‘Something Rotten!’, ‘On the Twentieth Century’ and More Score Big with Outer Critics Circle Nomination
By Nora Dominick ’17/ Emertainment Monthly Assistant Stage Editor
On Monday April 20, 2015 the nominations for the 65th annual Outer Critics Circle Awards were announced. With the nominations being released, this officially kicks off the theatre awards season.
Outer Critics Circle is an organization of writers and commentators for media covering New York theater. The nominations are filled with Broadway and Off-Broadway plays and musicals for the 2014-2015 season. There are 24 categories in total and this years batch of nominees range from newcomers to Broadway veterans.
Something Rotten!, a new musical by Wayne Kirkpatrick, Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, cleaned up with 12 nominations in total. The revival of On the Twentieth Century starring Kristin Chenoweth and Peter Gallagher received 9 nominations and An American in Paris with eight. In terms of plays, Wolf Hall led the pack with 7 nominations. Lin Manuel Miranda’s hit off-Broadway Musical, Hamilton, also earned 5 nominations including Outstanding New Off-Broadway musical, Best New Score and Best Book of a Musical. Another hot show that received several nominations was the hit play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The play received six Outer Critics Circle nominations including Outstanding New Broadway Play and Outstanding Actor in a Play
The most competitive categories already? Outstanding Actress and Actor in a Musical. The Outstanding Actress category is filled to the brim with Broadway veterans and newcomers. Kelli O’Hara, Chita Rivera, Tyne Daly and Kristin Chenoweth are all up for this award, which is amazing in itself. All four actresses are Broadway royalty and will make this season of awards one for the ages. O’Hara is making a career defining turn in The King and I and she could see her first ever win, which is shocking in itself. In terms of Outstanding Actor, Christian Borle and Brian d’Arcy James are both up for their roles in Something Rotten!, which is sure to make for an interesting category.
With these nominations just released the theatre award season begins to heat up and Broadway fans everywhere can now anxiously await for this years Broadway royalty to be announced. The winners of the Outer Critics Circle Awards will be announced on May 21, 201 at Sardi’s Restaurant in NYC.
Below is a full list of 65th Annual Outer Critics Circle nominees:
Outstanding New Broadway Play
The Audience
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Wolf Hall
Outstanding New Broadway Musical
An American in Paris
It Shoulda Been You
The Last Ship
Something Rotten!
The Visit
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play
Between Riverside and Crazy
The City of Conversation
The Nether
Rasheeda Speaking
The Village Bike
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical
A Christmas Memory
Disenchanted
The Fortress of Solitude
Hamilton
Lonesome Traveler
Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Hamilton
It Shoulda Been You
The Last Ship
Something Rotten!
The Visit
Outstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Hamilton
It Shoulda Been You
The Last Ship
Something Rotten!
The Visit
Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
The Elephant Man
Fashions for Men
The Heidi Chronicles
Skylight
You Can’t Take It With You
Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Into the Woods
The King and I
On the Town
On the Twentieth Century
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
Alex Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Outstanding Actress in a Play
Greta Gerwig, The Village Bike
Jan Maxwell, The City of Conversation
Helen Mirren, The Audience
Elisabeth Moss, The Heidi Chronicles
Tonya Pinkins, Rasheeda Speaking
Outstanding Actor in a 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
Outstanding Actress in a 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
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Paul Jesson, Wolf Hall
Richard McCabe, The Audience
Alessandro Nivola, The Elephant Man
Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall
Bryce Pinkham, The Heidi Chronicles
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Annaleigh Ashford, You Can’t Take It With You
Patricia Clarkson, The Elephant Man
Francesca Faridany, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Julie Halston, You Can’t Take It With You
Lydia Leonard, Wolf Hall
Outstanding Featured Actor in a 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
Outstanding Featured Actress in a 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
Outstanding Director of a Play
Stephen Daldry, The Audience
Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Scott Ellis, The Elephant Man
Scott Ellis, You Can’t Take It With You
Jeremy Herrin, Wolf Hall
Outstanding Director of a 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
Outstanding 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
Outstanding Set Design (Play or Musical)
Bunny Christie, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Bob Crowley, An American in Paris
Scott Pask, Something Rotten!
David Rockwell, On the Twentieth Century
Michael Yeargan, The King and I
Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical)
Gregg Barnes, Something Rotten!
Bob Crowley, The Audience
William Ivey Long, On the Twentieth Century
Christopher Orem, Wolf Hall
Catherine Zuber, The King and I
Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical)
Paule Constable, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Jeff Croiter, Something Rotten!
Rick Fisher, The Audience
Natasha Katz, An American in Paris
Japhy Weideman, The Visit
Outstanding 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
(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Ayad Akhtar, The Invisible Hand
Halley Feiffer, I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard
Elizabeth Irwin, My Mañana Comes
Markus Potter, Stalking the Bogeyman
Benjamin Scheuer, The Lion
Note that Fun Home, Disgraced and Hand of God were not eligible for this years award show because they were nominated the previous year.