59th Annual Awards
Outer Critics Circle
Announce
2008-09 Awards
 
“Billy Elliot the Musical” Heads the List With 7 Awards
followed by “Shrek the Musical” with 4!
1 Tie Vote! - Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Sutton Foster (Shrek the Musical) & Josefina Scaglione (West Side Story)
 
New York, NY  (May 11, 2009) Outer Critics Circle, the organization of writers and commentators for all media covering New York theatre announced today its award winners for the 2008-09 season in 23 categories.
 
As previously announced, the OCC Executive Committee  awarded Special Achievement Awards to David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish for their performances in “Billy Elliot the Musical” and an Outstanding Ensemble Performance Award to the full cast of “The Norman Conquests” (Amelia Bullmore, Jessica Hynes, Stephen Mangan, Ben Miles, Paul Ritter and Amanda Root).
 
Celebrating its 59th season of bestowing awards of excellence in the field of theater, the Outer Critics Circle, is an association with members affiliated with more than ninety newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations, web-sites, and theatre publications in America and abroad.  The annual awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 21st (4PM) at the legendary Sardi’s Restaurant. Presenting the awards will be Tyne Daly, Donna Murphy and the cast of The Norman Conquests.
 
*  *  2008-2009 Award Winners *  *
 
Winners are notated in * BOLD
 
OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY
 * God of Carnage *
Irena’s Vow
Reasons To Be Pretty
33 Variations
 

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL
 * Billy Elliot the Musical *
Rock of Ages
Shrek the Musical
A Tale of Two Cities
 
 
OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
Becky Shaw
Farragut North
 * Ruined *
Shipwrecked!  The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told By Himself)
Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them
 

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
Happiness
Rooms A Rock Romance
* The Toxic Avenger *
What’s That Smell?  The Music of Jacob Sterling
 

OUTSTANDING NEW SCORE
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
 * Billy Elliot the Musical *
Happiness
Rooms  A Rock Romance
Shrek the Musical
 

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Blithe Spirit
The Cripple of Inishmaan
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
 * The Norman Conquests *
Waiting for Godot
 

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Enter Laughing
 * Hair *
Pal Joey
West Side Story
 

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Garry Hynes     The Cripple of Inishmaan
Anthony Page     Waiting for Godot
Bartlett Sher     Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
 * Matthew Warchus     The Norman Conquests *
Moisés Kaufman     33 Variations
 
 
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
 * Stephen Daldry     Billy Elliot the Musical *
Arthur Laurents     West Side Story
Jason Moore     Shrek the Musical
Diane Paulus     Hair
Susan Stroman     Happiness
 

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER
Karole Armitage     Hair
Andy Blankenbuehler     9 to 5
 * Peter Darling     Billy Elliot the Musical *
Josh Prince     Shrek the Musical
Susan Stroman     Happiness
 

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
(Play or Musical)
 * Tim Hatley     Shrek the Musical *
Santo Loquasto     Waiting for Godot
Derek McLane     33 Variations
Ian MacNeil     Billy Elliot the Musical
Walt Spangler     Desire Under the Elms
 

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
(Play or Musical)
Nicky Gillibrand     Billy Elliot the Musical
 * Tim Hatley     Shrek the Musical *
John Napier     Equus
Martin Pakledinaz     Blithe Spirit
Catherine Zuber     Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
 

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
(Play or Musical) Kevin Adams     Hair
 * Rick Fisher     Billy Elliot the Musical *
David Hersey     Equus
Peter Kaczorowski     Ruined
David Lander     33 Variations
 

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Raúl Esparza     Speed-the-Plow
Bill Irwin     Waiting for Godot
Nathan Lane     Waiting for Godot
 * Geoffrey Rush     Exit the King *
Thomas Sadoski     Reasons To Be Pretty
 

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Saidah Arrika Ekulona     Ruined
Carla Gugino     Desire Under the Elms
 * Marcia Gay Harden     God of Carnage *
Janet McTeer     Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter     Mary Stuart
 
 
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
James Barbour     A Tale of Two Cities
Matt Cavenaugh     West Side Story
 * Brian d’Arcy James     Shrek the Musical *
Josh Grisetti     Enter Laughing
David Pittu     What’s That Smell?  The Music of Jacob Sterling
 

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
 * Sutton Foster     Shrek the Musical *
Megan Hilty     9 to 5
Leslie Kritzer     Rooms  A Rock Romance
Nancy Opel     The Toxic Avenger
 * Josefina Scaglione     West Side Story *
 

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Zach Grenier     33 Variations
John Benjamin Hickey     Mary Stuart
Russell G. Jones     Ruined
Patrick Page     A Man For All Seasons
 * David Pearse     The Cripple of Inishmaan *
 

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
 * Angela Lansbury     Blithe Spirit *
Andrea Martin     Exit the King
Kristine Nielsen     Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them
Susan Louise O’Connor     Blithe Spirit
Condola Rashad     Ruined
 

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Daniel Breaker     Shrek the Musical
Aaron Simon Gross     13
 * Gregory Jbara     Billy Elliot the Musical *
Christopher Sieber     Shrek the Musical
Wesley Taylor     Rock of Ages
 
 
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Kathy Fitzgerald     9 to 5
 * Haydn Gwynne     Billy Elliot the Musical *
Karen Olivo     West Side Story
Martha Plimpton     Pal Joey
Carole Shelley     Billy Elliot the Musical
 
 
OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Mike Birbiglia     Sleepwalk With Me
Mike Burstyn     Lansky
Mike Daisey     If You See Something Say Something
 * Lorenzo Pisoni     Humor Abuse *
Matt Sax     Clay


OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
 * Amelia Bullmore     Jessica Hynes     Stephen Mangan
Ben Miles     Paul Ritter    Amanda Root
Cast of The Norman Conquests *
 

JOHN GASSNER AWARD
(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Annie Baker     Body Awareness
 * Gina Gionfriddo     Becky Shaw *
Beau Willimon     Farragut North
 

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
 * David Alvarez     Trent Kowalik     Kiril Kulish
for their performances in Billy Elliot the Musical *
 
2008-2009 Outer Critics Circle Executive / Nominating Committee
Simon Saltzman (President)
Marjorie Gunner (President Emerita)
Mario Fratti (Vice-President) Patrick Hoffman (Corresponding Secretary)
  Louis A. Rachow (Treasurer) Glenn Loney (Historian & Member-at-Large)
 Rosalind Friedman (Recording Secretary) and Aubrey Reuben & Thomas Gentile (Members-at-Large)
 
NOTE:
The play Dividing the Estate was considered last season and won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play. The musical Next to Normal was also considered last year (nominated in three categories including Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical, Outstanding Score & Outstanding Actress) and won the OCC Award for Outstanding Score.
 
WINNERS Talley for 3 or more:
 
Billy Elliot the Musical (7); Shrek the Musical (4)