Billy Elliot, Shrek Top Outer Critics Circle Award Winners

The Outer Critics Circle has announced the winners for the 59th Annual Awards. An official ceremony will be held at Sardi’s on Thursday, May 21.

The musicals Billy Elliot and Shrek led the pack with 7 and 4 awards, respectively; in addition, the three boys who play Billy, David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish, will receive a Special Achievement Award. The group has also voted a Special Outstanding Ensemble Award to the six-person cast of the revival of The Normal Conquests.

The play Dividing the Estate was considered last season and won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play. The musical Next to Normal was also considered last year during its run at Second Stage and won the OCC Award for Outstanding Score. Neither show was eligible this year.

A full list of nominees follows, with winners listed in bold.

Outstanding New Broadway Play
God of Carnage
Irena’s Vow
reasons to be pretty
33 Variations

Outstanding New Broadway Musical
Billy Elliot
Rock of Ages
Shrek the Musical
A Tale of Two Cities

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play
Becky Shaw
Farragut North
Ruined
Shipwrecked!
Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical
Happiness
Rooms: A Rock Romance
The Toxic Avenger
What’s That Smell? The Music of Jacob Sterling

Outstanding New Score

Billy Elliot
Happiness
Rooms: A Rock Romance
Shrek The Musical

Outstanding Revival of a Play
Blithe Spirit
The Cripple of Inishmaan
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
The Norman Conquests
Waiting for Godot

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Enter Laughing
Hair
Pal Joey
West Side Story

Outstanding Director of a Play
Garry Hynes: The Cripple of Inishmaan
Anthony Page: Waiting for Godot
Bartlett Sher: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Matthew Warchus:The Norman Conquests
Moisés Kaufman: 33 Variations

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Stephen Daldry: Billy Elliot
Arthur Laurents: West Side Story
Jason Moore: Shrek the Musical
Diane Paulus: Hair
Susan Stroman:Happiness

Outstanding Choreographer
Karole Armitage: Hair
Andy Blankenbuehler: 9 to 5
Peter Darling: Billy Elliot
Josh Prince: Shrek the Musical
Susan Stroman: Happiness

Outstanding Set Design
Tim Hatley: Shrek the Musical
Santo Loquasto: Waiting for Godot
Derek McLane: 33 Variations
Ian MacNeil: Billy Elliot
Walt Spangler: Desire Under the Elms

Outstanding Costume Design
Nicky Gillibrand: Billy Elliot
Tim Hatley: Shrek the Musical
John Napier: Equus
Martin Pakledinaz: Blithe Spirit
Catherine Zuber: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Outstanding Lighting Design
Kevin Adams: Hair
Rick Fisher: Billy Elliot
David Hersey: Equus
Peter Kaczorowski: Ruined
David Lander: 33 Variations

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Raúl Esparza: Speed-the-Plow
Bill Irwin: Waiting for Godot
Nathan Lane: Waiting for Godot
Geoffrey Rush: Exit the King
Thomas Sadoski: reasons to be pretty

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Saidah Arrika Ekulona: Ruined
Carla Gugino: Desire Under the Elms
Marcia Gay Harden: God of Carnage
Janet McTeer: Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter: Mary Stuart

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
James Barbour: A Tale of Two Cities
Matt Cavenaugh: West Side Story
Brian d’Arcy James: Shrek the Musical
Josh Grisetti: Enter Laughing
David Pittu: What’s That Smell? The Music of Jacob Sterling

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Sutton Foster: Shrek the Musical
Megan Hilty: 9 to 5
Leslie Kritzer: Rooms A Rock Romance
Nancy Opel: The Toxic Avenger
Josefina Scaglione: West Side Story

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Zach Grenier: 33 Variations
John Benjamin Hickey: Mary Stuart
Russell G. Jones: Ruined
Patrick Page: A Man For All Seasons
David Pearse: The Cripple of Inishmaan

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Angela Lansbury: Blithe Spirit
Andrea Martin: Exit the King
Kristine Nielsen: Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them
Susan Louise O’Connor: Blithe Spirit
Condola Rashad: Ruined

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Daniel Breaker: Shrek the Musical
Aaron Simon Gross: 13
Gregory Jbara: Billy Elliot the Musical
Christopher Sieber: Shrek the Musical
Wesley Taylor: Rock of Ages

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Kathy Fitzgerald: 9 to 5
Haydn Gwynne: Billy Elliot
Karen Olivo: West Side Story
Martha Plimpton: Pal Joey
Carole Shelley: Billy Elliot

Outstanding Solo Performance
Mike Birbiglia: Sleepwalk With Me
Mike Burstyn: Lansky
Mike Daisey: If You See Something Say Something
Lorenzo Pisoni: Humor Abuse
Matt Sax :Clay

John Gassner Award: (Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Annie Baker: Body Awareness
Gina Gionfriddo: Becky Shaw
Beau Willimon: Farragut North