"Carousel" and "Spongebob" lead the Drama Desk Nominations
Friday, April 27, 2018 at 2:48PM by Nathaniel R
Jessie Mueller and Joshua Henry in Rodges & Hammerstein's revived "CAROUSEL" which led the nominations
As discussed in a previous recent post, most theatrical awards don't have as direct a correlation to the Tony Awards as film awards do to the Oscars. At the Drama Desk Awards, which have been around almost as long as the Tonys, Off Broadway is also considered so their nominations naturally differ quite a lot. Expected Tony frontrunner The Band's Visit received zero nominations due to its previous Off Broadway run (i.e. eligible last season instead with the Drama Desk)
The nominations are after the jump...
Outstanding Play
Admissions
Mary Jane
Miles for Mary
People, Places and Things
School Girls, or, The African Mean Girls Play
Outstanding Musical
Desperate Measures
KPOP
Mean Girls
Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story
SpongeBob SquarePants
Desperate Measures, which we've previously talked about here, is a hilarious loose badwy western riff on Measure for Measure and you should see it. It's been closed since the new year but it's reopening at a different larger theater at the end of May so you get another chance! I personally didn't care for Spongebob -- too manic and basic of song (but, hey, a lot of people liked it including our own Dancin' Dan). Now we have to wonder if it will do better at the Tonys than we were expecting (we previously though it might get a handful of nods but 11 nominations at the Drama Desk Awards is a lot.
Outstanding Revival of a Play
Angels in America
Hindle Wakes
In the Blood
Three Tall Women
Travesties
You can expect a repeat at the Tonys of three of these nominations: Tony Kushner's Angels in America, Edward Albee's Three Tall Women and Tom Stoppard's Travesties (the other two were Off Broadway efforts).
Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Amerike – The Golden Land
Carousel
My Fair Lady
Once On This Island
Pacific Overtures
Carousel, My Fair Lady, and Once on this Island are the only musical revivals eligible for the Tony so we might have an IF YOU EXIST YOU GET NOMINATED situation at the Tonys. Carousel led these nominations with 12 honors.
Robert Sean Leonard and Paul Sparks in A HOME AT THE ZOO
Outstanding Actor in a Play
Johnny Flynn, Hangmen
Andrew Garfield, Angels in America
Tom Hollander, Travesties
James McArdle, Angels in America
Paul Sparks, At Home at the Zoo
Several TFE members have seen Angels in America but I have not as of yet (*sobs*) so I'm focused on Paul Sparks (who you'll know from House of Cards and The Greatest Showman). He's only in the second half of At Home at the Zoo but it's a three character show so he was considered a lead. The second act is largely him monologuing while Robert Sean Leonard listens, though, so he definitely hogs the stage.
I'm kind of stunned not to see Mark Rylance here who is a legend for a reason and was just as brilliant as ever in Farinelli and the King.
Outstanding Actress in a Play
Carrie Coon, Mary Jane
Denise Gough, People, Places & Things
Glenda Jackson, Three Tall Women
Laurie Metcalf, Three Tall Women
Billie Piper, Yerma
Carrie Coon seems like a natural to triple-crown someday doesn't she?
We've heard over and over again that Glenda Jackson and Laurie Metcalf are amazing in Three Tall Women but I haven't seen them yet so my heart is totally with the incredible Billie Piper (who you'll know and probably loved as the Bride of Frankenstein on Showtime's much-missed Penny Dreadful). She gives a true tour de force performance in Yerma as a happily married woman who begins to unravel when she realizes she'll never have children. She's ferociously funny and then just feral (yikes) in a dangerous and jaw-dropping performance.
Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Jelani Alladin, Frozen
Harry Hadden-Paton, My Fair Lady
Joshua Henry, Carousel
Evan Ruggiero, Bastard Jones
Ethan Slater, SpongeBob SquarePants
Ouch. Harry Hadden-Paton got nominated as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady but Lauren Ambrose was snubbed as Eliza; It's Oscar 1964 all over again! All of these men except Ruggiero will be eligible for the Tony and they might all transfer since there's still room for obvious nominee Tony Shalhoub from The Band's Visit and not much else in terms of leading musical men.
Jimenez and Rubin-Vega (of original cast of "Rent" fame) both nominated for the new Off Broadway musical MISS YOU LIKE HELL about immigrants and deportation.
Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Gizel Jiménez, Miss You Like Hell
LaChanze, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Jessie Mueller, Carousel
Ashley Park, KPOP
Daphne Rubin-Vega, Miss You Like Hell
LaChaze and Mueller are the only women Tony eligible here (the rest Off Broadway) and they're both previous Tony winners (for The Color Purple's original run and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical respectively). But it's a pretty stacked competition for the Tony nominations because there's Mueller and LaChanze but also the female leads of Mean Girls, Frozen (x2), The Band's Visit, My Fair Lady, and Once on this Island to consider. There's not room for all of them.
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Anthony Boyle, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Ben Edelman, Admissions
Brian Tyree Henry, Lobby Hero
Nathan Lane, Angels in America
David Morse, The Iceman Cometh
Gregg Mozgala, Cost of Living
For what it's worth Anthony Boyle plays Scorpius Malfoy in the Harry Potter play so I guess he's evil since you can always tell someone's character in Harry Potter by what their last name / house is. It's interesting that Nathan Lane is considered a Featured (aka "supporting") actor in Angels. Remember that the role was considered a lead when Al Pacino won both the Emmy / Globe and when the original Roy Cohn Rob Leibman won the Tony.
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Jocelyn Bioh, In the Blood
Jamie Brewer, Amy and the Orphans
Barbara Marten, People, Places & Things
Deirdre O'Connell, Fulfillment Center
Constance Shulman, Bobbie Clearly
Tony Yazbeck is Tony-worthy again in "Prince of Broadway"
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Damon Daunno, The Lucky Ones
Alexander Gemignani, Carousel
Grey Henson, Mean Girls
Gavin Lee, SpongeBob SquarePants
Tony Yazbeck, Prince of Broadway
Oh my god. The Lucky Ones closes tomorrow and you'll be such a lucky one if you race to it tonight or tomorrow. SO DAMN HAUNTING. I suspect Grey Henson as 'too gay to function' Damian in Mean Girls and Gavin Lee as Squidward in Spongebob will be fighting it out for the Tony statue in June but I'm thrilled to see my stage husband Tony Yazbeck nominated for Prince of Broadway. I didn't much like the show but he was the best thing in it by a mile doing the most electric take on "The Right Girl" from Follies that I've ever seen/heard... and that was just one of his highlights.
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Lindsay Mendez, Carousel
Kenita R. Miller, Once on This Island
Ashley Park, Mean Girls
Diana Rigg, My Fair Lady
Kate Rockwell, Mean Girls
I'm so sad not to see Kerry Butler recognized here. She's one of Broadway's most underpraised stars and she plays ALL the adult female roles in Mean Girls: Tina Fey's Mrs Norsbury, Amy Poehler's "cool mom," and Ana Gasteyer's Ladysmith Blackmambazo enthusiast and Cady's mom. All these nominees are Tony eligible though so it'll be interesting to see if the Tony lineup matches exactly or varies since there are other options available, too. Ashley Park (who had a great year on stage and is now playing Gretchen Weiners) and Diana Rigg (a legend) are probably locks for Tony nominations at least.
Outstanding Director of a Play
Marianne Elliott, Angels in America
Jeremy Herrin, People, Places & Things
Joe Mantello, Three Tall Women
Lila Neugebauer, Miles for Mary
Simon Stone, Yerma
John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Outstanding Director of a Musical
Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story
Teddy Bergman, KPOP
Jack O'Brien, Carousel
Tina Landau, SpongeBob SquarePants
Bartlett Sher, My Fair Lady
The LaDuca Award for Outstanding Choreography
Camille A. Brown, Once on This Island
Christopher Gattelli, SpongeBob SquarePants
Casey Nicholaw, Mean Girls
Justin Peck, Carousel
Nejla Yatkin, The Boy Who Danced on Air
They really need to bring back KPOP quickly. Nothing but raves but I missed it. Argh!
Outstanding Music
The Bengsons, The Lucky Ones
Ben Caplan, Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story
David Friedman, Desperate Measures
Erin McKeown, Miss You Like Hell
Helen Park, Max Vernon, KPOP
Outstanding Lyrics
Nell Benjamin, Mean Girls
Quiara Alegría Hudes/Erin McKeown, Miss You Like Hell
Peter Kellogg, Desperate Measures
Helen Park, Max Vernon, KPOP
Outstanding Book of a Musical
Tina Fey, Mean Girls
Kyle Jarrow, SpongeBob Squarepants
Peter Kellogg, Desperate Measures
Hannah Moscovitch, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story
Outstanding Orchestrations
Tom Kitt, SpongeBob SquarePants
Annmarie Milazzo and Michael Starobin (John Bertles and Bash the Trash, found instrument design), Once on This Island
Charlie Rosen, Erin McKeown, Miss You Like Hell
Jonathan Tunick, Pacific Overtures
Jonathan Tunick, Carousel
Outstanding Music in a Play
Imogen Heap, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Justin Hicks, Mlima's Tale
Amatus Karim-Ali, The Homecoming Queen
Justin Levine, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Adrian Sutton, Angels in America
Yerma's set was minimalist but never "simple" -and so effective.
The Hudson Scenic Studio Award for Outstanding Set Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, Three Tall Women
Bunny Christie, People, Places & Things
Lizzie Clachan, Yerma
Maruti Evans, Kill Move Paradise
Louisa Thompson, In the Blood
Yerma's fish-tank flexible set was a sight to behold!
Outstanding Set Design for a Musical
Louisa Adamson, Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story
Beowulf Boritt, Prince of Broadway
Dane Laffrey, Once on This Island
Santo Loquasto, Carousel
David Zinn, SpongeBob SquarePants
Outstanding Costume Design for a Play
Dede M. Ayite, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play
Jonathan Fensom, Farinelli and the King
Katrina Lindsay, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Ann Roth, Three Tall Women
Emilio Sosa, Venus
Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Mean Girls
Clint Ramos, Once on This Island
David Zinn, SpongeBob SquarePants
Catherine Zuber, My Fair Lady
Dede M. Ayite, Bella: An American Tall Tale
Cecil Beaton won both the Tony and the Oscar for the original heyday of My Fair Lady. Showy costumes definitely help and Zuber is a Tony and Drama Desk mainstay so she could add yet another trophy to her sagging shelf in June. But on that note Spongebob could actually take this or the future Tony if voters feel excited abouts its inventions. Squidward's leggy costume in particular is delightful.
Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play
Neil Austin, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Natasha Chivers, 1984
Alan C. Edwards, Kill Move Paradise
Paul Gallo, Three Tall Women
Paul Russell, Farinelli and the King
To be honest I kind of hated 1984 but its sound and lighting were definitely it's most hard-to-ignore elements and it won both of those nominations here.
Once on this Island
Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical
Louisa Adamson, Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story
Amith Chandrashaker, The Lucky Ones
Jules Fisher, Peggy Eisenhauer, Once on This Island
Brian MacDevitt, Carousel
Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, KPOP
Cady and Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls
Outstanding Projection Design
David Bengali, Van Gogh's Ear
Andrezj Goulding, People, Places & Things
Peter Nigrini, SpongeBob SquarePants
Finn Ross and Adam Young, Mean Girls
Finn Ross and Ash J. Woodward, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
The very existence of this prize pains me as I just hate the use of projections onstage (as a general rule so there are exceptions. But most of the time it's just a lazy way to avoid being inventive with your set design)
Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
Brendan Aanes, Balls
Gareth Fry, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Tom Gibbons, 1984
Tom Gibbons, People, Places & Things
Stefan Gregory, Yerma
Palmer Hefferan, Today is My Birthday
Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
Kai Harada, The Band's Visit
Scott Lehrer, Carousel
Will Pickens, KPOP
Dan Moses Schreier, Pacific Overtures
School Girls; or The African Mean Girls Play
Outstanding Wig and Hair
Carole Hancock, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Campbell Young Associates, Farinelli and the King
Cookie Jordan, School Girls;, or The African Mean Girls Play
Charles G. LaPointe, SpongeBob SquarePants
Josh Marquette, Mean Girls
Outstanding Solo Performance
Billy Crudup, Harry Clarke
David Greenspan, Strange Interlude
Jon Levin, A Hunger Artist
Lesli Margherita, Who's Holiday!
Sophie Melville, Iphigenia in Splott
The Chase Award for Unique Theatrical Experience
Derren Brown: Secret
Master
Say Something Bunny!
Outstanding Fight Choreography
J. David Brimmer, Is God Is
Steve Rankin, Carousel
Unkle Dave's Fight House, Oedipus El Rey
Artificial Jungle
Outstanding Puppet Design
Finn Caldwell, Nick Barnes, Angels in America
Michael Curry, Frozen
Charlie Kanev, Sarah Nolan, and Jonathan Levin, A Hunger Artist
Vandy Wood, The Artificial Jungle
I just have to say that The Artificial Jungle was absolutely hilarious and its pet shop puppets were one of its funniest bits. I'm surprised it was remembered for a nod though as the production was a full year old. It was a very cool production of a famous Charles Ludlum comedy and cast with mostly disabled actors!
Special Awards
Juan Castano honored for three separate performance, here in OEDIPUS EL REY
Outstanding Ensemble goes to School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play (which is, incidentally, not an adaptation of Mean Girls though it does involve queen bees and a new student disrupting her dominance), a "Varied Performance" honor for Juan Castano who was in three separate productions: Oedipus El Rey, A Parallelogram, and Transfers. And finally there's a special honor which you surely would had have to have been there to understand. Sean Carvajal and Edi Gathegi were honored for "last-minute entrances into Signature Theatre's Jesus Hopped the A Train" Huh???
Reader Comments (13)
Exciting to see these noms each year! Your assessment about Scorpius Malfoy is, in fact, way off base. He's the heart and soul of the show and a total 180 from his deceptive, evil father, Draco (though he has a redemption plot line in the play as well). One of the most delightful and honest portrayals of teenage angst/weirdness I've ever seen on stage. I would not be surprised to see him win this and the Tony, repeating his Olivier from the London run!
Having just seen Angels in America last week, I'm very happy to see McArdle nominated. His was definitely my favorite of the 3 performances by men in that cast nominated here.
Just reading the script to Cursed Child, Scorpious leaps off the page. joevlad is right--he's the heart of the show.
Have you tried the Angels of America online lottery? Apparently, it's easy to win. Or so I've heard.
Having all of those famous songwriters (David Bowie! John Legend! Cyndi Lauper! Aerosmith! Sara Bareilles! Panic at the Disco! etc.) seems to help Spongebob. I, too, found it manic. But I do love individual songs and Drama Desk nominees Slater/Lee more than deserved their nods.
I believe the Tony comitee considered Laurie as featured actress.
"I suspect Grey Henson as 'too gay to function' Damian in Mean Girls and Gavin Lee as Squidward in Spongebob will be fighting it out for the Tony statue"
not with tony magnet norbert leo butz hamming it up in my fair lady
how did carousel miss a costume design nom? i mean, look how that sweater emphasises joshua henry's talents
Ryan T -- hmmm. i enter all the time. It hasn't been easy for *me* to win. :)
Par -- oh yeah oops. Forgot about him. But he already has two Tonys so they don't NEED to go there. (Not that that has stopped them with other favorites)
Joevlad -- I am legit shocked to read this but happy. You mean JK Rowling is finally not predetermining someones goodness based on their family name? wow.
Interesting nominations.
I thought Laurie Metcalf is equally lead with Glenda Jackson in Three Tall Women. Her role as the carer for A in the first act is one thing (although her quick adlibs are delightful and perfectly in synch) but when she comes into her own in the second act, I can't take my eyes off her. I love Glenda's monologue -- there is a classical cadence to it that harks back to the classical works of Sybil Thorndike, but it was Laurie Metcalf who was more memorable for me that night I saw the play (Susan Sarandon was in attendance that night too although it's hard to tell who she was rooting for).
Having recently observed Angels in America a week ago, I'm exceptionally upbeat to see McArdle selected. This was certainly my most loved of the 3 exhibitions by men in that cast selected here.
Owl -- Agree. By placing Metcalf in the supporting category the Tony's are going against the play.
I was flabbergasted by how intense the emotions and the performances are in Miss You Like Hell. Daphne Rubin Vega is fantastic and Gizel Jiménez burns through her whole body through all her songs. Either or both should win best actress.
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Re NYC theater lotteries--not easy. I try once a week.
Theater tip--go with a student with student ID. We recently got two $30 seats for a production at the Public which were going for $92. 4th row. (Murtada--Vega seemed a little tired at our performance, but Jiménez was freaking fantastic. Certainly one to watch.)