Let the award season begin! 

The first set of award nominations are out and there is already controversy and outrage (I love it).  Yesterday the Outer Critics Circle announced their nominees and the show that picked up the most nominations (are you sitting down) is Young Frankenstein.  Yup, that's right.  The show that NO ONE is predicting to get a Tony Award has swept the first set of nominations.  Now, before you go running around screaming that the sky is falling - let's put this in perspective.  The Outer Critics Circle is the awards organization that handed Mary Poppins the most noms last year at this time and I think we remember how that turned out for the flying nanny - not so great.  

The Outer Critics Circle Awards are voted on by a group of journalists that report on theater for "out of town newspapers, national publications and other media beyond Broadway".  It is a very different group than say, the Tony voters or even the Drama Desks.  They also make nominations from both The Broadway and Off-Broadway.  This group will announce the winners on May 12th. 

There are several other omissions and snubs among the nominees (full list below).  The list for Best New Musical leaves off Passing Strange.  One of the shows in contention for a Best Musical Tony is all but shut out here, receiving only one nod for Best Score.  You will also notice that In The Heights is off the list entirely (having been nominated and winning Best Off Broadway Musical last year it was not eligible this year in any category).  Additionally, Glory Days did not open in time for consideration for any Outer Circle Critics Awards.

In the Best Actress in a Play category Amy Morton from August: Osage County has been denied a nomination.  I believe this is the only list she will be left off of.  I expect her to receive nominations from everyone else and I predict her to take home the Tony.  It is a bizarre omission.

In the Best Actress in a Musical category, Alice Ripley slipped in (for her performance in Off-Broadway's Next to Normal at Second Stage) taking a place that might have gone to either Jenna Russell (from Sunday in the Park) or Kerry Butler (from Xanadu).  While Ripley was praised for her work and is deserving, I am not sure she should have beat out these two.

I also fiind the inclusion of Susan Stroman on the Best Director list, a bit odd.  Shouldn't have Sunday in the Park with George's Sam Buntrock picked up a nomination?  His direction of Sondheim's master work has been praised all over town.

Ahhh, but that is what is so fun about awards season.  Once the nominations come out - then we all get to complain and second guess and make predictions and have a grand old time.  Here is the complete list - let me know what you think.  I am dying to know!

Outstanding New Broadway Play
August: Osage County
Rock 'n' Roll
The Seafarer
The 39 Steps

Outstanding New Broadway Musical
A Catered Affair
Cry-Baby The Musical
Xanadu
Young Frankenstein

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play
Dividing the Estate
The Drunken City
From Up Here
The Receptionist

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical
Adding Machine
The Glorious Ones
Make Me a Song-The Music of William Finn
Next to Normal

Outstanding New Score
Adding Machine
Next to Normal
Passing Strange
Young Frankenstein

Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Come Back, Little Sheba
Cyrano de Bergerac
The Homecoming
Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Gypsy
South Pacific
Sunday in the Park with George
Take Me Along

Outstanding Director of a Play
Maria Aitken, The 39 Steps
Rupert Goold, Macbeth
Rufus Norris, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County

Outstanding Director of a Musical
David Cromer, Adding Machine
Arthur Laurents, Gypsy
Bartlett Sher, South Pacific
Susan Stroman, Young Frankenstein

Outstanding Choreographer
Rob Ashford, Cry-Baby The Musical
Graciela Daniele, The Glorious Ones
Christopher Gattelli, South Pacific
Susan Stroman, Young Frankenstein

Outstanding Set Design (Play or Musical)
David Farley, Timothy Bird, Sunday in the Park with George
Scott Pask, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Robin Wagner, Young Frankenstein
Michael Yeargan, South Pacific

Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical)
David Farley, Sunday in the Park with George
Katrina Lindsay, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
William Ivey Long, Young Frankenstein
Jessica Jahn, Michael Bottari and Ronald Case, Die Mommie Die!
Catherine Zuber, South Pacific

Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical)
Kevin Adams, The 39 Steps
Ken Billington, Sunday in the Park with George
Donald Holder, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Peter Kaczorowski, Young Frankenstein

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Kevin Anderson, Come Back Little Sheba
Ben Daniels, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Kevin Kline, Cyrano de Bergerac
Patrick Stewart, Macbeth

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Eve Best, The Homecoming
Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County
Laura Linney, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
S. Epatha Merkerson, Come Back, Little Sheba

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Roger Bart, Young Frankenstein
Daniel Evans, Sunday in the Park with George
Boyd Gaines, Gypsy
Paulo Szot, South Pacific

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Patti LuPone, Gypsy
Kelli O'Hara, South Pacific
Faith Prince, A Catered Affair
Alice Ripley, Next to Normal

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Raul Esparza, The Homecoming
James Earl Jones, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof
Jim Norton, The Seafarer
David Pittu, Is He Dead?

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Jessica Collins, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Jayne Houdyshell, The New Century
Laurie Metcalf, November
Sian Phillips, Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Danny Burstein, South Pacific
Christopher Fitzgerald, Young Frankenstein
Shuler Hensley, Young Frankenstein
Tony Yazbeck, Gypsy

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Laura Benanti, Gypsy
Harriet Harris, Cry-Baby The Musical
Sherie Rene Scott, The Little Mermaid
Amy Warren, Adding Machine

Outstanding Solo Performance
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
Stephen Lang, Beyond Glory
Chazz Palminteri, A Bronx Tale
April Yvette Thompson, Liberty City

John Gassner Award
(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Bob Clyman, Secret Order
Liz Flahive, From Up Here
Michael Hollinger, Opus
George Packer, Betrayed