2011 Outer Critics Circle Nominations

[Okri]

Jerusalem is awesome to read.

[Damien]

It seemed like the Tony race was going to be between the cerebral Jerusalem and the deeply emotional, highly theatrical War Horse, which seems to make everyone cry. Downtown "highbrow" theatre people I know are loving Jerusalem, but the more "regular folks" (more in tune with Tony voters) have almost all found it incomprehensible, as did a few reviewers. Between the heavy accents, the UK-specific references and the highly stylized dialogoue (so I gather), Jerusalem might have as tough a time with Tony voters as it has with the Outer Critics.

Of course, this group, sort of the equivalent of the Sattelite awards are notoriously dumb, and their nominations list generally have only a passing resemblance to the onys (or the Drama Desk). From what I hears, Women on the Verge was one of the most awful musicals ever, with Laura Benantiits only saving grace.

For the Tonys, the nominees right now look to be
Bengal Tiger
Good People
Jerusalem
Mother Fucker WIth The Hat

Best Musical
Book of Morman, Priscilla and Sister Act, and then, because it's Kander & Ebb, I would guess Scottsboro Boys.

Still to come, Baby It's You and something the name of which escapes me written by that Iris woman who wrote Beaches and married into the Reagan Kitchen Cabinet Dart family.

By the way. they're now advertising that play with the unprintable title as The Mother With The Hat, which is what it should have been all along. People can seem so pathetic when they consciously try to be edgy.

[Big Magilla]

More like "Mother (cough) with a Hat".

[Greg]

Do you think the Tonys, which air on CBS, will nominate Mother****** with a Hat?

I think it's safe.

My guess is when they read the nomination on air they will say, "Mothereffer With A Hat."

[Okri]

Do you think the Tonys, which air on CBS, will nominate Mother****** with a Hat?

I think it's safe.

[Mister Tee]

I'm sufficiently disengaged from the theatre these days that much of this is foreign (and the rest hearsay). But...

I'd guessed from Ben Brantley's effusive rave that Jerusalem would be the best play Tony favorite. Is this a setback, or fluke?

I thought it was the other guy, not Josh Gad, who was supposed to be the standout in Book of Mormon?

[Big Magilla]

Outer Critics Circle Nominees Include Sister Act, Anything Goes, Book of Mormon
By Andrew Gans
26 Apr 2011

Tony winner Tyne Daly and Tony nominee Brian d'Arcy James announced the nominees for the 2010-11 Outer Critics Circle Awards, which honor the best in Broadway and Off-Broadway theatre, April 26 at the Algonquin Hotel.

The new Broadway musical Sister Act, based on the film of the same name, earned nine nominations, the most of any production of the season. The critically acclaimed revival of Anything Goes, starring Sutton Foster, received eight nominations.

Winners of the awards will be announced May 16. The annual ceremony will be held May 26 at Sardi's Restaurant.

The nominees:

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

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

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

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
Freckleface 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 PLAY
Marianne 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 MUSICAL
Rob 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 CHOREOGRAPHER
Rob 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 PLAY
Reed 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 PLAY
Nina 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 MUSICAL
Norbert 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 MUSICAL
Victoria 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 PLAY
Brian 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 PLAY
Renée 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 MUSICAL
Colin 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 MUSICAL
Laura 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 PERFORMANCE
Daniel 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 AWARDS
Ellen 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