Two immersive Off Broadway buzzmagnets, the David Byrne-Fatboy Slim disco tuner “Here Lies Love” and Tolstoy-and-vodka musical “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,” earned a record-breaking 11 nominations each for the 2014 Lucille Lortel Awards, the annual legit kudos that focus on Off Broadway fare.
In previous years, single titles have racked up eight noms at most, as was the case with the pre-Broadway run of “Urinetown” in 2002.
The muscular showing for “Here Lies Love,” directed by “Rocky” helmer Alex Timbers, and for Dave Malloy’s “Great Comet” is in part a mark of a strong season for new musicals Off Broadway. Both titles originated in nonprofit productions that were well-received enough to prompt commercial producers to pick them up for commercial runs. The two other nominees in the Lortels’ musical category, Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron’s “Fun Home” and the Burt Bacharach revue “What’s It All About,” also earned glowing reviews and spawned talk of a future life in the commercial sphere.
The revival of “Good Person of Szechuan,” starring Taylor Mac and Kron, led the list of play nominees with a total of five nods including revival, a category in which it will compete with the recent repeat run of “Hand to God” at MCC Theater, among other shows in the running.
Popular on Variety
Richard Nelson, whose four-play cycle about the Apple family ended this season, will earn a star on the Lortel’s playwrights sidewalk in Gotham’s Greenwich Village. As previously announced, the Lortels’ lifetime achievement kudo will go to producer Robyn Goodman (“Avenue Q,” “Cinderella”).
Awards will be handed out May 4 in a ceremony hosted by Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman, both appearing in the upcoming Off Broadway opener “Annapurna.”
2014 LUCILLE LORTEL AWARDS NOMINATIONS
Outstanding Play
“Bad Jews”
Produced by Roundabout Theatre Company
Written by Joshua Harmon
“Domesticated”
Produced by Lincoln Center Theater
Written by Bruce Norris
“The Night Alive”
Produced by Atlantic Theater Company
Written by Conor McPherson
“The Open House”
Produced by Signature Theatre
Written by Will Eno
Outstanding Musical
“Fun Home”
Produced by The Public Theater
Music by Jeanine Tesori, Book and Lyrics by Lisa Kron
Based on the Alison Bechdel book
“Here Lies Love”
Produced by The Public Theater
Concept and Lyrics by David Byrne, Music by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim,
Additional Music by Tom Ganey and J Pardo
“Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812”
Produced by Howard & Janet Kagan, Paula Marie Black, John Logan, Lisa Matlin, Daveed Frazier,
Tom Smedes, Vertical Ent./Roman Gambourg/Lev Gelfer
Written by Dave Malloy
“What’s It All About”
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop
Music by Burt Bacharach, Lyrics by Hal David and Others
Conceived by Kyle Riabko and David Lane Seltzer
Outstanding Revival
“Good Person of Szechwan”
Produced by The Public Theater and The Foundry Theatre
Written by Bertolt Brecht, Translation by John Willett
“Hand to God”
Produced by MCC Theater
Written by Robert Askins
“London Wall”
Produced by Mint Theater Company
Written by John van Druten
“The Model Apartment”
Produced by Primary Stages
Written by Donald Margulies
“The Weir”
Produced by The Irish Repertory Theatre
Written by Conor McPherson
Outstanding Solo Show
“Buyer & Cellar”
Produced by Darren Bagert, Dan Shaheen, Ted Snowdon, Daryl Roth, Martin Massman, Pat Flicker Addiss,
Doug Nevin, Joan Raffe & Jhett Tolentino, Andrew Tobias, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
Written by Jonathan Tolins
Performed by Michael Urie
“How I Learned What I Learned”
Produced by Signature Theatre
Written by August Wilson, Co-conceived with Todd Kreidler, in collaboration with Ruben-Santiago Hudson
Performed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson
“Satchmo at the Waldorf”
Produced by Long Wharf Theatre, Shakespeare and Company, Scott and Roxanne Bok, Roz and Jerry Meyer,
Ronald Guttman, Shadowcatcher Entertainment, John LaMattina
Written by Terry Teachout
Performed by John Douglas Thompson
Outstanding Director
Rachel Chavkin, “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812”
Lear deBessonet, “Good Person of Szechwan”
Sam Gold, “Fun Home”
Alex Timbers, “Here Lies Love”
Moritz von Stuelpnagel, “Hand to God”
Outstanding Choreographer
Martha Clarke, “Chéri”
Marguerite Derricks, “Heathers: The Musical”
Danny Mefford, “Fun Home”
Annie-B Parson, “Here Lies Love”
Sonya Tayeh, “Kung Fu”
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play
Steven Boyer, “Hand to God”
Jon DeVries, “Regular Singing”
Peter Friedman, “The Open House”
Taylor Mac, “Good Person of Szechwan”
Armando Riesco, “The Happiest Song Plays Last”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play
Tracee Chimo, “Bad Jews”
Diane Davis, “The Model Apartment”
Carolyn McCormick, “The Open House”
Laurie Metcalf, “Domesticated”
Andrus Nichols, “Bedlam’s Hamlet and Saint Joan”
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical
Jeff Blumenkrantz, “Murder For Two”
Michael Cerveris, “Fun Home”
Jose Llana, “Here Lies Love”
Kyle Riabko, “What’s It All About”
Conrad Ricamora, “Here Lies Love”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical
Sydney Lucas, “Fun Home”
Ruthie Ann Miles, “Here Lies Love”
Alexandra Socha, “Fun Home”
Phillipa Soo, “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812”
Barrett Wilbert Weed, “Heathers: The Musical”
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Carson Elrod, “The Explorers Club”
Philip Ettinger, “Bad Jews”
Russell G. Jones, “The Call”
Jeremy Shamos, “Dinner With Friends”
Fred Weller, “Reasons to Be Happy”
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Hannah Bos, “The Open House”
Lynn Cohen, “I Remember Mama”
Lisa Kron, “Good Person of Szechwan”
Molly Ranson, “Bad Jews”
Sarah Stiles, “Hand to God”
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Heath Calvert, “Nobody Loves You”
Nick Choksi, “Bunty Berman Presents…”
Blake DeLong, “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812”
Noah Hinsdale, “Fun Home”
Lucas Steele, “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812”
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Uzo Aduba, “Venice”
Brittain Ashford, “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812”
Melody Butiu, “Here Lies Love”
Judy Kuhn, “Fun Home”
Shaina Taub, “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812”
Outstanding Scenic Design
Miriam Buether, “Love and Information”
David Korins, “Here Lies Love”
Mimi Lien, “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812”
Clint Ramos, “Appropriate”
Matt Saunders, “Good Person of Szechwan”
Outstanding Costume Design
Gabriel Berry and Andrea Hood, “Love and Information”
Clint Ramos, “Here Lies Love”
Anita Yavich, “The Explorers Club”
Paloma Young, “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812”
Catherine Zuber, “Far From Heaven”
Outstanding Lighting Design
Daniel Ionazzi, “The Jacksonian”
Bradley King, “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812”
Ben Stanton, “Fun Home”
Justin Townsend, “Here Lies Love”
Japhy Weideman, “What’s It All About”
Outstanding Sound Design
M.L. Dogg and Cody Spencer, “Here Lies Love”
Clive Goodwin, “What’s It All About”
Matt Hubbs, “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812”
Ryan Rumery, “The Hatmaker’s Wife”
Christopher Shutt, “Love and Information”
SPECIAL AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement Award
Robyn Goodman
Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee
Richard Nelson
