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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 The Mystery of Edwin Drood
And the Winners Are… The 2013 Drama Desk Award Winners
The winners for the 2013 Drama Desk Awards are in — we won’t bore you with stats…here’s what you actually want to see: the winners!
Up next: The Tony Awards!
Check out our full awards coverage here.
The complete list of the nominees is as follows, with winners in bold and accompanied by a 
:
OUTSTANDING MUSICAL
A Christmas Story: The Musical
Giant
Hands on a Hardbody
Here Lies Love
Matilda
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
The Other Josh Cohen
OUTSTANDING PLAY
Annie Baker, The Flick
Christopher Durang, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Joe Gilford, Finks
Richard Greenberg, The Assembled Parties
Amy Herzog, Belleville
Deanna Jent, Falling
Richard Nelson, Sorry
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Passion
Pippin
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
The Golden Land
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Working: A Musical
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Golden Boy
Good Person of Szechwan
The Piano Lesson
The Trip to Bountiful
Uncle Vanya
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Reed Birney, Uncle Vanya
Daniel Everidge, Falling
Tom Hanks, Lucky Guy
Shuler Hensley, The Whale
Nathan Lane, The Nance
Tracy Letts, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Maria Dizzia, Belleville
Amy Morton, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Julia Murney, Falling
Vanessa Redgrave, The Revisionist
Miriam Silverman, Finks
Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Eric Anderson, Soul Doctor
Brian d’Arcy James, Giant
Jim Norton, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Billy Porter, Kinky Boots
Steve Rosen, The Other Josh Cohen
Ryan Silverman, Passion
Anthony Warlow, Annie
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Kate Baldwin, Giant
Stephanie J. Block, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Carolee Carmello, Scandalous
Lindsay Mendez, Dogfight
Donna Murphy, Into the Woods
Laura Osnes, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Jenny Powers, Donnybrook!
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Chuck Cooper, The Piano Lesson
Peter Friedman, The Great God Pan
Richard Kind, The Big Knife
Aaron Clifton Moten, The Flick
Brían F. O’Byrne, If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet
Tony Shalhoub, Golden Boy
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Tasha Lawrence, The Whale
Judith Light, The Assembled Parties
Kellie Overbey, Sleeping Rough
Maryann Plunkett, Sorry
Condola Rashad, The Trip to Bountiful
Laila Robins, Sorry
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Stephen Bogardus, Passion
John Bolton, A Christmas Story: The Musical
Keith Carradine, Hands on a Hardbody
Bertie Carvel, Matilda
John Dossett, Giant
Andy Karl, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Annaleigh Ashford, Kinky Boots
Melissa Errico, Passion
Andrea Martin, Pippin
Jessie Mueller, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Christiane Noll, Chaplin: The Musical
Keala Settle, Hands on a Hardbody
Kate Wetherhead, The Other Josh Cohen
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Lear Debessonet, Good Person of Szechwan
Sam Gold, Uncle Vanya
Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, Restoration Comedy
Pam MacKinnon, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Lynne Meadow, The Assembled Parties
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, The Piano Lesson
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bring It On: The Musical
Rachel Chavkin, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
John Doyle, Passion
Diane Paulus, Pippin
Emma Rice, The Wild Bride
Alex Timbers, Here Lies Love
Matthew Warchus, Matilda
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bring It On: The Musical
Warren Carlyle, A Christmas Story: The Musical
Peter Darling, Matilda
Josh Rhodes, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Sergio Trujillo, Hands on a Hardbody
Chet Walker and Gypsy Snider, Pippin
OUTSTANDING MUSIC
Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green, Hands on a Hardbody
David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, Here Lies Love
Michael John LaChiusa, Giant
Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, A Christmas Story: The Musical
David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, The Other Josh Cohen
OUTSTANDING LYRICS
Amanda Green, Hands on a Hardbody
Amanda Green and Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bring It On: The Musical
Michael John LaChiusa, Giant
Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Tim Minchin, Matilda
David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, The Other Josh Cohen
OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Dennis Kelly, Matilda
Sybille Pearson, Giant
Joseph Robinette, A Christmas Story: The Musical
David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, The Other Josh Cohen
Jeff Whitty, Bring It On: The Musical
Doug Wright, Hands on a Hardbody
OUTSTANDING ORCHESTRATIONS
Trey Anastasio and Don Hart, Hands on a Hardbody
Larry Blank, A Christmas Story: The Musical
Bruce Coughlin, Giant
Larry Hochman, Chaplin: The Musical
Steve Margoshes, Soul Doctor
Danny Troob, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
OUTSTANDING MUSIC IN A PLAY
César Alvarez with The Lisps, Good Person of Szechwan
Jirí Kaderábek, Mahir Cetiz, and Ana Milosavljevic, Act Before You Speak: The Tragical History of
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Glen Kelly, The Nance
Eugene Ma, The Man Who Laughs
Steve Martin, As You Like It
Jane Wang, Strange Tales of Liaozhai
OUTSTANDING REVUE
Forbidden Broadway: Alive & Kicking!
Old Hats
Old Jews Telling Jokes
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
Rob Howell, Matilda
Mimi Lien, The Whale
Santo Loquasto, The Assembled Parties
Anna Louizos, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Michael Yeargan, Golden Boy
David Zinn, The Flick
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Amy Clark and Martin Pakledinaz, Chaplin: The Musical
Dominique Lemieux, Pippin
William Ivey Long, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Chris March, Chris March’s The Butt-Cracker Suite! A Trailer Park Ballet
Loren Shaw, Restoration Comedy
Paloma Young, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Ken Billington, Chaplin: The Musical
Jane Cox, Passion
Kenneth Posner, Pippin
Justin Townsend, Here Lies Love
Daniel Winters, The Man Who Laughs
Scott Zielinski, A Civil War Christmas
OUTSTANDING PROJECTION DESIGN
Jon Driscoll, Chaplin: The Musical
Wendall K. Harrington, Old Hats
Peter Nigrini, Here Lies Love
Darrel Maloney, Checkers
Pedro Pires, Cirque du Soleil: Totem
Aaron Rhyne, Wild With Happy
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN IN A MUSICAL
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Hands on a Hardbody
Scott Lehrer and Drew Levy, Chaplin: The Musical
Tony Meola, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Brian Ronan, Bring It On: The Musical
Brian Ronan, Giant
Dan Moses Schreier, Passion
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN IN A PLAY
Ien DeNio, The Pilo Family Circus
Steve Fontaine, Last Man Club
Christian Frederickson, Through the Yellow Hour
Lindsay Jones, Wild With Happy
Mel Mercier, The Testament of Mary
Fergus O’Hare, Macbeth
OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Joel de la Fuente, Hold These Truths
Kathryn Hunter, Kafka’s Monkey
Bette Midler, I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers
Julian Sands, A Celebration of Harold Pinter
Holland Taylor, Ann
Michael Urie, Buyer & Cellar
UNIQUE THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE
Bello Mania
Chris March’s The Butt-Cracker Suite! A Trailer Park Ballet
Cirque Du Soleil: Totem
That Play: A Solo Macbeth
The Fazzino Ride
The Man Who Laughs
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
This year the nominators chose to bestow a special ensemble award to the cast of Working: A Musical. “Marie-France Arcilla, Joe Cassidy, Donna Lynne Champlin, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Nehal Joshi, and Kenita R. Miller created a memorable ensemble of marvelously gifted singer-actors working together in pure artistic harmony.” Individual cast members receiving this award are ineligible for acting awards in the competitive categories.
SPECIAL AWARDS
Each year, the Drama Desk votes special awards to recognize excellence and significant contributions to the theater. For 2012-2013, these awards are:
The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), Isaac Robert Hurwitz, Executive Director and Producer: for a decade of creating and nurturing new musical theater, ensuring the future of this essential art form.
Wakka Wakka (Gabrielle Brechner, Kirjan Waage, and Gwendolyn Warnock): for sophisticated puppet theater, as represented by this season’s SAGA, that explores with wit, imagination, and insight serious issues of ourtimes.
Jayne Houdyshell: for her artistry as an exceptionally versatile and distinctive Broadway and Off-Broadway performer.
Samuel D. Hunter: His empathic and indelible The Whale affirms his arrival as a distinguished dramatist who depicts the human condition.
Maruti Evans, the Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award: for his ingenious lighting designs, reflecting an exquisite and bold theatrical aesthetic. This season’s The Pilo Family Circus and Tiny Dynamite confirm his incandescent creativity.
Awards Roundup and New Shows on the Horizon
All of the nominations are out for the various awards, with most expecting Matilda and Kinky Boots to take home the big prizes this year. It’s always surprising to see flops, like Hands on a Hardbody (which closed after only 28 performances) and Scandalous (which closed after 29) make the lists at all, but there will be a lot of close categories this year. (For a full list of all nominees for all of the various awards, click here.)
Here’s when all of the award ceremonies will take place:
Tony Awards: June 9, 8pm EST
Drama Desk Awards: May 19, 8pm EST
Drama League Awards: May 17, 12pm EST
Outer Critics Circle: Announced May 13
(NOTE: The Theatre World Awards have yet to announce dates…)
And all of the nominated shows…
But enough awards talk, on to exciting NEW things!
First up is one that is confirmed (and already marquee’d) for Broadway: First Date – a new musical about a horrible blind date. It’s slated to begin previews July 9 and open August 4. The show played well to the Seattle crowd and is still undergoing more changes before hitting, the Great White Way – seems a bit better suited for Off-Broadway, but who knows, maybe it’ll be next season’s runaway hit…
The other confirmed musical is Big Fish, an adaptation of the film that’ll star the oh-so-talented Norbert Leo Butz and Kate Baldwin. With Susan Stroman at the helm, there are a lot of big names attached to the project, which is now doing it’s out of town try out in Chicago, so it’s likely going to be a difficult investment to recoup.
Next up is Always… Patsy Cline, a jukebox musical telling the story of Patsy’s life through the eyes of her most devoted fan. Motown is still doing well box-office-wise, so the jukebox musical isn’t likely to die anytime soon. We’ll see if Patsy’s songs can fare better than some of the more recent attempts in this genre.
Prince of Broadway is another jukebox musical looking to open in the fall – celebrating the shows Hal Prince helped make into the big hits they were, this musical will have a bit more self-awareness than other jukebox musicals and a fantastic cast, including: Linda Lavin, Sebastian Arcelus, Sierra Boggess, Daniel Breaker, Josh Grisetti, Shuler Hensley, Richard Kind, Amanda Kloots-Larsen, LaChanze, Caroline O’Connor, David Pittu and Emily Skinner. But apparently that cast is part of the reason the show didn’t open when it was originally slated to do so. Will this one end never making it to opening night? We’ll just have to wait and see…
Then we’ve got Diner, with Sheryl Crow penning the score and lyrics and Barry Levinson, the film’s director and writer on the book. Bosting an Academy Award, Emmy Award and Grammy Award between them, this pair is hoping to add some Tony’s to their shelf too.
Beyond that are a number of shows that have tentative and out-of-town announcements, including:
Rocky: The Musical (a German transfer based on the film and directed by Alex Timbers)
Houdini (with music by Stephen Schwartz and starring Hugh Jackman)
Ever After (based on the film and directed by Kathleen Marshall)
Bullets Over Broadway (based on the film and directed by Susan Stroman)
Les Miserables (with fresh scenic and narrative elements and new orchestrations)
Aladdin (based on the Disney film and directed by Casey Nicholaw)
Some exciting stuff in there…hopefully they all make it to Broadway!
What are you most looking forward to seeing?
We’ll have more news on the way soon (plus some giveaways!), so if you haven’t already – be sure to bookmark, subscribe via rss or sign up for email updates of the blog!
And the Nominees Are… The 2013 Tony Award Nominations
The 2013 Tony Award Nominees were announced this morning and the new musical Kinky Boots led the pack with 13 nominations, with Matilda on its heals with 12 nominations in many of the same categories. This year’s surprises were that Motown and its star, Brandon Victor Dixon, got snubbed in the big categories and Bring It On, a show snubbed by all the other major awards, is up for the Best Musical Tony.
The 2012 Tony Awards will be presented on June 9, 8pm EST at Radio City Music Hall and broadcast live on CBS.
Once again, we’ll be live blogging, tweeting and facebooking with you throughout the ceremony, and you can follow our full awards coverage on The Broadway Musical Home.
These are the last of the nominee announcements, so we’ll soon be moving on to announce winners. Stay tuned or subscribe to the blog, to ensure you don’t miss out on anything!
Who do you think is going to win big this year?
Here is the full list of the 2013 Tony Award nominees:
BEST MUSICAL
Bring It On: The Musical
A Christmas Story, The Musical
Kinky Boots
Matilda The Musical
BEST PLAY
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
The Testament of Mary
Lucky Guy
The Assembled Parties
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Joseph Robinette, A Christmas Story, The Musical
Harvey Fierstein, Kinky Boots
Dennis Kelly, Matilda The Musical
Douglas Carter Beane, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATRE
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, A Christmas Story, The Musical
Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green, Hands on a Hardbody
Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boots
Tim Minchin, Matilda The Musical
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Golden Boy
Orphans
The Trip to Bountiful
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Annie
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Pippin
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Tom Hanks, Lucky Guy
Nathan Lane, The Nance
Tracy Letts, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
David Hyde Pierce, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Tom Sturridge, Orphans
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Laurie Metcalf, The Other Place
Amy Morton, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Kristine Nielsen, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Holland Taylor, Ann
Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Bertie Carvel, Matilda: The Musical
Santino Fontana, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Rob McClure, Chaplin
Billy Porter, Kinky Boots
Stark Sands, Kinky Boots
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Stephanie J. Block, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Carolee Carmello, Scandalous
Valisia LeKae, Motown The Musical
Patina Miller, Pippin
Laura Osnes, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Danny Burstein, Golden Boy
Richard Kind, The Big Knife
Billy Magnussen, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Tony Shalhoub, Golden Boy
Courtney B. Vance, Lucky Guy
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Carrie Coon, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Shalita Grant, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Judith Ivey, The Heiress
Judith Light, The Assembled Parties
Condola Rashad, The Trip to Bountiful
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Charl Brown, Motown The Musical
Keith Carradine, Hands on a Hardbody
Will Chase, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Gabriel Ebert, Matilda The Musical
Terrence Mann, Pippin
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Annaleigh Ashford, Kinky Boots
Victoria Clark, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Andrea Martin, Pippin
Keala Settle, Hands on a Hardbody
Lauren Ward, Matilda The Musical
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Pam MacKinnon, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Nicholas Martin, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Bartlett Sher, Golden Boy
George C. Wolfe, Lucky Guy
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Scott Ellis, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots
Diane Paulus, Pippin
Matthew Warchus, Matilda The Musical
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bring It On: The Musical
Peter Darling, Matilda The Musical
Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots
Chet Walker, Pippin
BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
Chris Nightingale, Matilda The Musical
Stephen Oremus, Kinky Boots
Ethan Popp & Bryan Crook, Motown The Musical
Danny Troob, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
John Lee Beatty, The Nance
Santo Loquasto, The Assembled Parties
David Rockwell, Lucky Guy
Michael Yeargan, Golden Boy
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Rob Howell, Matilda The Musical
Anna Louizos, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Scott Pask, Pippin
David Rockwell, Kinky Boots
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
Soutra Gilmour, Cyrano de Bergerac
Ann Roth, The Nance
Albert Wolsky, The Heiress
Catherine Zuber, Golden Boy
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Gregg Barnes, Kinky Boots
Rob Howell, Matilda The Musical
Dominique Lemieux, Pippin
William Ivey Long, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer, Lucky Guy
Donald Holder, Golden Boy
Jennifer Tipton, The Testament of Mary
Japhy Weideman, The Nance
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Kenneth Posner, Kinky Boots
Kenneth Posner, Pippin
Kenneth Posner, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Hugh Vanstone, Matilda The Musical
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY
John Gromada, The Trip to Bountiful
Mel Mercier, The Testament of Mary
Leon Rothenberg, The Nance
Peter John Still and Marc Salzberg, Golden Boy
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Jonathan Deans & Garth Helm, Pippin
Peter Hylenski, Motown The Musical
John Shivers, Kinky Boots
Nevin Steinberg, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
REGIONAL THEATRE AWARD
Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, MA
ISABELLE STEVENSON AWARD
Larry Kramer
SPECIAL TONY AWARD
Bernard Gersten
Ming Cho Lee
SPECIAL TONY AWARD® FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE THEATRE
Paul Libin
TONY HONORS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE THEATRE
Career Transition For Dancers
William “Bill” Craver
Peter Lawrence
The Lost Colony
The four actresses who created the title role of Matilda The Musical on Broadway – Sophia Gennusa, Oona Laurence, Bailey Ryon and Milly Shapiro
TONY NOMINATIONS BY PRODUCTION
Kinky Boots – 13
Matilda The Musical – 12
Pippin – 10
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella – 9
Golden Boy – 8
Lucky Guy – 6
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike – 6
The Mystery of Edwin Drood – 5
The Nance – 5
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – 5
Motown The Musical – 4
The Trip to Bountiful – 4
The Assembled Parties – 3
A Christmas Story, The Musical – 3
Hands on a Hardbody – 3
The Testament of Mary – 3
Bring It On: The Musical – 2
The Heiress – 2
Orphans – 2
Ann – 1
Annie – 1
The Big Knife – 1
Chaplin – 1
Cyrano de Bergerac – 1
The Other Place – 1
Scandalous – 1
And the Nominees Are… The 2013 Drama Desk Award Nominations
The nominations for the 2013 Drama Desk Awards were announced by Linda Lavin and John Lloyd Young today at 54 Below – and the short-lived Hands on a Hardbody led with an impressive 9 nods. The awards ceremony will take place on May 19 at Town Hall.
As always, we’ll be live blogging, tweeting and facebooking with you as the nominees and winners are announced!
Check out our full awards coverage here.
The complete list of the nominees is as follows:
OUTSTANDING MUSICAL
A Christmas Story: The Musical
Giant
Hands on a Hardbody
Here Lies Love
Matilda
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
The Other Josh Cohen
OUTSTANDING PLAY
Annie Baker, The Flick
Christopher Durang, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Joe Gilford, Finks
Richard Greenberg, The Assembled Parties
Amy Herzog, Belleville
Deanna Jent, Falling
Richard Nelson, Sorry
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Passion
Pippin
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
The Golden Land
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Working: A Musical
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Golden Boy
Good Person of Szechwan
The Piano Lesson
The Trip to Bountiful
Uncle Vanya
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Reed Birney, Uncle Vanya
Daniel Everidge, Falling
Tom Hanks, Lucky Guy
Shuler Hensley, The Whale
Nathan Lane, The Nance
Tracy Letts, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Maria Dizzia, Belleville
Amy Morton, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Julia Murney, Falling
Vanessa Redgrave, The Revisionist
Miriam Silverman, Finks
Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Eric Anderson, Soul Doctor
Brian d’Arcy James, Giant
Jim Norton, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Billy Porter, Kinky Boots
Steve Rosen, The Other Josh Cohen
Ryan Silverman, Passion
Anthony Warlow, Annie
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Kate Baldwin, Giant
Stephanie J. Block, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Carolee Carmello, Scandalous
Lindsay Mendez, Dogfight
Donna Murphy, Into the Woods
Laura Osnes, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Jenny Powers, Donnybrook!
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Chuck Cooper, The Piano Lesson
Peter Friedman, The Great God Pan
Richard Kind, The Big Knife
Aaron Clifton Moten, The Flick
Brían F. O’Byrne, If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet
Tony Shalhoub, Golden Boy
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Tasha Lawrence, The Whale
Judith Light, The Assembled Parties
Kellie Overbey, Sleeping Rough
Maryann Plunkett, Sorry
Condola Rashad, The Trip to Bountiful
Laila Robins, Sorry
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Stephen Bogardus, Passion
John Bolton, A Christmas Story: The Musical
Keith Carradine, Hands on a Hardbody
Bertie Carvel, Matilda
John Dossett, Giant
Andy Karl, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Annaleigh Ashford, Kinky Boots
Melissa Errico, Passion
Andrea Martin, Pippin
Jessie Mueller, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Christiane Noll, Chaplin: The Musical
Keala Settle, Hands on a Hardbody
Kate Wetherhead, The Other Josh Cohen
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Lear Debessonet, Good Person of Szechwan
Sam Gold, Uncle Vanya
Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, Restoration Comedy
Pam MacKinnon, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Lynne Meadow, The Assembled Parties
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, The Piano Lesson
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bring It On: The Musical
Rachel Chavkin, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
John Doyle, Passion
Diane Paulus, Pippin
Emma Rice, The Wild Bride
Alex Timbers, Here Lies Love
Matthew Warchus, Matilda
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bring It On: The Musical
Warren Carlyle, A Christmas Story: The Musical
Peter Darling, Matilda
Josh Rhodes, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Sergio Trujillo, Hands on a Hardbody
Chet Walker and Gypsy Snider, Pippin
OUTSTANDING MUSIC
Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green, Hands on a Hardbody
David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, Here Lies Love
Michael John LaChiusa, Giant
Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, A Christmas Story: The Musical
David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, The Other Josh Cohen
OUTSTANDING LYRICS
Amanda Green, Hands on a Hardbody
Amanda Green and Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bring It On: The Musical
Michael John LaChiusa, Giant
Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Tim Minchin, Matilda
David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, The Other Josh Cohen
OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Dennis Kelly, Matilda
Sybille Pearson, Giant
Joseph Robinette, A Christmas Story: The Musical
David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, The Other Josh Cohen
Jeff Whitty, Bring It On: The Musical
Doug Wright, Hands on a Hardbody
OUTSTANDING ORCHESTRATIONS
Trey Anastasio and Don Hart, Hands on a Hardbody
Larry Blank, A Christmas Story: The Musical
Bruce Coughlin, Giant
Larry Hochman, Chaplin: The Musical
Steve Margoshes, Soul Doctor
Danny Troob, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
OUTSTANDING MUSIC IN A PLAY
César Alvarez with The Lisps, Good Person of Szechwan
Jirí Kaderábek, Mahir Cetiz, and Ana Milosavljevic, Act Before You Speak: The Tragical History of
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Glen Kelly, The Nance
Eugene Ma, The Man Who Laughs
Steve Martin, As You Like It
Jane Wang, Strange Tales of Liaozhai
OUTSTANDING REVUE
Forbidden Broadway: Alive & Kicking!
Old Hats
Old Jews Telling Jokes
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
Rob Howell, Matilda
Mimi Lien, The Whale
Santo Loquasto, The Assembled Parties
Anna Louizos, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Michael Yeargan, Golden Boy
David Zinn, The Flick
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Amy Clark and Martin Pakledinaz, Chaplin: The Musical
Dominique Lemieux, Pippin
William Ivey Long, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Chris March, Chris March’s The Butt-Cracker Suite! A Trailer Park Ballet
Loren Shaw, Restoration Comedy
Paloma Young, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Ken Billington, Chaplin: The Musical
Jane Cox, Passion
Kenneth Posner, Pippin
Justin Townsend, Here Lies Love
Daniel Winters, The Man Who Laughs
Scott Zielinski, A Civil War Christmas
OUTSTANDING PROJECTION DESIGN
Jon Driscoll, Chaplin: The Musical
Wendall K. Harrington, Old Hats
Peter Nigrini, Here Lies Love
Darrel Maloney, Checkers
Pedro Pires, Cirque du Soleil: Totem
Aaron Rhyne, Wild With Happy
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN IN A MUSICAL
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Hands on a Hardbody
Scott Lehrer and Drew Levy, Chaplin: The Musical
Tony Meola, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Brian Ronan, Bring It On: The Musical
Brian Ronan, Giant
Dan Moses Schreier, Passion
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN IN A PLAY
Ien DeNio, The Pilo Family Circus
Steve Fontaine, Last Man Club
Christian Frederickson, Through the Yellow Hour
Lindsay Jones, Wild With Happy
Mel Mercier, The Testament of Mary
Fergus O’Hare, Macbeth
OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Joel de la Fuente, Hold These Truths
Kathryn Hunter, Kafka’s Monkey
Bette Midler, I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers
Julian Sands, A Celebration of Harold Pinter
Holland Taylor, Ann
Michael Urie, Buyer & Cellar
UNIQUE THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE
Bello Mania
Chris March’s The Butt-Cracker Suite! A Trailer Park Ballet
Cirque Du Soleil: Totem
That Play: A Solo Macbeth
The Fazzino Ride
The Man Who Laughs
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
This year the nominators chose to bestow a special ensemble award to the cast of Working: A Musical. “Marie-France Arcilla, Joe Cassidy, Donna Lynne Champlin, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Nehal Joshi, and Kenita R. Miller created a memorable ensemble of marvelously gifted singer-actors working together in pure artistic harmony.” Individual cast members receiving this award are ineligible for acting awards in the competitive categories.
SPECIAL AWARDS
Each year, the Drama Desk votes special awards to recognize excellence and significant contributions to the theater. For 2012-2013, these awards are:
The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), Isaac Robert Hurwitz, Executive Director and Producer: for a decade of creating and nurturing new musical theater, ensuring the future of this essential art form.
Wakka Wakka (Gabrielle Brechner, Kirjan Waage, and Gwendolyn Warnock): for sophisticated puppet theater, as represented by this season’s SAGA, that explores with wit, imagination, and insight serious issues of ourtimes.
Jayne Houdyshell: for her artistry as an exceptionally versatile and distinctive Broadway and Off-Broadway performer.
Samuel D. Hunter: His empathic and indelible The Whale affirms his arrival as a distinguished dramatist who depicts the human condition.
Maruti Evans, the Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award: for his ingenious lighting designs, reflecting an exquisite and bold theatrical aesthetic. This season’s The Pilo Family Circus and Tiny Dynamite confirm his incandescent creativity.
And the Nominees Are… The 2013 Drama League Award Nominations
Patina Miller and Michael Urie announced the nominees for this year’s Drama League Awards today at Sardi’s and it’s a big list! Only three Broadway musicals got a distinguished production nod this year, with Off-Broadway musicals bumping many others out of the picture! Who’s going to win?! Is the anticipation killing you yet? David Hyde Pierce will host the 79th Annual Drama League Awards ceremony, held May 17 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square, and like it or not, you’ll just have to wait until then…
Check out our full awards coverage here.
Here are the 2013 Drama League Award Nominees:
DISTINGUISHED PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
Dogfight
Here Lies Love
Kinky Boots
Matilda The Musical
Motown: The Musical
Murder Ballad
Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
DISTINGUISHED REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Annie
Marry Me a Little
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Passion
Pippin
Cinderella
DISTINGUISHED PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
The Assembled Parties
I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers
Lucky Guy
The Nance
Old Hats
The Testament of Mary
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
The Whale
DISTINGUISHED REVIVAL OF A PLAY
As You Like It
Golden Boy
Macbeth
The Piano Lesson
The Trip to Bountiful
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD
Alec Baldwin, Orphans
Danny Burstein, Talley’s Folly
Bobby Cannavale, The Big Knife and Glengarry Glen Ross
Bertie Carvel, Matilda The Musical
Tracee Chimo, Bad Jews
Lilla Crawford, Annie
Alan Cumming, Macbeth
Brandon J. Dirden, The Piano Lesson
Brandon Victor Dixon, Motown: The Musical
Jesse Eisenberg, The Revisionist
Edie Falco, The Madrid
America Ferrera, Bethany
Jake Gyllenhaal, If There is I Haven’t Found it Yet
Tom Hanks, Lucky Guy
Jessica Hecht, The Assembled Parties and Harvey
Shuler Hensley, The Whale
Bill Irwin, Old Hats
Judith Ivey, The Heiress
Brian d’Arcy James, Giant
Scarlett Johansson, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Judy Kuhn, Passion
Nathan Lane, The Nance
Valisia LeKae, Motown: The Musical
Tracy Letts, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Judith Light, The Assembled Parties
Constantine Maroulis, Jekyll and Hyde
Andrea Martin, Pippin
Rob McClure, Chaplin
Lindsay Mendez, Dogfight
Laurie Metcalf, The Other Place
Bette Midler, I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers
Patina Miller, Pippin
Amy Morton, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Donna Murphy, Into the Woods
Kristine Nielsen, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Jim Norton, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Seth Numrich, Golden Boy
Laura Osnes, Cinderella
Tina Packer, Women of Will
David Hyde Pierce, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Billy Porter, Kinky Boots
Lily Rabe, As You Like It
Vanessa Redgrave, The Revisionist
Chita Rivera, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Paul Rudd, Grace
Roslyn Ruff, The Piano Lesson
Stark Sands, Kinky Boots
Tony Shalhoub, Golden Boy
Michael Shannon, Grace
Fiona Shaw, The Testament of Mary
Ryan Silverman, Passion
Phillipa Soo, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
Tom Sturridge, Orphans
Holland Taylor, Ann
Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful
Michael Urie, Buyer and Cellar
Courtney B. Vance, Lucky Guy
Anthony Warlow, Annie
Stephen Tyrone Williams, My Children! My Africa!
Vanessa Williams, The Trip to Bountiful
DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSICAL THEATRE AWARD
Bernadette Peters
FOUNDERS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN DIRECTING
Jerry Mitchell
UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO THE THEATRE AWARD
Madison Square Garden Entertainment and The Rockettes
PREVIOUS DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE WINNERS
Norbet Leo Butz, Dead Accounts
Kathleen Chalfant, Red Dog Howls
Stockard Channing, The Exonerated
Patti LuPone, The Anarchist
Bebe Neuwirth, Golden Age
Francis Sternhagen, The Madrid
And the Nominees Are… The 2013 Outer Critics Circle Nominations
Robert Cuccioli and Laila Robins announced the nominees for the Outer Critics Circle Awards today at The Friars Club. Pippin received the most nominations (11), with Kinky Boots (9), Chaplin: The Musical (8) and Cinderella (8) not too far behind. The winners will be announced on May 13 with a ceremony to follow on the 23rd at Sardi’s.
Check out our full awards coverage here.
Without further ado, here are the 2013 Outer Critics Circle Nominees:
OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL
OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY
Grace
Lucky Guy
The Nance
The Testament of Mary
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
Bad Jews
Cock
My Name is Asher Lev
Really Really
The Whale
OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
February House
Dogfight
Giant
Here Lies Love
Murder Ballad
OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Dogfight
OUTSTANDING NEW SCORE (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Dogfight
Here Lies Love
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Golden Boy
Orphans
The Piano Lesson
The Trip to Bountiful
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Pam MacKinnon, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Nicholas Martin, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Jack O’Brien, The Nance
Bartlett Sher, Golden Boy
Michael Wilson, The Trip to Bountiful
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Warren Carlyle, Chaplin: The Musical
Scott Ellis, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots
Diane Paulus, Pippin
Alex Timbers, Here Lies Love
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER
Warren Carlyle, Chaplin: The Musical
Peter Darling, Matilda the Musical
Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots
Josh Rhodes, Cinderella
Chet Walker, Pippin
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN (Play or Musical)
John Lee Beatty, The Nance
Rob Howell, Matilda the Musical
David Korins, Here Lies Love
Scott Pask, Pippin
Michael Yeargan, Golden Boy
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN (Play or Musical)
Amy Clark & Martin Pakledinaz, Chaplin: The Musical
Gregg Barnes, Kinky Boots
Dominique Lemieux, Pippin
William Ivey Long, Cinderella
William Ivey Long, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN (Play or Musical)
Ken Billington, Chaplin: The Musical
Paul Gallo, Dogfight
Donald Holder, Golden Boy
Kenneth Posner, Cinderella
Kenneth Posner, Pippin
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Tom Hanks, Lucky Guy
Shuler Hensley, The Whale
Nathan Lane, The Nance
Tracy Letts, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
David Hyde Pierce, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Tracee Chimo, Bad Jews
Amy Morton, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Vanessa Redgrave, The Revisionist
Joely Richardson, Ivanov
Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Bertie Carvel, Matilda the Musical
Santino Fontana, Cinderella
Rob McClure, Chaplin: The Musical
Billy Porter, Kinky Boots
Matthew James Thomas, Pippin
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Lilla Crawford, Annie
Valisia LeKae, Motown: The Musical
Lindsay Mendez, Dogfight
Patina Miller, Pippin
Laura Osnes, Cinderella
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Danny Burstein, Golden Boy
Richard Kind, The Big Knife
Jonny Orsini, The Nance
Tony Shalhoub, Golden Boy
Tom Sturridge, Orphans
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Cady Huffman, The Nance
Judith Ivey, The Heiress
Judith Light, The Assembled Parties
Kristine Nielsen, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Vanessa Williams, The Trip to Bountiful
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Will Chase, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Dan Lauria, A Christmas Story
Raymond Luke, Motown: The Musical
Terrence Mann, Pippin
Daniel Stewart Sherman, Kinky Boots
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Annaleigh Ashford, Kinky Boots
Victoria Clark, Cinderella
Charlotte d’Amboise, Pippin
Andrea Martin, Pippin
Keala Settle, Hands on a Hardbody
OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Bette Midler, I’ll Eat You Last
Martin Moran, All the Rage
Fiona Shaw, The Testament of Mary
Holland Taylor, Ann
Michael Urie, Buyer & Cellar
JOHN GASSNER AWARD
(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Ayad Akhtar, Disgraced
Paul Downs Colaizzo, Really Really
Joshua Harmon, Bad Jews
Samuel D. Hunter, The Whale
Aaron Posner, My Name is Asher Lev
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Irish Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Charlotte Moore and Producing Director Ciarán O’Reilly in recognition of 25 years of producing outstanding theater.
Award Time is Almost Here – The 2013 Eligible Shows
It’s one of the most wonderful times of the year — nominations will soon be out with the whole country buzzing about Broadway.
You can check out our 2013 Broadway theater awards calendar to see when and who will be making the announcements and when all the pretty prizes will be handed out.
As always, we’ll be live blogging, tweeting and facebooking with you as the nominees and winners are announced!
In the meantime, we wanted to do a rundown of the shows eligible for this year’s big categories:
Shows Eligible for Best Musical
Shows Eligible for Best Revival of a Musical
Who do you think is gonna take home this year’s biggest prizes?
The Reviews for The Mystery of Edwin Drood are In…
The word is out — The Mystery of Edwin Drood is a raucous good time, even if it does exchange sincerity for camp. The production features fully committed and highly entertaining performances from most of the cast, most notably Chita Rivera as Princess Puffer and Jim Norton as the MC. Most known for letting its nightly audience indict the story’s bad guy, this revival of the 1985 production boasts energy and hilarity, focusing more on fun than on the actual mystery. The critics seem to enjoy it, especially those expecting more silliness and less sophistication.
NEW YORK TIMES
“With the explosion of social media inspiring a taste for talking back, the time seems especially ripe for the Roundabout Theater Company’s boisterous revival of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” the 1985 Broadway musical that allows audiences to savor the satisfactions of impersonating Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot, pointing an accusatory finger at a cowering culprit….The pleasure of fingering a killer is not the only one afforded by Scott Ellis’s exuberant production, which opened on Tuesday night at Studio 54. In an era when Broadway revivals of beloved musicals can seem dispiritingly skimpy, this handsome production offers a generous feast for the eyes, trimmed in holiday cheer for an added spritz of currency….And the evening’s performers — including a bona fide Broadway grande dame, Chita Rivera; a host of plush-voiced singers; and the jovial imp Jim Norton as the evening’s M.C. — throw themselves into the winking spirit of the show….Despite its varied charms, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” remains a musical that ultimately adds up to less than the sum of its hard-working parts….The musical “Edwin Drood” at least leaves behind moments of shimmering musical pleasure to savor, long after the miscreant of the night has been booed off the stage.”
WASHINGTON POST
“Perhaps the best part is watching the first-rate cast have so much fun — Stephanie J. Block shows real comedic power, Jim Norton is having a ball, Chita Rivera is giggly, Gregg Edelman is just silly and Will Chase is over-acting perfectly….Scott Ellis’ direction is tight — there’s almost 20 songs, more than 20 actors and multiple identities being juggled — and yet he’s allowed pockets of genuine mirth to open for the veterans on stage to goof around….The jokes are hoary, the songs are ditties (”Off to the Races” is the best known) and the mystery not so mysterious — “You might like to add that line to your list of suspicious statements!” says one character to the audience — but the fun is infectious, even if it seems that the folks on stage might be having more of it than the paying guests….Other highlights include an opium dream beautifully realized by choreographer Warren Carlyle and Anna Louizos’ sets that includes a terrific steam-puffing train. William Ivey Long seems to have had as much fun making the lush costumes…Although “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” won Tony Awards for best musical, best book and best score in 1985, this is the first time it has returned to Broadway. The reason may be simple: In the wrong hands, it can sit awkwardly in a Broadway house — too zany, too arch. But these are the right hands: There are veterans at every turn.”
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
“Regardless of the accomplished cast and sparkling design and direction in Roundabout’s Broadway revival, nothing great can come of mediocre material. The show’s biggest selling point is the novelty of having the audience vote to decide the murderer’s identity at every performance. But the charms of this rollicking pastiche are otherwise intermittent….Holmes’ show scores points for ingenuity, but it often feels like being stuck for too long in front of an olde-worlde department-store window display. A vehicle running 2½ hours needs more memorable songs than these mostly interchangeable parlor ditties, and more engaging characters than this bunch, which by design, are cardboard cutouts enlivened by melodramatic flourishes. A genuinely intriguing mystery rather than a half-baked whodunit devoid of psychological complexity wouldn’t hurt either….Director Scott Ellis, set designer Anna Louizos and costumer William Ivey Long all do fine work conjuring London’s Music Hall Royale in 1895…And the cast appears to be having a ball. They double as characters within the evening’s presentation and the ensemble of second-rate resident players and guests hired to impersonate them, ranging from self-adoring stars to ambitious upstarts to shameless hams. Chief among them is the wonderful Irish actor Jim Norton…With his hoary double entendres, Norton makes an effortless master of ceremonies, as at ease with the stage business as he is with the winking innuendo of lining up companionship for single gents in the audience. Ad-libbing occasionally, he strikes the ideal jaunty tone to resuscitate this very British popular entertainment of a bygone era…But all the affectionately antiquated whimsy never quite adds up to robust entertainment.”
AM NEW YORK
“The Mystery of Edwin Drood, inspired by an unfinished Charles Dickens novel, is one of the most inventive, inspired and rousing musicals ever devised. And it is a pleasure to report that the Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival is thoroughly well-cast and extremely enjoyable….As atmospherically staged by Scott Ellis, with sprightly choreography by Warren Carlyle and excellent music direction by Paul Gemignani, this production is a reminder that well-known musicals do not need to be reconstructed or darkened for their revivals. If the show is strong, have faith in it and all will fall into place.”
NEWSDAY
“This is a novelty item, tricked-up with cutesy tangents as a play-within-a-play at a provincial English music hall. Everyone in director Scott Ellis’ wonderful-looking production works very hard at jollying up the audience at the start, rallying a sing-a-long and, ultimately, conducting the voting. Then, the murderer confesses in song. The show does have some jaunty, quasi-operetta music with beautiful harmonic blends and a ravishing cast — including Chita Rivera as Princess Puffer, madam of the opium den, and Jessie Mueller as the slinky-to-her-eyebrows Helena Landless, who, with her brother (Andy Karl) brings a bit of Colonial commentary as the exotics from Ceylon. Jim Norton maneuvers around the fast-patter songs with aplomb as the emcee; Stephanie J. Block is authoritative as Drood, the young gentleman who disappears. His beloved (Betsy Wolfe) is coveted by the opium fiend-music teacher (Will Chase)….Instead of trusting the characters and the mystery to build the suspense, however, Holmes aims for the campy, tiresome and childish. To vote, one presumably cares about who does what to whom. Considering Dickens’ storytelling genius, the real mystery is why this isn’t fun.”
A look at the musicals eyeing 2012-13 Broadway runs…
Now that this season is officially over, we thought it worth taking a look at the shows who have announced Broadway runs for the 2012-13 season.
First up is an adaptation of Bring It On with music by Tom Kit of Next to Normal and Lin-Manuel Miranda of In the Heights. This show has been touring the country after opening to so-so reviews in Los Angeles, making changes in preparation for its Broadway run. Likened to Lysistrata Jones, which only enjoyed a limited run on Broadway and Legally Blonde, a film adaptation that lived a much longer Broadway life, the show is hoping to avoid the pitfalls other recent film adaptations, like Leap of Faith, have seen. Can the stage version find more depth than the silly film it was based on? We’ll just have to wait and see…
And then we have Ever After, another film adaptation with book and lyrics by Marcy Heisler and music by Zina Goldrich, who you might know because of the songs “Taylor the Latte Boy,” made famous by Kristin Chenoweth, and “Alto’s Lament,” a song about an alto who longs to sing the melody. The musical was first set to open in San Francisco in 2009, but was indefinitely postponed for undisclosed reasons. It’s now set to hit Broadway in the 2012-13 season, directed by Kathleen Marshall, who’s got three Tony Awards and two Drama Desk Awards in her den and nominations for direction and choreography for this season’s Nice Work if You Can Get It. Think the talent be enough to turn the movie into a solid musical? And will it be too similar to another show eyeing a Broadway run…
Cinderella, by Rodgers and Hammerstein, which was originally telecast in 1957 starring Julie Andrews, but never enjoyed a Broadway run, is getting a rewrite by Douglas Carter Beane of Xanadu and headed to Broadway next spring. Starring Laura Osnes, nominated for her portrayal of Bonnie in this season’s Bonnie & Clyde, the show has blockbuster promise. Will it play as well on stage as it did on television? We can only hope.
And then there’s a brand new musical – Chaplin – based on the silent film star adored and emulated by so many. Directed by Warren Carlyle, who was nominated for Drama Desk Awards for his direction of Finian’s Rainbow in 2009 and written by Christopher Curtis, a pianist who wrote the theme song to the film “The Break,” and Thomas Meehan, the Tony Award-winner who penned The Producers, Annie and Hairspray, many are excited to see something new on the menu of offerings.
One of Meehan’s best known hits, Annie, is also headed back to the Great White Way. The show’s original run in 1997 enjoyed an incredible 2,377 performances, will the new revival, directed by James Lapine of Into the Woods, Passion and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, do even better?
Another revival of a big hit is headed to Broadway. The Mystery of Edwin Drood, whose original run won five Tony Awards and had a cast starring Betty Buckley and featuring George Rose, Cleo Laine, John Herrera, Howard McGillin, Patti Cohenour, Jana Schneider, who were all nominated for 1986 Tony Awards for their performances, as well as Donna Murphy, Judy Kuhn and Rob Marshall who would all go on to celebrated careers in the theatre. This will be the show’s first Broadway revival and fans couldn’t be more thrilled to see if return. Chita Rivera is set to star and Scott Ellis to direct.
The final musical on the docket as of this writing is an international transfer of Rebecca, which premiered in Vienna, Austria in 2006 and ran for three years and has since been mounted in Finland, Japan and elsewhere. Set to hit Broadway in the fall of 2012 starring Karen Mason, Howard McGillin, James Barbour, Donna English, Nick Wyman, Henry Stram and co-directed by Michael Blakemore and Francesca Zambello, the story made famous by Alfred Hitchcock’s film has played very well to audiences elsewhere. What will Americans make of it?
An exciting mix of revivals, new works and adaptations await us in 2012-13 and more shows will be announced soon. What are you most excited about seeing next season?
