Tuesday, September 08, 2009

9 to 5, the Musical

"9 to 5, The Musical" September 4, 2009 at the Marquis Theatre

Another screen-to-stage adaptation, but using the original screenwriter Patricia Resnick, along with Dolly Parton adding music and lyrics from the 1980 film's title song to flush out the rest of the score.

It's a high energy event, but never seems to find the reason why it was adapted to the stage. Ms. Resnick's book hews close to the original, forcing in a love interest for Violet (Allison Janney) in the form of a junior accountant, adding little to the proceedings.

Ms. Janney, along with Megan Hilty in Dolly's role of Doralee Rhodes and Stephani J. Block as Judy Bernly have a grand time with the flimsy material and forgettable score. Ms. Janney is certainly no singer, but gives Violet what she can. Ms. Hilty and Ms. Block are much more musically successful in their own efforts. Mark Kudisch's Franklin Hart, Jr. is greasy enough to slide across the stage without a shove. (I never realized just how bowlegged he is! He'd be two inches taller if he could put his knees together.)

Scott Pask's sets are a bit overblown, particularly late in the second act when Hart's house becomes a paneled McMansion, even though there have been several scenes in the house already without this bit of scenery. William Ivey Long held true to the period, practically reproducing from the original film.

Andy Blankenbuehler's choreography was frenetic and, surprisingly, sloppy given that the show had been running some 5 months. Director Joe Mantello wasn't able to pull much order out of the weak elements he was given, despite a talented cast.

Saturday, August 08, 2009

Summer Shorts 3 - Series B - 59E59

"Summer Shorts 3 - Series B" at 59E59 Theatre, August 8, 2009

After the disappointment that was the majority of Series A, Series B held up noticeably better, overall.

The four offerings were:
  • Carole Real's "Don't Say Another Word"
  • Keith Reddin's "The Sin Eater"
  • Roger Hedden's "If I Had"
  • William Inge's "The Killing"
Guess which one was the best?

In "Don't Say..." Stephanie D'Abruzzo's Laura carries Any Grotelueschen's Josh for the seven minutes of "reasons to be pretty" NOT written by Neil LaBute. No anger, angst, scheming or outrage - just one scene of a man repeatedly shoving his foot in his mouth while dining with his girlfriend - all fluff and totally inoffensive. Totally.

Mr. Reddin seemed to have lofty hopes for his offering - none of which were even approached. Badly written, badly cast, badly staged and badly acted, the audience suffered through this pointless attempt at Greek tragedy set in a contemporary African-American suburban household. Only Rosalyn Coleman's efforts as the doomed mother came close to presentable. Mr. Reddin has officially updated the trite "Webster's Dictionary says..." to "If you Google revenge..."

Ugh!

The second half offered a bit more to hold one's interest.

Roger Hedden's "If I Had" sets up a bit of class conflict as the landscape maintenance guys Slim (Shane McRae) and Augie (Andy Powers) ponder life in a service class business, while Audrey (Emily Tremaine), the daughter of the homeowners suns herself sipping on an umbrella drink. The dialog is clever and real, though the three scene division felt a bit choppy. Director Billy Hopkins redeems himself here for the unpleasant product of "The Sin Eater" which he also helmed. It's an interesting premise with some things that feel worth exploring.

The final offering is a late one-act from William Inge. Mac (Neal Huff - not naked onstage for the first time I've ever seen him in a play) has brought home Huey (J. J. Kandel) for more than conversation. Huey, who's been around the block a couple of times, thinks it's for "queer stuff" which he's done before because the money was good, but he's wrong. Mr. Huff's Mac is a lonely, miserable Catholic who can't bring himself to commit suicide, so he wants Huey to do the job. Mr. Kandel's Huey finally succumbs to Mac's pleading and answers his wish. Some nice moments here.

Sadly, the two geese in the row in front of me, found such a concept hilarious, tittering and laughing inappropriately throughout. Mr. Inge's play, though not his best, certainly stands head and shoulders above anything else presented on the program and deserved a more serious response.

There could have been one decent night of theatre pulled from the two series.
  • "Don't Say Another Word"
  • "A Second of Pleasure"
  • "If I Had"
  • "The Killing"
Still, credit to Mr. Kandel for producing a couple of vehicles for himself. I'll be interested to see what is on the schedule for next summer.

Friday, August 07, 2009

Summer Shorts 3 - Series A - 59E59

"Summer Shorts 3 - Series A" at 59E59 Theatre, August 7, 2009

In its third season (as indicated by the title of Mr. Pedantic's review here), 59E59 Theatre presents four new one-act pieces including:
  • Nancy Giles' "Things My Afro Taught Me"
  • John Augustine's "Death By Chocolate"
  • Neil LaBute's "A Second of Pleasure"
  • Skip Kennon and Bill Connington's "The Eternal Anniversary"
Ms. Giles' piece (which she also performed) felt like a CBS Sunday Morning feature that went on 10 minutes too long. She's personable and pulls few punches, but the result is an affable, if ineffective, attempt at theatre.

Mr. Augustine's "Death By Chocolate" seems to be a continuation from last year's Summer Shorts offering of "PeopleSpeak." Here we have a recent widow on her 50th birthday with a developing case of agoraphobia, a needling sister-in-law, and an institutionalized twin. Supposedly, hilarity should have resulted.

It didn't.

Mr. LaBute's offering is the most interesting of the four, mainly because it's a contemporary riff on the playlet from Noel Coward's "Tonight at 8:30" which became the film, "Brief Encounter." Margaret Colin and Victor Slezak play the lovers whose affair comes to an unexpected halt on the platform at Grand Central. Ms. Colin is lovely and nuanced, carrying easily through the bumpy transitions. Director Andrew McCarthy did well to not get in the way of such talent. Her performance alone is worth the price of admission (love you, TDF!).

The final piece, a chamber (soap) opera spins a variation on Puccini's "Il Tabarro" with a jealous chef celebrating his 20th wedding anniversary, joined by the ghost of his dead wife, whom he poisoned after suspecting her of infidelity. She ends his torture once he discovers her note explaining her absence at the time, poisoning him with his own food. The score was lovely and interesting, but the book was particularly weak, cramming too much plot and exposition into a 20 minute scene.

I'll be seeing Series B on Saturday - wish me luck!

Saturday, August 01, 2009

Sweet Storm


"Sweet Storm" presented by LABrinth Theater Company at the Kirk Theatre in Theatre Row, August 1, 2009

On an early September night in 1960 in Lithia Springs, Florida, Bo (Eric T. Miller) brings his new bride Ruthie (Jamie Dunn) to the tree house he's built for their wedding night and filled with gardenias. He's as sweet, simple and thoughtful as he can possibly be. Eager to please to a fault, this young preacher only wants to start his new life with the love of his life. This new play by Scott Hudson is his first effort and shows promise.

Ruthie brings more baggage than just her suitcase to the proceedings. Inexplicably paraplegic, she's more than fearful of what her future will hold. Bo's tree house is only the first of several romantic surprises, but her fears prohibit her from appreciating them, and him.

As Ruthie, Ms. Dunn has moments of truth, but those are only scattered through her performance. I really wanted to like her character more, but her and her character's choices prevented that, more often than not. Much of the time, it was unclear why Bo was so drawn to her and often seemed that he didn't really know all that much about her despite having been seeing each other for over a year.

Mr. Miller's Bo, so painfully earnest, good-hearted and good-looking, carries the evening, just as he (literally and figuratively) carries Ms. Dunn. His Bo is much like the Bo from "Bus Stop" but with much more depth of feeling and thoughtfulness. The tree house is built in the tree that he and Ruthie had climbed together a year before, on the spot in that tree where they shared their first kiss.

Director Padraic Lillis manages well with the slightly clunky script, keeping things moving and somehow managing to work through not one, but two, moments with Ruthie on a bedpan. Mr. Hudson works in some interesting points about maintaining faith in a crisis as Bo tries to help Ruthie come to terms with her disability. Lea Umberger's platform set is a nice mix of textures of real and faux.

Vanities, A New Musical


"Vanities, A New Musical" at Second Stage Theatre, July 31, 2009

Sometimes, it's a great idea to turn a really good play into a musical. Think "Mame" or "My Fair Lady" for example.

Then, there's the musicalization of "Vanities" with the book by Jack Heifner, the original playwright. By adding a fourth vignette to the story, he sets the piece as a memory play. For me, this made for an awkward opening as the three women enter as adults then start changing clothes in the middle of the opening number, reverting to high school. (Spoiler alert)

From that point to the end of the third scene, Mr. Heifner stays true to the original concept. The new ending brings a contrived tidiness to wrap up the show with the three friends walking off together into the sunset (literally).

Anneliese Van Der Pol's Kathy gets stuck with the heavy lifting of telling the story, without revealing much of herself. Kathy goes from head cheerleader, to sorority leader, to mysteriously living in a "friend's" NYC penthouse with no apparent means of support. Other than seeing she can't really find a purpose in her life, Mr. Heifner never really tells us why she's lost her way. She's a strong singer who could have used better songs.

Lauren Kennedy's Mary doesn't quite hit the mark and feels miscast. Her arc from flippant to bitchy is more annoying than interesting. It's too bad she didn't take better advantage of her slightly better drawn character.

Sarah Stiles is most successful as the prim Joanne. It isn't until the third scene that she really shines. It's a big funny number and about the only one that really adds to the show.

Musically, the generic score and greeting card lyrics by David Kirshenbaum don't do what they should in a musical - either expand a moment, or further the plot.

Kudos to Anna Louizos for the elaborate sets and Joseph G. Aulisi's costumes, carrying us from 1963 to 1980 (or thereabout).

Director Judith Ivey seems to have done as much as she can to overcome the weaknesses in the cast and material, keeping things apace for the 100 minute, intermissionless production. I can't help but wonder what might have been different had this production made it to Broadway as originally intended. Second Stage has had good luck with transfers ("Little Dog Laughed" "Metapmorphoses"), but I don't think this will be another one for them.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Six Across


"Six Across" at the Hudson Guild Theater, presented by the Fresh Fruit Festival, July 16, 2009

Not a review, but a quick congratulations to my friend Daniel Koenig on his first play, presented as part of the 2009 Fresh Fruit Festival.

Much promise for a freshman effort - I'm hoping for a role in his next opus.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

The Toxic Avenger

The Toxic Avenger at New World Stages, April 29, 2009

(photo by Carol Rosegg)




















This Troma-ville tale of "La Belle et La Bete,"
Has a loud, hard-rock score you'll likely forget.
The Mayor, played balls to the wall by Miss Nancy
Opel, whose comedy can't be called fancy.

The lyrics are creaky (they mention geranium,
then not-so subtly rhyme it with cranium.)
The sets are inventive, encroaching the stage
Though the volume of sound sends you into a rage.

The cast, in support, work hard, but a few
like Demond Green's "Black Dude" rise above this stage stew.
Mr. Rando's direction, both broad and a bit coarse
Is pretty much faithful to Troma, his source.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Things of Dry Hours

"Things of Dry Hours" at New York Theatre Workshop, May 29, 2009

Writing a play about a political concept can be quite a challenge. Naomi Wallace's Things of Dry Hours is at times sadly like its title and at other times a compelling look at people searching. Tice Hogan, (Delroy Lindo) an unemployed Sunday School teacher and member of the Communist Party in Alabama in 1932 is widowed, living with his also widowed daughter Cali (Roslyn Ruff). She cynically doesn't share his political hope that Communism could right the wrongs of the south during the Depression Era, working as a laundress for the rich white folks in town. Corbin Teel (Garret Dillahunt) a white man, appears on their doorstep one night, blackmailing his way in to hide for possibly killing his foreman at the foundry. (Spoiler Alert)

Ms. Wallace complicates the structure with a nonsensical opening monologue from Tice (which never seemed to connect to the rest of the show), bringing back that kind of direct address not once, but three more times when exposition seemed necessary. Each time, the speeches felt disjointed and forced into the proceedings. Act I spent most (and a lot) of the time with the three characters stalking around each other, waiting for someone to draw a line in the sand, but not providing much plot advancement. Tice undertakes to groom Corbin as a spokesman for the Party, but Corbin is not so willing to jump into that fire. Cali watches from the sidelines, until Corbin turns his affection toward her. She stops him in his tracks and immediately takes the power position.

It's not until Act II that the play gets interesting, and not for very long at that. After Corbin's latest failed attempt to seduce or manhandle Cali into bed, we learn that she and Tice are actually competing for Corbin's attentions. Then Ms. Wallace tosses in a couple of oddly timed plot twists and before you know it, Corbin is dead. This exercise with Corbin has energized both Tice and Cali to rejoin the world.

Mr. Lindo's Tice is a self-educated man, balancing God and Karl Marx while struggling and stuck in his life. He remains compelling even as he struggles with lines here and there. (Granted it's still in previews, but the show has been running for a week as of my attendance.)

Mr. Dillahunt's makes this white-trash Corbin credible and at times sympathetic.

It is Ms. Ruff who is most successful as Cali, balancing the acerbic and cynical tongue with love for her father and the passion of a young widow re-awakened by Corbin.

Director Ruben Santiago-Hudson has assembled a talented cast, but the pace tends to drag. I'm also still trying to figure out why there was a dream ballet of dancing bedsheets at the opening of Act II. It was a visual treat, but felt out of place.

Richard Hoover's platform and string curtain set provided an excellent medium for the proceedings, which were beautifully complemented by Marcus Doshi's lighting.

New York Theatre Workshop is offering a discount:

Tickets for performances on May 22 & 23 are just $32.50 each and tickets for performances on May 26 – June 28 are just $40.00 (reg. $65).
* Tickets must be purchased by June 8, 2009.

Use code DHTB424 when ordering.

To purchase tickets, call (212) 947-8844 or visit www.broadwayoffers.com

New York Theatre Workshop also offers both Student Tickets and CheapTix Sundays.

CheapTix Sundays: All tickets for all Sunday evening performances at 7pm are just $20 each! Tickets are available in advance but must be purchased at the NYTW box office on a cash-only basis.

Student Tickets: Full-time students with a valid student ID may purchase $20 tickets for all performances (subject to availability). Limit one ticket per ID. Tickets must be purchased in person and require an ID at the box office.

The NYTW box office is located at 79 East 4th Street (between Second Avenue and Bowery) and is open Tuesday - Saturday from 1pm - 6pm.

NYTW "Things of Dry Hours"

Discount from New York Theatre Workshop:

Tickets for performances on May 22 & 23 are just $32.50 each and tickets for performances on May 26 – June 28 are just $40.00 (reg. $65).
* Tickets must be purchased by June 8, 2009.

Use code DHTB424 when ordering.

To purchase tickets, call (212) 947-8844 or visit www.broadwayoffers.com

New York Theatre Workshop also offers both Student Tickets and CheapTix Sundays.

CheapTix Sundays: All tickets for all Sunday evening performances at 7pm are just $20 each! Tickets are available in advance but must be purchased at the NYTW box office on a cash-only basis.

Student Tickets: Full-time students with a valid student ID may purchase $20 tickets for all performances (subject to availability). Limit one ticket per ID. Tickets must be purchased in person and require an ID at the box office.

The NYTW box office is located at 79 East 4th Street (between Second Avenue and Bowery) and is open Tuesday - Saturday from 1pm - 6pm.

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

2009 Tony Nominations

Nominations for the 2009 American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards®

Presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing

Best Play

Dividing the Estate

Author: Horton Foote

Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, Bernard Gersten, André Bishop, Primary Stages

God of Carnage

Author: Yasmina Reza

Producers: Robert Fox, David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers, Stuart Thompson, Scott Rudin, Jon B. Platt, The Weinstein Company, The Shubert Organization

Reasons to Be Pretty

Author: Neil LaBute

Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, MCC Theater, Gary Goddard Entertainment, Ted Snowdon, Doug Nevin/Erica Lynn Schwartz, Ronald Frankel/Bat-Barry Productions, Kathleen Seidel, Kelpie Arts, LLC, Jam Theatricals, Rachel Helson/Heather Provost

33 Variations

Author: Moisés Kaufman

Producers: David Binder, Ruth Hendel, Goldberg/Mills, Latitude Link, Arielle Tepper Madover, Bill Resnick, Eric Schnall, Jayne Baron Sherman, Wills/True Love Productions, Tectonic Theater Project, Greg Reiner, Dominick Balletta, Jeffrey LaHoste

Best Musical

Billy Elliot, The Musical

Producers: Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Working Title Films, Old Vic Productions, Weinstein Live Entertainment

Next to Normal

Producers: David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo, Second Stage Theatre, Carole Rothman, Ellen Richard

Rock of Ages

Producers: Matthew Weaver, Carl Levin, Jeff Davis, Barry Habib, Scott Prisand, Relativity Media, Corner Store Fund, Janet Billig Rich, Hillary Weaver, Toni Habib, Paula Davis, Simon and Stefany Bergson/Jennifer Maloney, Charles Rolecek, Susanne Brook, Israel Wolfson, Sara Katz/Jayson Raitt, Max Gottlieb/John Butler, David Kaufman/Jay Franks, Mike Wittlin, Prospect Pictures, Laura Smith/Bill Bodnar, Happy Walters, Michele Caro, The Araca Group

Shrek The Musical

Producers: Dreamworks Theatricals, Neal Street Productions


Best Book of a Musical

Billy Elliot, The Musical

Lee Hall

Next to Normal

Brian Yorkey

Shrek The Musical

David Lindsay-Abaire

[Title of Show]

Hunter Bell

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Billy Elliot, The Musical

Music: Elton John

Lyrics: Lee Hall

Next to Normal

Music: Tom Kitt

Lyrics: Brian Yorkey

9 to 5: The Musical

Music & Lyrics: Dolly Parton

Shrek The Musical

Music: Jeanine Tesori

Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire

Best Revival of a Play

Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Bernard Gersten

Mary Stuart

New Version: Peter Oswald

Producers: Arielle Tepper Madover, Debra Black, Neal Street Productions/Matthew Byam Shaw, Scott Delman, Barbara Whitman, Jean Doumanian/Ruth Hendel, David Binder/CarlWend Productions/Spring Sirkin, Daryl Roth/James L. Nederlander/Chase Mishkin, The Donmar Warehouse

The Norman Conquests

Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Steven Baruch, Marc Routh, Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel, Dede Harris, Tulchin/Bartner/Lauren Doll, Jamie deRoy, Eric Falkenstein, Harriet Newman Leve, Probo Productions, Douglas G. Smith, Michael Filerman/Jennifer Manocherian, Richard Winkler, Dan Frishwasser, Pam Laudenslager/Remmel T. Dickinson, Jane Dubin/True Love Productions, Barbara Manocherian/Jennifer Isaacson, The Old Vic Theatre Company

Waiting for Godot

Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy, Elizabeth Ireland McCann

Best Revival of a Musical

Guys and Dolls

Producers: Howard Panter and Ambassador Theatre Group, Tulchin/Bartner, Bill Kenwright, Northwater Entertainment, Darren Bagert, Tom Gregory, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., David Mirvish, Michael Jenkins/Dallas Summer Musicals, Independent Presenters Network, Olympus Theatricals, Sonia Friedman Productions

Hair

Producers: The Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, Andrew D. Hamingson, Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Gary Goddard Entertainment, Kathleen K. Johnson, Nederlander Productions, Inc., Fran Kirmser Productions/Jed Bernstein, Marc Frankel, Broadway Across America, Barbara Manocherian/Wencarlar Productions, JK Productions/Terry Schnuck, Andy Sandberg, Jam Theatricals, The Weinstein Company/Norton Herrick, Jujamcyn Theaters, Joey Parnes, Elizabeth Ireland McCann

Pal Joey

Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy, Marc Platt

West Side Story

Producers: Kevin McCollum, James L. Nederlander, Jeffrey Seller, Terry Allen Kramer, Sander Jacobs, Roy Furman/Jill Furman Willis, Freddy DeMann, Robyn Goodman/Walt Grossman, Hal Luftig, Roy Miller, The Weinstein Company, Broadway Across America

Best Special Theatrical Event

Liza’s at The Palace

Producers: John Scher and Metropolitan Talent Presents, LLC; Jubilee Time Productions, LLC

Slava’s Snowshow

Producers: David J. Foster, Jared Geller, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Judith Marinoff Cohn, John Pinckard

Soul of Shaolin

Producers: Nederlander Worldwide Productions, LLC; Eastern Shanghai International Culture Film & Television Group; China on Broadway

You’re Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush

Producer: Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Steve Traxler, Home Box Office Inc., Gary Sanchez Productions, Bat-Barry Productions, Ken Davenport, Ergo Entertainment, Ronald Frankel, Jon B. Platt, James D. Stern, The Weinstein Company, Tara Smith/b. Swibel, Dede Harris/Sharon Karmazin, Arny Granat


Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play

Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage

Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow

James Gandolfini, God of Carnage

Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King

Thomas Sadoski, Reasons to Be Pretty

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play

Hope Davis, God of Carnage

Jane Fonda, 33 Variations

Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage

Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart

Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish – Billy Elliot, The Musical

Gavin Creel, Hair

Brian d’Arcy James, Shrek The Musical

Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages

J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

Stockard Channing, Pal Joey

Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical

Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical

Alice Ripley, Next to Normal

Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play

John Glover, Waiting for Godot

Zach Grenier, 33 Variations

Stephen Mangan, The Norman Conquests

Paul Ritter, The Norman Conquests

Roger Robinson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play

Hallie Foote, Dividing the Estate

Jessica Hynes, The Norman Conquests

Marin Ireland, Reasons to Be Pretty

Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit

Amanda Root, The Norman Conquests


Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical

David Bologna, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5: The Musical

Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical

Will Swenson, Hair

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal

Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Karen Olivo, West Side Story

Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey

Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Dale Ferguson, Exit the King

Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests

Derek McLane, 33 Variations

Michael Yeargan, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Robert Brill, Guys and Dolls

Ian MacNeil, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Scott Pask, Pal Joey

Mark Wendland, Next to Normal

Best Costume Design of a Play

Dale Ferguson, Exit the King

Jane Greenwood, Waiting for Godot

Martin Pakledinaz, Blithe Spirit

Anthony Ward, Mary Stuart

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Gregory Gale, Rock of Ages

Nicky Gillibrand, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical

Michael McDonald, Hair

Best Lighting Design of a Play

David Hersey, Equus

David Lander, 33 Variations

Brian MacDevitt, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Hugh Vanstone, Mary Stuart

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Kevin Adams, Hair

Kevin Adams, Next to Normal

Howell Binkley, West Side Story

Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Best Sound Design of a Play

Paul Arditti, Mary Stuart

Gregory Clarke, Equus

Russell Goldsmith, Exit the King

Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Acme Sound Partners, Hair

Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Peter Hylenski, Rock of Ages

Brian Ronan, Next to Normal

Best Direction of a Play

Phyllida Lloyd, Mary Stuart

Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Matthew Warchus, God of Carnage

Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests

Best Direction of a Musical

Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Michael Greif, Next to Normal

Kristin Hanggi, Rock of Ages

Diane Paulus, Hair

Best Choreography

Karole Armitage, Hair

Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5: The Musical

Peter Darling, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas

Best Orchestrations

Larry Blank, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas

Martin Koch, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, Next to Normal

Danny Troob and John Clancy, Shrek The Musical

* * *

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre

Jerry Herman

Regional Theatre Tony Award

Signature Theatre, Arlington, Va.

Isabelle Stevenson Award

Phyllis Newman

Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre

Shirley Herz

* * *

Tony Nominations by Production

Billy Elliot, The Musical - 15

Next to Normal - 11

Hair - 8

Shrek The Musical - 8

Mary Stuart - 7

The Norman Conquests - 7

God of Carnage - 6

Joe Turner’s Come and Gone - 6

Rock of Ages - 5

33 Variations - 5

Exit the King - 4

9 to 5: The Musical - 4

Pal Joey - 4

West Side Story - 4

Reasons to Be Pretty - 3

Waiting for Godot - 3

Blithe Spirit - 2

Dividing the Estate - 2

Equus - 2

Guys and Dolls - 2

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas - 2

Liza’s at The Palace - 1

Slava’s Snowshow - 1

Soul of Shaolin - 1

Speed-the-Plow - 1

[Title of Show] - 1

You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush - 1