The Broadway Musical Blog – Musical theater news and gossip from the Great White Way
Dishing out daily (or almost daily) Broadway musical news and gossip. The companion site to The Broadway Musical Home (broadwaymusicalhome.com), a directory of Broadway musicals with the story, songs, merchandise, video clips, lyrics, tickets, rights & awards for almost 200 shows.Archive for Sister Act
The 2011 Drama Desk Award Winners
Outstanding Musical
The Book of Mormon
In Transit
Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical
See Rock City & Other Destinations
Sister Act
The Kid
Outstanding Play
Nick Stafford, War Horse
Jon Robin Baitz, Other Desert Cities
Adam Bock, A Small Fire
Stephen Adly Guirgis, The Motherf**ker With the Hat
Samuel D. Hunter, A Bright New Boise
Rajiv Joseph, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
David Lindsay-Abaire, Good People
Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Anything Goes
Hello Again
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Outstanding Revival of a Play
The Normal Heart
Born Yesterday
The House of Blue Leaves
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Merchant of Venice
Three Sisters
Outstanding Actor in a Play
Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker With the Hat
Charles Busch, The Divine Sister
Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice
Geoffrey Rush, The Diary of a Madman
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem
Michael Shannon, Mistakes Were Made
Paul Sparks, Dusk Rings a Bell
Outstanding Actress in a Play
Frances McDormand, Good People
Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Stockard Channing, Other Desert Cities
Laurie Metcalf, The Other Place
Michele Pawk, A Small Fire
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice
Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me if You Can
Colin Donnell, Anything Goes
Daniel Radcliffe, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical
Christopher Sieber, The Kid
Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Beth Leavel, Baby It’s You!
Patina Miller, Sister Act
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture
Sherie Rene Scott, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest
Christian Borle, Peter and the Starcatcher
Boyd Gaines, The Grand Manner
Logan Marshall-Green, The Hallway Trilogy
Zachary Quinto, Angels in America
Tom Riley, Arcadia
Yul Vazquez, The Motherf**ker With the Hat
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
Lisa Emery, The Collection & A Kind of Alaska
Julie Halston, The Divine Sister
Sarah Nina Hayon, A Bright New Boise
Celia Keenan-Bolger, Peter and the Starcatcher
Linda Lavin, Other Desert Cities
Judith Light, Lombardi
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Adam Godley, Anything Goes
Brian Stokes Mitchell, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Rory O’Malley, The Book of Mormon
Bob Stillman, Hello Again
Tom Wopat, Catch Me if You Can
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Kerry Butler, Catch Me if You Can
Victoria Clark, Sister Act
Jill Eikenberry, The Kid
Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Laura Osnes, Anything Goes
Outstanding Director of a Play
Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Trip Cullman, A Small Fire
Moises Kaufman, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Davis McCallum, A Bright New Boise
Daniel Sullivan, The Merchant of Venice
Kirjan Waage and Gwendolyn Warnock, Baby Universe
Outstanding Director of a Musical
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Joe Calarco, In Transit
Jack Cummings III, Hello Again
Jack Cummings III, See Rock City & Other Destinations
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon
Outstanding Choreography
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett, Beautiful Burnout
Steven Hoggett, Peter and the Starcatcher
Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon
Siudy, Between Worlds
Outstanding Music
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone, The Book of Mormon
Brad Alexander, See Rock City & Other Destinations
Alan Menken, Sister Act
Marc Shaiman, Catch Me if You Can
Mike Stoller and Artie Butler, The People in the Picture
David Yazbek, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Outstanding Lyrics
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone, The Book of Mormon
Rick Crom, Newsical The Musical – Full Spin Ahead
Jack Lechner, The Kid
Adam Mathias, See Rock City & Other Destinations
Glenn Slater, Sister Act
Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, Catch Me if You Can
Outstanding Book of a Musical
Adam Mathias, See Rock City & Other Destinations
Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan and Sara Wordsworth, In Transit
Iris Rainer Dart, The People in the Picture
Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone, The Book of Mormon
Michael Zam, The Kid
Outstanding Orchestrations
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon
Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Hello Again
Bruce Coughlin, The Burnt Part Boys
Simon Hale, Jim Abbott and David Yazbek, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Marc Shaiman and Larry Blank, Catch Me if You Can
Lynne Shankel, The Extraordinary Ordinary
Outstanding Music in a Play
Wayne Barker, Peter and the Starcatcher
Kathryn Bostic, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Lars Petter Hagen, Baby Universe
Alan John, The Diary of a Madman
Tom Kitt, The Winter’s Tale
Dan Moses Schreier, The Merchant of Venice
Outstanding Revue
Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles on Broadway
Fyvush Finkel Live!
Newsical The Musical – Full Spin Ahead
Outstanding Set Design
Derek McLane, Anything Goes
Rachel Hauck, Orange, Hat & Grace
David Korins and Zachary Borovay (projection design), Lombardi
Derek McLane, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Tony Straiges, Treasure Island
Mark Wendland, The Merchant of Venice
Outstanding Costume Design
Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner, Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical
Desmond Heeley, The Importance of Being Earnest
Ann Hould-Ward, A Free Man of Color
Martin Pakledinaz, Anything Goes
Ann Roth, The Book of Mormon
Paloma Young, Peter and the Starcatcher
Outstanding Lighting Design
David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Jean Kalman, John Gabriel Borkman
R. Lee Kennedy, See Rock City & Other Destinations
Laura Mroczkowski, Spy Garbo
Ben Stanton, The Whipping Man
David Weiner, A Small Fire
Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
Brian Ronan, Anything Goes
Lindsay Jones, The Burnt Part Boys
Michael Rasbury, Hello Again
Brian Ronan, The Book of Mormon
Jon Weston, In Transit
Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
Acme Sound Partners and Cricket S. Myers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Acme Sound Partners, The Merchant of Venice
Ian Dickinson, John Gabriel Borkman
Brett Jarvis, Baby Universe
Bray Poor, Wings
Eric Shimelonis, The Hallway Trilogy
Outstanding Solo Performance
John Leguizamo, Ghetto Klown
Daniel Beaty, Through the Night
Mike Birbiglia, Mike Birbiglia’s My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend
Juliette Jeffers, Batman and Robin in the Boogie Down
Colin Quinn, Colin Quinn Long Story Short
Joanna Tope, The Promise
Unique Theatrical Experience
Sleep No More
Being Harold Pinter
Circus Incognitus
Gatz
Play Dead
Room 17B
And the Theatre World Award Winners Are…
Ellen Barkin (The Normal Heart)
Desmin Borges (The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity)
Halley Feiffer (The House of Blue Leaves)
Grace Gummer (Arcadia)
Rose Hemingway (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying)
John Larroquette (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying)
Heather Lind (The Merchant of Venice)
Patina Miller (Sister Act)
Arian Moayed (Bengal Tiger in the Baghdad Zoo)
Jim Parsons (The Normal Heart)
Zachary Quinto (Angels in America)
Tony Sheldon (Priscilla Queen of the Desert)
The Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence: Seth Numrich (War Horse)
The Lunt-Fontanne Award for Ensemble Excellence: The cast of The Motherf**ker With the Hat (Bobby Cannavale, Annabella Sciorra, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Chris Rock, Yul Vazquez)
What Do You Think of the 2011 Tony Award Nominees?
The 2011 Tony Award nominees have been announced. So what do you think? You gonna tune in to the ceremony on June 12 to see who wins?
Best Musical
The Book of Mormon
Catch Me If You Can
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act
Best Play
Good People
Jerusalem
The Motherf**ker with the Hat
War Horse
Best Book of a Musical
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Alex Timbers
The Book of Mormon Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys David Thompson
Sister Act Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Book of Mormon Music & Lyrics: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys Music & Lyrics: John Kander and Fred Ebb
Sister Act Music: Alan Menken, Lyrics: Glenn Slater
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek
Best Revival of a Play
Arcadia
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Merchant of Venice
The Normal Heart
Best Revival of a Musical
Anything Goes
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Brian Bedford The Importance of Being Earnest
Bobby Cannavale The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Joe Mantello The Normal Heart
Al Pacino The Merchant of Venice
Mark Rylance Jerusalem
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nina Arianda Born Yesterday
Frances McDormand Good People
Lily Rabe The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland Brief Encounter
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz Catch Me If You Can
Josh Gad The Book of Mormon
Joshua Henry The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Rannells The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sutton Foster Anything Goes
Beth Leavel Baby It’s You!
Patina Miller Sister Act
Donna Murphy The People in the Picture
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Mackenzie Crook Jerusalem
Billy Crudup Arcadia
John Benjamin Hickey The Normal Heart
Arian Moayed Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Yul Vázquez The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Ellen Barkin The Normal Heart
Edie Falco The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light Lombardi
Joanna Lumley La Bête
Elizabeth Rodriguez The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Colman Domingo The Scottsboro Boys
Adam Godley Anything Goes
John Larroquette How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Forrest McClendon The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O’Malley The Book of Mormon
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Laura Benanti Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark Sister Act
Nikki M. James The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Best Direction of a Play
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris War Horse
Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe The Normal Heart
Anna D. Shapiro The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Daniel Sullivan The Merchant of Venice
Best Direction of a Musical
Rob Ashford How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman The Scottsboro Boys
Best Choreography
Rob Ashford How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman The Scottsboro Boys
Best Orchestrations
Doug Besterman How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Larry Hochman The Scottsboro Boys
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus The Book of Mormon
Marc Shaiman & Larry Blank Catch Me If You Can
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Todd Rosenthal The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Rae Smith War Horse
Ultz Jerusalem
Mark Wendland The Merchant of Venice
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt The Scottsboro Boys
Derek McLane Anything Goes
Scott Pask The Book of Mormon
Donyale Werle Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Best Costume Design of a Play
Jess Goldstein The Merchant of Venice
Desmond Heeley The Importance of Being Earnest
Mark Thompson La Bête
Catherine Zuber Born Yesterday
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Martin Pakledinaz Anything Goes
Ann Roth The Book of Mormon
Catherine Zuber How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable War Horse
David Lander Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Kenneth Posner The Merchant of Venice
Mimi Jordan Sherin Jerusalem
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ken Billington The Scottsboro Boys
Howell Binkley How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Peter Kaczorowski Anything Goes
Brian MacDevitt The Book of Mormon
Best Sound Design of a Play
Acme Sound Partners & Cricket S. Myers Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Simon Baker Brief Encounter
Ian Dickinson Autograph Jerusalem
Christopher Shutt War Horse
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski The Scottsboro Boys
Steve Canyon Kennedy Catch Me If You Can
Brian Ronan Anything Goes
Brian Ronan The Book of Mormon
Special Tony Award® for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Athol Fugard
Philip J. Smith
Regional Theatre Tony Award®
Lookingglass Theatre Company (Chicago, Ill.)
Isabelle Stevenson Award
Eve Ensler
Special Tony Award
Handspring Puppet Company
Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre
William Berloni
The Drama Book Shop
Sharon Jensen and Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts
The Reviews for Sister Act are In…
NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW:
“When the wimples start quivering, the pinched mouths break into sunbeam smiles, and the nuns start rocking to raise the Gothic rafters, all’s right in the kingdom of musical comedy at “Sister Act.” Who could resist the vision of a stage full of saintly sisters flaring their gams in unison like the Rockettes, or swiveling their hips, Supremes style, to the silken beat of an R&B tune? Presumably nobody in the audience at the Broadway Theater, where this latest stage adaptation of a hit movie opened on Wednesday night. “
Click here to read the full “Sister Act” review.
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER REVIEW:
“The Bottom Line: Whoopi Goldberg’s absence is felt, but this bouncy musical eventually gets into the habit in a good way. “
Click here to read the full “Sister Act” review.
AM NEW YORK REVIEW:
“This has not been a great season for Broadway musicals based on movies. “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” was a total bust, and “Catch Me If You Can” was a disappointment, too.”
Click here to read the full “Sister Act” review.
VARIETY REVIEW:
“Whoopi Goldberg looms large over the new musical comedy “Sister Act,” and that’s part of the problem. While she co-produced, Goldberg isn’t onstage, and the outsized sense of hilarity mixed with humanity she brought to the 1992 motion picture is sorely missed. Patina Miller makes an altogether impressive Broadway debut as diva-on-the-run Deloris Van Cartier, singing up a veritable storm, but the decision to plaster Goldberg’s name on numerous signs outside the theater raises comparisons that flatter neither Miller nor this garish production.”
Click here to read the full “Sister Act” review.
THEATERMANIA REVIEW:
“There’s a lot of fun to be had at Sister Act, the new musical at the Broadway Theatre, based upon the 1992 movie of the same name, which has arrived in New York having undergone a number of changes since its recent London mounting. “
Click here to read the full “Sister Act” review.
An Exciting New Season Begins!
I hope you all had a wonderful summer. I escaped to Maine and I’m afraid summer-stock ate up all of my free time, so that (and the lack of any real exciting Broadway news) has keep the blog pretty quiet this summer. But never-fear, I’m back again and vow to maintain a more consistent posting schedule this Broadway season.
We’ve got some gems opening in the next year, lots of movie adaptations, Off-Broadway transfers and a couple infamous big-spenders who’ll soon be making splashes. Here’s the line-up:
- Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson – October 13
- The Scottsboro Boys – October 31
- Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown – November 4
- The Pee-Wee Herman Show – November 11
- Elf – November 14
- Zorba – Fall 2011
- Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark – Dec 21
- How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying – March 27
- The Book of Mormon – March 2011
- Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – March 2011
- Anything Goes – April 7
- Wonderland – April 17
- Phantom: Love Never Dies – April 2011
- Sister Act – April 2011
- Catch Me If You Can – Spring 2011
- Unchain My Heart – Spring 2011
I’ll be tweeting live from Broadway on Broadway, where a couple new shows will be performing for the first time alongside many of the long-running hits.
There’s a lot of star power behind a lot of these shows, but unlike last season, it appears (for the most part) to be homegrown Broadway talent, rather than Hollywood ringers – exciting news for those who got up-in-arms around Tony Award time last year.
What are you most excited about in this upcoming season?
I’ll be back next week with an update about cast changes and announcements.
2010 Olivier Award Nominations and Winners
The West End’s Olivier Awards nominations are out and lots of trans-Pacific transfers are on the list, including the Broadway transfer of Spring Awakening, now on the West End, and the West-End transfers of A Little Night Music and Billy Elliot, now on Broadway.
The official awards ceremony took place on March 21. Here are the categories that include musicals (winners are marked with a 
):
BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
HELLO DOLLY!
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
OLIVER!
BEST NEW MUSICAL
SPRING AWAKENING
DREAMBOATS AND PETTICOATS
PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL
SISTER ACT
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR ENTERTAINMENT
Samantha Spiro, HELLO DOLLY!
Melanie C, BLOOD BROTHERS
Patina Miller, SISTER ACT
Hannah Waddingham, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
Charlotte Wakefield, SPRING AWAKENING
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR ENTERTAINMENT
Aneurin Barnard, SPRING AWAKENING
Rowan Atkinson, OLIVER!
Bob Golding, MORECAMBE
Alexander Hanson, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
Tony Sheldon, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL OR ENTERTAINMENT
Iwan Rheon, SPRING AWAKENING
Sheila Hancock, SISTER ACT
Maureen Lipman, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
Kelly Price, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
BEST THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHER
Stephen Mear, HELLY DOLLY!
Matthew Bourne, OLIVER!
Bill T Jones, SPRING AWAKENING
Anthony Van Laast, SISTER ACT
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
BURNT BY THE SUN, Mark Henderson
ENRON, Mark Henderson
SPRING AWAKENING, Kevin Adams
THREE DAYS OF RAIN, Jon Clark
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT- THE MUSICAL, Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner
HELLO DOLLY!, Peter McKintosh
MADAME DE SADE, Christopher Oram
THE MISANTHROPE, Amy Roberts
BEST SOUND DESIGN
SPRING AWAKENING, Brian Ronan
EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FAVOUR, Christopher Shutt
JERUSALEM, Ian Dickinson
MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, Andrew Bruce and Nick Lidster
THE AUDIENCE AWARD FOR MOST POPULAR SHOW
WICKED
BILLY ELLIOT
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
WAR HORSE
WE WILL ROCK YOU
A new Fiyero and returning Emile, N2N officially touring, Sister Act transferring, Finian’s and Vanities albums released
Broadway Casting Changes:
Andy Karl (9 to 5, Legally Blonde) joins the cast of Broadway’s Wicked in the role of Fiyero today, Feb 2.
David Pittsinger returns to the role of Emile de Becque in the Tony-winning revival of South Pacific today.
Big Announcements:
Next to Normal will officially tour the United States next year. The only venue that has been announced to date is San Diego’s Balboa Theatre; stay tuned to the blog for further announcements.
Whoopi Goldberg’s Sister Act, which has been setting records on the West End, is officially heading to Broadway in 2011. No details have yet been released, but it looks like Goldberg will transfer with the production when it makes the move to the states.
Cast Albums Released Today:
The New Broadway Cast Recording of Finian’s Rainbow
