Breaking News: HADESTOWN, SWEENEY TODD, INDECENT, OSLO and More Top 2017 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations

By: Apr. 04, 2017
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The Off-Broadway League today announced nominations in 19 categories for the 32nd Annual Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway.

The Lortel Awards will be presented on Sunday, May 7, 2017 at NYU Skirball Center beginning at 7:00 PM EST. This year's event will be hosted by actor and comedian, Taran Killam, and will once again serve as a benefit for The Actors Fund.

Leading the nominations this year with 7 each are the new musical, Hadestown - a folk opera produced by New York Theatre Workshop - and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, currently at the Barrow Street Theatre, which has been converted into a pie shop for the intimate staging.

In the category of plays, both Paula Vogel's Indecent and J.T. Rogers' Oslo, current Broadway transfers, earned a total of 4 nominations, including for Outstanding Play. Playwrights Horizons' A Life also earned 4 total nominations, including for star David Hyde Pierce and director Anne Kauffman, earning her 4th career Lortel Award nomination; as did MCC Theater's YEN, including one for recent Academy Award nominee Lucas Hedges for Outstanding Lead Actor. Lighting Designer Ben Stanton earned a nomination for the fifth consecutive year - and his seventh career nomination, including a win in 2011 - for his work on YEN.

The newly added Outstanding Projection Design category netted a dual nomination for Peter Nigrini for his work on Dear Evan Hansen and Wakey, Wakey.

As previously announced, celebrated costume designer William Ivey Long will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage will be inducted onto the famed Playwrights' Sidewalk in front of the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Former Managing Director of the Roundabout Theatre Company, Harold Wolpert, will be presented with the Edith Oliver Service to Off-Broadway Award.

A breakfast reception honoring the nominees will take place from 10 AM - 12 PM on Wednesday, April 26, at Playwrights Horizons (416 West 42nd Street, New York).


2017 LUCILLE LORTEL AWARDS NOMINATIONS:

Outstanding Play

Indecent

Produced by Vineyard Theatre in association with La Jolla Playhouse and Yale Repertory Theatre

Written by Paula Vogel, Created by Paula Vogel & Rebecca Taichman

Oslo

Produced by Lincoln Center Theater

Written by J.T. Rogers

Underground Railroad Game

Produced by Ars Nova

Written by Jennifer Kidwell and Scott R. Sheppard

Vietgone

Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club in association with South Coast Repertory

Written by Qui Nguyen

The Wolves

Produced by The Playwrights Realm in association with New York Stage and Film and Vassar's Powerhouse Theatre Season

Written by Sarah DeLappe

Outstanding Musical

The Band's Visit

Produced by Atlantic Theater Company

Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek, Book by Itamar Moses, Based on the screenplay by Eran Kolirin

Dear Evan Hansen

Produced by Second Stage Theatre in association with Stacey Mindich Productions

Book by Steven Levenson, Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Hadestown

Produced by New York Theatre Workshop

Written by Anaïs Mitchell

Ride the Cyclone

Produced by MCC Theater

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Brooke Maxwell and Jacob Richmond

The Total Bent

Produced by The Public Theater

Text by Stew, Music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald

Outstanding Revival

The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World AKA the Negro Book of the Dead

Produced by Signature Theatre

Written by Suzan-Lori Parks

Othello

Produced by New York Theatre Workshop

Written by William Shakespeare

Signature Plays: Edward Albee's The Sandbox, María Irene Fornés' Drowning, and Adrienne Kennedy's Funnyhouse of a Negro

Produced by Signature Theatre

Written by Edward Albee, María Irene Fornés, and Adrienne Kennedy

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Produced by Rachel Edwards, Jenny Gersten, Seaview Productions, Nate Koch, Fiona Rudin, Barrow Street Theatre, Jean Doumanian, Rebecca Gold, and Tooting Arts Club

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by Hugh Wheeler, Adaptation by Christopher Bond

Sweet Charity

Produced by The New Group in association with Kevin McCollum

Book by Neil Simon, Music by Cy Coleman, Lyrics by Dorothy Fields

Outstanding Solo Show

Chris Gethard: Career Suicide

Produced by Judd Apatow, Mike Berkowitz, Brian Stern, Mike Lavoie, and Carlee Briglia

Written and Performed by Chris Gethard

Latin History for Morons

Produced by The Public Theater in a co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre

Written and Performed by John Leguizamo

Notes From The Field

Produced by Second Stage Theatre and American Repertory Theater

Created, Written, and Performed by Anna Deavere Smith

The Outer Space

Produced by The Public Theater

Book and Lyrics by Ethan Lipton, Music by Ethan Lipton, Vito Dieterle, Eben Levy, and Ian M. Riggs

Performed by Ethan Lipton

Sell/Buy/Date

Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club

Written and Performed by Sarah Jones

Outstanding Director

Will Davis, Men On Boats

Anne Kauffman, A Life

Lila Neugebauer, The Wolves

Bartlett Sher, Oslo

Rebecca Taichman, Indecent

Outstanding Choreographer

Joshua Bergasse, Sweet Charity

David Dorfman, Indecent

Georgina Lamb, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

David Neumann, Hadestown

David Neumann, The Total Bent

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play

Reed Birney, Man From Nebraska

Michael Emerson, Wakey, Wakey

Lucas Hedges, YEN

Joe Morton, Turn Me Loose

David Hyde Pierce, A Life

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play

Johanna Day, Sweat

Jennifer Ehle, Oslo

Jennifer Kidwell, Underground Railroad Game

Kecia Lewis, Marie and Rosetta

Maryann Plunkett, Women of a Certain Age

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play

Michael Aronov, Oslo

Charlie Cox, Incognito

Matthew Maher, Othello

Justice Smith, YEN

Paco Tolson, Vietgone

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

Jocelyn Bioh, Everybody

Hannah Cabell, The Moors

Randy Graff, The Babylon Line

Ari Graynor, YEN

Nana Mensah, Man From Nebraska

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical

Ato Blankson-Wood, The Total Bent

Shuler Hensley, Sweet Charity

Patrick Page, Hadestown

Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen

Jeremy Secomb, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical

Sutton Foster, Sweet Charity

Amber Gray, Hadestown

Jo Lampert, Joan of Arc: Into the Fire

Katrina Lenk, The Band's Visit

Siobhan McCarthy, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical

Nathan Lee Graham, The View UpStairs

Gus Halper, Ride the Cyclone

Joel Perez, Sweet Charity

Ari'el Stachel, The Band's Visit

Chris Sullivan, Hadestown

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

Asmeret Ghebremichael, Sweet Charity

Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen

Betsy Morgan, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Emily Rohm, Ride the Cyclone

Karen Ziemba, Kid Victory

Outstanding Scenic Design

Scott Davis, Ride the Cyclone

Rachel Hauck, Hadestown

Laura Jellinek, A Life

Mimi Lien, Signature Plays: Edward Albee's The Sandbox, María Irene Fornés' Drowning, and Adrienne Kennedy's Funnyhouse of a Negro

Jason Sherwood, The View UpStairs

Outstanding Costume Design

Montana Blanco, The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World AKA the Negro Book of the Dead

Tilly Grimes, Underground Railroad Game

Susan Hilferty, Love, Love, Love

Sarah Laux, The Band's Visit

Emily Rebholz, Indecent

Outstanding Lighting Design

Mark Barton, Signature Plays: Edward Albee's The Sandbox, María Irene Fornés' Drowning, and Adrienne Kennedy's Funnyhouse of a Negro

Jane Cox, Othello

Greg Hofmann, Ride the Cyclone

Amy Mae, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Ben Stanton, YEN

Outstanding Sound Design

Mikhail Fiksel, A Life

Robert Kaplowitz, Hadestown

Stowe Nelson, Small Mouth Sounds

Nevin Steinberg, Wakey, Wakey

Matt Stine, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Outstanding Projection Design

Elaine McCarthy, Notes From The Field

Duncan McLean, Privacy

Jared Mezzochi, Vietgone

Peter Nigrini, Dear Evan Hansen

Peter Nigrini, Wakey, Wakey

HONORARY AWARDS

Lifetime Achievement Award

William Ivey Long

Playwrights' Sidewalk Inductee

Lynn Nottage

Edith Oliver Service to Off-Broadway Award

Harold Wolpert

NOMINATIONS BY SHOW

Hadestown

7

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

7

Sweet Charity

6

Ride the Cyclone

5

The Band's Visit

4

Dear Evan Hansen

4

Indecent

4

A Life

4

Oslo

4

YEN

4

Othello

3

Signature Plays: Edward Albee's The Sandbox, María Irene Fornés' Drowning, and Adrienne Kennedy's Funnyhouse of a Negro

3

The Total Bent

3

Underground Railroad Game

3

Vietgone

3

Wakey, Wakey

3

The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World AKA the Negro Book of the Dead

2

Man From Nebraska

2

Notes From The Field

2

The View UpStairs

2

The Wolves

2

The Babylon Line

1

Chris Gethard: Career Suicide

1

Everybody

1

Incognito

1

Joan of Arc: Into the Fire

1

Kid Victory

1

Latin History for Morons

1

Love, Love, Love

1

Marie and Rosetta

1

Men On Boats

1

The Moors

1

The Outer Space

1

Privacy

1

Sell/Buy/Date

1

Small Mouth Sounds

1

Sweat

1

Turn Me Loose

1

Women of a Certain Age

1


The Off-Broadway League's Lortel Awards Producing & Administration Committee (Pamela Adams, Terry Byrne, Margaret Cotter, Carol Fishman, George Forbes, Danielle Karliner Naish, Michael Page, Catherine Russell, Lindsey Sag, and Seth Shepsle) produces the Lortel Awards Ceremony. Acclaimed writer/director Michael Heitzman returns to direct the Lortel Awards for the eighth consecutive year. The Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by special arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Foundation. Additional support is provided by Theatre Development Fund.

Representatives of the Off-Broadway League, Actors' Equity Association, Stage Directors & Choreographers Society, the Lucille Lortel Foundation, in addition to theatre journalists and academics and other Off-Broadway professionals, serve on the Voting Committee.

Members of the general public are welcome to view the 7:00 PM ceremony. Public tickets are $75.00 and currently on sale via phone at 212.998.4941, online at www.nyuskirball.org and in person at the Skirball Center's Shagan Box Office (556 LaGuardia) from Tuesday - Saturday from 12 - 6 PM, and two hours before showtime.

For updates and news about the ceremony, hosts, presenters and more, visit www.LortelAwards.org. Follow the Lortel Awards on Twitter at twitter.com/OffBroadwayNYC, using the hashtag #LortelAwards and like the awards on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OffBroadwaycom-52621521267.

The Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway were created in 1985 by the Off-Broadway League. The Lortel Awards recognize excellence in Off-Broadway by honoring the invaluable contribution of artists to the theatre community. Representatives of the Off-Broadway League, Actors' Equity Association, Stage Directors & Choreographers Society, the Lucille Lortel Foundation, in addition to theatre journalists and academics and other Off-Broadway professionals, serve on the Voting Committee. Awards may be given in the following categories: Play, Musical, Solo Show, Revival, Alternative Theatrical Experience, Director, Choreographer, Lead Actor and Actress in a Play and Musical, Featured Actor and Actress in a Play and Musical, Scenic, Costume, Lighting and Sound Design. The following honorary awards may also be given: Lifetime Achievement Award, Body of Work (awarded to an institution), the Edith Oliver Service to Off-Broadway Award and induction onto the Playwrights' Sidewalk in front of the historic Lucille Lortel Theatre in New York City. For more information, please see www.LortelAwards.org.

Lucille Lortel Foundation was created by Lucille Lortel to foster excellence and diversity in the theatre, as well as to faithfully preserve the rich history and support the continued prosperity of Off-Broadway. The Foundation has several major programs, including its general operating support program that has provided millions of dollars to small to mid-size theatres in New York City, universities, and theatre service organizations. The Foundation created and maintains the Internet Off-Broadway Data Base (www.IOBDB.com). For a listing of all the Foundation's programs, previous Lortel Award nominees and recipients, information on the Lucille Lortel Theatre and Playwrights' Sidewalk, and much more, visit www.lortel.org.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus



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