Clarence Derwent Predictions

[MungoGypsy8232]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:01pm

For those of you that don't know, the Clarence Derwent Awards are two awards (one actor, one actress) who have made an awesome splash on the stage in a supporting performance each season. Last years winners were Leslie Kritzer for Serena in Legally Blonde and Lin-Manuel Miranda for Usnavi in In the Heights. I don't know when they are being announced this year (they were announced May 9th last year). Predictions as to who will receive it?

Mine:
Male - one of the men from Passing Strange
Female - between the 3 women of Passing Strange, Alli Mauzey, and Loretta Ables Sayre

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:07pm

Actor - Aaron Tveit in NEXT TO NORMAL.*
Actress - Jennifer Damiano in NEXT TO NORMAL.

*if he's not eligible, then Chad Goodridge in PASSING STRANGE or Andre Ward in XANADU.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:10pm

who have made an awesome splash on the stage in a supporting performance each season.

It has nothing to do with a supporting performance.

John Tartaglia won it for his Leading performance in AVENUE Q.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:12pm

It goes to "the most promising female and male performers on the New York metropolitan scene."

[BenjyStone]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:12pm

Isn't for most promising young performer? and i think the young part is relative ...ha!

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:13pm

It has nothing to do with being young, either.

Denis O'Hare won it for TAKE ME OUT, and he was like 42 years old at the time.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:23pm

Is Stew considered available this year?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:23pm

That changes everything. I mean - that's so open. It could go to ANYONE! Patti LuPone, Faith Prince, ANYONE, no?!

Female: Kerry Butler (XANADU) or Alice Ripley (NEXT TO NORMAL) or Laura Benanti (GYPSY).

Male: Cheyenne Jackson (XANADU) or Curtis Holbrook (XANADU) or Aaron Tveit (NEXT TO NORMAL).

[MungoGypsy8232]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:25pm

yeah, I didn't think that was right. I copied it loosely from Clarence Derwent's original concept of the award. I made corrections to the fact it was Broadway (since Miranda won last year as an obvious example), but I knew other stuff was wrong. Anyways, I'm for Daniel Breaker for the men.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:38pm

Kerry Butler already won the year of HAIRSPRAY.

That year was Kerry Butler and Denis O'Hare.

[aliciag]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:44pm

So I'm a little confused. By "most promising performance" do they mean someone who's fairly new to Broadway / off-Broadway or is it just that you can't win twice?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:51pm

You can only win once.

Someone who has already proven themselves by winning a Tony Award (like Broadway veterans Patti LuPone or Faith Prince) don't qualify.

Someone like Benanti has already received two Tony nominations. She doesn't qualify either.

It's for a breakthrough performance of sorts.

The year before last, Felicia P. Fields won for THE COLOR PURPLE and Jason Ritter won for THIRD.

Here is the article about last year's winners:

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/107958.html

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:51pm

The year that John Tartaglia won for AVENUE Q, Anika Noni Rose was the female winner for CAROLINE, OR CHANGE.

[Joshua488]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:52pm

It goes to someone who has a breakthrough performance in the New York theater scene.

For instance, last year, Leslie Kritzer was the female recipient. She had done theater in New York before then, but her performance in Legally Blonde is what really got her noticed. Same thing with Kerry Butler; she had already been Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Eponine in Les Misérables and a slew of other roles, but Penny in Hairspray is definitely what turned heads.

[christhefish]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:54pm

I have a hunch that it might be Leigh Ann Larkin

[aliciag]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:58pm

Thanks! And I would love for Leigh Ann Larkin to win!

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 9:02pm

So it's like a Theatre World Award of sorts?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 9:03pm

Sort of, only more selective, since there are only two winners, one female and one male.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 9:09pm

Right. That's what it seems like. Anika Noni Rose, Tartaglia, and Felicia P. Fields are all Theatre World Award winners.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 9:11pm

I would love to see it go to Paulo Szot and Loretta Ables Sayre this year.

They just appeared out of nowhere and delivered these magnificent performances.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 10:01pm

I agree about Szot, but predict Larkin might take it for the ladies.

[willact4food]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 10:12pm

Is this for musicals only?
If not, I'm thinking this will go to Deanna Dunagan or Amy Morton. Nobody - musicals or plays - can compete with their performances this season.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 10:19pm

It's for plays too.

Denis O'Hare won for TAKE ME OUT, which was a play.

[mikem]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 11:57pm

I'm predicting Daniel Breaker and Amy Morton (if she is eligible -- unlike Theatre World, which often picks well-established actors making their New York debuts, the Clarence Derwent award generally seems to go to "fresh faces"). I also wouldn't be surprised to see someone like Tobias Segal or Bobby Steggert get it -- they often pick performers in Off-Broadway shows.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/13/08 at 12:22am

Leigh Ann Larkin IMO is terrible in GYPSY.
She should win for overacting in a legendary role.