May 15, 2007

'Spring Awakening,' 'Utopia' lead Tony nominations

"Spring Awakening," "The Coast of Utopia," "Grey Gardens" and "Curtains" this morning received the most nominations for the 61st annual Broadway Tony Awards.

The best musical nominees are: "Spring Awakening," "Grey Gardens," "Mary Poppins" and "Curtains."

The best play nominees are "The Coast of Utopia," "Frost/Nixon," "Radio Golf," and "The Little Dog Laughed."

Big names have been shining on Broadway this year, as reflected in the nominees for best performance by a leading actor in a play -- Frank Langella, ("Frost/Nixon,") Christopher Plummer, ("Inherit the Wind,") Liev Schreiber, ("Talk Radio,") Brian F. O'Byrne, ("The Coast of Utopia,") and Boyd Gaines, ("Journey’s End") -- and for best performance by a leading actress in a play: Angela Lansbury, ("Deuce,") Vanessa Redgrave, ("The Year of Magical Thinking,") Eve Best, ("A Moon for the Misbegotten,") Julie White, ("The Little Dog Laughed,") and Swoosie Kurtz, ("Heartbreak House.")

"Spring Awakening," the dark, sexually provocative pop musical based on Frank Wedekind's oft-censored 1891 German coming-of-age drama, led with 11 nominations, including best musical, best original score (listen here,) best actor in a musical (Jonathan Groff,) and best featured actor in a musical (John Gallagher, Jr.) (Tickets.)

"The Coast of Utopia," Tom Stoppard's three-play trilogy about the emergence of the Russian intelligentsia surrounding Alexander Herzen, led the non-musicals, with 10 nominations. The three plays - "Voyage," "Shipwreck" and "Salvation" - ended their run this past weekend at Lincoln Center. It was nominated for best play, best actor in a play (Brian F. O'Byrne,) best featured actor in a play (Billy Crudup and Ethan Hawke,) and best featured actress (Jennifer Ehle and Martha Plimpton.)

The musical "Grey Gardens," which like "Spring Awakening" got its start Off-Broadway a year ago, snagged 10 nominations. The show is based on the 1975 documentary of the same name about Jackie Kennedy's eccentric aunt and cousin living in an absurdly run down mansion on Long Island. The show was nominated for best musical, best original score, (listen,) best actress in a musical (Christine Ebersole,) best featured actress in a musical, (Mary Louise Wilson.) (Tickets.)

The who-dunnit theater myster "Curtains," one of the last musicals from Fred Ebb and John Kander, received eight nominations including best original score and best actor in a musical (David Hyde Pierce.)

Disney's "Mary Poppins" and the screen-to-stage version of "Legally Blonde" each secured seven nominations. Two British plays, the revival of the WWI drama "Journey's End" and the new drama (with singing) "Coram Boy" each garnered six nominations.

Here is the rundown of a few more categories:

Best performance by a leading actress in a musical: Christine Ebersole, ("Grey Gardens,") Audra McDonald, ("110 in the Shade,") Laura Bell Bundy, "Legally Blonde:The Musical,") Debra Monk, ("Curtains") and Donna Murphy, ("LoveMusik.")

Best performance by a leading actor in a musical: Jonathan Groff, ("Spring Awakening,") Michael Cerveris, ("LoveMusik,") Raul Esparza, ("Company,") Gavin Lee, ("Mary Poppins") and David Hyde Pierce, ("Curtains.")

Best revival of a play: "Inherit the Wind," "Journey's End," "Talk Radio" and "Translations."

Best revival of a musical: "The Apple Tree," "A Chorus Line," "Company" and "110 in the Shade."

Tickets for the black-tie June 10 awards ceremony at Radio City Music Hall went on sale this morning. They're priced from $204.50 to $404.50.

The Tony Awards are presented by the League of American Theatres and Producers and the American Theatre Wing. The full list of nominees is availble at the Tony Award webiste.

The winners of several other theater awards have already been announced. The New York Drama Critcs Circle winners:

Best Play: "The Coast of Utopia" by Tom Stoppard
Best American Play: "Radio Golf" by August Wilson
Best Musical: "Spring Awakening" by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater
Special Citation: "Journey’s End"

The big category winners at the Outer Critics Circle Awards:

Actor in a Musical - Raul Esparza, "Company"
Actor in a Play - Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"
Actress in a Musical - Donna Murphy, "LoveMusik"
Actress in a Play - Eve Best, "Moon for the Misbegotten"
Choreography - Andy Blankenbuehler, "In the Heights"
Costume Design - Catherine Zuber, "The Coast of Utopia"
Director of a Musical - Michael Mayer, "Spring Awakening"
Director of a Play - Jack O'Brien, "The Coast of Utopia"
Featured Actor in a Musical - David Pittu, "LoveMusik"
Featured Actor in a Play - Boyd Gaines, "Journey's End"
Featured Actress in a Musical - Karen Ziemba, "Curtains"
Featured Actress in a Play - Martha Plimpton, "Coast of Utopia"
New Broadway Musical - "Spring Awakening"
New Broadway Play - "Coast of Utopia"
New Off-Broadway Play - "Indian Blood"
New Score - "Spring Awakening"
Off-Broadway Musical - "In the Heights"
Revival of a Musical - "Company"
Revival of a Play - "Journey's End"
Solo Performance - Nilaja Sun - "No Child . . ."

A few of the Lucille Lortel Award Off-Broadway winners:

Outstanding Play - "Stuff Happens"
Outstanding Musical - "Spring Awakening" and "In the Heights"
Outstanding Solo Show - "No Child ..."
Outstanding Revival - "Two Trains Running"
Outstanding Director - Daniel Sullivan, "Stuff Happens"
Outstanding Lead Actor - Peter Francis James, "Stuff Happens"
Outstanding Lead Actress - Gloria Reuben, "Stuff Happens"
Lifetime Achievement Award - Kevin Kline
Playwrights' Sidewalk Inductee - Christopher Durang
Outstanding Body of Work - Classical Theatre of Harlem
Edith Oliver Award for Sustained Excellence - Rick Sordelet
Special Award - Actors' Fund Of America

May 15, 2007 08:25 AM in Broadway

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