Tag Archives: Outer Critics Circle

Lindsay Mendez Wins Outer Critics Circle Awards Trophy for “Merrily We Roll Along” Performance

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Lindsay Mendez is having an Outer this world moment…

The Outer Critics Circle has named announced its award winners, with the 40-year-old half-Mexican American Tony Award-winning actress coming away with one prize.

Mendez was named Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off Broadway Musical for her performance in Merrily We Roll Along.

The Circle is made up of writers on New York theater for out-of-town newspapers and national publication.

In all, Some Like It Hot topped the winners list with five, in all – with Leopoldstadt coming in second with three awards.

Winners of the 72nd Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards will be honored at a ceremony on Thursday, May 25 at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center’s New York Public Library for The Performing Arts.

Here’s the complete list of winners:

Outstanding New Broadway Musical
Some Like It Hot

Outstanding New Broadway Play
Leopoldstadt

Outstanding New Off Broadway Musical
The Harder They Come

Outstanding New Off Broadway Play
Downstate

John Gassner Award for New American Play (Preferably by a New Playwright)
Fat Ham by James Ijames

Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Topdog/Underdog

Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Parade

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical
Harrison Ghee – Some Like It Hot

Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Musical
Alex Newell – Shucked

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play
Sean Hayes – Good Night, Oscar

Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play
Brandon Uranowitz – Leopoldstadt

Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off Broadway Play
Bill Irwin – Endgame

Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off Broadway Play
Todd Freeman – Downstate

Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off Broadway Musical
Jonathan Groff – Merrily We Roll Along

Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off Broadway Musical
Lindsay Mendez – Merrily We Roll Along

Outstanding Solo Performance
Jodie Comer – Prima Facie

Outstanding New Score
Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman – Some Like It Hot

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Robert Horn – Shucked

Outstanding Scenic Design (Play or Musical)
Beowulf Boritt – New York, New York

Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical)
Gregg Barnes – Some Like it Hot

Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical)
Tim Lutkin – Life of Pi

Outstanding Sound Design (Play or Musical)
Joshua D. Reid – A Christmas Carol

Outstanding Video or Projection Design (Play or Musical)
Andrzej Goulding – Life of Pi

Outstanding Orchestrations
Bryan Carter and Charlie Rosen – Some Like It Hot

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Michael Arden – Parade

Outstanding Choreography
Susan Stroman – New York, New York

Outstanding Director of a Play
Patrick Marber – Leopoldstadt

Special Achievement Award
B.H. Barry, one of the world’s foremost fight directors, in recognition of a distinguished six-decade career capped off with Camelot at Lincoln Center Theater.

Liza Colón-Zayas Lands Recurring Role on the Fourth Season on HBO’s Drama Series “In Treatment”

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Liza Colón-Zayas is heading to treatment…

The 48-year-old Puerto Rican actress has landed a recurring role opposite Uzo Aduba in the upcoming fourth season of HBO’s Emmy-winning drama series In Treatment.

Liza Colón-Zayas

In Treatment, which ended a three-season run in 2010, is returning for a fourth season as a reimagined half-hour series. The series is in pre-production under COVID-19 guidelines, with a 2021 debut planned to air on HBO and stream on HBO Max.

The reimagining brings a diverse trio of patients in session with the observant, empathetic Dr. Brooke Taylor (Aduba), who is wrestling with her own issues.

Colón-Zayas will play Rita, Brooke’s longtime confidant and friend who supports Brooke as she contends with her own demons after a life-altering loss.

In addition to Aduba, Colon-Reyes joins Anthony Ramos, who also recurs.

The HBO Entertainment production is produced in association with Leverage, Closest to the Hole Productions and Sheleg.

Colón-Zayas, an original member of The LAByrinth Theater Company, earned the 2020 Obie, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards.

On television, she recurred as Principal Fallow on the Peabody-winning series David Makes Man.

Trujillo Wins Outstanding Choreography Prize at Outer Critics Circle Awards

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Sergio Trujillo is a Critics’ choice…

The Colombian choreographer earned Outstanding Choreography honors at this year’s Outer Critics Circle Awards.

Sergio Trujillo

Trujillo, a Tony Awards nominee this year, earned the recognition for his work on On Your Feet! The Emilio and Gloria Estefan Musical.

Meanwhile, Marco Ramirez won the John Gassner Award, which is presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright, for penning The Royale.

The Latino playwright/author made his off-Broadway debut with the Lincoln Center Theater opening of the new drama about the early life of the boxer Jack Johnson.

The Outer Critics Circle’s prizes serve as an imperfect bellwether for the Tony Awards, since a number of significant titles in the Tony race – most notably Hamilton – weren’t eligible for the OCCs this year because they were recognized in prior incarnations and in previous years. Another Tony player, Shuffle Along, didn’t open in time to be considered by the OCCs.

OCC winners will receive awards at a May 26 ceremony at Sardi’s.

Here’s the full list of 2015-16 Outer Critics Circle Award winners:

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY: The Humans
OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL: Bright Star
OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY: The Christians
OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL: Dear Evan Hansen
OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL (Broadway or Off-Broadway): Dear Evan Hansen
OUTSTANDING NEW SCORE (Broadway or Off-Broadway): Bright Star
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY (Broadway or Off-Broadway): Long Day’s Journey Into Night
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL (Broadway or Off-Broadway): She Loves Me
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY: Ivo van Hove, A View From the Bridge
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL: Michael Arden, Spring Awakening
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER: Sergio Trujillo, On Your Feet!
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN (Play or Musical): David Rockwell, She Loves Me
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN (Play or Musical): Jeff Mahshie, She Loves Me
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN (Play or Musical): Justin Townsend, American Psycho the Musical
OUTSTANDING PROJECTION DESIGN (Play or Musical): Finn Ross, American Psycho the Musical
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY: Frank Langella, The Father
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Danny Burstein , Fiddler on the Roof
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple the Musical
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY: Michael Shannon, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY (TIE VOTE): Pascale Armand, Eclipsed & Judith Light, Thérèse Raquin
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me
OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE: James Lecesne, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
JOHN GASSNER AWARD: Marco Ramirez, The Royale
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: James Houghton, Signature Theatre Company

Miranda to Write Music for Walt Disney Animation’s “Moana”

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Lin-Manuel Miranda is has the write stuff for Walt Disney…

The 35-year-old Puerto Rican composer, rapper, lyricist, and actor has signed on to write music for Moana, an upcoming project from Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

The announcement was made at The Official Disney Fan Club‘s D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim with Dwayne Johnson, who will be starring in the film as the mighty demi-god Maui, on hand.

Miranda, who has been teasing the announcement on social media, also shared the news via a video Tweet.

Moana follows “a spirited teenager who sets out to prove herself a master wayfinder,” according to press materials.

The film will also feature the talents of Grammy-winning composer Mark Mancina (The Lion King) and Opetaia Foa’i (founder and lead singer of the world music award-winning band Te Vaka).

According to Miranda, the trio have been collaborating for over a year and a half.

Moana is set to open in theaters on November 23, 2016.

Directors John Musker and Ron Clements will helm the film with Osnat Shurer producing.

Miranda, a Tony and Grammy award winner, recently received Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama Critics Circle Awards for Hamilton, which is currently running at the Richard Rodgers Theatre after an engagement at the Public Theater.

He’s a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his musical In the Heights, and is also the coauthor of Bring it On: The Musical.

Miranda received a Primetime Emmy Award for his opening number for the 67th Annual Tony Awards, written with Tom Kitt.

Miranda’s Musical “Hamilton” Wins Seven Drama Desk Awards

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Lin-Manuel Miranda is celebrating a little excess drama…

The 35-year-old Puerto Rican composer, rapper, lyricist, and actor’s latest project, the musical Hamilton, won seven Drama Desk awards including best new musical, on Sunday night.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

In addition to taking home one of the night’s the top honors, Miranda picked up three individual awards: Outstanding Music, Outstanding Lyrics and Outstanding Book of a Musical.

Hamilton, which won’t be eligible for the Pulitzer Prize or Tony Award nominations until next season, is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton.

First presented at the Public Theater, Hamilton already had won the best musical award from the New York Drama Critics Circle, the OBIEs, the Lucille Lortel, the Outer Critics Circle and the Off-Broadway Alliance.

The show’s prize-winning juggernaut comes in advance of its July transfer to Broadway.

Unlike the Tony Awards, which are limited to Broadway productions, the Drama Desk, which comprises writers and editors from publications that cover theater, considers shows that opened off-Broadway as well.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Outstanding Play
Simon Stephens, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Musical
Hamilton 

Outstanding Revival of a Play
The Elephant Man

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
The King And I

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Alex Sharp, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Helen Mirren, The Audience

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Robert Fairchild, An American In Paris

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Kristin Chenoweth, On the Twentieth Century

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Todd Freeman, Airline Highway

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Annaleigh Ashford, You Can’t Take It With You

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Christian Borle, Something Rotten!

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton

Outstanding Director of a Play
Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Thomas Kail, Hamilton

Outstanding Choreography
Christopher Wheeldon, An American In Paris 

Outstanding Music
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

Outstanding Lyrics
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

Outstanding Orchestrations
Christopher Austin, An American In Paris

Outstanding Music in a Play
Arthur Solari & Jane Shaw, Tamburlaine The Great 

Outstanding Revue
Just Jim Dale 

Outstanding Set Design
Bob Crowley, An American In Paris

Outstanding Costume Design
Catherine Zuber, Gigi 

Outstanding Lighting Design
Paule Constable, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Projection Design
Finn Ross, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
Nevin Steinberg, Hamilton

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
Ian Dickinson (for Autograph), The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Solo Performance
Benjamin Scheuer, The Lion 

Unique Theatrical Experience
Queen of the Night

Special Awards:

Outstanding ensemble, A. R. Gurney’s The Wayside Motor Inn: Kelly AuCoin, Jon DeVries, Quincy Dunn-Baker, Rebecca Henderson, Marc Kudisch, Jenn Lyon, Lizbeth Mackay, David McElwee, Ismenia Mendes and Will Pullen.

Bess Wohl, the Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award: For establishing herself as an important voice in New York theater, and having a breakthrough year with the eclectic American Hero, Pretty Filthy and Small Mouth Sounds.

John Douglas Thompson: For invigorating theater in New York through his commanding presence, classical expertise, and vocal prowess in Tamburlaine the Great and The Iceman Cometh.

Ensemble Studio Theatre: For its unwavering commitment to producing new works by American playwrights since 1968.

Andy Blankenbuehler: For his inspired and heart-stopping choreography.