2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards nominations announced
The Lehman Trilogy leads the nominations with nine.
The Outer Critics Circle has announced the nominations for its 2022 awards. This year's awards, the 71st annual, will mark a return to an in-person ceremony after last year's virtual honors. Winners will be announced May 16, with a ceremony to honor them following on May 26.
The Outer Critics Circle Awards annually recognize excellence in both Broadway and Off-Broadway theatre. This year, The Lehman Trilogy on Broadway leads the nominations with nine, followed by Harmony and Kimberly Akimbo off Broadway with eight each.
In addition to the competitive awards, the Outer Critics Circle is giving Special Achievement Awards this year to Johanna Day, David Morse, Mary-Louise Parker for reprising their performances in How I Learned to Drive, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson for doing so in Lackawanna Blues. Both productions premiered on Broadway with Manhattan Theatre Club this season after premiere Off-Broadway runs more than 20 years ago.
The Outer Critics Circle is also presenting special commendations to theatre standbys, understudies, and swings who have stepped up, often with only hours' notice, to keep their shows running; and to the Covid-19 safety supervisors, managers, and compliance officers working in the theatre.
Below is a list of all this year's Outer Critics Circle Awards nominees.
Outstanding New Broadway Musical
Outstanding New Broadway Play
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play
John Gassner Award (presented to a new American play, preferably by a new playwright)
- Cullud Wattah by Erika Dickerson-Despenza
- English by Sanaz Toossi
- Selling Kabul by Sylvia Khoury
- Tambo & Bones by Dave Harris
- Thoughts of a Colored Man by Keenan Scott II
Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
- for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
- How I Learned to Drive
- Take Me Out
- A Touch of the Poet
- Trouble in Mind
Outstanding Actor in a Musical
- Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo
- Myles Frost, MJ the Musical
- Rob McClure, Mrs. Doubtfire
- Jaquel Spivey, A Strange Loop
- Chip Zien, Harmony
Outstanding Actress in a Musical
- Kearstin Piper Brown, Intimate Apparel
- Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo
- Sharon D Clarke, Caroline, or Change
- Carmen Cusack, Flying Over Sunset
- Joaquina Kalukango, Paradise Square
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
- Quentin Earl Darrington, MJ the Musical
- Matt Doyle, Company
- Steven Pasquale, Assassins
- A.J. Shively, Paradise Square
- Will Swenson, Assassins
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
- Shoshana Bean, Mr. Saturday Night
- Jenn Colella, Suffs
- Judy Kuhn, Assassins
- Patti LuPone, Company
- Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo
Outstanding Actor in a Play
- Patrick J. Adams, Take Me Out
- Simon Russell Beale, The Lehman Trilogy
- Adam Godley, The Lehman Trilogy
- Adrian Lester, The Lehman Trilogy
- Sam Rockwell, American Buffalo
Outstanding Actress in a Play
- Betsy Aidem, Prayer for the French Republic
- Stephanie Berry, On Sugarland
- Edie Falco, Morning Sun
- LaChanze, Trouble in Mind
- Debra Messing, Birthday Candles
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
- Chuck Cooper, Trouble in Mind
- Brandon J. Dirden, Skeleton Crew
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Take Me Out
- Michael Oberholtzer, Take Me Out
- Austin Pendleton, The Minutes
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
- Chanté Adams, Skeleton Crew
- Uzo Aduba, Clyde's
- Francis Benhamou, Prayer for the French Republic
- Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew
- Nancy Robinette, Prayer for the French Republic
Outstanding Solo Performance
- Alex Edelman, Just For Us
- Jenn Murray, A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing
- Arturo Luís Soria, Ni Mi Madre
- Kristina Wong, Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord
Outstanding Director of a Play
- Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
- Scott Ellis, Take Me Out
- Sam Mendes, The Lehman Trilogy
- Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Skeleton Crew
- Anna D. Shapiro, The Minutes
Outstanding Director of a Musical
- Warren Carlyle, Harmony
- Moisés Kaufman, Paradise Square
- Jessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo
- Christopher Wheeldon, MJ the Musical
- Jerry Zaks, Mrs. Doubtfire
Outstanding Choreography
- Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
- Warren Carlyle, Harmony
- Warren Carlyle, The Music Man
- Bill T. Jones, Alex Sanchez, Garrett Coleman, and Jason Oremus, Paradise Square
- Christopher Wheeldon and Rich + Tone Talauega, MJ the Musical
Outstanding Book of a Musical
- Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, and Babaloo Mandel, Mr. Saturday Night
- Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell, Mrs. Doubtfire
- David Lindsay-Abaire, Kimberly Akimbo
- Lynn Nottage, Intimate Apparel
- Bruce Sussman, Harmony
Outstanding Score
- Jason Howland, Nathan Tysen, and Masi Asare, Paradise Square
- Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, Mrs. Doubtfire
- Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, Harmony
- Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, Six
- Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire, Kimberly Akimbo
Outstanding Orchestrations
- John Clancy, Kimberly Akimbo
- David Holcenberg and Jason Michael Webb, MJ the Musical
- Greg Jarrett, Assassins
- Jason Howland, Paradise Square
- Doug Walter, Harmony
Outstanding Scenic Design (Play or Musical)
- Beowulf Boritt, Flying Over Sunset
- Es Devlin, The Lehman Trilogy
- Scott Pask, American Buffalo
- Adam Rigg, The Skin of Our Teeth
- David Zinn, The Minutes
Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical)
- Jane Greenwood, Plaza Suite
- Santo Loquasto, The Music Man
- Gabriella Slade, Six
- Emilio Sosa, Trouble in Mind
- Catherine Zuber, Mrs. Doubtfire
Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical)
- Jon Clark, The Lehman Trilogy
- Natasha Katz, MJ the Musical
- Bradley King, Flying Over Sunset
- Brian MacDevitt, The Minutes
- Jen Schreiver, Lackawanna Blues
Outstanding Sound Design (Play or Musical)
- Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey, The Lehman Trilogy
- André Pluess, The Minutes
- Ben and Max Ringham, Blindness
- Dan Moses Schreier, Harmony
- Matt Stine, Assassins
Outstanding Video/Projection Design (Play or Musical)
- 59 Productions and Benjamin Pearcy, Flying Over Sunset
- Stefania Bulbarella and Alex Basco Koch, Space Dogs
- Shawn Duan, Letters of Suresh
- Luke Halls, The Lehman Trilogy
- Jeff Sugg, Mr. Saturday Night
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