Raúl Esparza and Katie Finneran Announce Outer Critics Circle Nominees Today

Multiple Tony nominee Raúl Esparza and two-time Tony winner Katie Finneran announce the nominees for the 2014-15 Outer Critics Circle Awards, which celebrate shows, both on Broadway and off, today April 20 at 11 AM at The Friars Club in New York.

The winners will be announced May 11, and the annual Gala Awards Dinner will be held 4 PM May 21 at Sardi's Restaurant.

The Outer Critics Circle is the organization of writers covering New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers, national publications and other media beyond Broadway. The Outer Critics Circle nominees are the first major Broadway/Off-Broadway award nominees of the New York theatre season.

Outer Critics Circle members are affiliated with more than 90 newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations, Internet websites, and theatre publications in America and abroad.

Updated On: 4/20/15 at 12:25 AM

Can't wait to see what nonsense they come up with this year.

And HAMILTON is eligible this year.

Updated On: 4/20/15 at 11:26 AM

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY

The Audience

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Wolf Hall

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL

An American in Paris

It Shoulda Been You

The Last Ship

Something Rotten!

The Visit

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY

Between Riverside and Crazy

The City of Conversation

The Nether

Rasheeda Speaking

The Village Bike

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

A Christmas Memory

Disenchanted

The Fortress of Solitude

Hamilton

Lonesome Traveler

OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL

(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Hamilton

It Shoulda Been You

The Last Ship

Something Rotten!

The Visit

OUTSTANDING NEW SCORE

(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Hamilton

It Shoulda Been You

The Last Ship

Something Rotten!

The Visit

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY

(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

The Elephant Man

Fashions for Men

The Heidi Chronicles

Skylight

You Can’t Take It With You

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Into the Woods

The King and I

On the Town

On the Twentieth Century

Side Show

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY

Stephen Daldry The Audience

Marianne Elliott The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Scott Ellis The Elephant Man

Scott Ellis You Can’t Take It With You

Jeremy Herrin Wolf Hall

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL

Scott Ellis On the Twentieth Century

Thomas Kail Hamilton

Casey Nicholaw Something Rotten!

David Hyde Pierce It Shoulda Been You

Christopher Wheeldon An American in Paris

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER

Joshua Bergasse On the Town

Andy Blankenbuehler Hamilton

Warren Carlyle On the Twentieth Century

Casey Nicholaw Something Rotten!

Christopher Wheeldon An American in Paris

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN

(Play or Musical)

Bunny Christie The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Bob Crowley An American in Paris

Scott Pask Something Rotten!

David Rockwell On the Twentieth Century

Michael Yeargan The King and I

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

(Play or Musical)

Gregg Barnes Something Rotten!

Bob Crowley The Audience

William Ivey Long On the Twentieth Century

Christopher Orem Wolf Hall

Catherine Zuber The King and I

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN

(Play or Musical)
Paule Constable The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Jeff Croiter Something Rotten!

Rick Fisher The Audience

Natasha Katz An American in Paris

Japhy Weideman The Visit

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY

Reed Birney I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard

Bradley Cooper The Elephant Man

Stephen McKinley Henderson Between Riverside and Crazy

Ben Miles Wolf Hall

Alex Sharp The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Greta Gerwig The Village Bike

Jan Maxwell The City of Conversation

Helen Mirren The Audience

Elisabeth Moss The Heidi Chronicles

Tonya Pinkins Rasheeda Speaking

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Christian Borle Something Rotten!

Brian d’Arcy James Something Rotten!

Robert Fairchild An American in Paris

Peter Gallagher On the Twentieth Century

Tony Yazbeck On the Town

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Kristin Chenoweth On the Twentieth Century

Leanne Cope An American in Paris

Tyne Daly It Shoulda Been You

Kelli O’Hara The King and I

Chita Rivera The Visit

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY

Paul Jesson Wolf Hall

Richard McCabe The Audience

Alessandro Nivola The Elephant Man

Nathaniel Parker Wolf Hall

Bryce Pinkham The Heidi Chronicles

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Annaleigh Ashford You Can’t Take It With You

Patricia Clarkson The Elephant Man

Francesca Faridany The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Julie Halston You Can’t Take It With You

Lydia Leonard Wolf Hall

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

John Cariani Something Rotten!

Josh Grisetti It Shoulda Been You

Andy Karl On the Twentieth Century

Paul Alexander Nolan Doctor Zhivago

Max von Essen An American in Paris

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Heidi Blickenstaff Something Rotten!

Victoria Clark Gigi

Megan Fairchild On the Town

Ruthie Ann Miles The King and I

Mary Louise Wilson On the Twentieth Century

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE

Joe Assadourian The Bullpen

Jim Dale Just Jim Dale

Tom Dugan Wiesenthal

Cush Jumbo Josephine and I

Benjamin Scheuer The Lion

JOHN GASSNER AWARD

(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)

Ayad Akhtar The Invisible Hand

Halley Feiffer I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard

Elizabeth Irwin My Mañana Comes

Markus Potter Stalking the Bogeyman

Benjamin Scheuer The Lion

ZERO acting nominations for Hamilton is my biggest surprise.

They sure loved It Shoulda Been You!

All that said, if the Best Featured Actor in a Musical nominations were the same at the Tony's, I'd be happy. That's a really good selection.

These are so weird.

I assume Fun Home and Hand to God were ineligible for any of these, so they're even LESS useful of an indicator than they usually are.

Hamilton's lack of representation in the performance categories is galling, even by these low standards.

Updated On: 4/20/15 at 11:41 AM

I'm glad to see The Last Ship get some noms!!!

FUN HOME was indeed ineligible this year, as was HAND TO GOD.

Whoever gave the loudest, flashiest performance of their category-- and if they happen to be a big name, even better-- will win the musical acting categories. And SOMETHING ROTTEN! will win everything else because, well...BROADWAY! MIDDLEBROW!

Just an early prediction. I'm far more curious to see what happens with the Pulitzer this afternoon.

Nominations I'm excited about:

Productions:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
An American in Paris
Hamilton
The Elephant Man
Skylight
You Can't Take It With You
The King & I
On the Town
Side Show

Directing:
Marianne Elliott-The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Scott Ellis-The Elephant Man/You Can't Take It With You
Casey Nicholaw-Something Rotten!
Christopher Wheeldon-An American in Paris

Choreography:
Joshua Bergasse-On the Town
Casey Nicholaw-Something Rotten!
Christopher Wheeldon-An American in Paris

Performances:
Bradley Cooper-The Elephant Man
Helen Mirren-The Audience
Tony Yazbeck-On the Town
Kelli O'Hara-The King & I
Bryce Pinkham-The Heidi Chronicles
Annaleigh Ashford-You Can't Take It With You
Paul Alexander Nolan-Doctor Zhivago
Megan Fairchild-On the Town

I didn't even notice! It does look like Finding Neverland was thoroughly snubbed. Ouch!

As we enter nominations season, I find myself getting increasingly cranky about 'Something Rotten!'. The show was extremely mediocre. The music sounded like it had been written by a computer program. Every song was pitched at the same intensity, and the actors just were spewing out lines as quickly as possible to keep the energy from just running out. The humor was redundant and childish. And then there was Act 2, which made almost no sense, and didn't even try. This is a show that desperately needs more development and redefining of it's purpose. Extremely disappointing. The fact that there is a nomination for Heidi Blickenstaff makes me wonder if the critics even saw this show. YES she's a terrific singer and actress, but this show gives her NOTHING to do. It's practically an insult, like someone on the development team (which I assume was vast) said - hey wait everyone, there's no women in the show! Can someone add a "wife" or "love interest"? Yeah, thanks.

^ Sorry but that is just your opinion of Something Rotten. lol And unfortunately you are NOT an Outer Critic lol lol