Broadway
The Outer Critics Circle Nominations: Lehman Trilogy Nine Nods, Off-Broadway’s Harmony and Kimberly AkimboGet Eight Nods Each
The Outer Critics Circle Awards announced their awards nominations announcement this morning.. Winners will be announced on Monday, May 16, 2022.
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle, the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspapers, digital and national publications, and other media.
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The 2021-2022 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations |
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Outstanding New Broadway MusicalMJ the MusicalMr. Saturday NightMrs. DoubtfireParadise SquareSix Outstanding New Broadway PlayBirthday CandlesClyde’sSkeleton CrewThe Lehman TrilogyThe Minutes Outstanding New Off-Broadway MusicalBlack No MoreHarmonyIntimate ApparelKimberly AkimboLittle Girl Blue Outstanding New Off-Broadway PlayMorning SunOn SugarlandPrayer for the French RepublicSanctuary CityThe Chinese Lady John Gassner Award (presented to a new American play, preferably by a new playwright)Cullud Wattah by Erika Dickerson-DespenzaEnglish by Sanaz ToossiSelling Kabul by Sylvia KhouryTambo and Bones by Dave HarrisThoughts of a Colored Man by Keenan Scott II Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)AssassinsCaroline, or ChangeCompanyThe Music ManThe Streets of New York Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway)for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enufHow I Learned to DriveTake Me OutA Touch of the PoetTrouble in Mind Outstanding Actor in a MusicalJustin Cooley, Kimberly AkimboMyles Frost, MJ the MusicalRob McClure, Mrs. DoubtfireJaquel Spivey, A Strange LoopChip Zien, Harmony Outstanding Actress in a MusicalKearstin Piper Brown, Intimate ApparelVictoria Clark, Kimberly AkimboSharon D Clarke, Caroline, or ChangeCarmen Cusack, Flying Over SunsetJoaquina Kalukango, Paradise Square Outstanding Featured Actor in a MusicalQuentin Earl Darrington, MJ the MusicalMatt Doyle, CompanySteven Pasquale, AssassinsA.J. Shively, Paradise SquareWill Swenson, Assassins Outstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalShoshana Bean, Mr. Saturday NightJenn Colella, SuffsJudy Kuhn, AssassinsPatti LuPone, CompanyBonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo Outstanding Actor in a PlayPatrick J. Adams, Take Me OutSimon Russell Beale, The Lehman TrilogyAdam Godley, The Lehman TrilogyAdrian Lester, The Lehman TrilogySam Rockwell, American Buffalo Outstanding Actress in a PlayBetsy Aidem, Prayer for the French RepublicStephanie Berry, On SugarlandEdie Falco, Morning SunLaChanze, Trouble in MindDebra Messing, Birthday Candles Outstanding Featured Actor in a PlayChuck Cooper, Trouble in MindBrandon J. Dirden, Skeleton CrewJesse Tyler Ferguson, Take Me OutMichael Oberholtzer, Take Me OutAustin Pendleton, The Minutes Outstanding Featured Actress in a PlayChanté Adams, Skeleton CrewUzo Aduba, Clyde’sFrancis Benhamou, Prayer for the French RepublicPhylicia Rashad, Skeleton CrewNancy Robinette, Prayer for the French Republic Outstanding Solo PerformanceAlex Edelman, Just For UsJenn Murray, A Girl Is a Half-Formed ThingArturo Luís Soria, Ni Mi MadreKristina Wong, Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord Outstanding Director of a PlayCamille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enufScott Ellis, Take Me OutSam Mendes, The Lehman TrilogyRuben Santiago-Hudson, Skeleton CrewAnna D. Shapiro, The Minutes Outstanding Director of a MusicalWarren Carlyle, HarmonyMoisés Kaufman, Paradise SquareJessica Stone, Kimberly AkimboChristopher Wheeldon, MJ the MusicalJerry Zaks, Mrs. Doubtfire Outstanding ChoreographyCamille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enufWarren Carlyle, HarmonyWarren Carlyle, The Music ManBill T. Jones, Alex Sanchez, Garrett Coleman, and Jason Oremus, Paradise SquareChristopher Wheeldon and Rich + Tone Talauega, MJ the Musical Outstanding Book of a MusicalBilly Crystal, Lowell Ganz, and Babaloo Mandel, Mr. Saturday NightKarey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, Mrs. DoubtfireDavid Lindsay-Abaire, Kimberly AkimboLynn Nottage, Intimate ApparelBruce Sussman, Harmony Outstanding ScoreJason Howland, Nathan Tysen, and Masi Asare, Paradise SquareWayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, Mrs. DoubtfireBarry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, HarmonyToby Marlow and Lucy Moss, SixJeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire, Kimberly Akimbo Outstanding OrchestrationsJohn Clancy, Kimberly AkimboDavid Holcenberg and Jason Michael Webb, MJ the MusicalGreg Jarrett, AssassinsJason Howland, Paradise SquareDoug Walter, Harmony Outstanding Scenic Design (Play or Musical)Beowulf Boritt, Flying Over SunsetEs Devlin, The Lehman TrilogyScott Pask, American BuffaloAdam Rigg, The Skin of Our TeethDavid Zinn, The Minutes Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical)Jane Greenwood, Plaza SuiteSanto Loquasto, The Music ManGabriella Slade, SixEmilio Sosa, Trouble in MindCatherine Zuber, Mrs. Doubtfire Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical)Jon Clark, The Lehman TrilogyNatasha Katz, MJ the MusicalBradley King, Flying Over SunsetBrian MacDevitt, The MinutesJen Schreiver, Lackawanna Blues Outstanding Sound Design (Play or Musical)Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey, The Lehman TrilogyAndré Pluess, The MinutesBen and Max Ringham, BlindnessDan Moses Schreier, HarmonyMatt Stine, Assassins Outstanding Video/Projection Design (Play or Musical)59 Productions and Benjamin Pearcy, Flying Over SunsetStefania Bulbarella and Alex Basco Koch, Space DogsShawn Duan, Letters of SureshLuke Halls, The Lehman TrilogyJeff Sugg, Mr. Saturday Night Special Achievement Awards are presented to:Johanna Day, David Morse, Mary-Louise Parker, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson for reprising their outstanding performances in How I Learned to Drive and Lackawanna Blues two decades later. All had been eligible in previous seasons. Outer Critics Circle Commendations are presented to: · The Standbys, Understudies, and Swings of the theatrical community who step up to perform, often on hours’ notice, to keep their shows running. · To the Covid Safety Supervisors, Managers, and Compliance Officers who put themselves in harm’s way eight times a week to keep the curtains up. This season’s fully eligible Broadway productions included Pass Over, Six, Lackawanna Blues, Chicken & Biscuits, Thoughts of a Colored Man, The Lehman Trilogy, Caroline, or Change, Diana, Trouble in Mind, Clyde’s, Mrs. Doubtfire, Company, Flying Over Sunset, Skeleton Crew, MJ the Musical, The Music Man, Plaza Suite, Paradise Square, Take Me Out, Birthday Candles, The Little Prince, American Buffalo, The Minutes, How I Learned to Drive, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, Funny Girl, The Skin of Our Teeth, Mr. Saturday Night, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive. After consideration in previous seasons, only new elements of the following productions were eligible for awards: Girl from the North Country, Is This A Room, Dana H., Hangmen, A Strange Loop. By mutual agreement with the production, owing to Covid-19-related delays, the Broadway revival of Macbeth will be considered for awards during the 2022-2023 season. The following return engagements were not eligible for awards: Springsteen on Broadway, Waitress, American Utopia, Freestyle Love Supreme, Slave Play, Beetlejuice. Founded during the 1949-50 Broadway season by respected theater journalist John Gassner, The Outer Critics Circle is an esteemed association with members affiliated with more than ninety newspapers, magazines, broadcast stations, and online news organizations, in America and abroad. Led by its current president David Gordon, the OCC Board of Directors also includesVice President Simon Saltzman, Recording Secretary Joseph Cervelli, Corresponding Secretary Patrick Hoffman, Treasurer David Roberts, Harry Haun, Cynthia Allen, Richard Ridge, Janice Simpson and Stanley L. Cohen.
Productions with Multiple NominationsThe Lehman Trilogy – 9Harmony – 8Kimberly Akimbo – 8MJ the Musical – 7Paradise Square – 7Assassins – 6Mrs. Doubtfire – 6The Minutes – 6Skeleton Crew – 5Take Me Out – 5Flying Over Sunset – 4How I Learned to Drive – 4 (including special awards)Mr. Saturday Night – 4Prayer for the French Republic – 4Trouble in Mind – 4Company – 3for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf – 3Intimate Apparel – 3Six – 3The Music Man – 3Birthday Candles – 2American Buffalo – 2Caroline, or Change – 2Clyde’s – 2Lackawanna Blues – 2 (including special award)Morning Sun – 2On Sugarland – 2 Returning to an in-person ceremony this spring after the 2020 virtual honors, the Outer Critics Circle Award winners will be announced on Monday, May 16, with a ceremony honoring the award recipients on Thursday, May 26 at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. Special Achievement Awards will be presented to How I Learned to Drive stars Johanna Day, David Morse, and Mary-Louise Parker, as well as Lackawanna Blues star Ruben Santiago-Hudson, to mark their outstanding returns to roles they originated two decades ago. Additionally, the Outer Critics Circle presents commendations to two groups whose contributions to the 2021-22 season were immeasurable: the Standbys, Understudies, and Swings, as well as the Covid-19 Safety Officers. “In the spring of 2020, we gathered on Zoom to determine that year’s slate of Outer Critics Circle Awards recipients, not knowing when or if we’d ever have the chance to do it again,” said Outer Critics Circle President David Gordon. “We are very grateful to have been able to see more than 100 productions for this year’s consideration, and even more appreciative of all the work that it took to bring live performance back to New York City safely. Every single person involved in the 2021-2022 theater season, from onstage and backstage to front of house, should be immensely proud of this accomplishment.” |
In watching Jamie Lloyd’s version of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, it feels like a scene study class. The set is stripped bare, there are no props, no costumes, no curtain, no children except their voices and no touching. On the wall is written 1879 and what was three acts is now one hour and fifty minutes, no intermission.
Jessica Chastain, is Nora who enters and sits on a wooden chair as the turntable circles about 15 minutes before the play starts. Slowly the other characters enter and sit with their backs to Nora.
Arian Moayed and Jessica Chastain in A Doll’s House. Courtesy of A Doll’s House
The play starts as her husband Torvald (Arian Moayed), has been given a promotion at the bank where he works. At first Nora seems frivolous spending money they do not have yet for Christmas presents, for everyone but herself. She is scolded, then indulged as her husband controls her world, as do all the men around her. When Kristine (Jesmille Darkbouze), an old childhood friend returns needing a job, she makes Nora also feel like her life is trivial, until Nora confesses she secretly borrowed money years ago when Torvald was sick and has been paying it off. Torvald is about to fire Krogstad (Okieriete Onaodowan), but we find out he was who loaned Nora the money and that she forged her father’s name on the promissory note, which is a crime. If this secret gets out it will ruin the whole family.
Nora turns to her her husband’s best friend Dr. Rank (the wonderful Michael Patrick Thornton) for help. Their chemistry is undeniable, but he tells her he loves her breaking the boundries and she can not confess to her indiscretion with the signature. Dr Rank sees Nora for who she is and tells her he is about to die pushing her to the edge.
Trying her best to stop what is inevitable Nora decides to commit suicide. She is sure Torvald will give up everything due to his love for her. Instead she learns and wakes up to the truth. She has and will always be controlled by men. The pattern started with her father and when Torvald learns the truth, instead of being on her side, he berates her with hate. When Krogstad has a change of heart and decides not to blackmail the family, Torvald turns back to wanting his wife, but the truth has opened up her eyes to a world she does not and can not live it.
Chastain starts off low key and like an onion, peels down to the core. She subtly steals your heart and has you cheering for her. She is seriously one fabulous actress, with her face conveying everything. She should win the Tony for this performance. Moayed as Torvald comes off as weak and ineffectual. You never understand why Nora has given everything to this man. Onaodowan gives off villainy vibes until he shows us Krogstad pain and heart. Thornton as Dr Rank, steals nearly every scene.
The language feels too contemporary and Lloyd’s directing choices are not always effective, but Amy Herzog’s adaptation really made me feel the power of the text.
The end made me want to break out and sob. Men, still really do not see us or the small sacrifices we make or the large ones done in secret to better their lives. We love them, but we need to start loving ourselves.
A Doll’s House: Hudson Theatre, 141 West 44th Street until June 10th
Broadway
Theatre News: Smash, I Need That, Good Night, Oscar, Funny Girl, This Beautiful Lady and In The Trenches: A Parenting Musical
The NBC television series Smash is coming to Broadway for the 2024-2025 season. Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Steven Spielberg will produce. The musical will feature a book co-written by three-time Tony Award nominee Rick Elice and Tony winner Bob Martin. Tony and Grammy winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Some Like It Hot). The team earned three Emmy nominations for their songs from the “Smash” series will pen the score, which will feature numbers from the TV show.
Five-time Tony winner Susan Stroman (New York, New York) will direct and Tony nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse will choreograph.
The series was created by Theresa Rebeck and Spielberg, launch the series. Spielberg is also one of the co-producers of Good Night, Oscar, which begins performances at the Belasco Theatre on April 7.
Official dates, theater, creative team and casting for the “Smash” stage musical will be announced at a later date.
Speaking of the Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright Theresa Rebeck, Danny DeVito and Lucy DeVito are set to star in her new play I Need That at the Roundabout. The new comedy will be directed by Tony nominee Moritz von Stuelpnagel which will open at the American Airlines Theatre in October. The cast will also include Ray Anthony Thomas. … Also newly announced for Roundabout’s new Broadway season is a spring 2024 revival of Samm-Art Williams’ 1980 Tony-nominated play “Home.” Tony winner Kenny Leon will direct
Speaking of Good Night, Oscar, Doug Wright’s play was named finalist for 2023 new play award by The American Theatre Critics Association. The other six finalists for the 2023 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award include: Born With Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams, the ripple, the wave that carried me home by Christina Anderson, Sally & Tom by Suzan-Lori Parks, Spay by Madison Fiedler and
Swing State by Rebecca Gilman.
Paolo Montalban and Anne L. Nathan are joining Lea Michele in Funny Girl as Florenz Ziegfield and Mrs. Strakosh. Montalban and Nathan will replace original cast members Peter Francis James and Toni DiBuono, who take their final bows on March 26th.
Elizabeth Swados’ This Beautiful Lady will play at La MaMa this May. Previews will begin May 5 for the Off-Broadway run ahead of the May 8 press opening, with performances set through May 28 in the Ellen Stewart Theatre.
In The Trenches: A Parenting Musical, with book, music, and lyrics by Graham & Kristina Fuller, will receive industry readings on Friday, March 24th at 11am & 3pm at Ripley Grier Studios. The readings will be directed by Jen Wineman (Dog Man: The Musical) and will feature music direction by Rebekah Bruce (Mean Girls) and arrangements by Dan Graeber, Graham & Kristina Fuller.
The cast of In The Trenches features Amanda Jane Cooper (Wicked), Jelani Remy (The Lion King, Ain’t Too Proud), Christine Dwyer (Wicked), Caesar Samayoa (Come From Away), Max Crumm (Grease, Disaster!), and Vidushi Goyal.Join two bleary-eyed young parents as they trudge through the trenches and discover their new post-baby identities. In an evening of new-parent greatest hits, a foul-mouthed toddler zeroes in on “the most dangerous thing in the room”, tap dancing towards bleach, knives, and tide pods; a chronically-overlooked younger sibling sings the “second child blues”; a mom trio celebrates yoga pants in an R&B love song to the “official mom uniform”; dad discovers he’s not the “ice-cream and movie-night cool parent” but rather the “do your homework real parent” amid a kiddo sugar-crash; and mom retrieves a sticky, hair-covered pacifier from the floor of a LaGuardia bathroom while her baby screams bloody murder and her flight boards without her.
Photo by Bruce Glikas/wire image
According to Page Six a serial pooper has been leaving presents in the aisle of the Shubert Theater. The last incident happened near Hillary and Chelsea Clinton during a performance of Some Like It Hot.
According to a theater staff member other presents have appeared.
I am thrilled to announce that the show has been attracting VIPs including Steven Spielberg, Martin Short, Debbie Allen, Bo Derek, Eddie Izzard, Hank Azaria, Kristin Chenoweth and more.
Some Like It Hot, has some of the best songs, choreography, direction and performances on Broadway, so I am thrilled the audiences are finally noticing.
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