Awards News

“Adding Machine,” a well-reviewed commercial production running at the Minetta Lane, got the nod for tuner, director (David Cromer) and lead actor (Joel Hatch), among others. Manhattan Theater Club’s production of “Blackbird,” the David Harrower drama that ran late last spring, was the top among play noms with four, including bids for play, actor (Jeff Daniels) and actress (Alison Pill).

Special Lortel honors will go to Primary Stages for body of work; Circle in the Square co-founder Theodore Mann for sustained excellence; and New York Theater Workshop’s staging of “Horizon” for unique theatrical experience.

Beside “Adding Machine,” an adaptation of the 1923 Elmer Rice play that originated in Chicago before its Gotham run, the tuner category includes Second Stage’s “Next to Normal,” the Vineyard’s staging of “The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island,” the Public’s “Passing Strange” and “Wanda’s World” from Amas Musical Theater.

The Culture Project’s “Betrayed,” “The Brothers Size” at the Public, Classic Stage Company’s “New Jerusalem” and Primary Stage’s “Opus” join “Blackbird” in vying for the play trophy.

Revival contenders include “Beckett Shorts” and “The Misanthrope” (both at New York Theater Workshop), “Dividing the Estate” at Primary Stages (in a production that will play Broadway this fall), “Ohio State Murders” at Theater for a New Audience and the Theaterworks USA production of “Seussical.”

“Next to Normal,” “Kayrol,” "Passing Strange," “Seussical” and “Opus” garnered three noms each. Thesp Veanne Cox (“Paradise Park,” “Spain”) and lighting designer Kevin Adams (“Passing Strange,” “Next to Normal”) each scored two, as did several other productions including “10 Million Miles,” “Eurydice” and “Wanda’s World.”

Lortels will be presented May 5 at the Union Square Theater. Kudos are handed out by a nominating and voting committee that consists of members of the Lortel Foundation and the League of Off Broadway Theaters and Producers, along with other legit professionals.

And the nominees are:

Play
"Betrayed" - Written by George Packer; Produced by Culture Project
"Blackbird" - Written by David Harrower; Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club
"The Brothers Size" - Written by Tarell Alvin McCraney; Produced by The Public Theater, in association with The Foundry Theatre
"New Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation: Amsterdam, July 27, 1656" - Written by David Ives ; Produced by Classic Stage Company, by special arrangement with Bob Boyett
"Opus" - Written by Michael Hollinger; Produced by Primary Stages

Musical
"Adding Machine" - Original Music by Joshua Schmidt, Libretto by Jason Loewith and Joshua Schmidt; Produced by Scott Morfee, Tom Wirtshafter, and Margaret Cotter
"Next to Normal" - Music by Tom Kitt, Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey; Produced by Second Stage Theatre
"Passing Strange" - Book and Lyrics by Stew, Music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, Created in Collaboration with Annie Dorsen; Produced by The Public Theater, in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre
"The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island (or the Friends of Dr. Rushower)" - Libretto and Drawings by Ben Katchor, Music by Mark Mulcahy; Produced by Vineyard Theatre
"Wanda’s World" - Book by Eric H. Weinberger, Music and Lyrics by Beth Falcone, Story by Eric H. Weinberger and Beth Falcone; Produced by Amas Musical Theatre, in association with Terry Schnuck

Solo Show
"Beyond Glory" - Written and Performed by Stephen Lang; Produced by Roundabout Theatre Company
"Dai (enough) " - Written and Performed by Iris Bahr; Produced by Bernie Kukoff, Jonathan Pollard, Jon Cutler in association with Highbrow Entertainment
"Liberty City " - Written by Jessica Blank and April Yvette Thompson; Performed by April Yvette Thompson; Produced by New York Theatre Workshop
"Tings Dey Happen" - Written by Dan Hoyle, Developed with Charlie Varon; Performed by Dan Hoyle; Produced by Culture Project

Revival
"Beckett Shorts" - Written by Samuel Beckett; Produced by New York Theatre Workshop
"Dividing the Estate" - Written by Horton Foote; Produced by Primary Stages, in association with Jamie deRoy
"The Misanthrope" - Written by Molière, Translation by Tony Harrison; Produced by New York Theatre Workshop
"Ohio State Murders" - Written by Adrienne Kennedy; Produced by Theatre for a New Audience
"Seussical" - Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Book by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Co-Conceived by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, and Eric Idle, Based on the works of Dr. Seuss; Produced by Theatreworks US

Director

David Cromer, "Adding Machine"
Annie Dorsen, "Passing Strange"
Elizabeth LeCompte, "The Wooster Group’s HAMLET"
Bob McGrath, "The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island (or the Friends of Dr. Rushower)"
Terrence J. Nolen, "Opus"

Choreographer
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, "Seussical"
Peter Pucci, "Queens Boulevard (the musical)"
Lynne Taylor-Corbett, "Wanda’s World"

Lead Actor
Jeff Daniels, "Blackbird"
André De Shields, "Black Nativity"
Joel Hatch, "Adding Machine"
Morlan Higgins, "Exits and Entrances"
Jeremy Strong, "New Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation: Amsterdam, July 27, 1656"

Lead Actress
Elizabeth Franz," The Piano Teacher"
Lisa Gay Hamilton, "Ohio State Murders"
Jayne Houdyshell," The Receptionist"
Alison Pill," Blackbird"
Lynn Redgrave," Grace"

Featured Actor
Francis Jue, "Yellow Face"
David Margulies, "The Accomplices"
Brian Murray, "Gaslight"
Lorenzo Pisoni, "Election Day"
Aaron Tveit, "Next to Normal"

Featured Actress
Veanne Cox, "Paradise Park"
Veanne Cox, "Spain"
Zoe Kazan, "100 Saints You Should Know"
Amy Warren, "Adding Machine"
Mare Winningham, "10 Million Miles"

Scenic Design
Scott Bradley, "Eurydice"
Jim Findlay and Jeff Sugg, "The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island (or the Friends of Dr. Rushower)"
Derek McLane, "10 Million Miles"
Scott Pask, "Blackbird"
David Zinn, "The Four of Us"

Costume Design
Mara Blumenfeld, "The Glorious Ones"
Michael Bottari & Ronald Case, and Jessica Jahn, "Die Mommie Die!"
Tracy Christensen, "Seussical"
Kristine Knanishu, "Adding Machine"
Jenny Mannis, "The Drunken City"

Lighting Design
Kevin Adams, "Passing Strange "
Kevin Adams, "Next to Normal "
Russell H. Champa, "Eurydice"
Peter Mumford, "Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?"
Keith Parham, "Adding Machine"

Sound Design
Geoff Abbas, Joby Emmons, and Matt Schloss, "The Wooster Group’s HAMLET"
Daniel Baker, "The Four of Us"
Jorge Cousineau, "Opus"
Frank Gaeta, "Dai (enough)"
Darron L West, "Dead Man’s Cell Phone"