Dead Outlaw and Outsiders Are Insiders in DD Noms

Dead Outlaw received the most
Drama Desk noms with 11.
Credit: Matthew Murphy

Dead Outlaw, the Off-Broadway musical about the mummified corpse of a small-time crook, continues to dominate theater award season, racking up 11 Drama Desk Award nominations which were announced on Mon. April 29 by Kathleen Turner on WNBC's New York Live hosted by Sara Gore. Among Broadway shows, The Outsiders, the new musical based on SE Hinton's classic YA novel about restless youths in 1967 Tulsa, Oklahoma received the most nominations with 9. Unlike the Broadway-only Tony Awards, the DDs consider Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway productions equally in multiple categories. The awards will be voted on by the Drama Desk membership composed of about 100 theater critics, journalists, editors and published, and will presented on June 10 in a ceremony at NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. (On the same day, Bebe Neuwirth read the nominees for the Chita Rivera Awards for dance in theater and film. That will be covered in a separate blog post.)

Last year the Drama Desk, as well as the Outer Critics and the Lortels, eliminated gender-specific categories for performers because of the increasing number of openly non-binary actors. There are double the number of nominees in each of the acting categories with two winners in each. If there is a tie, there may be additional winners. 

In determining the eligibility of productions with runs in prior seasons, the nominating committee considered only those elements that constituted new work. These productions included Appropriate, Cross That River, Gutenberg! The Musical!, Harmony, Here Lies Love, Just For Us, Mary Jane, Prayer for the French Republic, Public Obscenities, Suffs, and Sunset Baby.

Productions deemed not eligible, either because they were considered in their entirety in prior seasons or because they did not invite awards consideration in the current season, included Danny and the Deep Blue Sea , Here We Are, Merrily We Roll Along , The Animal Kingdom , The White Chip , and Walk on Through: Confessions of a Museum Novice.

Lizard Boy is nominated for
Outstanding Musical.
Credit: Billy Bustamante

There were a few unusual choices, which is not unusual for the Drama Desks. The all-star Lincoln Center revival of Uncle Vanya was ignored, but the Off-Broadway production of Vanya was nominated for three awards. Lizard Boy, a musical from 2015 which made its Off-Broadway debut last summer in a brief run on Theater Row, was nominated for 3 awards including Outstanding Musical along with Broadway shows Illinoise and The Outsiders and Off-Broadway's Dead Outlaw, Teeth and The Connector.

The Drama Desk Nominating Committee consists of Martha Wade Steketee (Chair; freelance: UrbanExcavations.com); Linda Armstrong (New York Amsterdam News); Daniel Dinero (Theatre is Easy); Peter Filichia (Broadway Radio); Kenji Fujishima (freelance: Theatermania); Margaret Hall (Playbill); and Charles Wright (ex officio)

A complete list of Drama Desk nominations and Special awards follows:

Outstanding Play

Infinite Life, by Annie Baker
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, by Jocelyn Bish
Mother Play, by Paula Vogel
Stereophonic, by David Adjmi
Swing State, by Rebecca Gilman
The Ally, by Itamar Moses

Outstanding Musical
Dead Outlaw
Illinoise
Lizard Boy
Teeth
The Connector
The Outsiders

Outstanding Revival of a Play
Appropriate
Doubt: A Parable
Philadelphia, Here I Come!
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Uncle Vanya (Off-Broadway)

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Gutenberg! The Musical!
I Can Get It for You Wholesale

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play
Nicole Cooper, Macbeth (an undoing)
William Jackson Harper, Primary Trust
Jessica Lange, Mother Play
Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane
Tobias Menzies, The Hunt
Leslie Odom, Jr., Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Sarah Paulson, Appropriate
A.J. Shively, Philadelphia, Here I Come!
Juliet Stevenson, The Doctor
Michael Stuhlbarg, Patriots

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical
Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw
Santino Fontana, I Can Get It for You Wholesale
Brody Grant, The Outsiders
Brian d’Arcy James, Days of Wine and Roses
Maleah Joi Moon, Hell’s Kitchen
Kelli O’Hara, Days of Wine and Roses
Liam Pearce, How to Dance in Ohio
Gayle Rankin, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Ben Levi Ross, The Connector
Ricky Ubeda, Illinoise

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play
Brittany Adebumola, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Marylouise Burke, Infinite Life
Michael Esper, Appropriate
Marin Ireland, Uncle Vanya (Off-Broadway)
Will Keen, Patriots
Celia Keenan-Bolger, Mother Play
Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary!
Sheila Tousey, Manahatta
Bubba Weiler, Swing State
Kara Young, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical
Shoshana Bean, Hell’s Kitchen
Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club
Dorian Harewood, The Notebook
Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Monty Python’s Spamalot
Kecia Lewis, Hell’s Kitchen
Bebe Neuwirth, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Steven Pasquale, Teeth
Maryann Plunkett, The Notebook
Thom Sesma, Dead Outlaw
Emily Skinner, Suffs

Outstanding Direction of a Play
Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic
Rupert Goold, The Hunt
Kenny Leon, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Lila Neugebauer, Appropriate
Ciarán O’Reilly, Philadelphia, Here I Come!

Outstanding Direction of a Musical
David Cromer, Dead Outlaw
Rebecca Frecknall, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Daisy Prince, The Connector
Jessica Stone, Water for Elephants
Danya Taymor, The Outsiders

Outstanding Choreography
Camille A. Brown, Hell’s Kitchen
Graciela Daniele and Alex Sanchez, The Gardens of Anuncia
Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman, The Outsiders
Lorin Latarro, The Heart of Rock and Roll
Justin Peck, Illinoise
Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, Water for Elephants

Outstanding Music
Jason Robert Brown, The Connector
Justin Huertas, Lizard Boy
Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, The Outsiders
Shaina Taub, Suffs
David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, Dead Outlaw

Outstanding Lyrics
Rachel Bloom, Eli Bolin, and Jack Dolgen, Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Show
Jason Robert Brown, The Connector
Michael R. Jackson, Teeth
Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, The Outsiders
David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, Dead Outlaw

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Justin Huertas, Lizard Boy
Michael R. Jackson and Anna K. Jacobs, Teeth
Michael John LaChiusa, The Gardens of Anuncia
Rebekah Greer Melocik, How to Dance in Ohio
Itamar Moses, Dead Outlaw

Outstanding Orchestrations
Timo Andres, Illinoise
Will Butler and Justin Craig, Stereophonic
Andy Evan Cohen, The Greatest Hits Down Route 66
Marco Paguia, Buena Vista Social Club
Erik Della Penna, Dean Sharenow, and David Yazbek, Dead Outlaw
Michael Starobin, Shaina Taub (vocal arrangements), and Andrea Grody (vocal arrangements), Suffs

Outstanding Music in a Play
Michael “Mikey J” Asante, The Effect
S T A R R Busby and JJJJJerome Ellis, (pray)
Will Butler, Stereophonic
Dionne McClain-Freeney, The Harriet Holland Social Club Presents The 84th Annual Star-Burst Cotillion in the Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel
Ben Steinfeld, Pericles

Outstanding Revue
Amid Falling Walls

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play
Es Devlin, The Hunt
dots, Appropriate
Derek McLane, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Scott Pask, Grey House
David Zinn, Stereophonic

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical
AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian, The Outsiders
Paul Tate dePoo III, The Great Gatsby
Riccardo Hernández, Suffs
Arnulfo Maldonado, Dead Outlaw
Grace Smart, Good Vibrations: A Punk Rock Musical

Outstanding Costume Design of a Play
Alex Berry, Macbeth (an undoing)
Karen Boyer, Warrior Sisters of Wu
Enver Chakartash, Stereophonic
Lux Haac, Manahatta
Rodrigo Muñoz, Sally & Tom

Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical
Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club
Márion Talán de la Rosa, The Connector
Loren Elstein, Once Upon a One More Time
David Israel Reynoso, Water for Elephants
Paul Tazewell, Suffs

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play
Jane Cox, Appropriate
Stacey Derosier, Uncle Vanya (Off-Broadway)
Natasha Katz, Grey House
Lizzie Powell, Macbeth (an undoing)
Eric Southern, Swing State

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical
Lap Chi Chu, Suffs
Heather Gilbert, Dead Outlaw
Bradley King, Water for Elephants
Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim, The Outsiders
Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, The Connector

Outstanding Projection and Video Design
Eric Dunlap, Our Class
Jared Mezzocchi, Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy
Peter Nigrini, Hell’s Kitchen
Olivia Sebesky, Melissa Etheridge: My Window
Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, The Connector

Outstanding Sound Design of a Play
Adam Cork, The Hunt
Tom Gibbons, Grey House
Palmer Hefferan, The Comeuppance
Bray Poor and Will Pickens, Appropriate
Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic

Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical
Jason Crystal, Suffs
Kai Harada and Joshua Millican, Dead Outlaw
Nick Lidster for Autograph, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Cody Spencer, The Outsiders
Walter Trarbach, Water for Elephants

Outstanding Wig and Hair
J. Jared Janas and Cassie Williams, Sally & Tom
Charles G. LaPointe, Suffs
Nikiya Mathis, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Nikiya Mathis, The Harriet Holland Social Club Presents The 84th Annual Star-Burst Cotillion in the Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel
Robert Pickens and Katie Gell, Stereophonic (Broadway)

Outstanding Solo Performance
Michael Cruz Kayne, Sorry for Your Loss
Madeleine MacMahon, Breathless
Wade McCollum, Make Me Gorgeous!
Robert Montano, SMALL
Patrick Page, All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain

Unique Theatrical Experience
A Eulogy for Roman
A Simulacrum
ADRIFT: A Medieval Wayward Folly
I Love You So Much I Could Die
Grenfell: in the words of survivors

Outstanding Fight Choreography
Michael G. Chin, Warrior Sisters of Wu
Cha Ramos, Water for Elephants
Steve Rankin, The Who’s Tommy

Outstanding Adaptation
Amy Herzog, An Enemy of the People, by Amy Herzog
Zinnie Harris, Macbeth (an undoing), by Zinnie Harris
Rebecca Martínez and Julián Mesri, The Comedy of Errors
Robert Icke, The Doctor
David Farr, The Hunt
Romina Paula, The Whole of Time, by Romina Paula

Outstanding Puppetry
Matt Acheson, Hotel Happy
Adrian Kohler and Handspring Puppet Company, Life & Times of Michael K
Ray Wetmore, JR Goodman, and Camille Labarre, Water for Elephants
David Valentine, Poor Yella Rednecks

Ensemble Award
The cast of Stereophonic—Will Brill, Andrew R. Butler, Juliana Canfield, Eli Gelb, Tom Pecinka, Sarah Pidgeon, and Chris Stack—who execute David Adjmi’s hypernaturalistic text with extraordinary care and precision, while also performing Will Butler’s music with the freshness and life that makes us believe we are witnessing, first-hand, the creation of a new American classic.

Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award
Cole Escola, who both wrote and stars in one of this season’s biggest hits Off Broadway, Oh, Mary! Following in the long legacy of queer artists who write themselves into American history, Escola’s new “gay fantasia on national themes” is a hilarious reminder of why we must continue to interrogate our past.

Additional Special Awards
How to Dance in Ohio Authentic Autistic Representation Team—Sammi Cannold, Nicole D’Angelo, Becky Leifman, Ava Xiao-Lin Rigelhaupt, Liz Weber, and Jeremy Wein—for their steadfast support of autistic theatremakers, and their strides toward true accessibility for neurodiverse individuals both on and offstage.

Lighting designer Isabella Byrd, whose self-described technique as a “darkness designer” has earned her a cache of nominations and awards in the United States and abroad. During this season, Byrd illuminated two Broadway shows done in the round, An Enemy of the People and Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. Off-Broadway, her spotlight on quiet, small-scale stories both enchanted us in Primary Trust and mesmerized us in Infinite Life, with a parking-lot sky that marked the passage of time

Lady Irene Gandy, for career achievement. A press agent extraordinaire for over five decades, Lady Irene has always demonstrated her passion, dedication, and love for theatre. A Broadway producer and Sardi’s honoree, she is a zealous advocate for inclusion, diversity, and equity in the arts.