Outer Critics Circle 2008 - 2009 nominations announced

Celebrating its 59th season of bestowing awards of excellence in the field of theater, the Outer Critics Circle, the organization of writers and commentators covering New York theater for out-of-town newspapers, national publications and other media beyond Broadway, announced today (20 April 2009) its nominees for the 2008-09 season in 23 categories.

Broadway stars and former Outer Critics Circle Award winners Rebecca Luker and Danny Burstein presided over the (11am) announcement ceremony at Manhattan�s historic Algonquin Hotel.

'Billy Elliot the Musical' & 'Shrek the Musical' joinly lead with 10 nominations, followed jointly by '33 Variations,' 'Ruined,' 'Waiting for Godot' and 'West Side Story' - which all have 5 nomoinations.

The winners of the Outer Critics Circle Awards will be announced on the 11 May 2009, with the awards presented at a ceremony on the 21 May 2009 at Sardi's Restaurant.

The following Awards, to be presented at the ceremony were also announced: Outstanding Ensemble Performance Award for the cast of The Norman Conquests: Amelia Bullmore, Jessica Hynes, Stephen Mangan, Ben Miles Paul Ritter and Amanda Root.

Special Achievement Award will go to David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish for their performances in 'Billy Elliot the Musical'.

2008 - 2009 nominations by category are

Outstanding New Broadway Play:

• God of Carnage
• Irena�s Vow
• reasons to be pretty
• 33 Variations

Outstanding New Broadway Musical:

• Billy Elliot the Musical
• Rock of Ages
• Shrek the Musical
• A Tale of Two Cities

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play:

• Becky Shaw
• Farragut North
• Ruined
• Shipwrecked! The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told By Himself)
• Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical:

• Happiness
• Rooms A Rock Romance
• The Toxic Avenger
• What�s That Smell? The Music of Jacob Sterling

Outstanding New Score: (Broadway or Off-Broadway

• Billy Elliot the Musical
• Happiness
• Rooms A Rock Romance
• Shrek the Musical

Outstanding Revival of a Play:
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

• Blithe Spirit
• The Cripple of Inishmaan
• Joe Turner�s Come and Gone
• The Norman Conquests
• Waiting for Godot

Outstanding Revival of a Musical:
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

• Enter Laughing
• Hair
• Pal Joey
• West Side Story

Outstanding Director of a Play:

• Garry Hynes; The Cripple of Inishmaan
• Anthony Page; Waiting for Godot
• Bartlett Sher; Joe Turner�s Come and Gone
• Matthew Warchus; The Norman Conquests
• Mois�s Kaufman; 33 Variations

Outstanding Director of a Musical:

• Stephen Daldry; Billy Elliot the Musical
• Arthur Laurents; West Side Story
• Jason Moore; Shrek the Musical
• Diane Paulus; Hair
• Susan Stroman; Happiness

Outstanding Choreography:

• Karole Armitage; Hair
• Andy Blankenbuehler; 9 to 5
• Peter Darling; Billy Elliot the Musical
• Josh Prince; Shrek the Musical
• Susan Stroman; Happiness

Outstanding Set Design:
(Play or Musical)

• Tim Hatley; Shrek the Musical
• Santo Loquasto; Waiting for Godot
• Derek McLane; 33 Variations
• Ian MacNeil; Billy Elliot the Musical
• Walt Spangler; Desire Under the Elms

Outstanding Costume Design:
(Play or Musical)

• Nicky Gillibrand; Billy Elliot the Musical
• Tim Hatley; Shrek the Musical
• John Napier; Equus
• Martin Pakledinaz; Blithe Spirit
• Catherine Zuber; Joe Turner�s Come and Gone

Outstanding Lighting Design:
(Play or Musical)

• Kevin Adams; Hair
• Rick Fisher ; Billy Elliot the Musical
• David Hersey; Equus
• Peter Kaczorowski; Ruined
• David Lander ; 33 Variations

Outstanding Actor in a Play:

• Ra�l Esparza ; Speed-the-Plow
• Bill Irwin; Waiting for Godot
• Nathan Lane; Waiting for Godot
• Geoffrey Rush: Exit the King
• Thomas Sadoski: reasons to be pretty

Outstanding Actress in a Play:

• Saidah Arrika Ekulona; Ruined
• Carla Gugino; Desire Under the Elms
• Marcia Gay Harden; God of Carnage
• Janet McTeer; Mary Stuart
• Harriet Walter ; Mary Stuart

Outstanding Actor in a Musical:

• James Barbour; A Tale of Two Cities
• Matt Cavenaugh; West Side Story
• Brian d�Arcy James; Shrek the Musical
• Josh Grisetti; Enter Laughing
• David Pittu; What�s That Smell? The Music of Jacob Sterling

Outstanding Actress in a Musical:

• Sutton Foster; Shrek the Musical
• Megan Hilty; 9 to 5
• Leslie Kritzer; Rooms A Rock Romance
• Nancy Opel; The Toxic Avenger
• Josefina Scaglione; West Side Story

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play:

• Zach Grenier; 33 Variations
• John Benjamin Hickey; Mary Stuart
• Russell G. Jones; Ruined
• Patrick Page; A Man For All Seasons
• David Pearse; The Cripple of Inishmaan

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play:

• Angela Lansbury; Blithe Spirit
• Andrea Martin; Exit the King
• Kristine Nielsen; Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them
• Susan Louise O�Connor; Blithe Spirit
• Condola Rashad; Ruined

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical:

• Daniel Breaker; Shrek the Musical
• Aaron Simon Gross; 13
• Gregory Jbara; Billy Elliot the Musical
• Christopher Sieber; Shrek the Musical
• Wesley Taylor ; Rock of Ages

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical:

• Kathy Fitzgerald; 9 to 5
• Haydn Gwynne; Billy Elliot the Musical
• Karen Olivo; West Side Story
• Martha Plimpton; Pal Joey
• Carole Shelley; Billy Elliot the Musical

Outstanding Solo Performance:

• Mike Birbiglia; Sleepwalk With Me
• Mike Burstyn; Lansky
• Mike Daisey; If You See Something, Say Something
• Lorenzo Pisoni; Humor Abuse
• Matt Sax; Clay

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

• Annie Baker; Body Awareness
• Gina Gionfriddo; Becky Shaw
• Beau Willimon; Farragut North

Productions that received multiple nominations:

2008-2009 Outer Critics Circle Executive / Nominating Committee: Simon Saltzman (President), Marjorie Gunner (President Emerita), Mario Fratti (Vice-President), Patrick Hoffman (Corresponding Secretary), Louis A. Rachow (Treasurer), Glenn Loney (Historian & Member-at-Large), Rosalind Friedman (Recording Secretary) and Aubrey Reuben & Thomas Gentile (Members-at-Large)

Billy Elliot (10 nominations)Shrek the Musical (10 nominations)33 Variations (5 nominations)Ruined (5 nominations)Waiting for Godot (5 nominations)West Side Story (5 nominations)Blithe Spirit (4 nominations)Hair (4 nominations)Happiness (4 nominations)The Cripple of Inishmaan (3 nominations)Joe Turner's Come and Gone (3 nominations)Mary Stuart (3 nominations)9 to 5 (3 nominations)Rooms A Rock Romance (3 nominations)reasons to be pretty (2 nominations)Rock of Ages (2 nominations)A Tale of Two Cities (2 nominations)Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them (2 nominations)What�s That Smell? The Music of Jacob Sterling (2 nominations)God of Carnage (2 nominations)The Norman Conquests (2 nominations)Enter Laughing (2 nominations)Pal Joey (2 nominations)Desire Under The Elms (2 nominations)Equus (2 nominations)Exit The King (2 nominations)