2018 Drama League Award Nominations

Below is the full list of the nominations for the 84th annual Drama League Awards, which select winners in five competitive categories, and also give special awards. The nominees were announced at Sardi’s this morning. The winners will be announced May 18, 2018,  at a ceremony at the Marriott Marquis.

(Underlined titles link to my reviews.)

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY

Animal
Written by Clare Lizzimore
Directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch
Atlantic Theater Company
Produced by Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director)

Hangmen
Written by Martin McDonagh
Directed by Matthew Dunster
Atlantic Theater Company
Produced by Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director), Royal Court Theater

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child: Parts One and Two
Written by Jack Thorne, based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany
Directed by John Tiffany
Lyric Theatre
Produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions. Executive Director: Diane Benjamin. Executive Producer: Pam Skinner

In the Body of the World
Written by Eve Ensler
Directed By Diane Paulus
Manhattan Theatre Club
Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grove, Executive Producer), American Repertory Theatre (Diane Quinn, Executive Director)

Is God Is
Written by Aleshea Harris
Directed by Taibi Magar
Soho Repertory
Produced by Soho Repertory (Sarah Benson, Artistic Director; Cynthia Flower, Executive Director)

Meteor Shower
Written by Steve Martin
Directed by Jerry Zaks
Booth Theatre
Produced by Joey Parnes, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Seth A Goldstein, James L. Nederlander, The John Gore Organization, Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, FG Productions, Jamie deRoy, Sally Horchow, Sharon Karmazin, Barbara Manocherian, JABS Theatricals, Ergo Entertainment, Seth A. Goldstein, Elm City Production, Diana DiMenna, Jay Alix & Una Jackman, Jennifer Manocherian, Cricket Jiranek, Catherine Adler & Marc David Levine, The Shubert Organization (Philip J. Smith: Chairman; Robert E. Wankel: President). Associate Producer: Jillian Robbins.

Oedipus El Rey
Written by Luis Alfaro
Directed by Chay Yew
The Public Theater
Produced by The Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Patrick Willingham, Executive Director)

School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play
Written by Jocelyn Bioh
Directed by Rebecca Taichman
MCC Theater
Produced by MCC Theater (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director)

Until the Flood
Written by Dael Orlandersmith
Directed by Neel Keller
Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
Produced by Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (Daniella Topal, Artistic Director; Annie Middleton, Managing Director)

UTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY

Angels in America
Written by Tony Kushner
Directed by Marianne Elliott
Neil Simon Theatre

Children of a Lesser God
Written by Mark Medoff
Directed by Kenny Leon
Studio 54

Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo
Written by Edward Albee
Directed by Lila Neugebauer
Signature Theater

Hamlet
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Sam Gold
The Public Theater
Produced by The Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Patrick Willingham, Executive Director)

The Iceman Cometh
Written by Eugene O’Neill
Directed by George C. Wolfe
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre

Lobby Hero
Written by Kenneth Lonergan
Directed by Trip Cullman
Hayes Theatre

Saint Joan
Written by George Bernard Shaw
Directed by Daniel Sullivan
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club

Three Tall Women
Written by Edward Albee
Directed by Joe Mantello
John Golden Theatre

Torch Song
Written by Harvey Fierstein
Directed by Moises Kaufman
Second Stage Theatre

Travesties
Written by Tom Stoppard
Directed by Patrick Marber
American Airlines Theatre

Yerma
Written by Federico García Lorca
Directed by Simon Stone
Park Avenue Armory

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

The Band’s Visit
Book by Itamar Moses; Music and Lyrics by David Yazek
Directed by David Cromer
Ethel Barrymore Theatre

Bella: An American Tall Tale
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Kirsten Childs
Directed by Robert O’Hara
Playwrights Horizons

Frozen
Book by Jennifer Lee; Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
Directed by Michael Grandage
St. James Theatre

Hundred Days
Book by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher; Music and Lyrics by The Bengsons
Directed by Anne Kauffman
New York Theatre Workshop

KPOP
Book by Jason Kim; Music and Lyrics by Helen Park and Max Vernon
Directed by Teddy Bergman
Ars Nova

Mean Girls
Book by Tina Fey; Music by Jeff Richmond; Lyrics by Nell Benjamin
Directed by Casey Nicholaw
August Wilson Theatre

SpongeBob SquarePants
Book by Kyle Jarrow; Based on the Series by Stephen Hillenburg
Original Songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan
Coulton, Alex Ebert, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, Rob Hyman, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, T.I., Domani and Lil’ C. Songs by David Bowie, Brian Eno, Tom Kenny and Andy Paley. Additional music by Tom Kitt; Additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton
Conceived and Directed by Tina Landau
Palace Theatre

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Book by Colman Domingo, Robert Cary and Des McAnuff; Songs by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder and Paul Jabara
Directed by Des McAnuff
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie
Devised by David M. Lutken with Nick Corley and Darcie Deaville, Helen Jean Russell and Andy Teirstein
Directed by Nick Corley
Irish Repertory Theatre

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

Carousel
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; Music by Richard Rodgers
Directed by Jack O’Brien
Imperial Theatre

My Fair Lady
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner; Music by Frederick Loewe
Directed by Barlett Sher
Lincoln Center Theater

Once On This Island
Book and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens; Music by Stephen Flaherty
Directed by Michael Arden
Circle in the Square Theatre

Pacific Overtures
Book by John Weidman; Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Directed by John Doyle
Classic Stage Company
Produced by Classic Stage Company (John Doyle, Artistic Director)

NOMINEES FOR THE DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD

Jelani Alladin, Frozen

Lauren Ambrose, My Fair Lady

Annaleigh Ashford, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Laura Benanti, Meteor Shower

MaameYaa Boafo, School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play

Anthony Boyle, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two

Juan Castano, Oedipus El Rey

Billy Crudup, Harry Clarke

Eisa Davis, Kings

Ariana DeBose, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical

Noma Dumenzweni, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two

Deanna Dunagan, The Treasurer

Eve Ensler, In The Body of the World

Chris Evans, Lobby Hero

Johnny Flynn, Hangmen

Alfie Fuller, Is God Is

Andrew Garfield, Angels in America

Harry Hadden-Paton, My Fair Lady

Rebecca Hall, Animal

Harriet Harris, The Low Road

Brian-Tyree Henry, Lobby Hero

Joshua Henry, Carousel

Tom Hollander, Travesties

Oscar Isaac, Hamlet

Chukwudi Iwuji, The Low Road

Glenda Jackson, Three Tall Women

Joshua Jackson, Children of a Lesser God

Hailey Kilgore, Once On This Island

LaChanze, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical

Katrina Lenk, The Band’s Visit

Robert Sean Leonard, Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo

Taylor Louderman, Mean Girls

Elizabeth Marvel, Julius Caesar

James McArdle, Angels in America

Laurie Metcalf, Three Tall Women

Jessie Mueller, Carousel

Patti Murin, Frozen

Alex Newell, Once On This Island

Sahr Ngaujah, Mlima’s Tale

Seth Numrich, Travesties

Deirdre O’Connell, Fulfillment Center

Ashley Park, Mean Girls and KPOP

Billie Piper, Yerma

Karen Pittman, Pipeline

Condola Rashad, Saint Joan

Lauren Ridloff, Children of a Lesser God

Roslynn Ruff, X: Or, Betty Shabazz v. The Nation

Amy Schumer, Meteor Shower

Tony Shalhoub, The Band’s Visit

Paul Sparks, Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo

Katy Sullivan, Cost of Living

John Douglas Thompson, Julius Caesar

Michael Urie, Torch Song and The Government Inspector

Denzel Washington, The Iceman Cometh

Dianne Wiest, Happy Days

(“The Drama League also wishes to acknowledge the previous recipients of the Distinguished Performance Award who appeared in Broadway or Off-Broadway productions this season. As the Award can only be won once in a performer’s lifetime, they are ineligible to be nominated; however, their exemplary work is recognized and applauded.

Norbert Leo Butz, My Fair Lady and The Whirligig

Kathleen Chalfant, For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday

Nathan Lane, Angels in America

John Lithgow, John Lithgow: Stories By Heart

Bernadette Peters, Hello, Dolly!

Mark Rylance, Farinelli and the King”)

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS

Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre – Idina Menzel

Founders Award for Excellence in Directing – Casey Nicholaw

Unique Contribution to the Theatre – The National Endowment for the Arts

 

Although the Drama League is one of the nation’s oldest organizations created to support American theater, and its theater awards are billed as “the oldest theatrical honors in America,” this is the least regarded of the major New York theater awards. The voters are any audience members who join the Drama League, and because there is a single performing category (“distinguished performance”) with some 50 nominees but only one winner.

Author: New York Theater

Jonathan Mandell is a 3rd generation NYC journalist, who sees shows, reads plays, writes reviews and sometimes talks with people.

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