Billy Elliot continues US awards haul at Outer Circles
UK export Billy Elliot was the big winner at New York’s 59th Annual Outer Critic Circle Awards, picking up seven prizes, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical.
The show also won for Outstanding New Score (music by Elton John, lyrics by Lee Hall), Direction (Stephen Daldry), Choreography (Peter Darling), Lighting Design (Rick Fisher), Featured Actor (Gregory Jbara) and Featured Actress (Haydn Gwynne, reprising the role she originated in London). The show also received a Special Achievement Award, honoring David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish for their performances in the title role. However Billy Elliot set designer Ian MacNeil and costume designer Nicky Gillibrand both lost out to Tim Hatley, who won for his work on Shrek the Musical in these two categories.
Shrek was the second biggest winner of the night, taking home four awards, including Outstanding Actor and Actress in a Musical (Brian d’Arcy James & Sutton Foster). Foster actually tied in the latter category with Josefina Scaglione in West Side Story.
The critically acclaimed revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s The Norman Conquests picked up two awards, for Outstanding Revival of a Play and for Matthew Warchus’ direction. The show was also given a special award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance. Warchus beat Garry Hines from The Cripple of Inishmaan in the direction category, while Conquests won over both Blithe Spirit and Inishmaan in the Revival race.
Elsewhere, Angela Lansbury won for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for her role in Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit, while Davie Pearse won the Outstanding Featured Actor Award for his work in Inishmaan. These were the only awards these two shows received.
Winning for Best Play was Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage, with cast member Marcia Gay Harden winning for Outstanding Actress. Harden pipped both Janet McTeer and Harrier Walter from Mary Stuart for the win. The Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play went to Geoffrey Rush for Ionesco’s Exit The King. Winning Best Off-Broadway play was Ruined, which recently won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Founded during the 1949-1950 theatre season, the Outer Critics Circle is the official organization of writers on the New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media beyond Broadway.
Full winners for the 2008/09 Outer Critic Circle Awards are as follows:
Outstanding New Broadway Play
God of Carnage
Outstanding New Broadway Musical
Billy Elliot the Musical
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play
Ruined
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical
The Toxic Avenger
Outstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Billy Elliot the Musical
Outstanding Revival Of A Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
The Norman Conquests
Outstanding Revival Of A Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Hair
Outstanding Director Of A Play
Matthew Warchus: The Norman Conquests
Outstanding Director Of A Musical
Stephen Daldry: Billy Elliot the Musical
Outstanding Choreographer
Peter Darling: Billy Elliot the Musical
Outstanding Set Design (Play or Musical)
Tim Hatley: Shrek the Musical
Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical)
Tim Hatley: Shrek the Musical
Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical)
Rick Fisher: Billy Elliot the Musical
Outstanding Actor In A Play
Geoffrey Rush: Exit the King
Outstanding Actress In A Play
Marcia Gay Harden: God of Carnage
Outstanding Actor In A Musical
Brian d’Arcy James: Shrek the Musical
Outstanding Actress In A Musical (Tie)
Sutton Foster: Shrek the Musical
Josefina Scaglione: West Side Story
Outstanding Featured Actor In A Play
David Pearse: The Cripple of Inishmaan
Outstanding Featured Actress In A Play
Angela Lansbury: Blithe Spirit
Outstanding Featured Actor In A Musical
Gregory Jbara: Billy Elliot the Musical
Outstanding Featured Actress In A Musical
Haydn Gwynne: Billy Elliot the Musical
Outstanding Solo Performance
Lorenzo Pisoni: Humor Abuse
Outstanding Ensemble Performance
The Cast of The Norman Conquests - Amelia Bullmore, Jessica Hynes, Stephen Mangan, Ben Miles, Paul Ritter, Amanda Root
John Gassner Award (Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Gina Gionfriddo: Becky Shaw
Special Achievement Award
David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, Kiril Kulish for their performances in Billy Elliot the Musical
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