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.
