Theater News

Laurence Fishburne, John Glover, Maurice Hines, Marc Kudisch, Gavin Lee, Phylicia Rashad, et al. Nominated for Helen Hayes Awards

Laurence Fishburne in Thurgood
(© Carol Rosegg)
Laurence Fishburne in Thurgood
(© Carol Rosegg)

The nominees for the 2011 Helen Hayes Awards have been announced.

Among the acting nominees are Steel Burkhardt (Hair), E. Faye Butler (Oklahoma!), Carmen Cusack (South Pacific), Ed Dixon (Sunset Boulevard), Laurence Fishburne (Thurgood), Eleasha Gamble (Oklahoma!), John Glover (The Lisbon Traviata), Adam Green (The Liar), Marva Hicks (Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies), Maurice Hines (Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies), Marc Kudisch (Sycamore Trees and Golden Age), Jeremy Kushnier (Chess), Gavin Lee (Mary Poppins), Hoon Lee (Golden Age), Lauren Molina (Candide), Jill Paice (Chess), David Pittsinger (South Pacific), Phylicia Rashad (every tongue confess), Hollis Resnik (The Light in the Piazza and Candide), Nicholas Rodriguez (Oklahoma!), Kacie Sheik (Hair), Holly Twyford (Orestes, A Tragic Romp), Paxton Whitehead (All’s Well That Ends Well), and Larry Yando (Candide).

Arena Stage artistic director Molly Smith received two nominations in the Outstanding Director, Resident Musical category, for Oklahoma! and The Light in the Piazza, while other nominees in this category include Toby Orenstein for Hairspray, Eric Schaeffer for Chess, and Mary Zimmerman for Candide. Hines received a second Helen Hayes nomination for his choreography for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies.

Among the nominees for the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical are Marcus Gardley’s every tongue confess; Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler’s Snow White, Rose Red (and Fred); Ricky Ian Gordon and Nina Mankin’s Sycamore Trees; and David Ives’ The Liar.

Competing for Outstanding Resident Musical are: Annie, Olney Theatre Center; Candide, Shakespeare Theatre Company; Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies, Arena Stage; Hairspray, Toby’s Dinner Theatre; The Light in the Piazza, Arena Stage; Little Shop of Horrors, Ford’s Theatre; Oklahoma!, Arena Stage; and Sweeney Todd, Signature Theatre.

In addition, the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company has been awarded to No Rules Theatre Company and Factory 449: a theatre collective.

For more information, including a full list of nominees, click here.