Lehman Trilogy, Kimberly Akimbo, Harmony Lead Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations

 

The Lehman Trilogy, Harmony and Kimberly Akimbo lead nominations for the The Outer Critics Circle Awards honoring the 2021-2022 Broadway and Off-Broadway season. The Lehman Trilogy, a play, topped the nominations with nine. followed by the Off-Broadway musicals Harmony and Kimberly Akimbo which earned eight nods each. The most recognized Broadway musicals of the season are MJ the Musical and Paradise Square, with seven nominations each. Nominees for the annual John Gassner Award — for a new American play, preferably by a new playwright — are Erika Dickerson-Despenza for Cullud Wattah, Sanaz Toossi for English, Sylvia Khoury for Selling Kabul, Dave Harris for Tambo and Bones and Keenan Scott II for Thoughts of a Colored Man. Returning to an in-person ceremony this spring after the 2020 virtual honors, the Outer Critics Circle Award winners will be announced Monday, May 16, with a ceremony honoring the award recipients on Thursday, May 26 at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. Special Achievement Awards will be presented to How I Learned to Drive stars Johanna Day, David Morse, and Mary-Louise Parker, as well as Lackawanna Blues star Ruben Santiago-Hudson, to mark their outstanding returns to roles they originated two decades ago. Additionally, the Outer Critics Circle presents commendations to two groups whose contributions to the 2021-22 season were immeasurable: the Standbys, Understudies, and Swings, as well as the Covid-19 Safety Officers. "In the spring of 2020, we gathered on Zoom to determine that year's slate of Outer Critics Circle Awards recipients, not knowing when or if we'd ever have the chance to do it again,” said Outer Critics Circle President David Gordon. “We are very grateful to have been able to see more than 100 productions for this year's consideration, and even more appreciative of all the work that it took to bring live performance back to New York City safely. Every single person involved in the 2021-2022 theater season, from onstage and backstage to front of house, should be immensely proud of this accomplishment."

The 2021-2022 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations

Outstanding New Broadway Musical MJ the Musical Mr. Saturday Night Mrs. Doubtfire Paradise Square Six Outstanding New Broadway Play Birthday Candles Clyde's Skeleton Crew The Lehman Trilogy The Minutes Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical Black No More Harmony Intimate Apparel Kimberly Akimbo Little Girl Blue Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play Morning Sun On Sugarland Prayer for the French Republic Sanctuary City The Chinese Lady 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 and Bones by Dave Harris Thoughts of a Colored Man by Keenan Scott II Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) Assassins Caroline, or Change Company The Music Man The Streets of New York 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 Special Achievement Awards are presented to: Johanna Day, David Morse, Mary-Louise Parker, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson for reprising their outstanding performances in How I Learned to Drive and Lackawanna Blues two decades later. All had been eligible in previous seasons. Outer Critics Circle Commendations are presented to: · The Standbys, Understudies, and Swings of the theatrical community who step up to perform, often on hours' notice, to keep their shows running. · To the Covid Safety Supervisors, Managers, and Compliance Officers who put themselves in harm's way eight times a week to keep the curtains up.

Broadway Theater Review: Plaza Suite with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick

Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker in Neil Simon's Plaza Suite (Photo by Joan Marcus)

UPDATE

SARAH JESSICA PARKER TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID TOO. SHOW APRIL 7 IS CANCELLED. CHECK with the Box Iffice for further information on upcoming performances.

Plaza Suite

By Neil Simon

Directed by John Benjamin Hickey

Hudson Theatre

Through June 26, 2022

By Lauren Yarger

Sarah Jessica Parker and real-life husband Matthew Broderick are back together on a Broadway stage for the first time in more than 20 years when they starred in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Sign me up! I wasn't disappointed as the couple has a chance to display their comedic chops in Neil Simon's Plaza Suite getting a limited revival at the Hudson Theatre -- the first revival of the playwright's work since his death in 2018.

Parker and Broderick play three different couples who, during different times in 1968 and 1969, stay in suite 719 at New York's Plaza Hotel (John Lee Beatty's elegant, subtle-toned set design brings applause). Despite hearing complaints that Simon's script is dated, I found that most of the humor holds up and that except for some derogatory comments about women, some decades-old jokes are made funnier by the audience's informed knowledge. Funny is funny, after all, regardless of the time it is experienced -- Simon didn't achieve fame writing more then 30 plays and books for musicals and receive a Pulitzer for nothing -- and both Parker and Broderick don't disappoint either, under the direction of John Benjamin Hickey. 

Parker distinguishes herself as a solid comedic actress, delivering lines with expert timing and delighting with moments of hysterical physical comedy. The depths of feelings of a woman being betrayed by her husband, a woman longing for the love of her youth and a mother facing the reality that her daughter doesn't want to turn out like her all get full development as well.

Broderick, while somewhat more reserved, gets a few moments of physical comedy as well. His being attacked by birds while on a ledge outside the suite's window (thanks to superb lighting by Brian MacDevitt) has the audience roaring. He also transforms from a boring, stuffy character to a nerdy, silly guy with ease. But whereas Parker indwells the humorous characters and lines, Broderick, who incidentally, won his first Tony Award for creating the role of Eugene Jerome in Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs, simply delivers his.

 

Adding some dimension to the action between the couples are additional actors playing visitors who stop by the suite:  In act one, Eric Wiegand and Danny Bolero play a bellhop and waiter, respectively, and Molly Ranson is the secretary having an affair with Broderick's character. Bolero returns as a waiter in act two and in the third act, Ranson is the couple's daughter, reluctant to go through with her wedding to Wiegand's character. A 20-minute intermission separates the first two acts and a brief pause follows the second act.

The play ultimately is a serious study of relationships and not all of them fall on the side of happy, despite Simon's comedic technique. Plaza Suite had been scheduled to open on Broadway in 2020 just days before Covid shut down all of Broadway. And now, just days after returning to open 2022, Broderick is out of the show until April 15 after testing positive for the virus. Understudy Michael McGrath is playing Broderick's roles.

If you are picking and choosing shows this year, add this one to your list, especially if you have a chance to see Parker and Broderick together.  The limited run is scheduled through June 26. Tickets and performance information at plazasuitebroadway.com.

Additional credits:

Jane Greenwood (costume design), Scott Lehrer (sound design),  Marc Shaiman (incidental music).

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:

-- Derogatory terms about women

-- God's name taken in vain

-- Adultery

Theater COVID POLICY:

When you arrive at the Hudson Theatre, guests age 12 and older will need to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated with an FDA or WHO approved COVID-19 vaccine AND present a government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport (guests 12-18 may use a government-issued ID or school ID – no photo required), as well as wear a mask inside unless actively eating or drinking.

“Fully vaccinated” means on the date of the performance a guest is at least 14 days after their second dose of a two dose COVID-19 vaccine OR at least 14 days after their single dose of an approved single dose COVID-19 vaccine.

For international guests, TWO doses of any “mix and match” combination of an FDA or WHO approved COVID-19 vaccine are acceptable.

Guests under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult and provide proof of one of the following:

• • Full vaccination; or
• • A negative COVID-19 PCR test performed by a medical provider within 72 hours of the performance start time. The test results must clearly show the date and time of the test; or
• • A negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test taken within 6 hours of the performance start time. The test results must clearly show the date and time of the test. Tests administered by a medical professional are preferred and will guarantee entry, though over-the-counter, app-base testing kits will be accepted if they clearly provide the date/time of the test results.