By David Roberts
Theatre Reviews Limited
| Award Announcement: The Outer Critics Circle 71st Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards Nominees
By David Roberts Theatre Reviews Limited The Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of writers on New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers and national publications, are pleased to announce the nominees for the 71st Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards, honoring the 2021-2022 Broadway and Off-Broadway season. Leading the pack with the most honors of the season is the Broadway play The Lehman Trilogy with nine nominations, followed by the Off-Broadway musicals Harmony and Kimberly Akimbo which earned eight nods each. The most recognized Broadway musicals of the season are MJ the Musical and Paradise Square, with seven nominations each. Nominees for the annual John Gassner Award — for a new American play, preferably by a new playwright — are Erika Dickerson-Despenza for Cullud Wattah, Sanaz Toossi for English, Sylvia Khoury for Selling Kabul, Dave Harris for Tambo and Bones, and Keenan Scott II for Thoughts of a Colored Man. 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.” |
| The 2021-2022 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations |
| Outstanding New Broadway Musical MJ the Musical Mr. Saturday Night Mrs. Doubtfire Paradise Square SixOutstanding New Broadway Play Birthday Candles Clyde’s Skeleton Crew The Lehman Trilogy The MinutesOutstanding New Off-Broadway Musical Black No More Harmony Intimate Apparel Kimberly Akimbo Little Girl BlueOutstanding New Off-Broadway Play Morning Sun On Sugarland Prayer for the French Republic Sanctuary City The Chinese LadyJohn Gassner Award (presented to a new American play, preferably by a new playwright) Cullud Wattah by Erika Dickerson-Despenza English by Sanaz Toossi Selling Kabul by Sylvia Khoury Tambo and Bones by Dave Harris Thoughts of a Colored Man by Keenan Scott II Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway) Outstanding Actor in a Musical Outstanding Actress in a Musical Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Outstanding Actor in a Play Outstanding Actress in a Play Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Outstanding Solo Performance Outstanding Director of a Play Outstanding Director of a Musical Outstanding Choreography Outstanding Book of a Musical Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, and Babaloo Mandel, Mr. Saturday Night
Outstanding Score
Outstanding Orchestrations
Outstanding Scenic Design (Play or Musical)
Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical)
Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical)
Outstanding Sound Design (Play or Musical)
Outstanding Video/Projection Design (Play or Musical)
Special Achievement Awards are presented to: 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. Productions with Multiple Nominations |