Nominations for the 30th Fred & Adele Astaire Awards have been announced. The awards will be presented at a ceremony at New York University’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, on Monday, June 4. The Broadway musical Newsies leads the field with 7 nominations.
Nominees for Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Musical include Elena Roger (Evita), Ashley Amber (Evita), Bahiyah Hibah (Evita), Jan Maxwell (Follies), Krystal Joy Brown (Leap of Faith), Patti Murin (Lysistrata Jones), Kara Lindsay (Newsies), Kelli O’Hara (Nice Work if You Can Get It) and Lisa Nicole Wilkerson (Porgy & Bess).
Outstanding Male Dancer in a Broadway Musical nominees include Hugh Jackman (Back on Broadway), Ricky Martin (Evita), Danny Burstein (Follies), Leslie Odom, Jr. (Leap of Faith), Jason Tam (Lysistrata Jones), Jeremy Jordan (Newsies), Ryan Breslin (Newsies), Thayne Jasperson (Newsies), Ryan Steele (Newsies) Ephraim Sykes (Newsies), Matthew Broderick (Nice Work if You Can Get It) and Robert Hartwell (Nice Work if You Can Get It).
The Outstanding Choreographer for a Broadway Musical nominees are Rob Ashford (Evita), Sergio Trujillo (Leap of Faith), Christopher Gattelli (Newsies), Kathleen Marshall (Nice Work If You Can Get It), Steve Hoggett (Once) and Ron Brown (Porgy & Bess).
In addition, Outstanding Feature Film (Fictional) nominations go to The Artist, Damsels in Distress, Footloose, Musical Chairs, Passione and W.E. while Outstanding Dance Documentary nominees are Check Your Body at the Door, First Position, Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, Never Stand Still and Pina.
As previously reported, the awards ceremony will also honor Liza Minnelli with the Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award. The Astaire Awards will also begin a new tradition, paying tribute to the career and work of a choreographer and dancer during the awards. This year they will be remembering Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, and a few signature Bob Fosse numbers featuring current Broadway performers will be a part of the show. This year’s awards ceremony will also be dedicated to Tony and Oscar-winning producer Marty Richards.