Outer Critics Circle 2005-2006 winners announced

The winners of the Outer Critics Circle Awards 2005 - 2006 were announced today.

The History Boys wins the Broadway Outstanding Play Award and Jersey Boys the Broadway Outstanding Musical Award. Stuff Happens wins the off-Broadway Outstanding Play Award and Grey Gardens the Off-Broadway Outstanding Musical Award.

This is the third award for Alan Bennett's The History Boys, having been announced the winner of 'Distinguised Production of a Play 2005 - 2006' by The Drama League Awards two weeks ago, and awarded Best Play 2005 - 2006 by New York Drama Critic's Circle.

The Jersey Boys has now won two awards, having been announced Best Musical of 2005 - 2006 by The Drama League Awards.

The History Boys and The Drowsy Chaperone lead the Outer Critics Circle Awards with four awards each, followed by Jersey Boys with three awards, with Sweeney Todd and Grey Gardens each receiving two.

The Pajama Game which led in the nominations, having been nominated in eight different categories, walked away with just one award and The Color Purple walked away empty-handed, despite being nominated in five categories.

The winners of the 55th annual Outer Critics Circle Awards will be presented at a ceremony on the 25 May 2006 at Sardi's Restaurant.

The awards had a new category this year for Outstanding New Score, in which both Broadway and Off-Broadway producitions were eligable. Tarzan was not considered for an award this year because the Outer Critics Circle committee could not view the show prior to the awards eligability cut-off date. The musical will be eligable for next year's awards.

The Outer Critics Circle Awards committee is made up of writers covering New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers, national publications and other media beyond Broadway.

The 2006 Outer Critics Circle Awards nominees and Award winners are listed below:
Winners are indicated in bold font. 2005 - 2006 nominations by category are

Outstanding Broadway Play:

• Festen
• The History Boys
• The Lieutenant of Inishmore
• Primo

Outstanding Broadway Musical:

• The Color Purple
• The Drowsy Chaperone
• Jersey Boys
• The Woman in White

Outstanding off-Broadway Play:

• Beauty of the Father
• In The Continuum
• Stuff Happens
• Tryst

Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical:

• Bernarda Alba
• Grey Gardens
• See What I Wanna See
• Thrill Me � The Leopold & Loeb Story

Outstanding New Score:

• The Color Purple
• The Drowsy Chaperone
• Grey Gardens
• See What I Wanna See

Outstanding Revival of a Play:

• Awake and Sing!
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
• The Constant Wife
• The Trip to Bountiful

Outstanding Revival of a Musical:

• Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
• The Pajama Game
• Sweeney Todd
• Two Gentlemen of Verona

Outstanding Actor in a Play:

• Gabriel Byrne; A Touch of the Poet
• Zeljko Ivanek; The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
• Ian McDiarmid; Faith Healer
• David Wilmot: The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Outstanding Actress in a Play:

• Cynthia Nixon; Rabbit Hole
• Lois Smith; The Trip to Bountiful
• Zoë Wanamaker; Awake and Sing!
• Julie White; The Little Dog Laughed

Outstanding Actor in a Musical:

• Michael Cerveris; Sweeney Todd
• Harry Connick, Jr.,; The Pajama Game
• Hugh Panaro; Lestat
• John Lloyd Young; Jersey Boys

Outstanding Actress in a Musical:

• Christine Ebersole; Grey Gardens
• LaChanze; The Color Purple
• Patti LuPone; Sweeney Todd
• Kelli O�Hara; The Pajama Game

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play:

• Richard Easton; Entertaining Mr. Sloane
• Peter Gerety; The Lieutenant of Inishmore
• Richard Griffiths; The History Boys
• Mark Ruffalo; Awake and Sing!

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play:

• Frances de la Tour; The History Boys
• Hallie Foote; The Trip to Bountiful
• Jan Maxwell; Entertaining Mr. Sloane
• Lynn Redgrave; The Constant Wife

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical:

• Michael Ball; The Woman in White
• Peter Benson; The Pajama Game
• Jim Dale; The Threepenny Opera
• Christian Hoff; Jersey Boys

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical:

• Megan Lawrence; The Pajama Game
• Beth Leavel; The Drowsy Chaperone
• Mary Louise Wilson; Grey Gardens
• Elisabeth Withers-Mendes; The Color Purple

Outstanding Solo Performance:

• Steven Fales; Confessions of a Mormon Boy
• Margo Gomez; Los Big Names
• Jack Holmes; RFK
• Anthony Sher; Primo

Outstanding Direction of a Play:

• Nicholas Hytner; The History Boys
• Wilson Milam; The Lieutenant of Inishmore
• Bartlett Sher; Awake and Sing!
• Jerry Zaks; The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial

Outstanding Direction of a Musical:

• John Doyle; Sweeney Todd
• Michael Greif; Grey Gardens
• Kathleen Marshall; The Pajama Game
• Des McAnuff; Jersey Boys

Outstanding Choreography:

• Graciela Daniele; Bernarda Alba
• Kathleen Marshall; The Pajama Game
• Casey Nicholaw; The Drowsy Chaperone
• Sergio Trujillo; Jersey Boys

Outstanding Set Design:

• John Lee Beatty; The Color Purple
• William Dudley; The Woman in White
• David Gallo; The Drowsy Chaperone
• Allen Moyer; Grey Gardens

Outstanding Costume Design:

• Gregg Barnes; The Drowsy Chaperone
• William Dudley; The Woman in White
• William Ivey Long; Grey Gardens
• Martin Pakledinaz; The Pajama Game

Outstanding Lighting Design:

• Howell Binkley; Jersey Boys
• Richard G. Jones; Sweeney Todd
• Jeff Nellis; Tryst
• Paul Pyant; The Woman in White

John Gassner Award:
(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)

• Rolin Jones; The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow
• Danai Gurira & Nikkole Salter; In the Continuum
• Adam Rapp; Red Light Winter
• Rinne Groff; The Ruby Sunrise

Outstanding Broadway PlayOutstanding Broadway MusicalOutstanding off-Broadway PlayOutstanding off-Broadway Musical