2015 Elliot Norton Awards Held Tonight; FINDING NEVERLAND Among Nominees

More than 25 nominations of outstanding actors, directors, designers and ensembles were nominated by The Boston Theater Critics Association (BTCA), with winners to be revealed at the 33nd Annual Elliot Norton Awards tonight, May 11, 2015 at 7 PM, at Boston's Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre.

This year's recipient of the Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence is longtime Gold Dust Orphans impresario and authorial genius Ryan Landry -- playwright, director, and performer -- for two decades of bawdy, irresistible parodistic extravaganzas that have made the Ramrod Center for the Performing Arts the least stiff but most exuberant theater experience in town. Special Citations will be awarded to Rob Orchard, as Executive Director of ArtsEmerson: The World on Stage, and The Bay State Banner's retired veteran arts editor/reporter Kay Bourne!

Acclaimed actress and comedian Lea DeLaria will be the Guest of Honor. Joyce Kulhawik, President of the BTCA, stated, "We have a fabulous evening planned! The ceremony will also feature nominated musical performances, an "extra" musical surprise, and an elegant post-ceremony party in the Wang's grand lobby-- holds onto your tickets!" Sponsors of the 2015 awards are the W Hotel Boston, P.F. Chang's, TheaterMania, ArtsBoston, Samuel Adams Beer, Actors' Equity Association, ArtsBoston, Polar Seltzer, and WGBH, with support of Citi Performing Arts Center.

Tickets for the much anticipated evening, including the awards ceremony and post-party, are priced at $30.00; savvy shoppers will take advantage of $10 off the regular ticket price (available through May 1), using the code Norties10. Tickets are on sale at the Citi Center Box Office, at www.citicenter.org or by calling (866) 348-9738.

The awards are presented annually by The Boston Theater Critics Association (BTCA) (Don Aucoin, Jared Bowen, Terry Byrne, Carolyn Clay, Nick Dussault, Iris Fanger, Joyce Kulhawik, Kilian Melloy, Bob Nesti, and Ed Siegel) to honor the outstanding productions, directors, designers, and performers that audiences have seen on Greater Boston area stages throughout the year.

Past recipients comprise a who's who of distinguished artists who have graced Boston's stages, including: Olympia Dukakis, Chita Rivera, Tommy Tune, Al Pacino, Edward Albee, Brian Dennehy, August Wilson, Julie Harris, Sir Ian McKellen, Lynn Redgrave, and Jason Robards.

The Elliot Norton Awards are named for the eminent Boston theater critic Elliot Norton, who remained an active supporter of drama, both locally and nationally, until his death in 2003 at the age of 100. The Boston theater community carries on his legacy and can be proud of its remarkable growth at a time in our nation's history when the arts are struggling to survive.

The 33rd annual Elliot Norton Awards will be held at the Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre, 265 Tremont St., Boston, on Monday, May 11 at 7 PM. Tickets are priced at $30.00; to take advantage of $10 off the regular ticket price (available through May 1), use the code Norties10. Tickets are on sale at the Citi Center Box Office, at www.citicenter.org or by calling (866) 348-9738.

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33rd Annual Elliot Norton Awards Nominations:

Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence: Ryan Landry

Longtime Gold Dust Orphans impresario and authorial genius, Ryan Landry's bawdy, irresistible parodistic extravaganzas have made the Ramrod Center for the Performing Arts the least stiff and most exuberant theater venue in town.

Outstanding Visiting Production

The Trip to Bountiful (Jonathan Reinis Productions in association with Center Theatre Group, presented by ArtsEmerson)

Bedlam's Saint Joan (Bedlam, presented by Underground Railway Theater)

The Mikado (The Hypocrites' production, presented by American Repertory Theater)

Outstanding Production by a Large Resident Theater

The Shape She Makes (American Repertory Theater)

The Tempest (American Repertory Theater in association with The Smith Center for the Performing Arts)

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Huntington Theatre Company)

Outstanding Production by a Midsize Theater

Bad Jews (SpeakEasy Stage Company)

Necessary Monsters (SpeakEasy Stage Company)

God's Ear (Actors' Shakespeare Project)

Outstanding Production by a Small Theater

Albatross (Mike Seiden and The Poets' Theatre)

The Big Meal (Zeitgeist Stage Company)

Shockheaded Peter (Company One, co-presented by Suffolk University)

Outstanding Production by a Fringe Theater

Stupid F***ing Bird (Apollinaire Theatre Company)

Two Boys Lost (Stickball Productions)

It Felt Empty When the Heart Went at First But It Is Alright Now (Theatre on Fire and Charlestown Working Theater)

Outstanding Actor, Large Theater

Martin Moran, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Huntington Theatre Company)

Fred Sullivan, Jr., Twelfth Night (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company)

Tom Nelis, The Tempest (American Repertory Theater in association with The Smith Center for the Performing Arts)

Outstanding Actress, Large Theater

Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful (Jonathan Reinis Productions in association with Center Theatre Group, presented by ArtsEmerson)

Brooke Adams, Happy Days (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company in association with The Theatre @ Boston Court)

Finnerty Steeves, The Shape She Makes (American Repertory Theater)

Outstanding Actor, Midsize Theater

Victor L. Shopov, Bad Jews (SpeakEasy Stage Company)

Nael Nacer, Intimate Apparel (Lyric Stage Company of Boston)

Jermel Nakia, Fences (Gloucester Stage Company)

Outstanding Actress, Midsize Theater

Andrus Nichols, Bedlam's Saint Joan (Bedlam, presented by Underground Railway Theater)

Lindsey McWhorter, Intimate Apparel (Lyric Stage Company of Boston)

Tamara Hickey, God's Ear (Actors' Shakespeare Project)

Outstanding Actor, Small or Fringe Theater

Victor L. Shopov, Bent (Zeitgeist Stage Company)

Benjamin Lewin, Good Television (Zeitgeist Stage Company)

Devon Scalisi, The Big Meal (Zeitgeist Stage Company)

Outstanding Actress, Small or Fringe Theater

Lee Mikeska Gardner, Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight (Nora Theatre Company)

Becca A. Lewis, The Big Meal (Zeitgeist Stage Company)

Lesley Anne Moreau, Language of Angels (Happy Medium Theatre Company)

Outstanding Musical Production

Finding Neverland (American Repertory Theater, presented by special arrangement with Harvey Weinstein)

Into the Woods (Lyric Stage Company of Boston)

Snow White and the Seven Bottoms (Gold Dust Orphans)

The Musical of Musicals (the Musical!) (Moonbox Productions)

Outstanding Musical Performance by an Actor

Steven Bargonetti, Father Comes Home From The Wars (American Repertory Theater and The Public Theater)

Walter Sickert, Shockheaded Peter (Company One, co-presented by Suffolk University)

Casey Preston, Jesus Christ, It's Christmas! (Gold Dust Orphans)

Outstanding Musical Performance by an Actress

Laura Michelle Kelly, Finding Neverland (American Repertory Theater, presented by special arrangement with Harvey Weinstein)

Aimee Doherty, Into the Woods (Lyric Stage Company of Boston) and Far From Heaven (SpeakEasy Stage Company)

Leigh Barrett, Closer Than Ever (New Repertory Theatre) and City of Angels (Lyric Stage Company of Boston)

Outstanding Director, Large Theater

Jonathan Bernstein, The Shape She Makes (American Repertory Theater)

Teller and Aaron Posner, The Tempest (American Repertory Theater in association with The Smith Center for the Performing Arts)

Sean Graney, The Mikado (The Hypocrites' production, presented by American Repertory Theater)

Outstanding Director, Midsize Production

Eric Tucker, Bedlam's Saint Joan (Bedlam, presented by Underground Railway Theater)

Spiro Veloudos, Into the Woods (Lyric Stage Company of Boston)

David R. Gammons, Necessary Monsters (SpeakEasy Stage Company)

Outstanding Director, Small or Fringe Theater

David J. Miller, Bent and The Big Meal (Zeitgeist Stage Company)

Natsu Onoda Power, Astro Boy and the God of Comics (Company One)

James P. Byrne, Snow White and the Seven Bottoms (Gold Dust Orphans)

Outstanding New Script

Father Comes Home From The Wars, by Suzan-Lori Parks (American Repertory Theater and The Public Theater)

Albatross, by Matthew Spangler and Benjamin Evett (Mike Seiden and The Poets' Theatre)

Two Boys Lost, by Bill Doncaster (Stickball Productions)

Outstanding Solo Performance

Celeste Oliva, Grounded (Nora Theatre Company)

Benjamin Evett, Albatross (Mike Seiden and The Poets' Theatre)

Robbie McCauley, Jazz 'n Class (Sleeping Weazel)

Outstanding Choreography

Susan Misner, The Shape She Makes (American Repertory Theater)

Mia Michaels, Finding Neverland (American Repertory Theater, presented by special arrangement with Harvey Weinstein)

Emma Rice, Tristan & Yseult (Kneehigh, presented by ArtsEmerson)

Outstanding Design, Large Theater

The Tempest: Scenic design by Daniel Conway, Costumes by Paloma Young, Lighting by Christopher Akerlind, Sound by Darron L. West, Magic by Johnny Thompson (American Repertory Theater in association with The Smith Center for the Performing Arts)

The Second Girl: Scenic and costume design by Santo Loquasto, Lighting by James F. Ingalls, Sound by Ben Emerson (Huntington Theatre Company)

Sontag: Reborn: Video design by Austin Switser, Sound by Dan Dobson, Lighting by Laura Mroczkowski, Set by Joshua Higgason, Associate video design by Jesse Garrison, Costumes by Andreea Mincic, Makeup by Dick Page (The Builders Association and New York Theatre Workshop, presented by ArtsEmerson)

Outstanding Design, Midsize, Small or Fringe Theater

Far From Heaven: Scenic design by Eric Levenson, Costumes by Charles Schoonmaker, Lighting by Karen Perlow, Sound by Noah Thomas (SpeakEasy Stage Company)

Shockheaded Peter: Scenic design by Michael Anania, Lighting by Justin Paice, Costumes by Miranda Giurleo, Sound by Joel Simches, Props by Brendan Conroy, Masks and Puppetry by Eric Bornstein (Company One, co-presented by Suffolk University)

Astro Boy and the God of Comics: Scenic design by Natsu Onoda Power, Projections by Jared Mezzocchi, Lighting by Justin Paice, Costumes by Tyler Kinney, Sound by Kelsey Jarboe, Props by Megan F. Kinneen (Company One)

Outstanding Ensemble, Large Theater

The Mikado (The Hypocrites' production, presented by American Repertory Theater)

Tristan & Yseult (Kneehigh, presented by ArtsEmerson)

The Colored Museum (Huntington Theatre Company)

Outstanding Ensemble, Midsize, Small or Fringe Theater

Bedlam's Saint Joan (Bedlam, presented by Underground Railway Theater)

Bad Jews (SpeakEasy Stage Company)

The Big Meal (Zeitgeist Stage Company)