Two Off Broadway-Broadway transfers, Urinetown and Metamorphoses, lead the list of nominations for the Lucille Lortel Awards, which honor achievement in the Off Broadway arena. Both shows are also leading nominees in the design categories. Indeed, Metamorphoses managed to rack up nominations in all four design categories. The nominations were announced today; the awards will be handed out in a ceremony at the Bryant Park Grill on May 6.
In the scenery category, David Gallo was nominated once again, this time for multi-set extravaganza seen in Wonder of the World at Manhattan Theatre Club. Allen Moyer was cited for the sumptuous Harlem mansion designed for The Dazzle, at Roundabout Theatre Company. Daniel Ostling got the nod for his swimming pool setting for Metamorphoses (originally seen in New York at Second Stage), as well as Scott Pask for his environmental Urinetown design, and Douglas Stein for his spare, installation like setting for 36 Views, now playing at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre.
In costumes, Gregory Gale and the late Jonathan Bixby (recent Irene Sharaff Award winners) were nominated for their Brechtian Urinetown designs, while Mara Blumenfeld was cited for her imaginative work on Metamorphoses. Susan Hilferty and Linda Ross were mentioned for the lineup of 1950s daywear designed for Franny’s Way (now running at Playwrights Horizons), as were Bob Miller and Steve Howard for Dragapella’s drag outfits and Elizabeth Caitlin Ward for her eclectic collage of styles (Japanese, cowboy, Elizabethan) in Cymbeline, as produced by Theatre for a New Audience at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
In the lighting category, T. J. Gerckens was nominated for his magical work on Metamorphoses, along with Traci Klainer’s dark, moody look for Four (seen at Worth Street Theatre and Manhattan Theatre Club), Brian MacDevitt’s satirical design for Urinetown, and David Weiner’s highly-praised work on 36 Views
. Brett Jarvis was nominated for the sound design of Brutal Imagination, the play with music staged at the Vineyard Theatre; also cited were Scott Lehrer’s atmospheric sound effects for Franny’s Way, Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman’s barrage of music and effects for Metamorphoses, and Dan Moses Scherier’s bleakly evocative work on Homebody/Kabul, the Tony Kushner drama about Afghanistan presented at New York Theatre Workshop.
The full lineup of nominations is:
Outstanding Play of 2002: The Carpetbagger's Children by Horton Foote (Lincoln Center Theater); The Dazzle by Richard Greenberg (Roundabout Theatre Company); Homebody/Kabul by Tony Kushner (New York Theatre Workshop); Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman (Second Stage Theatre); The Shape of Things by Neil Labute (Susan Quint Gallin, Sandy Gallin, Stuart Thompson, Ben Sprecher, USA/OSTAR Theatricals)
Outstanding Musical of 2002: Dragapella! by The Kinsey Sicks with original music and lyrics by Ben Schatz (Ben Schatz, Irwin Keller, Maurice Kelly, Chris Dilley, in association with Maria Di Dia, Executive Producer); The Last 5 Years by Jason Robert Brown (Arielle Tepper, Marty Bell in association with Libby Adler Mages/Mari Glick, Rose/Land Productions); tick, tick. BOOM!, book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson (Victoria Leacock, Robyn Goodman, and Dede Harris, Lorie Cowen Levy, Beth Smith); Urinetown, music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann, book and lyrics by Greg Kotis (The Araca Group and Dodger Theatricals, in association with TheaterDreams Inc. and Lauren Mitchell)
Outstanding Revival of 2002: Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley (Second Stage Theatre); Cymbeline by William Shakespeare (Theatre for a New Audience); Hobson's Choice by Harold Brighouse (Atlantic Theatre Company); Pirates of Penzance by W.S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan, adapted by Michael Scheman and Steven Gross (On Deck Entertainment, Brett Singer & Diane Krausz)
Outstanding Director of 2002: John Rando (Urinetown); Bartlett Sher (Cymbeline); Mark Wing-Davey (36 Views); Mary Zimmerman (Metamorphoses)
Outstanding Choreographer of 2002: John Carrafa (Urinetown ); Tony Parise ( Pirates of Penzance The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
Outstanding Actor of 2002 : Norbert Leo Butz ( The Last 5 Years ); Hunter Foster ( Urinetown ); Peter Frechette ( The Dazzle ); Reg Rogers ( The Dazzle ); Jeffrey Wright ( Topdog/Underdog )
Outstanding Actress of 2002: Ruby Dee ( Saint Lucy's Eyes); Linda Emond ( Homebody/Kabul ); Martha Plimpton ( Hobson's Choice ); Phylicia Rashad ( Blue ); Elaine Stritch ( Elaine Stritch at Liberty )
Outstanding Featured Actor of 2002 : David Aaron Baker ( Hobson's Choice ); Keith Nobbs ( Four ); Andrew Weems ( Cymbeline ); Frederick Weller ( The Shape of Things ); Isiah Whitlock, Jr. (Four )
Outstanding Featured Actress of 2002 : Spencer Kayden ( Urinetown ); Gretchen Mol ( The Shape of Things ); Amy Sedaris ( Wonder of The World ); Robin Weigert ( Madame Melville ); Kathleen Widdoes ( Franny's Way )
Outstanding Scenic Design of 2002: David Gallo ( Wonder of the World ); Allen Moyer ( The Dazzle ); Daniel Ostling ( Metamorphoses ); Scott Pask ( Urinetown ); Douglas Stein ( 36 Views )
Outstanding Costume Design of 2002 : Jonathan Bixby and Gregory Gale ( Urinetown ); Mara Blumenfeld (Metamorphoses ); Susan Hilferty and Linda Ross ( Franny's Way ); Bob Miller and Steven Howard ( Dragapella! Elizabeth Caitlin Ward ( Cymbeline )
Outstanding Lighting Design of 2002 : TJ Gerckens ( Metamorphoses ); Traci Klainer ( Four ); Brian MacDevitt ( Urinetown ); David Weiner (36 Views )
Outstanding Sound Design of 2002: Brett Jarvis ( Brutal Imagination ); Scott Lehrer ( Franny's Way ); Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman ( Metamorphoses ); Dan Moses Schreier ( Homebody/Kabul )
There are several special awards, as well. The Edith Oliver Award for Sustained Excellence is going to Ruby Dee, and Second Stage Theatre is being cited for outstanding body of work. Other special winners are playwrights Edward Albee and Romulus Linney (the latter also known as the father of actress Laura Linney).