2011 Outer Critics Circle Nominees

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAYBengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Good People
The Motherf**ker With the Hat
War Horse

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICALThe Book of Mormon
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Sister Act
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAYBlood From a Stone
Kin
Other Desert Cities
The Other Place

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICALFreckleface Strawberry
In Transit
The Kid
Tomorrow Morning

OUTSTANDING NEW SCORE(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
The Book of Mormon
Catch Me If You Can
Sister Act
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Born Yesterday
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Merchant of Venice
The Normal Heart

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Anything Goes
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Hello Again
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAYMarianne Elliott & Tom Morris War Horse
Emma Rice Brief Encounter
Anna D. Shapiro The Motherf**cker With the Hat
Daniel Sullivan Good People

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICALRob Ashford How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw & Trey Parker The Book of Mormon
Jerry Zaks Sister Act

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHERRob Ashford How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Ross Coleman Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Kathleen Marshall Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw The Book of Mormon

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN(Play or Musical)
Desmond Heeley The Importance of Being Earnest
Derek McLane Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Neil Murray Brief Encounter
Todd Rosenthal The Motherf**ker With the Hat

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN(Play or Musical)
Lez Brotherston Sister Act
Tim Chappel & Lizzie Gardiner Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Desmond Heeley The Importance of Being Earnest
Lizz Wolf Baby It's You!

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN(Play or Musical)
Paule Constable War Horse
Natasha Katz Sister Act
David Lander Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Malcolm Rippeth Brief Encounter

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAYReed Birney The Dream of the Burning Boy
Bobby Cannavale The Motherf**ker With the Hat
Joe Mantello The Normal Heart
Al Pacino The Merchant of Venice
Mark Rylance Jerusalem

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAYNina Arianda Born Yesterday
Edie Falco The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light Lombardi
Frances McDormand Good People
Laurie Metcalf The Other Place

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICALNorbert Leo Butz Catch Me If You Can
Josh Gad The Book of Mormon
Daniel Radcliffe How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Tony Sheldon Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Aaron Tveit Catch Me If You Can

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICALVictoria Clark Sister Act
Sutton Foster Anything Goes
Beth Leavel Baby It's You!
Patina Miller Sister Act
Donna Murphy The People in the Picture

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAYBrian Bedford The Importance of Being Earnest
Evan Jonigkeit High
Stacy Keach Other Desert Cities
Seth Numrich War Horse
Yul Vázquez The Motherf**ker With the Hat

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAYRenée Elise Goldsberry Good People
Linda Lavin Other Desert Cities
Estelle Parsons Good People
Alison Pill The House of Blue Leaves
Elizabeth Rodriguez The Motherf**ker With the Hat

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICALColin Donnell Anything Goes
Adam Godley Anything Goes
Chester Gregory Sister Act
John Larroquette How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
John McMartin Anything Goes

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICALLaura Benanti Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Nikki M. James The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Marla Mindelle Sister Act
Laura Osnes Anything Goes

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCEDaniel Beaty Through the Night
Mike Birbiglia My Girlfriend's Boyfriend
John Leguizamo Ghetto Klown
Michael Shannon Mistakes Were Made

JOHN GASSNER AWARD(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Amy Herzog After the Revolution
Matthew Lopez The Whipping Man
David West Read The Dream of the Burning Boy
Kim Rosenstock Tigers Be Still

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDSEllen Barkin for her Outstanding Broadway Debut in The Normal Heart

Adrian Kohler with Basil Jones for Handspring Puppet Company Puppet Design, Fabrication and Direction for War Horse

Read more: http://broadwayworld.com/article/2011-Outer-Critics-Circle-Nominations-Announced-SISTER-ACT-Leads-20110426#ixzz1KdyylRxW

2011 Spring Broadway Preview

Well kids I'm finally getting back to my roots and covering theatre as the spring 2011 Broadway season gets underway. I took a little break in the winter because there wasn't much going on aside from Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark and everybody has been covering that so I didn't find it necessary to beat a dead horse. This will be my first in a long series of posts leading up to the Tony awards in June. I am going to attempt to see as many of the nominated shows as I can so I can be as informed as possible when I make my Tony predictions. At some point I'll probably write about the shows that have already opened this season as well as those that have opened and closed, because they'll still be considered for Tonys, but for now I'm going to focus on the shows opening between now and May. I've listed the shows in order by the date of their official opening.

Good People
This is a world premier of David Lindsay-Abaire's new play about a newly-unemployed Bostonian woman who reunites with an old flame. Directed by Daniel Sullivan, the cast features Frances McDormand and Tate Donavan. It began previews at Manhattan Theatre Club's Samuel Friedman J. Theater on February 8th and has its official opening on March 3rd.

That Championship Season
A revival, this play by Jason Miller focuses on a group of ex-high school heroes as they reflect on their golden season, the year they won the Pennsylvania state high school basketball championship. Gregory Mosher directs a cast including Brian Cox, Jim Gaffigan, Chris Noth, Jason Patric, and Kiefer Sutherland. Previews began at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater on February 9th with on official opening on March 6th.

Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark
This is perhaps the most highly anticipated musical in years and its faced its fair share of drama from injuries to delayed openings. This mega-musical by Bono and the Edge of U2 is the most expensive ever produced on Broadway. Directed by Tony winner Julie Taymor, the cast features Patrick Page, Jennifer Damiano, and Reeve Carney in the title role. Previews began at the Foxwoods Theater on November 28th with the official opening pushed back to March 15th.

Arcadia
A revival, this Tom Stoppard play begins in 1809 England where a gifted student proposes ideas and theories that are never truly realized until two academic rivals put the puzzle pieces together nearly two hundred years later. Billy Crudup and Raul Esparza star with direction by David Leveaux. Previews begin February 25th at the Ethel Barrymore Theater with official opening set for March 17th.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert
This is one of the most highly anticipated new musicals of the season. It recently began its New York rehearsal process after a run in Toronto. Tony Sheldon, Will Swenson, and Nick Adams star as drag queens who perform across the Australian outback on their bus Priscilla. The show is composed of popular hit music and disco standards. Simon Phillips directs this production that begins previews at the Palace Theater on February 28th and opens March 20th.

Ghetto Klown
This marks actor John Leguizamo's fourth solo show on Broadway, covering everything from his Queens upbringing to the early days of his acting career in the overly eccentric 1980s. Nothing is spared in this exuberant piece, not even Hollywood's biggest stars. Fisher Stevens directs this Leguizamo original that begins previews at the Lyceum Theatre on February 21st and runs March 22nd to May 15th.

The Book of Mormon
This new musical features a book by Trey Parker & Matt Stone (creators of South Park) and music by Robert Lopez (Avenue Q). The story of two modern missionaries in Uganda is told alongside that of  the founder of the Church of Latter-Day Saint. Casey Nicholaw directs a cast including Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, Rory O'Malley, Nikki M. James, and Michael Potts. Previews begin at the Eugene O'Neill Theater on February 24th with opening night set for March 24th.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (H2$)
This highly anticipated revival of the Frank Loesser classic stars Daniel Radcliffe as J. Pierrepont Finch, a young mail clerk who rises to Vice President of Advertising with less than moral business practices. John Laroquette, Rose Hemingway, Tammy Blanchard, and Christopher J. Hanke also star, with voice over work by Anderson Cooper and direction and choreography by Rob Ashford. Previews begin at the Al Hirschfeld Theater on February 26th with an official opening on March 27th.

Bengal Tiger At The Baghdad Zoo
Narrated by a captive tiger, this play follows two American marines and an Iraqi gardener as they sift through the rubble of war . Robin Williams stars as the tiger and narrator. This is an original play written by Rajiv Joseph and directed by Moises Kaufman (The Laramie Project). Previews begin at the Richard Rodgers Theater on March 11th and the show opens on March 31st.

Anything Goes
This revival of the classic Cole Porter musical about two unlikely pairs aboard the S.S. American features a star-studded cast directed by Kathleen Marshall. Sutton Foster stars as Reno Sweeney, a role that garnered a TONY nomination for Patti LuPone, along with Joel Grey and Laura Osnes. Previews begin at Roundabout Theater Company's Stephen Sondheim Theater on March 10th and the production opens on April 7th.

Catch Me If You Can
This new musical based on the film of the same name features a book by Terrence McNally and music and lyrics by Mark Shaiman and Scott Wittman with direction by Jack O'Brien. It was well received during its Seattle run and the cast is chock full of stars including Aaron Tveit, Norbert Leo Butz, Tom Wopat, and Kerry Butler. Previews start at the Neil Simon Theater on March 11th with an official opening on April 10th.

The Motherf**ker With the Hat
This new play looks at the relationship between a longtime couple on the verge of a breakdown as one becomes sober while the other remains addicted to alcohol and drugs. Anna Shapiro directs this new play written by Stephen Adly Guirgis; Bobby Cannavale, Chris Rock, and Annabella Sciorra star. Previews at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater begin March 22nd with opening night set for April 11th.

War Horse
This new play by Michael Morpurgo & Nick Stafford is a production of Lincoln Center Theatre Company. Marianne Elliott & Tom Morris direct this production that uses puppetry to tell the story of a young boy named Albert and his horse Joey in the midst of World War I. Seth Numrich stars as Albert in this production that begins previews at the Vivian Beaumont Theater on March 15th and opens on April 14th.

Wonderland
This new musical be Frank Wildhorn tells the story of Alice, but it isn't your grandmother's Alice in Wonderland. In this story, Wonderland is actually below New York City and Alice has a daughter. Janet Dacal stars as Alice alongside Kate Shindle as the Mad Hatter. This production directed by Gregory Boyd starts its preview period at the Marriott Marquis Theater on March 21st and opens on April 17th.

Sister Act
This new musical is based on the film of the same name and is transferring from London's West End where it was wildly successful. The music is written by Alan Menken & Glenn Slater with direction by Jerry Zaks. Patina Miller stars as Deloris and Tony winner Victoria Clark takes on the role of Mother Superior. Previews begin at the Broadway Theater on March 24th with opening night set for April 20th.

Jerusalem
This comedy by Jez Butterworth is a transfer from London directed by Ian Rickson. It tells the story of a modern day pied piper who is on the run from the police. It also includes a motley crew of sidekicks. Mark Rylance stars in his second Broadway turn of the season along with John Gallagher, Jr. Previews begin at the Music Box Theater on April 2nd with an April 21st opening.

House of Blue Leaves
This revival of John Guare's 1971 play tells the story of the Pope's 1965 visit to New York City. The characters profiled include a zoo-keeper, his schizophrenic wife, his mistress, and an AWOL son. Ben Stiller and Edie Falco headline alongside Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alison Pill. David Cromer directs this production at the Walter Kerr Theater, beginning previews on April 4th and opening on April 25th.

Fat Pig
This is the first Broadway production of this Neil LaBute play that debuted off-Broadway a few seasons ago. Tom is an eligible bachelor who finds love with a plus sized girlfriend. Their objections and jabs make Tom examine himself and the value of his own good looks. Dane Cook and Julia Stiles star in this production directed by Neil LaBute himself. The production will play the Belasco Theater starting April 12th in previews and opening April 26th.

The People in the Picture
This new musical produced by Roundabout stars Donna Murphy as Bubie, a Holocaust survivor in 1970s New York City. Her granddaughter is enraptured by her tales of the war, but her daughter wants to hear nothing of her past. Iris Rainer Dart contributed the book and lyrics while Mike Stoller & Artie Butler composed the music. Chip Zien, Alexander Gemignani, and Nicole Parker also join the cast directed by Leonard Foglia. The production begins previews at the American Airlines Theater on April 1st and officially opens on April 28th.

When Those Neon Lights Go Dark On Broadway

I've been thinking a lot about Broadway closings recently, especially because of the nature of last week's poll. And then, to my surprise, four big Broadway musicals have announced their closing dates, or at least announcements are expected to come shortly. It was announced several weeks ago that Fela! will shutter on January 2, 2011 and although it is yet to be confirmed, many speculate that Promises, Promises and Next to Normal will also close on that same date. Then yesterday, the producers of West Side Story announced that they too will close on  January 2nd. With new shows anxiously awaiting these open theatres, one always has to wonder if there isn't some persuasion, on the part of producers of upcoming musicals, for struggling shows to cut their losses and close. I guess nobody every really knows what exactly causes a show to close its doors and each of these shows has enjoyed an arguably strong run on the Great White Way.

Fela! and Promises, Promises are some of the first to close of the 2009-2010 TONY season, but one might argue that Fela! never truly found its audience and Promises, Promises would not be able to stay afloat once the contracts of its big stars, Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes, expire. Next to Normal was the 2008-2009 season's little show that could. Many never expected it to make it further that Second Stage where it ran off-Broadway, but it defied the naysayers, winning several TONY awards, garnering a cult following, and running for close to two years. West Side Story....well that is another story. I'm sure that Arthur Laurents expected his baby to win the Best Revival of a Musical TONY in 2009, but it lost to Hair (which closed about 3 months ago) and didn't receive the buzz that was anticipated. Perhaps it was the addition of Spanish lyrics, or the the fact that the creative team chose not to use Jerome Robbins' iconic choreography, but either way, the production lacked sparkle. Now a run of a year and a half is certainly nothing to scoff at, but this West Side Story revival was never the critical darling it was expected to be.

Of course we are sad to see these wonderful shows close, but such is the life cycle of the business of show. To quote the great Stephen Sondheim, "everyday a little death," but then again, "everything's coming up roses." When one show closes, that means a new show can open, and the 2010-2011 Broadway season is highly anticipated. It was publicly announced yesterday that one of the season's big budget musicals, Priscilla Queen of the Dessert, will take the Palace Theatre, currently inhabited by West Side Story. Many anticipate that the British transfer Sister Act will move into the Broadway Theatre once Promises, Promises closes and others speculate that the new musical Catch Me If You Can will take the Eugene O'Neill from Fela! And as for the Booth, one of Broadway's smallest houses, we can only hope that its next resident touches the Broadway community as deeply as Next to Normal did.