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Editor’s Notes: And the winners are…
Ah! That exciting time when success or failure; a future on the road or sudden death is determined.
Following is a comprehensive list of some of the major Theater awards: Outer Critics circle Drama League TheaterWorld Lucille Lortel Obies
They include Broadway, Broadway Debuts and off Broadway.
Hello, Dolly or should we say Hello, Bette is this year’s Hamilton though the two couldn’t be more different. It’s a time warp between the avant garde, cutting edge rap inspired 2016 phenomenon vs a trip back to the Golden Age of musicals, circa 1964 (when Dolly opened and also won).
What does that say? One woujld like to think it means the return of full fledged musicals with singable songs, a linear story told in complete sentences, scenery you can see, choreography and costumes integrated approprioate to the time of the show,. all fully integrated to present a cohesive accessible whole.
Buit the actual phenomenon is Midler who has endured, no, thrived, from then to now. Other revivals this season matching those components, Miss Saigon and,Sunset Boulevard, did not fare as well, and Hamilton is still surpassing by far all the other’s grosses with no signs of slowing down The hew musicals Bandstand, Come From Away, Anastasia, Amewrlie, Groundhog Day, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , A Bronx Tale made no attempt to mimic Hamilton so its is, so far, not big “game changer” as predicted..
A quick perusal suggests no major surprses in the forthcoming Drama Desk Awards, June 4th and the cointest of them all, The Tonys, June 11th
By Jeanne Lieberman |
Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes
Come From Away
67th Annual Awards “Hello, Dolly!” & “Come From Away” Top Win List with 5 Awards each! Followed by “The Little Foxes,” “The Band’s Visit” and “Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812″ with 2 Awards each! Outer Critics Circle, the organization of writers and commentators for media covering New York theatre announced today its award winners for the 2016-17 season in 27 categories. Broadway’s Danny Burstein, Katie Finneran and Christopher Fitzgerald will serve as gala award presenters at the upcoming 67th Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards ceremony on May 25th (3PM) at the legendary Sardi’s Restaurant. Celebrating its 67th season of bestowing awards of excellence in the field of theatre, the Outer Critics Circle, is an association with members affiliated with more than ninety newspapers, magazines, web sites, radio and television stations, and theatre publications in America and abroad. (Winners names are in bold preceded by an asterisk. *) Outer Critics Circle 2016-2017 Awards
OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY
OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL OUTSTANDING
REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE ***Please Note: The Off-Broadway productions of “Dear Evan Hansen,” “InTransit,” “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” and “Significant Other” were evaluated, nominated and/or received awards from Outer Critics Circle in previous seasons and therefore were not considered for this year. In the case of the Broadway musical “Sunset Boulevard,” Glenn Close won the Outstanding Actress Award in a Musical for her original performance. Any new elements for these current productions were assessed for this year’s awards. In addition, due to OCC’s nomination deadline last season, the producers of the Broadway musical “Shuffle Along,” asked to be included with this year’s entries. |
The Lortels honor Off Broadway work, and “Oslo” was eligible in its initial production last summer in Lincoln Center Theater’s Off Broadway space, prior to its transfer this spring to Broadway. At the Lortels, the show also won awards for director (Bartlett Sher), lead actress (Jennifer Ehle) and featured actor (Michael Aronov). Among its competition was “Indecent,” the Paula Vogel play that’s also part of this year’s Tony races.
“The Band’s Visit,” the well-reviewed musical that producers hope to move to Broadway, earned the Lortel for outstanding musical, beating a field of contestants that also included “Dear Evan Hansen,” a current frontrunner for the Tony. Another Tony favorite from that show, Ben Platt of ” Evan Hansen,” won the Lortel for lead actor in a musical.
The small-scale, environmental revival of “Sweeney Todd” notched the honor for outstanding revival, and Anna Deavere Smith’s “Notes From The Field” took the title for solo show.
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The 32nd annual Lucille Lortel Awards were handed out May 7 in a ceremony hosted by Taran Killam. The full list of winners follows.
RECIPIENTS OF THE 2017 LUCILLE
LORTEL AWARDS
Outstanding Play
Oslo
Outstanding Musical
The Band’s Visit
Outstanding Revival
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Outstanding Solo Show
Notes From The Field
Outstanding Director
Bartlett Sher, Oslo
Outstanding Choreographer
David Dorfman, Indecent
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play
Joe Morton, Turn
Me Loose
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play
Jennifer Ehle, Oslo
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical
Ben Platt, Dear
Evan Hansen
Outstanding Lead Actress in a
Musical
Katrina Lenk, The
Band’s Visit
Outstanding Featured Actor in a
Play
Michael Aronov, Oslo
Outstanding Featured Actress in a
Play
Randy Graff, The
Babylon Line
Outstanding Featured Actor in a
Musical
Joel Perez, Sweet
Charity
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan
Hansen
Outstanding Scenic Design
Laura Jellinek, A
Life
Outstanding Costume Design
Susan Hilferty, Love,
Love, Love
Outstanding Lighting Design
Mark Barton, Signature
Plays: Edward Albee’s The Sandbox, María Irene Fornés’ Drowning, Adrienne
Kennedy’s Funnyhouse of a Negro
Outstanding Sound Design
Mikhail Fiksel, A
Life
Outstanding Projection Design
Jared Mezzocchi, Vietgone
HONORARY AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement Award
William Ivey Long
Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee
Lynn Nottage
Edith Oliver Service to
Off-Broadway Award
Harold Wolpert
Theatre World Award Winners 2017
The Theatre World Award winners are in, with four nominations for Natasha, Pierre And The Great Comet Of 1812 actors, including a special award for Dave Malloy, and regonition of other artists from the Broadway musicals Miss Saigon, Anastasia and Groundhog Day and the incomparable Glen Close will receive this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Congrats to all!
The Theatre World Award ceremony will take place June 5 at 7 PM EST.
2017 Theatre World Award Honorees for Outstanding
Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance
Christy Altomare – Anastasia
Josh Groban – Natasha, Pierre And The Great Comet Of 1812
Denée Benton – Natasha, Pierre And The Great Comet Of 1812
Amber Gray – Natasha, Pierre And The Great Comet Of 1812
Eva Noblezada – Miss Saigon
Jon Jon Briones – Miss Saigon
Carlo Albán – Sweat
Barrett Doss – Groundhog Day
Lucas Hedges – Yen
Raymond Lee – Vietgone
Jeremy Secomb – Sweeney Todd
Cobie Smulders – Present
Laughter
9th Annual Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in
the Theater
Katrina Lenk, Indecent and The Band’s Visit
5th Annual John Willis Award for Lifetime
Achievement in the Theatre
Glen Close, Sunset
Boulevard
Special Theatre World Award
Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre And The Great Comet Of 1812,
in recognition of his Broadway debut as composer, writer, lyricist,
orchestrator, and actor
THE DRAMA LEAGUE
ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF
83RD ANNUAL AWARDS
“DEAR EVAN HANSEN”
NAMED OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
“OSLO”
NAMED OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
“HELLO, DOLLY!”
NAMED OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
“JITNEY”
NAMED OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
BEN PLATT
RECEIVES DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD
BECOMING THE YOUNGEST ACTOR TO HAVE WON THE AWARD
BETTE MIDLER
RECEIVES DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSICAL THEATRE
BILL BERLONI
RECEIVES UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO THE THEATRE
MICHAEL GREIF
RECEIVES FOUNDERS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN DIRECTING
STAR STUDDED CEREMONY HELD MAY 19, 2017
AT THE MARRIOTT MARQUIS TIMES SQUARE
New York, NY (May 19, 2017) – The Drama League (Executive Director, Gabriel Stelian-Shanks) announced today the winners at the 83rd Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony: Outstanding Production of a Musical, Dear Evan Hansen; Outstanding Production of a Play, Oslo; Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Hello, Dolly!; Outstanding Revival of a Play, Jitney; and Distinguished Performance Award, Ben Platt, becoming the youngest actor to have won the coveted award, at a star-studded luncheon ceremony hosted Broadway husband-and-wife royalty -- 6-time Tony® Award winner Audra McDonald and Tony® Award nominee Will Swenson at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway).
In addition to the competitive categories, Grammy® and Emmy® Award-winning, icon Bette Midler was honored with the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award; Bill Berloni was honored with the Unique Contribution to the Theater Award; and Michael Greif was honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing.
During the ceremony, Drama League Program Director Sherri Eden Barber introduced the 2017 Directing Fellows of The Drama League Directors Project: Michael Alvarez, Laura Brandel, Jillian Carucci, Tom Costello, Matt Dickson, Justin Emeka, Bonnie Gabel, Flordelino Lagundino, Rebecca Martinez, Kholoud Sawaf, and Gabriel Vega Weissman.
The 83rd Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon included a nominees cocktail reception, luncheon, and awards presentation held at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in the Broadway Ballroom (1535 Broadway) on Friday, May 19, 2017.
Resolution Life is the proud Lead Season Sponsor of The Drama League. LIFEWTR, Host Sponsor of the 83rd Annual Drama League Awards. Delta Air Lines is the Official Airline of The Drama League. MAC Cosmetics is the Official Make-up Partner of The Drama League. The Drama League Awards Chairpersons are Bonie Comley and Jano Herbosch.
First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. The Drama League Awards recognize distinguished productions, performances, and exemplary career achievements. The first Drama League Award was presented to Katharine Cornell in 1935; since then, the Distinguished Performance Award has been accorded to a roster of theatre legends such as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Chita Rivera, Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Liam Neeson, Hugh Jackman, Patti LuPone, Glenn Close, Liev Schreiber, Sir John Gielgud, Harvey Fierstein, Cherry Jones, Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones, Helen Hayes, Jeremy Irons, Mary-Louise Parker, Sir Ian McKellen, Bernadette Peters, and Christopher Plummer.
2017 DRAMA LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
Dear Evan Hansen
Music Box Theatre
Book by Steven Levenson
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Directed by Michael Greif
Produced by Stacey Mindich, Mickey Liddell, Hunter Arnold, Caiola Productions, Double Gemini Productions, Fakston Productions, Roy Furman,
Harris Karma Productions, On Your Marks Group, Darren Bagert, Roger & William Berlind, Bob Boyett, Colin Callender, Caitlin Clements, Freddy DeMann,
Dante Di Loreto, Bonnie & Kenneth Feld, FickStern Productions, Eric and Marsi Gardiner, Robert Greenblatt, Jere Harris and Darren DeVerna,
The John Gore Organization, Mike Kriak, Arielle Tepper Madover, David Mirvish, Eva Price, Zeilinger Productions, Adam Zotovich, Ambassador Theatre Group,
Independent Presenters Network and The Shubert Organization (Philip J. Smith: Chairman; Robert E. Wankel: President);
Produced in association with Arena Stage (Molly Smith, Artistic Director; Edgar Dobie, Executive Director)
and Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director);
Associate Producer: Jayne Hong and Rachel Weinstein
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
Oslo
Lincoln Center Theater
Written by J.T. Rogers
Directed by Bartlett Sher
Produced by Lincoln Center Theater
(André Bishop: Producing Artistic Director; Adam Siegel: Managing Director;
Hattie K. Jutagir, Executive Director of Development and Planning)
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Hello Dolly!
Shubert Theatre
Book by Michael Stewart
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Directed by Jerry Zaks
Produced by Scott Rudin, Roy Furman, James L. Nederlander, Eli Bush,
Universal Stage Productions, Roger Berlind, William Berlind, Heni Koenigsberg,
Terry Allen Kramer, Seth A. Goldstein, The John Gore Organization, Daryl Roth, The Araca Group,
Len Blavatnik, Eric Falkenstein, Ruth Hendel, Independent Presenters Network, Peter May,
Jay Alix & Una Jackman, Jane Bergère, Scott M. Delman, Wendy Federman, Stephanie P. McClelland,
Anita Waxman, Al Nocciolino, Spring Sirkin, Barbara Freitag and John Mara, Jr. & Benjamin Simpson
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Jitney
Manhattan Theatre Club
Written by August Wilson
Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grove, Executive Producer);
Produced in association with Eric Falkenstein, Ron Simons, John Legend/Mike Jackson and Ken Wirth *
DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD
Ben Platt
Dear Evan Hansen
DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSICAL THEATRE
Bette Midler
UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO THE THEATRE
Bill Berloni
FOUNDERS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN DIRECTING
Michael Greif
Note: The Drama League also wishes to acknowledge the 2017 recipient of the Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater, Bette Midler. As an honoree, Ms. Midler was ineligible for nomination for her performance in Hello Dolly! this year.
WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE
62ND ANNUAL OBIE AWARDS®
New York, NY (May 22, 2017) – The American Theatre Wing (Heather Hitchens, President) and The Village Voice (Peter Barbey, Owner) are thrilled to announce the winners of the 62nd Annual Obie Awards®. Jennifer Kidwell & Scott R. Sheppard’s Underground Railroad Game, produced by Ars Nova, and J.T. Roger’s Oslo, produced by Lincoln Center Theater, shared the Obie Awards for Best New American Theatre Work, which is accompanied by a $500 prize each. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel received a special Obie Award for Lifetime Achievement. Obie and Screen Actors Guild® Award-winning actress Lea DeLaria returned as host of this year’s ceremony, which was held at Webster Hall (125 East 11th Street). A complete list of the awards is given below.
This year’s presenters included Peter Barbey, Rose Byrne, Academy Award® winner Chris Cooper, Mike Faist, Edie Falco, Lena Hall, two-time Obie Award winner Jayne Houdyshell, three-time Obie Award winner David Henry Hwang, Obie Award winner LaChanze, Obie Award winner William Ivey Long, Obie Award winner Taylor Mac, two-time Obie Award winner Jefferson Mays, two-time Obie Award winner Derek McLane, Academy Award and Obie Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Emilio Sosa, and several of this year’s Obie judges including Obie Award winner Darius de Haas, Obie Award winner Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Obie Award winner J. Smith-Cameron.
The evening’s festivities, which were live-streamed on the official Obie Awards Facebook page www.facebook.com/ObieAwards, also included an opening number featuring Obies host Lea DeLaria. In addition, special performances were given by Katrina Lenk who performed “Omar Sharif” from The Band’s Visit; Kecia Lewis, Austin Reed Alleman, Jessie Shelton, Storm Thomas, and William Youmans who performed “There’s Only What I Know” from The Skin of Our Teeth; The Fantasticks’ Daniel Bellomy who performed “Try to Remember” as part of the In Memoriam; and a rousing finale “Let the Sunshine In” honoring the 50th Anniversary of Hair performed by Lea DeLaria, Obie Award winner Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Lena Hall.
Best New American Theatre Work ($500 prize each)
Jennifer Kidwell and Scott R. Sheppard, Underground Railroad Game (Ars Nova)
J.T. Rogers, Oslo (Lincoln Center Theater)
Playwriting
Christopher Chen, Caught (The Play Company at La MaMa)
Lynn Nottage, Sweat (The Public Theater)
Musical Theater
Itamar Moses (book) and David Yazbek (music & lyrics), The Band’s Visit (Atlantic Theater Company)
Directing
Arin Arbus, The Skin of Our Teeth (Theatre for a New Audience)
Lileana Blain-Cruz, The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World (Signature Theatre Company)
David Cromer, The Band’s Visit (Atlantic Theater Company)
Jack Cummings III, Picnic (Transport Group)
Rebecca Taichman, Indecent (Vineyard Theatre)
Ensemble
Bartlett Sher (director) and the cast of Oslo
(Lincoln Center Theater)
Michael Aronov, Anthony Azizi, Adam Dannheisser, Jennifer Ehle, Daniel
Jenkins, Dariush Kashani, Jeb Kreager, Jefferson Mays, Christopher McHale,
Daniel Oreskes, Angela Pierce, Henny Russell, Joseph Siravo, T. Ryder Smith
Lila Neugebauer (director) and the cast of The Wolves
(The Playwrights Realm)
Kate Arrington, Mia Barron, Brenna Coates, Jenna Dioguardi, Samia Finnerty,
Midori Francis, Lizzy Jutila, Sarah Mezzanotte, Tedra Millan, Lauren Patten,
Susannah Perkins
Performance
Matthew Broderick, Evening at the Talk House (The New Group) and Shining City (Irish Repertory Theatre)
Bobby Cannavale, The Hairy Ape (Park Avenue Armory)
Kevin Geer, Sustained Excellence [in memoriam]
Kecia Lewis, Marie and Rosetta (Atlantic Theater Company) and The Skin of Our Teeth (Theatre for a New Audience)
Heather MacRae, Come Back, Little Sheba (Transport Group)
Amy Ryan, Love, Love, Love (Roundabout Theatre Company)
Pete Simpson, Sustained Excellence
Michael Urie, Homos, or Everyone in America (Labyrinth Theater Company)
Design
Riccardo Hernandez, Sustained Excellence of Set Design
Dane Laffrey, Sustained Excellence of Set and Costume Design
Jared Mezzocchi, Projection Design, Vietgone (Manhattan Theatre Club)
Ryan Rumery, Sustained Excellence of Sound Design
Scott Zielinski, Sustained Excellence of Lighting Design
Special Citations
Anna Deavere Smith, Notes from the Field (Second Stage Theater)
Taylor Mac, A 24-Decade History of Popular Music (St. Ann’s Warehouse)
Obie Grants ($4,000 prize each)
Irish Repertory Theatre
Pearl Theatre Company
The Playwrights Realm
The Ross Wetzsteon Award ($3,000 prize)
Theatre for a New Audience
Lifetime Achievement Award
Paula Vogel
The Obie Award judges panel for this season include Village Voice columnist and longtime Chair of the Obie Judges Michael Feingold, Obie and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar, Entertainment Weekly theater critic Melissa Rose Bernardo, Obie-winning actor-singer Darius de Haas, Village Voice theater critic Miriam Felton-Dansky, Obie-winning actress Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Obie-winning actress J. Smith Cameron,
For more information, visit www.ObieAwards.com.
ABOUT THE OBIES
The Village Voice created the Obie Awards, at the suggestion of then editor Jerry Tallmer, soon after the publication's own inception in 1955, to encourage the newly burgeoning Off Broadway theater movement and to acknowledge its achievements. The Obies are structured with informal categories, to recognize artists and productions worthy of distinction in each theatrical year. Over the decades, the Obie Awards have played a major role in the Voice’s long history of championing work of innovative and exceptional quality Off and Off-Off Broadway. The Village Voice put the new downtown theater movement on the map with its in-depth coverage, becoming a forum for conflicting viewpoints which helped generate excitement over new works and new approaches to theater-making. The Obies have become a theatrical tradition, a meaningful way to acknowledge the best artistic achievements of downtown theater. The list of actors, writers, directors, and designers who have received Obies at pivotal moments in their careers is a virtual who's who of contemporary theater. While the categories of the awards have continued to change almost annually, the creative spirit remains the same. The Obie Awards salute a theatrical movement that's as important, and as vibrant, today as it was in 1955.
