement for a first time feature film director". Eligible films must be released in New York and Los Angeles within 2015. Foreign films and non-DGA members are eligible for this award.

Best First Feature Film Director
Fernando Coimbra, A Wolf at the Door
Joel Edgerton, The Gift
Alex Garland, Ex Machina
Marielle Heller, Diary of a Teenage Girl
Laszlo Nemes, Son of Saul

So are the five DGA picks our Oscar nominees as well? Likely. But the smaller number of voters at the Academy makes room for more distinctive choices. McCarthy, McKay and Miller would all be first time Oscar nominees (they are first time DGA nominees as well) and one does wonder if the Academy has room for 3 "new" faces. Especially with old guard types like Spielberg and Haynes are waiting in the wings. While one of the three Academy newcomers may be unexpectedly snubbed, the DGA shows that all five films have serious widespread appeal. They are all but certain to show up in Best Picture.

PGA Nominations Shake Up Oscar Race

Hello all!

I have been slacking a bit and not posting thoughts about the Oscar race thus far (though as usual, I have kept the contenders pages pretty up to date with my predictions/thoughts). Perhaps slacking isn't the best word: in addition to my day job, I have been lucky enough to do a good deal of traveling and performing. But now I'm back, and today is the make or break day for many Oscar hopeful films.

Below are the just announced 2016 PGA Nominees:

Motion Picture
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Sicario
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton

Animated Motion Picture
Anomalisa
The Good Dinosaur
Inside Out
Minions
The Peanuts Movie

The PGA is the most important of the guild awards in terms of Oscar prognosticators, because it uses the same preferential ballot as the Academy to decide its Best Picture nominees. Last year, the PGA nominees foresaw 7 our of 8 Oscar nominees (The PGA guarantees 10 slots, while the Academy has anywhere from 5-10). So scoring with the producers is a very good omen.

Last year, the three darkest PGA contenders (Gone Girl, Nightcrawler, and Foxcatcher) were the ones to miss at the Oscars. With that in mind, the picture most likely left out of the Academy lineup would be the android thriller Ex Machina (though I will jump for joy if it makes the cut). It also means The Hateful Eight is likely dead in the water in terms of Best Picture odds. Room was also left out of the PGA field, but the intimate nature of the film is more in line with Academy tastes, so don't lose hope on it yet.

The most notable snubs are Carol and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. After dominating many a critic award, Carol also failed to net a Art Directors Guild nomination this morning (the equivalent of Best Production Design at the Oscars). Not great tea leaves for the lesbian period drama. Is it perhaps just an "actor's movie" rather than an all around player? It's also bad news for Star Wars' Best Picture hopes. The movie is essentially tailor made for this guild, and the miss here certainly stings. Though the film is dominating the zeitgeist and easily surpassing Avatar's box office record with no signs of showing. The Force Awakens hasn't played by awards season rules so far, and it could still be "too big to ignore" for the Academy.

The Big Short is looking great. It has been scoring across the board and has me thinking it is the real challenger to Spotlight's frontrunner status. The producers have also revived Straight Outta Compton (showing up on a preferential ballot pairs nicely with its SAG ensemble nomination) and Brooklyn (many pundits fretted about the Globes shunning it from their drama category). And is Sicario is emerging as a real threat in the race, despite being a long shot in most major categories? Watch out.

So how does the Oscar race look now? Based on the guilds it's The Big Short vs. Spotlight for Best Picture. With Mad Max: Fury Road and The Martian as potential spoilers. Academy Award nominations are announced on January 14th and voting is underway. Expect campaigns to be in high gear this week. "What a lovely day".

Outer Critics Circle Awards 2015: Winners Announced!

The Outer Critics Circle announced the winners of their 65th annual kudos today. The winners will be celebrated at a special ceremony at Sardi's on May 21st.

The Outer Critic's Circle honors productions both on and off Broadway. Several of this year's leading Tony contenders were feted at these awards. But, it is important to note that some of the biggest Tony competition (Fun Home, Hand to God, Disgraced) were not eligible for these awards, having already competed for their Off-Broadway runs. The OCC is also not bound to Tony eligibility rulings so some performers compete in other categories at these kudos (ie: Christian Borle in Lead instead of Featured).

The big winners were The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, An American in Paris, and Off-Broadway sensation Hamilton. Without Fun Home standing in it's path, An American in Paris took four awards including the Best Broadway Musical Prize (and double wins for Christopher Wheeldon).

The King and I picked up three wins including Best Revival of a Musical, but leading lady Kelli O'Hara lost to her fiery competitor Kristin Chenoweth. Will the same outcome repeat itself at the Tonys?

The Featured Acting (Play) races are particularly tough to predict for the Tonys. The OCC lineup includes many of the front-runners. Featured Actress went to Annaleigh Ashford, who prevailed over Tony competition Patricia Clarkson and Lydia Leonard. With the men: Richard McCabe won featured actor over Nathaniel Parker and Alessandro Nivola. Can these two featured performers continue their winning streaks and clear up these confusing categories?  While there is zero overlap between voting bodies, any amount of buzz can help in races this tight.

Complete list of winners below:

BEST BROADWAY MUSICAL
*An American in Paris
It Shoulda Been You
The Last Ship
Something Rotten!
The Visit

BEST BROADWAY PLAY
The Audience
*Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Wolf Hall

BEST OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
A Christmas Memory
Disenchanted
Fortress of Solitude
*Hamilton
Lonesome Traveler

BEST OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
*Between Riverside and Crazy
The City of Conversation
The Nether
Rasheeda Speaking
The Village Bike

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Into the Woods
*The King and I
On the Town
On the Twentieth Century
Side Show

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
The Elephant Man
Fashions for Men
The Heidi Chronicles
Skylight
*You Can't Take it With You

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
*Hamilton
It Shoulda Been You
The Last Ship
Something Rotten!
The Visit

BEST SCORE
*Hamilton
It Shoulda Been You
The Last Ship
Something Rotten!
The Visit

BEST ACTOR (PLAY)
Reed Birney, I'm Gonna Pray for You so Hard
Bradley Cooper, The Elephant Man
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Between Riverside and Crazy
Ben Miles, Wolf Hall
*Alex Sharp, Curious Incident...

BEST ACTRESS (PLAY)
Greta Gerwig, The Village Bike
Jan Maxwell, The city of Conversation
*Helen Mirren, The Audience
Elizabeth Moss, The Heidi Chronicles
Tonya Pinkins, Rasheeda Speaking

BEST ACTOR (MUSICAL)
Christian Borle, Something Rotten!
Brian d'Arcy James, Something Rotten!
*Robert Fairchild, An American in Paris
Peter Gallagher, On the Twentieth Century
Tony Yazbeck, On the Town

BEST ACTRESS (MUSICAL)
*Kristin Chenoweth, On the Twentieth Century
Leanne Cope, An American in Paris
Tyne Daly, It Shoulda Been You
Kelli O'Hara, The King and I
Chita Rivera, The Visit

BEST FEATURED ACTOR (PLAY)
Paul Jesson, Wolf Hall
*Richard McCabe, The Audience
Alessandro Nivola, The Elephant Man
Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall
Bryce Pinkham, The Heidi Chronicles

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS (PLAY)
*Annaleigh Ashford, You Can't Take it With You
Patricia Clarkson, The Elephant Man
Francessca Faridany, Curious Incident...
Julie Halston, you Can't Take it With You
Lydia Leonard, Wolf Hall

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS (MUSICAL)
Heidi Blickenstaff, Something Rotten!
Victoria Clark, Gigi
Megan Fairchild, On the Town
*Ruthie Ann Miles, The King and I
Mary Louise Wilson, On the Twentieth Century

BEST FEATURED ACTOR (MUSICAL)
John Cariani, Something Rotten!
Josh Grisetti, It Shoulda Been You
*Andy Karl, On the Twentieth Century
Paul Alexander Nolan, Doctor Zhivago
Max Von Essen, An American in Paris

BEST DIRECTOR (MUSICAL)
Scott Ellis, On the Twentieth Century
Thomas Kail, Hamilton
Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!
David Hyde Pierce, It Shoulda Been You
*Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris

BEST DIRECTOR (PLAY)
Stephen Daldry, The Audience
*Marianne Elliott, Curious Incident...
Scott Ellis, The Elephant Man
Scott Ellis, You Can't Take it With You
Jeremy Herrin, Wolf Hall

BEST CHOREOGRAPHER
Joshua Bergasse, On the Town
Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton
Warren Carlyle, On the Twentieth Century
Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!
*Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris

BEST SET DESIGN
*Bunny Christie, Curious Incident
Bob Crowley, An American in Paris
Scott Pask, Something Rotten!
David Rockwell, On the Twentieth Century
Michael Yeargan, The King and I

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Gregg Barnes, Something Rotten!
Bob Crowley, The Audience
William Ivey Long, On the Twentieth Century
Christopher Oram, Wolf Hall
*Catherine Zuber, The King and I

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
*Paule Constable, Curious Incident...
Jeff Croiter, Something Rotten!
Rick Fisher, The Audience
Natasha Katz, An American in Paris
Japhy Weidemen, The Visit

BEST SOLO PERFORMANCE
Joe Assadourian, The Bullpen
*Jim Dale, Just Jim Dale
Tom Dugan, Wiesenthal
Cush Jumbo, Josephine and I
Benjamin Scheuer, The Lion

JOHN GASSNER AWARD (for an American play)
*Ayad Akhtar, The Invisible Hand
Halley Feiffer, I'm Gonna Pray for You so Hard
Elizabeth Irwin, My Manana Comes
Markus Potter, Stalking the Bogeyman
Benjamin Scheuer, The Lion

2015 Drama Desk Nominees! Complete List

Nomination for the 60th Annual Drama Desk Awards have been announced. And boy are there some shockers. A small nominating committee of seven people vote on the nominees, so singular tastes always have the ability to come through.

After criticism in recent years that the Drama Desks favor Broadway too heavily (productions from both the Broadway and Off-Broadway 2014-2015 season are eligible), this year they have pulled a 180 with Off-Broadway shows dominating many of the categories.

Lin Manuel Miranda's hit musical Hamilton lead in overall nominations at 13. It was closely followed by Broadway productions An American in Paris (12), Something Rotten! (9), The Visit (7), and Curious Incident...(6). Two closed shows also rebounded after a few days of poor awards showings. Side Show received 5 nominations including Revival of a Muscial and Best Actress in a Musical for Erin Davie. Honeymoon in Vegas also picked up 5 nods including Outstanding Music and Lyrics for Jason Robert Brown (The Tony Awards combine these two categories into "Best Score").

Notable shockers include Kelli O'Hara's absence from Best Actress in a Musical (don't worry Kelli, the Tonys wont follow suit). It's also of note that in Outstanding Play, Airline Highway and Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time were the only Broadway shows to make the cut. Similarly, Elephant Man is the sole Broadway representative in Revival of a Play.

As with the Outer Critics Circle Awards, the Tony hopefuls Fun Home, Hand to God, and Disgraced were not eligible having been considered for their previous Off-Broadway runs. [EDIT: New actors and technical staff of Disgraced were eligible for consideration, but were not nominated.]

Complete List of Nominees Below:

Outstanding Play
You Got Older
Airline Highway
The City of Conversation
Between Riverside and Crazy
My Manana Comes
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Let the Right One In

Outstanding Musical
An American in Paris
Hamilton
Fly by Night
Pretty Filthy
Something Rotten!
The Visit

Outstanding Revival of a Play
The Elephant Man
Fashions for Men
Ghosts
The Iceman Cometh
Tamburlaine the Great
The Wayside Motor Inn

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Into the Woods
The King and I
On the Town
On the Twentieth Century
Pageant
Side Show

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Reed Birney - I'm Gonna Pray For You So Hard
Bradley Cooper - The Elephant Man
Stephen McKinley Henderson - Between Riverside and Crazy
Ben Miles - Wolf Hall: Parts One & Two
Bill Pullman - Sticks and Bones
Alexander Sharp - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Brooke Bloom - You Got Older
Kathleen Chalfant - A Walk in the Woods
Kristin Griffith - The Fatal Weakness
Jan Maxwell - The City of Conversation
Helen Mirren - The Audience
Carey Mulligan - Skylight
Tonya Pinkins - Rasheeda Speaking

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Brian d'Arcy James - Something Rotten!
Robert Fairchild - An American in Paris
Jeremy Kushnier - Atomic
Lin-Manuel Miranda - Hamilton
Matthew Morrison - Finding Neverland
Ryan Silverman - Side Show

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin - John & Jen
Kristin Chenoweth - On the Twentieth Century
Leanne Cope - An American in Paris
Erin Davie - Side Show
Lisa Howard - It Shoulda Been You
Chita Rivera - The Visit

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
F. Murray Abraham, It's Only a Play
Reed Birney, You Got Older
K. Todd Freeman, Airline Highway
Jonathan Hadary, Rocket to the Moon
Jason Butler Harner, The Village Bike
Jonathan Hogan, Pocatello
José Joaquin Perez, My Mañana Comes

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Annaleigh Ashford, You Can't Take It with You
Beth Dixon, The City of Conversation
Julie Halston, You Can't Take It with You
Paola Lázaro-Muñoz, To the Bone
Lydia Leonard, Wolf Hall, Parts 1 & 2
Julie White, Airline Highway

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Christian Borle, Something Rotten!
Peter Friedman, Fly By Night
Josh Grisetti, It Shoulda Been You
Andy Karl, On the Twentieth Century
Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton
Brad Oscar, Something Rotten!
Max von Essen, An American in Paris

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Carolee Carmello, Finding Neverland
Tyne Daly, It Shoulda Been You
Elizabeth A. Davis, Allegro
Renee Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Luba Mason, Pretty Filthy
Nancy Opel, Honeymoon in Vegas
Elizabeth Stanley, On the Town

Outstanding Director of a Play
Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Jeremy Herrin, Wolf Hall, Parts 1 & 2
Anne Kauffman, You Got Older
Lila Neugebauer, The Wayside Motor Inn
Austin Pendleton, Between Riverside and Crazy
Joe Tantalo, Deliverance
John Tiffany, Let the Right One In

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Carolyn Cantor, Fly By Night
Bill Condon, Side Show
John Doyle, The Visit
Thomas Kail, Hamilton
Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!
Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris

Outstanding Choreography 
Joshua Bergasse, On the Town
Warren Carlyle, On the Twentieth Century
Steven Hoggett, The Last Ship
Austin McCormick, Rococo Rouge
Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten
Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris

Outstanding Music
Jason Robert Brown, Honeymoon in Vegas
Michael Friedman, The Fortress of Solitude
John Kander, The Visit
Dave Malloy, Ghost Quartet
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Sting, The Last Ship

Outstanding Lyrics
Jason Robert Brown, Honeymoon in Vegas
Fred Ebb, The Visit
Michael Friedman, The Fortress of Solitude
Karey Kirkpatrick & Wayne Kirkpatrick, Something Rotten!
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Benjamin Scheuer, The Lion

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Hunter Bell & Lee Overtree, Found
Karey Kirkpatrick & John O'Farrell, Something Rotten!
Craig Lucas, An American in Paris
Terence McNally, The Visit
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Kim Rosenstock, Will Connolly, & Michael Mitnick, Fly By Night

Outstanding Orchestrations
Christopher Austin, An American in Paris
Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Allegro
Larry Hochman, Something Rotten!
Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton
Rob Mathes, The Last Ship
Don Sebesky, Larry Blank, Jason Robert Brown, & Charlie Rosen, Honeymoon in Vegas

Outstanding Music in a Play
Cesar Alvarez, An Octoroon
Danny Blackburn & Bryce Hodgson, Deliverance
Sean Cronin, Kill Me Like You Mean It
Bongi Duma, Generations
Freddi Price, The Pigeoning
Arthur Solari & Jane Shaw, Tamburlaine the Great

Outstanding Revue
Forbidden Broadway Comes Out Swinging!
Just Jim Dale
Lennon: Through a Glass Onion
Lonesome Traveler

Outstanding Set Design
Bob Crowley, An American in Paris
Christine Jones, Let The Right One In
David Korins, Hamilton
Mimi Lien, An Octoroon
Scott Pask, The Visit
Daniel Zimmerman, Fashions for Men

Outstanding Costume Design
Bob Crowley, An American in Paris
Bob Crowley, The Audience
Christopher Oram, Wolf Hall, Parts 1 & 2
Paul Tazewell, Hamilton
Andrea Varga, The Fatal Weakness
Catherine Zuber, Gigi

Outstanding Lighting Design
Howell Binkley, Hamilton
Paule Constable, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Paule Constable & David Plater, Wolf Hall, Parts 1 & 2
Maruti Evans, Deliverance
Natasha Katz, The Iceman Cometh
Ben Stanton, Our Lady of Kibeho

Outstanding Projection Design 
59 Productions, An American in Paris
Roger Hanna & Price Johnston, Donogoo
Darrel Maloney, Found
Peter Nigrini, Our Lady of Kibeho
Finn Ross, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Austin Switser, Big Love

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
Peter Hylenski, Side Show
Scott Lehrer, The King & I
Scott Lehrer & Drew Levy, Honeymoon in Vegas
Brian Ronan, The Last Ship
Nevin Steinberg, Hamilton
Jon Weston, An American in Paris

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
Nathan Davis, The Other Mozart
Ien Denio, Deliverance
Ian Dickinson (for Autograph), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Gareth Fry, Let the Right One In
John Gromada, Lives of the Saints
Matt Tierney, Our Lady of Kibeho

Outstanding Solo Performance
Christina Bianco, Application Pending
Jonny Donahoe, Every Brilliant Thing
Tom Dugan, Wiesenthal
Mona Golabek, The Pianist of Willesden Lane
Joely Richardson, The Belle of Amherst
Benjamin Scheuer, The Lion

Unique Theatrical Experience
Catch Me!
Everybody Gets Cake
The Human Symphony
Queen of the Night
A Rap Guide to Religion

Drama League Nominations 2015

The nominations for The 2015 Drama League Awards were announced Tuesday April 21st, for the 2014-2015 Broadway and Off-Broadway season. The nominees were announced by actors Cherry Jones and Denis O'Hare from Sardi's Restaurant in Manhattan. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony at the Marriott Marquis on Friday May 17th.

The Drama League touts itself as the oldest theatre awards in America, having been established in 1922. They are infamous for their sole Distinguished Performance Award. Only one performer a year receives the honor, and once won it cannot be awarded to that actor again.

Who will take the acting honor this year? The best bets come from this season's defining performances: Stephen Boyer, Michael Cerveris, Kristin Chenoweth, Bradley Cooper, Kelli O'Hara, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Helen Mirren, Chita Rivera, and Alex Sharp. In my estimation it comes down to Helen Mirren (giving an unstoppable performance as Queen Elizabeth) and Chita Rivera (a nuanced final showcase for one of Broadway's legends).

Nomination Observations.

The marketing team for It Shoulda Been You are probably jumping for joy with their surprise citations here and with the OCC yesterday. Stars Lisa Howard and Tyne Daly made the cut for Distinguished Performance, giving a nice little boost to their Tony chances in their crowded categories. And after a critical drubbing and OCC snub, Finding Neverland was cut a break by the League with nominations for Best Musical, Matthew Morrison, and Kelsey Grammer.

On the other hand, it wasn't a great morning for A Delicate Balance. The show failed to make it into the Revival category, with This is Our Youth seemingly taking its place. Stars Glenn Close and John Lithgow already won the Drama League's performance award, and were thus ineligible. The plays two other Tony hopefuls, Lindsay Duncan and Martha Plimpton, were not nominated.

Complete list of nominees below:


Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play

The Audience
Between Riverside and crazy
Bootycandy
Constellations
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Hand to God
An Octoroon
Punk Rock
Scenes From a Marriage
Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two

Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical

An American in Paris
Finding Neverland
Fun Home
Ghost Quartet
Hamilton
It Shoulda Been You
Something Rotten 
The Visit

Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play

Big Love
The Elephant Man
The Heidi Chronicles
The Iceman Cometh
It's Only a Play
Skylight
Tamburlaine, Parts 1 and 2
This is Our Youth
You Can't Take it With You

Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical

Allegro
Into the Woods
The King and I
On the Town
On the Twentieth Century


Nominees for Distinguished Performance

Usman Ally, The Invisible Hand
Christian Borle, Something Rotten!
Steven Boyer, Hand to God
Sterling K. Brown, Father Comes Home from the Wars Parts 1, 2 & 3
Michael Cerveris, Fun Home
Kristin Chenoweth, On The Twentieth Century
Bradley Cooper, The Elephant Man
Leanne Cope, An American in Paris
Jim Dale, Just Jim Dale
Tyne Daly, It Shoulda Been You
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Robert Fairchild, An American in Paris
Renee Fleming, Living on Love
Kelsey Grammer, Finding Neverland
Jake Gyllenhaal, Constellations
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Between Riverside and Crazy
Lisa Howard, It Shoulda Been You
Brian D'Arcy James, Something Rotten!
Rebecca Naomi Jones, Big Love
Cush Jumbo, Josephine and I, The River
Andy Karl, On The Twentieth Century
Judy Kuhn, Fun Home
Lesley Manville, Ghosts
Jan Maxwell, The City of Conversation
Richard McCabe, The Audience
Rob McClure, Honeymoon in Vegas
Ewan McGregor, The Real Thing
Ben Miles, Wolf Hall, Parts One & Two
Ruthie Ann Miles, The King and I
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Helen Mirren, The Audience
Matthew Morrison, Finding Neverland
Elisabeth Moss, The Heidi Chronicles
Carey Mulligan, Skylight
Tam Mutu, Doctor Zhivago
Bill Nighy, Skylight
Kelli O'Hara, The King and I
Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall, Parts One & Two
Bryce Pinkham, The Heidi Chronicles
Roger Rees, The Visit
Chita Rivera, The Visit
Alexander Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Douglas Sills, Living on Love
John Douglas Thompson, Tamburlaine, Parts I and II, The Iceman Cometh
Julie White, Airline Highway
Ruth Wilson, Constellations
Tony Yazbeck, On The Town

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

Kathleen Chalfant, A Walk in the Woods
Stockard Channing, It's Only A Play
Glenn Close, A Delicate Balance
Rosemary Harris, Indian Ink
Hugh Jackman, The River
Cherry Jones, When We Were Young and Unafraid
James Earl Jones, You Can't Take It With You
Nathan Lane, The Iceman Cometh, It's Only A Play
John Lithgow, A Delicate Balance, King Lear

Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre

Joel Grey

Unique Contribution to Theatre

WNET: Neil Shapiro and David Horn

Founders Award for Excellence in Directing

Stephen Daldry