Theater News

New York Drama Critics' Circle Names 2015 Winners

The group of New York-based critics met this afternoon.

Renee Elise Goldsberry, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Philippa Soo in Hamilton, winner of the New York Drama Critics Circle's 2015 Best Musical prize.
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Philippa Soo in Hamilton, winner of the New York Drama Critics' Circle's 2015 Best Musical prize.

Today the New York Drama Critics' Circle named its Best Play and Best Musical winners for 2015.

Stephen Adly Guirgis' Between Riverside and Crazy was named the 2015 Best Play. The play began this past season at Atlantic Theater Company and later transferred to Second Stage Theatre. Stephen McKinley Henderson headed the cast as Walter "Pops" Washington, an ex-cop struggling to hold on to one of the last great rent-stabilized apartments in Manhattan while dealing with sketchy house guests, a recently paroled son, and a church lady who won't go away.

The full cast also included Victor Almanzar, Elizabeth Canavan, Rosal Colón, Liza Colón-Zayas, Ron Cephas Jones, and Michael Rispoli. Between Riverside and Crazy featured scenic design by Walt Spangler, costume design by Alexis Forte, lighting design by Keith Parham, and sound design and original music by Ryan Rumery. Guirgis also received the Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award for the dark comedy along with the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton was named the 2015 winner of Best Musical. The musical concluded its run at the Public Theater this past Sunday and will open at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre this summer. Miranda's new musical explores the life of one of American's founding fathers.

A rap and hip-hop opera inspired by Ron Chernow's biography Alexander Hamilton, Hamilton is directed by Thomas Kail and features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, music direction and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, and choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler.

The New York Drama Critics' Circle also voted on special citations to be awarded to Bob Crowley for distinguished achievement in costume and set design and to Ars Nova for the development of new work.

For tickets to the upcoming Broadway production of Hamilton, click here.