Theatre News

Jerusalem & War Horse Lead UK Tony Nominees

The Royal Court’s Jerusalem starring Mark Rylance has been nominated for six Tony Awards whilst the National Theatre and Handspring Puppet Company’s production of War Horse has been nominated in five categories, leading the field of West End transfers on Broadway. The London exports will go head to head in the Best Play category at Tony Awards ceremony on 12 June 2011.

The London-originated production of Sister Act also received five nods, including a nomination for Whatsonstage.com Award-winner Patina Miller for Best Leading Actress and a nomination in the hotly contested Best Musical category.

Sonia Friedman‘s production of Arcadia, which has been recast since its 2009 run at London’s Duke of York’s Theatre, is nominated in two categories, as is her production of David Hirson‘s La Bête which transferred to New York following a production at the Comedy Theatre last year.

There are also two nominations for Kneehigh Theatre’s Brief Encounter, which played a critically acclaimed run in a Haymarket cinema in 2008, including a Best Actress in a Play nomination for Hannah Yelland.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert, which premiered in its native Australia before opening in the West End in March 2009 received only two Tony Award nominations, one for its leading man Adam Sheldon and the other for costume designers Tim Chappel and Lizzie Gardiner. In spite of going head to head with Sister Act at last year’s Whatsonstage.com Awards, the nominating committee appear to have somewhat snubbed the show – Sister Act going on to pick up five Tony nominations.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying led by Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe receives eight nominations including being one of only two musicals nominated in the Best Revival category.

Other British talent who will have their fingers crossed at the 65th annual awards include Mackenzie Crook who is nominated in the Best Featured Actor in a Play category for his appearance alongside Mark Rylance in Jerusalem; Adam Godley for Best Featured actor in a Musical for his performance in the Broadway revival of Anything Goes; Joanna Lumley as Best Featured Actress in a Play in the West End transfer of La Bête; and Vanessa Redgrave who is nominated for the Leading Role in a Play for role in Driving Miss Daisy.

British creatives nominated include War Horse directors Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris; scenic designers Rae Smith and Ultz for War Horse and Jerusalem respectively; Mark Thompson for his costume designs for La Bête; lighting designer Paule Constable for War Horse; and Ian Dickinson for Autograph for the sound design on Jerusalem.

The creators of War Horse, South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company will also be honoured with a Special Tony Award for their puppet design at the Beacon Theatre ceremony on 12 June.

Elsewhere this year’s nominations were dominated by satirical musical The Book of Mormon, created by South Park‘s Trey Parker and Matt Stone with 14 nominations and Kander and Ebb’s The Scottsboro Boys which, with 12 nominations, is thought to be the most nominated show to have closed prior to the Tony ceremony.


A full list of nominees for the 2011 Tony Awards, presented by the Broadway League and American Theatre Wing.

Best Play
Good People Author: David Lindsay-Abaire
Jerusalem Author: Jez Butterworth
The Motherf**ker with the Hat Author: Stephen Adly Guirgis
War Horse Author: Nick Stafford
 
Best Musical
The Book of Mormon  
Catch Me If You Can  
The Scottsboro Boys  
Sister Act  
 
Best Book of a Musical
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Alex Timbers
The Book of Mormon Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys David Thompson
Sister Act Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Book of Mormon Music & Lyrics: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys Music & Lyrics: John Kander and Fred Ebb
Sister Act Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Glenn Slater
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek
 
Best Revival of a Play
Arcadia  
The Importance of Being Earnest  
The Merchant of Venice  
The Normal Heart  

Best Revival of a Musical
Anything Goes  
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

 
 
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Brian Bedford The Importance of Being Earnest
Bobby Cannavale The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Joe Mantello The Normal Heart
Al Pacino The Merchant of Venice
Mark Rylance Jerusalem
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nina Arianda Born Yesterday
Frances McDormand Good People
Lily Rabe The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland Brief Encounter

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz Catch Me If You Can
Josh Gad The Book of Mormon
Joshua Henry The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Rannells The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sutton Foster Anything Goes
Beth Leavel Baby It’s You!
Patina Miller Sister Act
Donna Murphy The People in the Picture

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Mackenzie Crook Jerusalem
Billy Crudup Arcadia
John Benjamin Hickey The Normal Heart
Arian Moayed Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Yul Vázquez The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Ellen Barkin The Normal Heart
Edie Falco The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light Lombardi
Joanna Lumley La Bête
Elizabeth Rodriguez The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Colman Domingo The Scottsboro Boys
Adam Godley Anything Goes
John Larroquette How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Forrest McClendon The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O’Malley The Book of Mormon

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Laura Benanti Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark Sister Act
Nikki M. James The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Best Direction of a Play
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris War Horse
Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe The Normal Heart
Anna D. Shapiro The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Daniel Sullivan The Merchant of Venice

Best Direction of a Musical
Rob Ashford How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman The Scottsboro Boys

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman The Scottsboro Boys

Best Orchestrations
Doug Besterman How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Larry Hochman The Scottsboro Boys
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus The Book of Mormon
Marc Shaiman & Larry Blank Catch Me If You Can

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Todd Rosenthal The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Rae Smith War Horse
Ultz Jerusalem
Mark Wendland The Merchant of Venice

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt The Scottsboro Boys
Derek McLane Anything Goes
Scott Pask The Book of Mormon
Donyale Werle Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Best Costume Design of a Play
Jess Goldstein The Merchant of Venice
Desmond Heeley The Importance of Being Earnest
Mark Thompson La Bête
Catherine Zuber Born Yesterday

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Martin Pakledinaz Anything Goes
Ann Roth The Book of Mormon
Catherine Zuber How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable War Horse
David Lander Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Kenneth Posner The Merchant of Venice
Mimi Jordan Sherin Jerusalem

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ken Billington The Scottsboro Boys
Howell Binkley How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Peter Kaczorowski Anything Goes
Brian MacDevitt The Book of Mormon

Best Sound Design of a Play
Acme Sound Partners & Cricket S. Myers Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Simon Baker Brief Encounter
Ian Dickinson for Autograph Jerusalem
Christopher Shutt War Horse

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski The Scottsboro Boys
Steve Canyon Kennedy Catch Me If You Can
Brian Ronan Anything Goes
Brian Ronan The Book of Mormon

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Athol Fugard
Philip J. Smith

Regional Theatre Tony Award®
Lookingglass Theatre Company (Chicago, Ill.)

Isabelle Stevenson Award
Eve Ensler

Special Tony Award
Handspring Puppet Company

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre
William Berloni
The Drama Book Shop
Sharon Jensen and Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts