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38th Annual Elliot Norton Award Nominations Announced - MOBY-DICK, Billy Porter's THE PURISTS, and More!

By: Apr. 16, 2020
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38th Annual Elliot Norton Award Nominations Announced - MOBY-DICK, Billy Porter's THE PURISTS, and More!  Image

Two dozen nominations of outstanding actors, directors, designers and ensembles were announced today by The Boston Theater Critics Association (BTCA) for the 38th Annual Elliot Norton Awards.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, no live ceremony will be held; instead, the winners will be revealed in a virtual ceremony on Monday, May 11 at 7:00 pm. Details will be announced soon on how to view the event on ElliotNortonawards.com.

Check out the full list of nominations below!

This year, in place of a scholarship the BTCA will make a donation of $2,500 to the Theatre Community Benevolent Fund, which provides financial relief to artists in crisis in catastrophic times in Greater Boston.

The Elliot Norton Awards are presented annually by The Boston Theater Critics Association (Don Aucoin, Jared Bowen, Terry Byrne, Carolyn Clay, Christopher Ehlers, Iris Fanger, Nancy Grossman, Joyce Kulhawik, Kilian Melloy, Bob Nesti and Ed Siegel) to honor the outstanding productions, directors, designers and performers that audiences have seen on greater Boston stages throughout the season.

The Elliot Norton Awards are named for the eminent Boston theater critic Elliot Norton, who remained an active supporter of drama, both locally and nationally, until his death in 2003 at the age of 100. The Boston theater community carries on his legacy and can be proud of its remarkable growth at a time in our nation's history when the arts are struggling to survive.

Details will follow on how to view the 38th Annual Elliot Norton Awards on Monday night May 11th. For a complete list of the nominees, visit ElliotNortonawards.com

Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence

Johnny Lee Davenport

Special Citation

"Shear Madness" which opened in Boston and just ended its 40-year run as one of the longest-running non-musical plays in the world

The 2020 Elliot Norton Award nominees

Outstanding Musical Production

"Parade," Moonbox Productions

"Moby-Dick," American Repertory Theater

"Sunset Boulevard," North Shore Music Theatre

"Caroline, or Change," Moonbox Productions

"Pacific Overtures," Lyric Stage Company of Boston

Outstanding Production, Large Theater

"The Purists," Huntington Theatre Company

"Sweat," Huntington Theatre Company

"Detroit Red," ArtsEmerson

Outstanding Production, Midsize Theater

"Pass Over," SpeakEasy Stage Company and The Front Porch Arts Collective

"The Children," SpeakEasy Stage Company

"Cloud 9," The Nora

"Cambodian Rock Band," Merrimack Repertory Theatre

"Vanity Fair," Underground Railway Theater

Outstanding Production, Small or Fringe Company

"The Return," Israeli Stage

"The Stone," Arlekin Players Theatre

"The Ebonic Woman," Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans

"The Seagull," Arlekin Players Theatre

"The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart," Apollinaire Theatre Company

Outstanding Direction, Large Theater

Rachel Chavkin, "Moby-Dick," American Repertory Theater

Billy Porter," "The Purists," Huntington Theatre Company

Kimberly Senior, "Sweat," Huntington Theatre Company

Lee Sunday Evans, "Detroit Red," ArtsEmerson

Kevin P. Hill, "Sunset Boulevard," North Shore Music Theatre

Outstanding Direction, Midsize Theater

Lee Mikeska Gardner, "Cloud 9," The Nora

Benny Sato Ambush, "black odyssey boston," Underground Railway Theater and The Front Porch Arts Collective

David R. Gammons, "Vanity Fair," Underground Railway Theater

Marti Lyons, "Cambodian Rock Band," Merrimack Repertory Theatre

Eric Tucker, "The Crucible," The Nora in association with Bedlam

Outstanding Direction, Small or Fringe Theater

Jason Modica, "Parade," Moonbox Productions

Danielle Fauteux Jacques, "The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart," Apollinaire Theatre Company

Igor Golyak, "The Stone," Arlekin Players Theatre

Igor Golyak, "The Seagull," Arlekin Players Theatre

Guy Ben-Aharon, "The Return," Israeli Stage

Outstanding Musical Performance by an Actor

Aaron Patterson, "Parade," Moonbox Productions

Nicholas Rodriguez, "Sunset Boulevard," North Shore Music Theatre

Rashed Alnuaimi, "Oliver!," New Repertory Theatre

Tom Nelis, "Moby-Dick," American Repertory Theater

Peter Mill, "The Rocky Horror Show," Moonbox Productions

Outstanding Musical Performance by an Actress

Yewande Odetoyinbo, "Caroline, or Change," Moonbox Productions

Alice Ripley, "Sunset Boulevard," North Shore Music Theatre

Katrina Z Pavao, "Little Shop of Horrors," Lyric Stage Company of Boston

Haley K. Clay, "Parade," Moonbox Productions

Outstanding Actor, Large Theater

Will LeBow, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," Huntington Theatre Company

Morocco Omari, "The Purists," Huntington Theatre Company

Eric Berryman, "Detroit Red," ArtsEmerson

Outstanding Actor, Midsize Theater

Nathan Malin, "Admissions," SpeakEasy Stage Company

Kadahj Bennett, "Pass Over," SpeakEasy Stage Company and The Front Porch Arts Collective

Hubens "Bobby" Cius, "Pipeline," The Nora and WAM Theatre

Brandon Greene, "black odyssey boston," Underground Railway Theater and The Front Porch Arts Collective

Albert Park, "Cambodian Rock Band," Merrimack Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Actor, Small or Fringe Theater

Nael Nacer, "The Return," Israeli Stage

Brooks Reeves, "The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart," Apollinaire Theatre Company

Alexander Pobutsky, "Hir," Apollinaire Theatre Company

Seamus G. Doyle, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," Apollinaire Theatre Company

Minh-Anh Day, "Wolf Play," Company One Theatre

Outstanding Actress, Large Theater

Analisa Velez, "The Purists," Huntington Theatre Company

Izzie Steele, "The Purists," Huntington Theatre Company

Nora Eschenheimer, "Cymbeline," Commonwealth Shakespeare Company

Jennifer Regan, "Sweat," Huntington Theatre Company

Tyla Abercrumbie, "Sweat," Huntington Theatre Company

Outstanding Actress, Midsize Theater

Cheryl McMahon, "Admissions," SpeakEasy Stage Company

Paula Plum, "The Children," SpeakEasy Stage Company

Ireon Roach, "School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play," SpeakEasy Stage Company

Karen MacDonald, "The Children," SpeakEasy Stage Company

Debra Wise, "Vanity Fair," Underground Railway Theater

Outstanding Actress, Small or Fringe Theater

Darya Denisova, "The Stone," Arlekin Players Theatre

Anne Gottlieb, "The Seagull," Arlekin Players Theatre

Lily Kaufman, "Cry It Out," Apollinaire Theatre Company

Becca A. Lewis, "The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart," Apollinaire Theatre Company

Philana Mia, "The Return," Israeli Stage

Outstanding Ensemble, Large Theater

"Moby-Dick," American Repertory Theater

"The Purists," Huntington Theatre Company

"Sweat," Huntington Theatre Company

"Quixote Nuevo," Huntington Theatre Company

"Sunset Boulevard," North Shore Music Theatre

Outstanding Ensemble, Midsize Theater

"School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play," SpeakEasy Stage Company

"Cloud 9," The Nora

"Choir Boy," SpeakEasy Stage Company

"black odyssey boston," Underground Railway Theater and The Front Porch Arts Collective

"Pipeline," The Nora and WAM Theatre

Outstanding Ensemble, Small or Fringe Theater

"The Ebonic Woman," Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans

"Parade," Moonbox Productions

"The Seagull," Arlekin Players Theatre

"The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart," Apollinaire Theatre Company

"The Stone," Arlekin Players Theatre

Outstanding New Script

"The Purists" by Dan McCabe, Huntington Theatre Company

"Moby-Dick" by Dave Malloy, American Repertory Theater

"Wolf Play" by Hansol Jung, Company One Theatre

"The Ebonic Woman" by Ryan Landry, Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans

"Detroit Red" by Will Power, ArtsEmerson

Outstanding Design, Large Theater

"Moby-Dick," American Repertory Theater

Scenic design by Mimi Lien; costume design by Brenda Abbandandolo; lighting design by Bradley King; sound design by Hidenori Nakajo; puppet design by Eric F. Avery; wig, hair and make-up design by Rachel Padula-Shufelt

"Sunset Boulevard," North Shore Music Theatre

Scenic design by Kyle Dixon; costume design by Anthony Powell and Kelly Baker; lighting design by Jose Santiago; wig and hair design by Rachel Padula-Shufelt

"Detroit Red," ArtsEmerson

Scenic and costume design by Adam Rigg; lighting design by Alan C. Edwards; sound design by Justin Ellington; projection design by Ari Herzig

"Sweat," Huntington Theatre Company

Scenic design by Cameron Anderson; costume design by Junghyun Georgia Lee; lighting design by D.M. Wood; sound design by Pornchanok Kanchanabanca

"Quixote Nuevo," Huntington Theatre Company

Scenic design by Takeshi Kata; costume design by Rachel Anne Healy; lighting design by Brian J. Lilienthal; sound design by David R. Molina

Outstanding Design, Midsize Theater

"Vanity Fair," Underground Railway Theater

Scenic design by David R. Gammons; costume design by Leslie Held; lighting design by Jeff Adelberg; sound design by David Wilson; properties coordinated by Ciara McAloon

"black odyssey boston," Underground Railway Theater and The Front Porch Arts Collective

Scenic design by Jon Savage; costume design by Nadine Grant; lighting design by Aja M. Jackson; sound design by Dewey Dellay; property design by Elizabeth Rocha

"Cloud 9," The Nora

Scenic design by Allison Olivia Choat; costume design by Elizabeth Rocha; lighting design by Whitney Brady-Guzmán; sound design by David Bryan Jackson; property design by Stef Tivan

"Pass Over," SpeakEasy Stage Company and The Front Porch Arts Collective

Scenic design by Baron E. Pugh; costume design by Chelsea Kerl; lighting design by Kathy A. Perkins; sound design by Anna Drummond

"The Cake," Lyric Stage Company of Boston

Scenic design by Matt Whiton; costume design by Charles Schoonmaker; lighting design by Aja M. Jackson; sound design by Arshan Gailus

Outstanding Design, Small or Fringe Theater

"Parade," Moonbox Productions

Scenic design by Lindsay Genevieve Fuori; costume design by Chelsea Kerl; lighting design by Steve Shack; sound design by Elizabeth Cahill; hair and wig design by Peter Mill

"The Seagull," Arlekin Players Theatre

Scenic design by Nikolay Simonov; costume design by Nastya Bugaeva; lighting design by Jeff Adelberg

"The Stone," Arlekin Players Theatre

Stage design by David R. Gammons; costume design by Nastya Bugaeva; lighting design by Jeff Adelberg; videos designed by Vladimir Gusev

"Vietgone," Company One Theatre

Scenic and projection design by Izmir Ickbal; costume design by Debra Kim Sivigny; lighting design by Jennifer Fok; sound design by Aubrey Dube; properties by Kelly Smith

"The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart," Apollinaire Theatre Company

Set/lighting design by Danielle Fauteux Jacques; costume design by Elizabeth Rocha; sound design by David Reiffel

Outstanding Musical Direction

Catherine Stornetta, "Parade," Moonbox Productions

David Freeman Coleman, "Choir Boy," SpeakEasy Stage Company

Dan Rodriguez, "Caroline, or Change," Moonbox Productions

Milton Granger, "Sunset Boulevard," North Shore Music Theatre

Or Matias, "Moby-Dick," American Repertory Theater

Outstanding Choreography

Yewande Odetoyinbo and Ruka White, "Choir Boy," SpeakEasy Stage Company

Kira Troilo, "Parade," Moonbox Productions

Ilyse Robbins, "Swan Lake in Blue," Greater Boston Stage Company




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