Nominations Announced For The 17th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards
By: BWW News Desk Dec. 01, 2016
At a ceremony held today at London's Café de Paris, host Steve Furst announced the nominees for the 17th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards, the only major theatre prize-giving decided entirely by the theatregoers themselves. The announcement of the nominations marks the opening of the final voting stage (closes 31 January), with winners announced at the annual Awards Concert held on 19 February 2017 at The Prince of Wales Theatre.
WhatsOnStage's Chief Operating Officer Sita McIntosh said today, "It's fantastic to once again see the breadth and range of productions up and down the country acknowledged in this year's nominations. I think it's amazing that for the first time a play leads with 11 nominations; that's unheard of and reflective of the impact Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has had on the West End.
"An off-West End Production - The Boys in the Band, playing in a 200 seat venue has secured four nominations including one for Ian Hallard as Best Actor in a Play up against the likes of Ian McKellen, Ralph Fiennes and Kenneth Branagh. And Ragtime, playing in the 265 seat Charing Cross Theatre is nominated for Best Musical Revival alongside Sunset Boulevard, a show that played in a venue almost ten times that size.
"In total 48 productions have been nominated and it's heartening to have so many shows and so much talent recognised by the ticket buying public. The WhatsOnStage Awards are a true indication of what the public enjoy at the theatre."
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child leads the field with 11 nominations - the first time a play has dominated the nominations. It is in the running for Best Actor in a Play for Jamie Parker, Best Supporting Actress in a Play nominations for both Noma Dumezweni and Poppy Miller and Best Supporting Actor in a Play nominations for Anthony Boyle and Paul Thornley, Best New Play, Best Direction nod for John Tiffany, Best Set Design for Christine Jones, Katrina Lindsay for Best Costume Design, Finn Ross and Ash Woodward for Best Video Design and Neil Austin for Lighting Design.
Parker faces stiff competition for Best Actor in a Play from Kenneth Branagh for The Entertainer, Ian Hallard for The Boys in the Band, Ralph Fiennes for Richard III and Ian McKellen for No Man's Land.
Kenneth Branagh's season receives 4 acting nominations. As well as for Branagh, Lily James is nominated for Best Actress in a Play for Romeo and Juliet, alongside Billie Piper for Yerma, Pixie Lott for Breakfast at Tiffany's and Michelle Terry for Henry V; and Derek Jacobi and Meera Syal also receive nods for Best Supporting Actor and Actress in a Play for the same production.
Leading the musicals charge are Tim Minchin's Groundhog Day and Half a Sixpence - both with seven nominations apiece, closely followed by Funny Girl and Aladdin with seven nominations each, and Dreamgirls, which is currently in previews, with four. It's been another strong year for producer Sonia Friedman whose productions total 20 nominations across 3 productions, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Dreamgirls and Funny Girl - the latter a co-production with the Menier Chocolate Factory who also received two nominations for Travesties (for Best Revival and Best Supporting Actor in a Play for Freddie Fox) which transfers to the West End next year.
Rising star Charlie Stemp receives his first WhatsOnStage nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for Half a Sixpence, with Andy Karl (Groundhog Day), Michael Xavier (Sunset Boulevard), Michael C Hall (Lazarus) and Ramin Karimloo (Murder Ballad); and in the Best Actress in a Musical category there looks to be a close run for the award between multi-WhatsOnStage Award-winning SheriDan Smith (Funny Girl), Amber Riley (Dreamgirls), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Glenn Close (Sunset Boulevard) and Devon-Elise Johnson (Half a Sixpence).
For Best New Play, Jack Thorne's Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will fight off competition from the latest hit show from Mischief Theatre - The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, Annie Baker's The Flick, Florian Zeller's The Mother and Tony Kushner's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide; and Best New Musical this year sees Groundhog Day, Aladdin, Half a Sixpence, Dreamgirls and School of Rock compete for top honours.
The Best Musical Revival category looks to be a tough race between Funny Girl, Show Boat, Sunset Boulevard, Jesus Christ Superstar and Ragtime; with Best Play Revival seeing The Boys in the Band, No Man's Land, The Deep Blue Sea, The Dresser and Travesties all nominated.
The Boys in the Band also makes the shortlist for Best Off-West End Production, up against The Last Five Years, Side Show, Ragtime and Grey Gardens; with Best West End Show seeing a fight between the long running favourites Les Miserables, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Kinky Boots and Matilda.
Performances at the event included the 16-strong cast of Rent performing "Seasons of Love" to close the proceedings. The production is currently on a national tour before opening at the St James Theatre, London on 8th December.
The 17th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards will be held in aid of adopted charity The Kevin Spacey Foundation - www.kevinspaceyfoundation.org.
THE 17TH ANNUAL WHATSONSTAGE AWARDS NOMINEES IN FULL:
Best Actor in a Play, sponsored by Radisson Blu Edwardian
Ian Hallard for The Boys in the Band
Ian McKellen for No Man's Land
Jamie Parker for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Kenneth Branagh for The Entertainer
Ralph Fiennes for Richard III
Best Actress in a Play, sponsored by Live at Zédel
Billie Piper for Yerma
Helen McCrory for The Deep Blue Sea
Lily James for Romeo and Juliet
Michelle Terry for Henry V
Pixie Lott for Breakfast at Tiffany's
Best Actor in a Musical, sponsored by The Umbrella Rooms
Andy Karl for Groundhog Day
Charlie Stemp for Half a Sixpence
Michael C Hall for Lazarus
Michael Xavier for Sunset Boulevard
Ramin Karimloo for Murder Ballad
Best Actress in a Musical, sponsored by The Hippodrome Casino
Amber Riley for Dreamgirls
Carrie Hope Fletcher for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Devon-Elise Johnson for Half a Sixpence
Glenn Close for Sunset Boulevard
Best Supporting Actor in a Play
Anthony Boyle for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Derek Jacobi for Romeo and Juliet
Freddie Fox for Travesties
Jonjo O'Neill for Unreachable
Paul Thornley for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Best Supporting Actress in a Play, sponsored by Tonic Theatre
Jenna Russell for Doctor Faustus
Meera Syal for Romeo and Juliet
Noma Dumezweni for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Poppy Miller for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Vanessa Redgrave for Richard III
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, sponsored by Encore Radio
Adam J Bernard for Dreamgirls
Ian Bartholomew for Half a Sixpence
Joel Montague for Funny Girl
Trevor Dion Nicholas for Aladdin
Tyrone Huntley for Jesus Christ Superstar
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical, sponsored by Newman Displays
Amy Lennox for Lazarus
Emma Williams for Half a Sixpence
Rebecca Trehearn for Show Boat
Sophia Anne Caruso for Lazarus
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for Murder Ballad
Best New Play, sponsored by JHI Marketing
The Comedy About A Bank Robbery
The Flick
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures or iHo
The Mother
Best New Musical, sponsored by Shine Creative Solutions
Aladdin
Dreamgirls
Groundhog Day
Half a Sixpence
School of Rock
Best Play Revival
The Boys in the Band
The Deep Blue Sea
The Dresser
No Man's Land
Travesties
Best Musical Revival, sponsored by R&H Theatricals Europe
Funny Girl
Jesus Christ Superstar
Ragtime
Show Boat
Sunset Boulevard
Best Direction
Casey Nicholaw for Aladdin
John Tiffany for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Matthew Warchus for Groundhog Day
Michael Mayer for Funny Girl
Rachel Kavanaugh for Half a Sixpence
Best Choreography, sponsored by Encore Radio
Andrew Wright for Half a Sixpence
Casey Nicholaw for Aladdin
Casey Nicholaw for Dreamgirls
Drew McOnie for Jesus Christ Superstar
Peter Darling for Groundhog Day
Best Costume Design
Gregg Barnes for Aladdin
Gregg Barnes for Dreamgirls
Katrina Lindsay for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Matthew Wright for Funny Girl
Paul Brown for Half a Sixpence
Best Set Design
Bob Crowley for Aladdin
Christine Jones for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Lez Brotherston for Show Boat
Miriam Buether for Wild
Rob Howell for Groundhog Day
Best Lighting Design, sponsored by White Light
Charlie Morgan Jones for Little Shop of Horrors
Hugh Vanstone for Groundhog Day
Jack Weir for The Boys in the Band
Natasha Katz for Aladdin
Neil Austin for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Best Video Design, sponsored by PRG XL Video
Andrzej Goulding for Groundhog Day
Finn Ross and Ash Woodward for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Finn Ross for The Tempest, RSC
Laura Perrett for Murder Ballad
Tal Yarden for Lazarus
Best Off-West End Production, sponsored by LES MISERABLES
The Boys in the Band (Park Theatre)
Grey Gardens (Southwark Playhouse)
The Last Five Years (St James Theatre)
Side Show (Southwark Playhouse)
Ragtime (Charing Cross Theatre)
Best Regional Production, sponsored by MTI (Europe)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (National Tour)
Flowers for Mrs Harris (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield)
The Girls (National Tour)
The Grinning Man (Bristol Old Vic)
Rent (National Tour/St James Theatre)
Best West End Show, sponsored by Capezio
Kinky Boots
LES MISERABLES
Matilda the Musical
The Phantom of the Opera
Wicked
Comments
Videos