Drama League Nominees

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:14am

Distinguished Production of a Musical
9 to 5: The Musical - Music and Lyrics by Dolly Parton; Book by Patricia Resnick
Billy Elliot: The Musical - Music by Elton John; Book and Lyrics by Lee Hall
Fela! - Music by Fela Kuti; Book by Bill T. Jones and Jim Lewis
Liza's at the Palace... - Music and Lyrics by Various Artists
The Marvelous Wonderettes - Music by Various Artists; Book by Roger Bean
Road Show - Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; Book by John Weidman
Rock of Ages - Music by Various Artists; Book by Chris D'Arienzo
Shrek The Musical - Music by Jeanine Tesori; Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire
The Toxic Avenger - Music and Lyrics by David Bryan; Book and Lyrics by Joe DiPietro
This Beautiful City - Music, Lyrics by Michael Friedman; Book by Steven Cosson and Jim Lewis

Distinguished Production of a Play
33 Variations - by Moises Kaufman
Black Watch - by Gregory Burke
Chair - by Edward Bond
God of Carnage - by Yasmina Reza
If You See Something, Say Something - by Mike Daisey
Lady - by Craig Wright
reasons to be pretty - by Neil LaBute
Ruined - by Lynn Nottage
Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself) - by David Margulies
Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them - by Christopher Durang
Wig Out! - by Tarell Alvin McCraney

Distinguished Revival of a Musical
Enter Laughing - Music by Stan Daniels, Book by Joseph Stein
Garden of Earthly Delights - Music by Richard Peaslee
Guys and Dolls - Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser; Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
Hair - Music by Galt MacDermot; Book, Lyrics by Gerome Ragni, James Rado
Pal Joey - Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Lorenz Hart; Book by John O'Hara
West Side Story - Music by Leonard Bernstein; Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; Book by Arthur Laurents

Distinguished Revival of a Play
Blithe Spirit - by Noel Coward
The Cripple of Inishmaan - by Martin McDonagh
Desire Under the Elms - by Eugene O'Neill
Mabou Mines Dollhouse - Adapted from Henrik Ibsen
Exit the King - by Eugene Ionesco
Joe Turner's Come and Gone - by August Wilson
Mary Stuart - by Friedrich Schiller
The Norman Conquests - by Alan Ayckbourn
Our Town - by Thornton Wilder
The Seagull - by Anton Chekhov
Speed-the-Plow- by David Mamet
Uncle Vanya - by Anton Chekhov

The dais will be made up of:
Jane Alexander - Chasing Manet
David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, Kiril Kulish - Billy Elliot
Kahlil Ashanti - Basic Training
James Barbour - A Tale of Two Cities
David Wilson Barnes - Becky Shaw
Simon Russell Beale - The Cherry Orchard
Annika Boras - An Oresteia
Christian Camargo - Hamlet
Bobby Cannavale - The Gingerbread House
Matt Cavenaugh - West Side Story
Julia Coffey - The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd
Lynn Cohen - Chasing Manet
Chad Coleman - Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Gavin Creel - Hair
David Cromer - Our Town
Joshua Cruz - Wig Out!
Mike Daisey - If You See Something, Say Something
Saidah Arrika Ekulona - Ruined
Ensemble - Black Watch
Raúl Esparza - Speed-the-Plow
Rupert Everett - Blithe Spirit
Tovah Feldshuh - Irena's Vow
Jane Fonda - 33 Variations
Sutton Foster - Shrek The Musical
James Gandolfini - God of Carnage
Alexander Gemignani - Road Show
John Glover - Waiting for Godot
Lauren Graham - Guys and Dolls
Nathan Lee Graham - Wig Out!
Josh Grisetti - Enter Laughing
Carla Gugino - Desire Under the Elms
Marcia Gay Harden - God of Carnage
Megan Hilty - 9 to 5: The Musical
Danny Hoch - Taking Over
Marin Ireland - reasons to be pretty
Bill Irwin - Waiting for Godot
Dana Ivey - The Savannah Disputation
Allison Janney - 9 to 5: The Musical
Angela Lansbury - Blithe Spirit
Constantine Maroulis - Rock of Ages
Elizabeth Marvel - Fifty Words
Janet McTeer - Mary Stuart
Ben Miles - The Norman Conquests
Liza Minnelli - Liza's at the Palace...
Maude Mitchell - Mabou Mines Dollhouse
Bruce Myers -The Grand Inquisitor
Sahr Ngaujah - Fela!
Kristine Nielsen - Why Torture Is Wrong...
Cynthia Nixon - Distracted
Denis O'Hare - Uncle Vanya
Karen Olivo - West Side Story
Nancy Opel - The Toxic Avenger
David Pearse - The Cripple of Inishmaan
David Hyde Pierce - Accent on Youth
Martha Plimpton - Pal Joey
Daniel Radcliffe - Equus
Heather Raffo - Palace of the End
Roger Robinson - Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Geoffrey Rush - Exit the King
Thomas Sadoski - reasons to be pretty
Susan Sarandon - Exit the King
Campbell Scott - The Atheist
Christopher Sieber - Shrek The Musical
Michael Stuhlbarg - Hamlet
Will Swenson - Hair
Kristin Scott Thomas - The Seagull
John Douglas Thompson - Othello
Harriet Walter - Mary Stuart
Patrick Wilson - All My Sons

9 past honorees will also be featured, but ineligible for the "Distinguished performer" award:

Norbert Leo Butz - Fifty Words
Stockard Channing - Pal Joey
Christine Ebersole - Blithe Spirit
Rosemary Harris - Oscar and the Pink Lady
Frank Langella - A Man for All Seasons
John Lithgow - All My Sons
Mary-Louise Parker - Hedda Gabler
Stephen Rea - Kicking a Dead Horse
Sam Waterston - Hamlet Updated On: 4/21/09 at 10:14 AM

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:17am

9 to 5 gets completely ignored - calling it.

[wonkit]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:19am

Drama League is just slightly less insane than OCC. I hope they at least remember all the good work done last fall - as in SEAGULL, ALL MY SONS and SPEED-THE-PLOW.

[tazber]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:20am

Story Of My Life - Best Musical.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:21am

Speaking of STP, I know William H. Macy isn't eligible for a Tony nomination, but would he be for any of the other awards, does anyone know?

[mikem]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:34am

I don't understand why they don't go over the names with the celebrities ahead of time. John Lithgow, Tovah Feldshuh, Susan Sarandon, and others got their names mangled. I seem to remember the same thing happening last year.

ETA: I notice that they have nominated the ensemble of Black Watch for Distinguished Performance -- have they nominated the entire cast as a single entity like that in the past?

Updated On: 4/21/09 at 10:34 AM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:37am

Predictions?

I'm really unsure who will walk away with the Distinguished Performance award... Updated On: 4/21/09 at 10:37 AM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:40am

No GODOT for revival; oh well.

My money's on Rush winning Distinguished Performance.

But I'd vote for Elizabeth Marvel.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:42am

Glad to see Road Show, Mike Daisey, and Why Torture is Wrong recognized... but Gemignani and not Cerveris? Really? And go team Esparza, but that went without saying.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:42am

Stephanie J. Block seems to be ignored in all the awards so far... What does that mean?

[Ole Chum]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:43am

Stephanie Block snubbed again.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:43am

That the OCC nominators and the Drama League nominators don't think she's award-worthy?

[wonkit]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:45am

Emcee - Drama League requires a performer to be in on opening night so Macy was not eligible but I don't know if Drama Desk has a similar rule.

With so many nominees for Distinguished Performance, it is always a total crap shoot.

Surprised that Gemingnani got a nod but Cerveris didn't. Go figure.

[hubee]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:47am

I'm surprised no Steph J Block yet again. What does the girl have to do to get recognized?

personally, I would love to see the Ensemble of Black Watch win. And I think it might come down to Black Watch vs Ruined for play (and maybe Torture and If you see something with Mike Daisy), while ignoring the bigger names on Broadway.

Interesting to see Ben Miles singled out for Norman Conquests. Love him but surprised he's the only one.

So many performers to choose from on the nominated list though, it's a hard call.

Updated On: 4/21/09 at 10:47 AM

[massofmen]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:48am

wait..

If she is not good in the role why is it a snub?
and ROA...2 for 2 for best musical. :)

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:48am

Do we still think BILLY will take Distinguished Musical?

Haven't seen EXIT THE KING yet but I hope Liza takes Distinguished Performance. Updated On: 4/21/09 at 10:48 AM

[mikem]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 10:49am

Notable omissions:

Becky Shaw for Best Play

Mercedes Ruehl or anyone else for The American Plan
Greg Jbara and Haydn Gwynne for Billy Elliott
Brian D'Arcy James for Shrek
Josefina Scaglione for West Side Story
Craig Bierko and Kate Jennings Grant for Guys and Dolls
Brian Dennehy for Desire Under the Elms
Nathan Lane for Godot

(Dividing the Estate, [title of show] and Next to Normal were all eligible in a previous season and were therefore ineligible this season.)

Updated On: 4/21/09 at 10:49 AM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 11:09am

You'd think with such an extensive list of nominees for acting they could at least get it right. Matt Cavenaugh and no Josefina? Hell, even Pamela Otto deserves a mention over Cavenaugh. No Mamie Gummer for UNCLE VANYA? The horrendous Lauren Graham over Kate Jennings Grant? Susan Sarandon over Lauren Ambrose and Andrea Martin? And one of the most ridiculous mentions is Christine Ebersole over the brilliant work of Jayne Atkinson. Ugh.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 11:10am

Yeah, Karen!

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 11:13am

Definitely interesting to see Ben Miles singled out for Norman. Good for him!

[nlm]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 11:15am

Lauren Graham's nomination was pretty much a given when they announced her as one of the honorary chairs. Since all of the honorary co-chairs have made it into the nominations. IMO, Kate should have been in there somewhere.

The lack of noms for 9 to 5 is concerning, as is Haydn's snub. That and Becky Shaw.

Updated On: 4/21/09 at 11:15 AM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 11:15am

Why is Matt Cavanaugh on that list?

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 11:17am

Ben Miles was probably one of my favorite part about The Norman Conquests. When he had the children's chair at the dinner table I DIED! Happy that he got nominated but I would've liked to see other cast members nominated.
Updated On: 4/21/09 at 11:17 AM

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 11:17am

Damn...Allison, Megan but no Stephanie? I don't get it.

Good to see Tovah Feldshuh on this list though!

Oh, and one more thing. I understand that ROCK OF AGES got rave reviews and will probably be nominated for a bunch of these theater awards, but for it to be nominated for "DISTINGUISHED production of a musical" is absolutely hilarious.

from webster.com: distinguished - marked by eminence, distinction, or excellence.

...not really what ROCK OF AGES is about...

I guess it doesn't matter though, since BILLY ELLIOT has the award in the bag.


Updated On: 4/21/09 at 11:17 AM

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 11:20am

"When he had the children's chair at the dinner table I DIED!"

Completely agree. That was arguably my favorite part of the entire trilogy, I cannot remember EVER laughing that hard in my life. I was basically in the lap of the person next to me because I was doubled-over in laughter. But I loved every performer, and easily could have seen nominations for any of them.