Drama League Award Nominations 2022

Copy/Pasting my post from the other thread:

I glanced quickly at the rest of the competitive categories, but I didn't look closely enough at them to have an opinion yet.

I mainly looked at the Performance award, and wow....this is some BS. I've been following this award for the past 7-ish years (?) and form my money, this is one of the worst lists I've seen. SO many egregious omissions, and SO many middle-of-the-road "acceptable" performances nominated.

I feel like they are usually pretty good about representing the full season of Off-Broadway plays, even those without high-profile stars. But this list feels very Broadway heavy, very musical heavy, and very celebrity heavy. And maybe that wouldn't matter so much if there hadn't been so many strong performances Off-Broadway this year.

Here are some of the most egregious omissions IMO (not only limited to Off-Broadway plays)

Tala Ashe - English + Vagrant Trilogy
Francis Benhamou – Prayer for the French Republic
Chuck Cooper - Trouble in Mind
Emily Davis – Is This a Room
Johanna Day - How I Learned to Drive
Caleb Eberhardt – On Sugarland
Shannon Tyo – Chinese Lady
Billy Eugene Jones – On Sugarland
Tamika Lawrence – Caroline + Black No More
Katrina Lenk - Company
Nana Mensah – Nollywood Dreams
Austin Pendleton – The Minutes
John Douglas Thompson – Merchant of Venice
Mare Winningham – North Country
Kara Young – Clyde’s

Nobody from Assassins except the miscast Will Swenson?

These nominations are absolutely UNHINGED.

Mrs. Doubtfire for best musical? Michael Mayer for director? American Utopia is now somehow a musical? No Katrina Lenk? Beanie for distinguished performer?

As far as Distinguished Performer, Sharon D. Clarke and Gabby Beans are the defining performances of this season (from what I've seen). However, I have also heard nothing but stellar reviews for Victoria Clark, Deirdre O'Connell, and Kenita R. Miller. Could see it going to one of them too.

@JBroadway, It does say on their website that VAGRANT TRILOGY did not make the cut-off and will be considered next year.

BroadwayFanatic454 said: "@JBroadway, It does say on their website that VAGRANT TRILOGY did not make the cut-off and will be considered next year."



Fair enough, but I was mainly thinking of her performance in English, which was extraordinary.

Smaxie said: "Six was nominated for the Drama League in 2020 and lost to Moulin Rouge! - but is somehow nominated again?"

Jennifer Simard was nominated for the Drama League Award THREE TIMES for her performance in DISASTER in its various iterations. This is not an organization that uses a ton of logic.

If anything, this makes me think that if Tonys really like “Six”, Mack can get a nom!

Also...I thought the distinguished performance award was at a set 50 nominees. But I only count 43 this year?

Which is a shame because they totally had room for the likes of Katrina Lenk, Johanna Day, Emily Davis, Carmen Cusack, Chuck Cooper, and Austin Pendleton. Also...Mrs. Doubtfire for Best Musical???? Outside of the wonderful work by Rob McClure, it's a pretty rough show. I can't believe that got in over Flying Over Sunset and Paradise Square (both are divisive and not perfect, but at least they try SOMETHING).

Hugh is not eligible for this award as he already won it. They still gave kudos to him and fellow previous winners Patti LuPone and Mary-Louise Parker anyway.

KevinKlawitter said: "So... they're the Golden Globes of the New York Theatre scene?"

Yes, but they share that distinction along with the Outer Critics Circle Awards and to some extent the Drama Desks.

Though the OCCs have made attempts to reform and diversify themselves under the guidance of Prez David Gordon (who's young enough to be the grandchild of some of those members), and now the Drama Desks have a ceremony produced by Broadway Brands.

None of these awards really mean anything. It's a way for lesser journalists/voters/publications to receive free tickets, to network, to brush shoulders, and can shine a small flashlight (not spotlight) on certain shows leading up to the Tonys. The flashlight is a little brighter for Off-Broadway shows.

I would say the NY Drama Critics' Circle Award is the only critics' award with real legitimacy in NYC.

Updated On: 4/25/22 at 02:56 PM

Some initial thoughts and reactions by category:

Musical

American Utopia isn't a musical.
Mrs Doubtfire and Mr Saturday Night getting in over Paradise Square is a bit surprising, but I guess the Drabinsky antipathy is stronger than I expected. Frankly, I think Intimate Apparel and Black No More were both better pieces than either of them as well.
(As previously mentioned in this thread) Very interesting that A Strange Loop and Six were nominated again, while Girl from the North Country was not.
Glad to see The Hang and Oratorio for Living Things sneak in. I didn't see The Hang but heard great thing about it. Oratorio was one of my favorite recent theatre experiences.

Play

Same confusion about The Lehman Trilogy and Dana H being repeat nominees (see also for colored girls...). Also confused as to why Skeleton Crew is being considered a revival, given that the original off-Broadway production was only in 2016, and it retained its director and the majority of its creative team.

But overall I think this is a solid group of shows. I wouldn't have minded seeing Letters of Suresh, Sanctuary City, Is This a Room, or Pass Over on the list, particularly over Merry Wives (which wasn't a revival?). But no major issues with the chosen batch.

Play/Musical Revival

Yeah, no real quibbles here either other than the miscategorization of Skeleton Crew as a revival. Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 was great, but I wouldn't have gone out on a limb for it.

Play/Musical Direction

Stephen Brackett's exclusion is a travesty.
Michael Mayer's inclusion is a travesty.
Jerry Zaks's inclusion is a surprise.
Wouldn't have minded seeing Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo) or Lileana Blain-Cruz (Skin of our Teeth) in the mix.

Distinguished Performance

Perplexing Inclusions

Shoshana Bean
Beanie Feldstein
Adrianna Hicks
Brittney Mack

Surprise (yay!) inclusions
Gabby Beans
Rachel Dratch
L Morgan Lee
Cecily Strong
Michelle Wilson

Surprise Exclusions

Kara Young (Clyde's) & Jordan Cooley (Kimberly Akimbo), but it seems like they're excluded due to caps on nominations from any individual productions.

No one from The Minutes or Hangmen.

No one from Flying Over Sunset

If I had to make predictions now, I'd say:

Play - The Lehman Trilogy
Play Revival - How I Learned to Drive
Musical - A Strange Loop (with Six right behind)
Musical Revival - Company
Play Director - Sam Mendes
Musical Director - Marianne Elliott
Distinguished Performance (Top 3 Contenders):

Sharon D. Clarke, David Morse, Deirdre O'Connell

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If we map these onto potential Tony Categories:

Musical Actor

Billy Crystal
Myles Frost
Hugh Jackman (ineligible)
Rob McClure
Jaquel Spivey

Musical Actress

Sharon D. Clarke
Beanie Feldstein
Sutton Foster
Adrianna Hicks
Joaquina Kalukango
Brittney Mack

Musical Featured Actor

Matt Doyle

Musical Featured Actress

Shoshana Bean
L Morgan Lee
Patti LuPone (ineligible)
Jane Lynch

Play Actor

Simon Russell Beale
David Morse
Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Jesse Williams

Play Actress

LaChanze
Deirdre O'Connell
Mary-Louise Parker (ineligible)
Sarah Jessica Parker

Play Featured Actor

Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Ron Cephas Jones

Play Featured Actress

Uzo Aduba
Gabby Beans (unless she's in lead)
Rachel Dratch
Kenita R. Miller
Phylicia Rashad
Julie White (unless she's in lead)