Outer Critics Circle 2003-04 Season Nominees

(New York, April 19th, 2004) Outer Critics Circle, the organization of writers covering New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers, national publications and other media beyond Broadway, announced early today its nominees for the 2003-04 season in 22 categories --- the first Broadway-Off Broadway award nominees of the season. Based on a recommendation by the OCC Executive Committee, Special Achievement Awards will be given to the cast of “Avenue Q” for Outstanding Ensemble performance and Puppet Artistry.

This season is the 54th Anniversary of the Outer Critics Circle, an association of over 75 critics and writers from over ten states. The winners of the following categories will be announced on Monday, May 3rd, and the annual awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 27th (4PM) at the legendary Sardi’s Restaurant.

2003-2004 Award Nominations


OUTSTANDING BROADWAY PLAY
Anna in the Tropics
I Am My Own Wife
Match
Sixteen Wounded

OUTSTANDING BROADWAY MUSICAL
Bombay Dreams
The Boy From Oz
Caroline, or Change
Wicked

OUTSTANDING OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
The Beard of Avon
Bug
Frozen
Intimate Apparel
Well

OUTSTANDING OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
Fame on 42nd Street
Johnny Guitar
The Thing About Men

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
The Caretaker
Henry IV
Jumpers
A Raisin in the Sun
Sly Fox

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Assassins
Fiddler on the Roof
Little Shop of Horrors
Wonderful Town

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Doug Hughes Frozen
Moisés Kaufman I Am My Own Wife
Jack O’Brien Henry IV
Daniel Sullivan Intimate Apparel

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
David Leveaux Fiddler on the Roof
Joe Mantello Wicked
Kathleen Marshall Wonderful Town
George C. Wolfe Caroline, or Change

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
Wayne Cilento Wicked
Kathleen Marshall Wonderful Town
Joey McKneely The Boy From Oz
Jerry Mitchell Never Gonna Dance
Anthony Van Laast & Farah Kahn Bombay Dreams

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
John Lee Beatty Twentieth Century
Ralph Funicello Henry IV
Eugene Lee Wicked
Vicki Mortimer Jumpers

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Jess Goldstein Henry IV
Susan Hilferty Wicked
Mike Nicholls & Bobby Pearce Taboo
Catherine Zuber Intimate Apparel

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer Assassins
David Lander I Am My Own Wife
Brian MacDevitt Fiddler on the Roof
Kenneth Posner Wicked

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Simon Russell Beale Jumpers
Kevin Kline Henry IV
Frank Langella Match
Brían F. O’Byrne Frozen
Richard Thomas The Stendhal Syndrome

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Eileen Atkins The Retreat From Moscow
Liza Colon-Zayas Living Out
Viola Davis Intimate Apparel
Swoosie Kurtz Frozen
Phylicia Rashad A Raisin in the Sun

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Gregg Edelman Wonderful Town
Hunter Foster Little Shop of Horrors
Hugh Jackman The Boy From Oz
Alfred Molina Fiddler on the Roof
Euan Morton Taboo

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Kerry Butler Little Shop of Horrors
Kristin Chenoweth Wicked
Idina Menzel Wicked
Donna Murphy Wonderful Town
Tonya Pinkins Caroline, or Change

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
René Auberjonois Sly Fox
Ned Beatty Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Teagle F. Bougere A Raisin in the Sun
Aiden Gillen The Caretaker
Omar Metwally Sixteen Wounded

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Julie Halston Twentieth Century
Jayne Houdyshell Well
Margo Martindale Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Jan Maxwell Sixteen Wounded
Audra McDonald A Raisin in the Sun

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
John Cariani Fiddler on the Roof
Michael Cerveris Assassins
Mitchell David Federan The Boy From Oz
Sriram Ganesan Bombay Dreams
Joel Grey Wicked

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Ayesha Dharker Bombay Dreams
Randy Graff Fiddler on the Roof
Isabel Keating The Boy From Oz
Carole Shelley Wicked
Karen Ziemba Never Gonna Dance

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Sarah Jones Bridge & Tunnel
Jefferson Mays I Am My Own Wife
Martin Moran The Tricky Part
Angelica Torn Edge

JOHN GASSNER AWARD
(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Nilo Cruz Anna in the Tropics
Tracy Letts Bug
Lynn Nottage Intimate Apparel
Tristine Skyler The Moonlight Room

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Outstanding Ensemble Performance and Puppet Artistry
Avenue Q

2003-2004 Outer Critics Circle Executive / Nominating Committee
Marjorie Gunner (President)
Mario Fratti (Vice-President) Glenn Loney (Secretary)
Patrick Hoffman (Corresponding Secretary) Louis A. Rachow (Treasurer)
Aubrey Reuben, Irene Backalenick and Simon Saltzman (Members-at-Large)

NOTE: The only Broadway production the Nominating Committee did not get to see prior to the cutoff date, was “Prymate” and therefore will consider the production for next season’s awards.

Nominations Talley for 3 or more:
A Raisin in the Sun 4
Assassins 3
Bombay Dreams 4
The Boy From Oz 5
Caroline, or Change 3
Fiddler on the Roof 6
Frozen 4
Henry IV 5
Intimate Apparel 5
I Am My Own Wife 4
Jumpers 3
Little Shop of Horrors 3
Sixteen Wounded 3
Wicked 10
Wonderful Town 5

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Updated On: 4/18/04 at 04:53 PM

sad about no big river! also glad kerry butler got recognition even though she wasnt very good in it. its hard to fortell the tonys cause it mixes off broadway plus avenue q was ineligable.

Hooray for Kerry Butler, I'm glad she got a nomination.

Is that Mitchell person the kid from Boy from Oz? If it is: Wow!

Was there any show that opened, or hasn't opened yet, that didn't get nominated for something?

Why was Avenue Q ineligible?

Are there precedents for two ( or more) actors playing the same character in a play winning awards - as in the case of the probability of Hugh Jackman and David Mitchel Federan winning for the role of Peter Allen ?

Still, a tantalizing possibility

Huh. That is odd, tkts. You'd think Bombay Dreams would be eligible next year, since it hasn't opened as of nomination time. What, did they hate Taboo that much?

Nothing for Tovah Feldshuh in Golda's Balcony????????

Corine but what about "I Am My Own Wife?"
I am so excited to see Richard Thomas was nominated for "The Stendhal Syndrome." Hooray!!!!!!!!! He's so fabulous.

Updated On: 4/18/04 at 08:02 PM

I'm bummed out that Raul Esparza wasn't nominated.

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I hadn't thought of that, but it's probably true. Not fair, but is it ever.

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A show still in previews is considered eligible as long as the members of the Nominating Committee have gotten to see it. I believe that has been the case for a number of years.

As others have noted, Avenue Q was eligible last year and was nominated for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical but lost. There were news articles this past week that the producers of the Broadway production were petitioning the OCC and Drama Desk Awards to let them be eligible again this year because of the changes made to the show when it moved from the Vineyard to Broadway. The OCC rejected that claim, but obviously still chose to recognize the show with the Special Achievement Award. I don't know if the Drama Desk has made a ruling yet, but since they nominated Avenue Q for multiple awards last year, I would be very surprised if they allowed it in competitive categories again. They may also go the Special Award route. Or not.

Golda's Balcony was eligible last year based on the Off-Broadway run. Tovah was nominated for Outstanding Solo Performance, but lost to Frank Gorshin (Say Goodnight, Gracie.) I don't believe I Am My Own Wife had begun performances by last year's cutoff date, so that's why it is eligible this year.

It's interesting that the OCC does not give awards for Score or Book of a Musical. I think both those categories are wide open for the Drama Desks and Tonys.