Outer Critics Circle: 2011 Award winners



The winners of the Outer Critics Circle, the organization of writers and commentators covering New York theater for out-of-town newspapers, were announced on 16 May 2011.

The Award for Outstanding New Broadway Musical was won by 'The Book of Mormon' which also won in three other categories, and the Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or Off-broadway) went to Anything Goes which also won in three other categories. These two shows were the most decorated winners this year, with each winning four Awards each.

Nick Stafford's stage adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's novel 'War Horse' won the coveted Outstanding New Broadway Play AWard, and won in a further two categories, with Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart receivingthe award for Best revival of a play (Broadway or Off-Broadway).

The Lincoln Center's production of Jon Robin Baitz's Other Desert Cities was announced winner of the Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play Award, with The New Groups production of The Kid winning the award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical.

The biggest disappointment of the Awards was for the musical Sister Act which though it received nine nominations, won no awards.

As previously announced, Charles Busch, Julie Halston, Swoosie Kurtz and Brian D'Arcy James will serve as presenters at the organization's 61at Annual Award ceremony on 26 May 2010 at Sardi's Restaurant.

Three Special Achievements Awards were also announced:

  • Ellen Barkin for her Outstanding Broadway Debut in The Normal Heart
  • Adrian Kohler with Basil Jones for Handspring Puppet Company
  • Puppet Design, Fabrication and Direction for War Horse
Celebrating its 61st season of bestowing awards of excellence in the field of theatre, the Outer Critics Circle, is an association with members affiliated with more than ninety newspapers, magazines, web sites, radio and television stations, and theatre publications in America and abroad.

The 2011 Outer Critics Circle winners and nominations are listed below: *Winners are indicated in bold font.

2010 - 2011 nominations by category are:

Outstanding New Broadway Play:

  • Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
  • Good People
  • The Motherf
    ker With the Hat
  • War Horse

  • Outstanding New Broadway Musical:

    • The Book of Mormon
    • Priscilla Queen of the Desert
    • Sister Act
    • Memphis
    • Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

    Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play:

    • Blood From a Stone
    • Kin
    • Other Desert Cities
    • The Other Place

    Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical:

    • Freckleface Strawberry
    • In Transit
    • The Kid
    • Tomorrow Morning

    Outstanding New Score: (Broadway or Off-Broadway

    • The Book of Mormon
    • Catch Me If You Can
    • Sister Act
    • Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

    Outstanding Revival of a Play:
    (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

    • Born Yesterday
    • The Importance of Being Earnest
    • The Merchant of Venice
    • The Normal Heart

    Outstanding Revival of a Musical:
    (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

    • Anything Goes
    • How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
    • Hello Again
    • A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

    Outstanding Director of a Play:

    • Marianne Elliott & Tom Morris; War Horse
    • Emma Rice; Brief Encounter
    • Anna D. Shapiro; The Motherfcker With the Hat
    • Daniel Sullivan; Good People

    • Outstanding Director of a Musical:

      • Rob Ashford; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
      • Kathleen Marshall; Anything Goes
      • Casey Nicholaw & Trey Parker; The Book of Mormon
      • Jerry Zaks; Sister Act

      Outstanding Choreography:

      • Rob Ashford; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
      • Ross Coleman; Priscilla Queen of the Desert
      • Kathleen Marshall; Anything Goes
      • Casey Nicholaw; The Book of Mormon

      Outstanding Set Design:
      (Play or Musical)

      • Desmond Heeley; The Importance of Being Earnest
      • Derek McLane; Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
      • Neil Murray; Brief Encounter
      • Todd Rosenthal; The Motherf
        ker With the Hat

        Outstanding Costume Design:
        (Play or Musical)

        • Lez Brotherston; Sister Act
        • Tim Chappel & Lizzie Gardiner; Priscilla Queen of the Desert
        • Desmond Heeley; The Importance of Being Earnest
        • Lizz Wolf; Baby It's You!

        Outstanding Lighting Design:
        (Play or Musical)

        • Paule Constable; War Horse
        • Natasha Katz; Sister Act
        • David Lander; Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
        • Malcolm Rippeth; Brief Encounter

        Outstanding Actor in a Play:

        • Reed Birney; The Dream of the Burning Boy
        • Bobby Cannavale; The Motherfker With the Hat
        • Joe Mantello; The Normal Heart
        • Al Pacino: The Merchant of Venice
        • Mark Rylance: Jerusalem

        • Outstanding Actress in a Play (tie-win):

          • Nina Arianda; Born Yesterday
          • Edie Falco; The House of Blue Leaves
          • Judith Light; Lombardi
          • Frances McDormand; Good People
          • Laurie Metcalf; The Other Place

          Outstanding Actor in a Musical:

          • Norbert Leo Butz; Catch Me If You Can
          • Josh Gad; The Book of Mormon
          • Daniel Radcliffe; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
          • Tony Sheldon; Priscilla Queen of the Desert
          • Aaron Tveit; Catch Me If You Can

          Outstanding Actress in a Musical:

          • Victoria Clark; Sister Act
          • Sutton Foster; Anything Goes
          • Beth Leavel; Baby It's You!
          • Patina Miller; Sister Act
          • Donna Murphy; The People in the Picture

          Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play:

          • Brian Bedford; The Importance of Being Earnest
          • Evan Jonigkeit; High
          • Stacy Keach; Other Desert Cities
          • Seth Numrich; War Horse
          • Yul Vázquez; The Motherf
            ker With the Hat

            Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play:

            • Renée Elise Goldsberry; Good People
            • Linda Lavin; Other Desert Cities
            • Estelle Parsons; Good People
            • Alison Pill; The House of Blue Leaves
            • Elizabeth Rodriguez; The Motherfker With the Hat

              Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical:

              • Colin Donnell; Anything Goes
              • Adam Godley; Anything Goes
              • Chester Gregory; Sister Act
              • John Larroquette; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
              • John McMartin; Anything Goes

              Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical:

              • Laura Benanti; Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
              • Nikki M. James; The Book of Mormon
              • Patti LuPone; Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
              • Marla Mindelle; Sister Act
              • Laura Osnes; Anything Goes

              Outstanding Solo Performance:

              • Daniel Beaty; Through the Night
              • Mike Birbiglia; My Girlfriend's Boyfriend
              • John Leguizamo; Ghetto Klown
              • Michael Shannon; Mistakes Were Made

              John Gassner Award:
              (Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)

              • Amy Herzog; After the Revolution
              • Matthew Lopez; The Whipping Man
              • David West Read; The Dream of the Burning Boy
              • Kim Rosenstock; Tigers Be Still

              List of Awards by show:

              Anything Goes
              (4 nominations) Outstanding Revival of a Musical
              Outstanding Choreographer
              Outstanding Actress in a Musical
              Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical   The Book of Mormon
              (4 nominations) Outstanding New Broadway Musical
              Outstanding New Score
              Outstanding Director of a Musical
              Outstanding Actor in a Musical   War Horse
              (3 nominations) Outstanding New Broadway Pay
              Outstanding Director of a Play
              Outstanding Lighting Design   Born Yesterday
              (1 nomination) Outstanding Actress in a Play   Brief Encounter
              (1 nomination) Outstanding Set Design   Good People
              (1 nomination) Outstanding Actress in a Play   The Importance of Being Earnest
              (1 nomination) Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play   The Motherf
              ker With the Hat
              (1 nomination) Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play   The Normal Heart
              (1 nomination) Outstanding Revival of a Play   Other Desert Cities
              (1 nomination) Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play   Priscilla Queen of the Desert
              (1 nomination) Outstanding Costume Design   Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
              (1 nomination) Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

              2010-2011 Outer Critics Circle Executive / Nominating Committee: Simon Saltzman (President), Mario Fratti (Vice-President), Patrick Hoffman (Corresponding Secretary), Louis A. Rachow (Treasurer), Glenn Loney (Historian & Member-at-Large), Rosalind Friedman (Recording Secretary) and Aubrey Reuben, Thomás Gentile & Harry Haun (Members-at-Large).

              Outstanding New PlayOutstanding New MusicalAnything Goes (4 nominations)Outstanding Revival of a Musical Outstanding Choreographer Outstanding Actress in a Musical Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical The Book of Mormon (4 nominations)Outstanding New Broadway Musical Outstanding New Score Outstanding Director of a Musical Outstanding Actor in a Musical War Horse (3 nominations)Outstanding New Broadway Pay Outstanding Director of a Play Outstanding Lighting Design Born Yesterday (1 nomination)Outstanding Actress in a Play Brief Encounter (1 nomination)Outstanding Set Design Good People (1 nomination)Outstanding Actress in a Play The Importance of Being Earnest (1 nomination)Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play The Motherf**ker With the Hat (1 nomination)Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play The Normal Heart (1 nomination)Outstanding Revival of a Play Other Desert Cities (1 nomination)Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play Priscilla Queen of the Desert (1 nomination)Outstanding Costume Design Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1 nomination)Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

              Originally published on

              Subscribe to our newsletter to unlock exclusive New York theatre updates!

              Special offers, reviews and release dates for the best shows in town.

              You can unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy