Wednesday, April 5, 2023

2023 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations Announced

Titaníque (c) Emilio Madrid


The nominations for the 2023 Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway were announced today with Wolf Play receiving the most nominations with six and then four productions with five nominations each: A Case for the Existence of God, Endgame, Epiphany and Titaníque. Ryan J. Haddad received the most individual nominations for Lead Performance and writing Dark Disabled Stories as well as a Featured Performance for american (tele)visions. 


The Lucille Lortel Awards, which benefits the Entertainment Community Fund, are also handing out a Lifetime Achievement Award to actor Stephen McKinley Henderson, Inducting Ntozake Shange to the Playwrights’ Sidewalk outside of the Lucille Lortel Theater, and a special award for Body of Work to A.R.T./New York, The awards will be handed out on May 7, 2023 with tickets on sale to the public on Friday. 


On a personal note, I've been on the Awards Committee of the Lortel Awards for the last six years. I am taking the next year off. It has been an honor to be a part of this prestigious award, presented by the Lucille Lortel Theater and the Off-Broadway League. From the many years of over 90 productions to see as well as the unprecedented pandemic year with no productions, these last six years with five actual award ceremonies has been quite the adventure. I thank everyone who made this happen and kept me sane during the busy periods. 


The Lucille Lortel Award Nominations for 2022-2023 



A Case for the Existence of God (c) Emilio Madrid


Outstanding Play 

A Case for the Existence of God by Samuel D. Hunter 
Produced by Signature Theatre 


Dark Disabled Stories by Ryan J. Haddad  
Produced by The Bushwick Starr, presented by The Public Theater 


Downstate by Bruce Norris  
Produced by Playwrights Horizons 
 
Epiphany by Brian Watkins  
Produced by Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3 


Wolf Play by Hansol Jung  
Produced by MCC Theater, a Soho Rep production, in collaboration with Ma-Yi Theater Company



Outstanding Musical 

Dreaming Zenzile by Somi Kakoma
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop & National Black Theatre  


Harmony Music by Barry Manilow, Book and Lyrics by Bruce Sussman  
Produced by National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene in association with Ken Davenport & Sandi Moran, Garry C. Kief, Amuse Inc., Patty Baker, Tom & Michael D’Angora, Susan DuBow, Michelle Kaplan, Mapleseed Productions, Harold Matzner and Neil Gooding Productions 


SUFFS by Shaina Taub 
Produced by The Public Theater  


Titaníque  by Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue
Produced by Eva Price, James L. Nederlander, Diamond Dog Entertainment LLC, Benj Pasek, Blumenthal Performing Arts, Penny Rousouli, Jodi & Howard Tenenbaum, Philip Byron, Marcia Ellis, Iris Smith, Stellar Live, Inc. 


Weightless by The Kilbanes 
Produced by WP Theater 



Outstanding Revival 

A Bright New Boise by Samuel D. Hunter 
Produced by Signature Theatre 


Endgame by Samuel Beckett 
Produced by Irish Repertory Theatre Company 

A Man of No Importance Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens 
Produced by Classic Stage Company 

Merrily We Roll Along by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop  

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry 
Produced by The Public Theater 



Wolf Play (c) Julieta Cervantes

Outstanding Director 

Zi Alikhan, On That Day in Amsterdam 
David Cromer, A Case for the Existence of God 
Robert O'Hara, A Raisin in the Sun 
Whitney White, soft 
Dustin Wills, Wolf Play 


Outstanding Choreographer 

Andy Blankenbuehler, Only Gold 
Warren Carlyle, Harmony 
Edgar Godineaux, The Harder They Come 
Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots 
Ellenore Scott, Titaníque 


Epiphany (c) Jeremy Daniel


Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play 

Kyle Beltran, A Case For the Existence of God 
Marylouise Burke, Epiphany 
K. Todd Freeman, Downstate 
Ryan J. Haddad, Dark Disabled Stories 
Bill Irwin, Endgame 
Tonya Pinkins, A Raisin in the Sun 
John Douglas Thompson, Endgame
 


Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play 

Mia Barron, The Coast Starlight 
Susanna Guzman, Downstate 
Ryan J. Haddad, american (tele)visions 
Dickie Hearts, Dark Disabled Stories 
Patrice Johnson Chevannes, Endgame 
Maureen Sebastian, The Best We Could (a family tragedy) 
Eddie Torres, Downstate 


Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical 

Nicholas Barasch, The Butcher Boy 
Callum Francis, Kinky Boots 
Natey Jones, The Harder They Come 
Somi Kakoma, Dreaming Zenzile 
Lindsay Mendez, Merrily We Roll Along 
Marla Mindelle, Titaníque 
Jim Parsons, A Man of No Importance 


Merrily We Roll Along (c) Joan Marcus


Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical 

Krystal Joy Brown, Merrily We Roll Along 
Darren Goldstein, The Bedwetter 
Nikki M. James, SUFFS 
Jacob Ming-Trent, The Harder They Come 
John Riddle, Titaníque 
Reg Rogers, Merrily We Roll Along 
A.J. Shively, A Man of No Importance 




Outstanding Ensemble 

The Nosebleed

Drae Campbell, Ashil Lee, Chris Manley, Aya Ogawa, Saori Tsukada, Kaili Y. Turner

soft 

Leon Addison Brown, Biko Eisen-Martin, Dharon Jones, Essence Lotus, Travis Raeburn, Shakur Tolliver, Dario Vazquez, Ed Ventura 


Wolf Play 

Christopher Bannow, Esco Jouléy, Brian Quijada, Nicole Villamil, Mitchell Winter



Outstanding Scenic Design 

John Lee Beatty, Epiphany 
You-Shin Chen, Wolf Play 
dots, You Will Get Sick 
Arnulfo Maldonado, A Case for the Existence of God 
Clint Ramos, The Far Country 


Outstanding Costume Design 

Enver Chakartash, THE TREES 
Sarah Laux, Wish You Were Here 
Orla Long, Endgame 
Qween Jean, soft 
Alejo Vietti, Titaníque 


On That Day in Amsterdam (c) Carol Rosegg


Outstanding Lighting Design 

Isabella Byrd, Epiphany 
Jiyoun Chang, The Far Country 
Tyler Micoleau, A Case for the Existence of God 
Barbara Samuels, Wolf Play 
Cha See, On That Day in Amsterdam 


Outstanding Sound Design 

Mikhail Fiksel, How To Defend Yourself 
Daniel Kluger, Epiphany 
Kate Marvin, Wolf Play 
Theater Mitu, american (tele)visions 
Sinan Refik Zafar, LETTERS FROM MAX, a ritual 


Dark Disabled Stories (c) Joan Marcus


Outstanding Projection Design 

Alex Basco Koch, The Orchard 
Yee Eun Nam, ONCE UPON A (korean) TIME 
Kameron Neal, Dark Disabled Stories 
Theater Mitu, american (tele)visions 
S Katy Tucker, LETTERS FROM MAX, a ritual 


Honorary Awards 

Lifetime Achievement Award: Stephen McKinley Henderson 
Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee: Ntozake Shange 
Body of Work: A.R.T./New York 


Nomination count per production: 

Wolf Play - 6 
A Case for the Existence of God - 5 
Endgame - 5 
Epiphany - 5 
Titaníque -5 
Dark Disabled Stories - 4 
Downstate - 4 
Merrily We Roll Along - 4 
american (tele)visions - 3 
The Harder They Come - 3 
A Man of No Importance - 3 
A Raisin in the Sun - 3 
soft - 3 
Dreaming Zenzile - 2 
The Far Country - 2 
Harmony - 2 
Kinky Boots - 2 
LETTERS FROM MAX, a ritual - 2 
On That Day in Amsterdam - 2



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