Off-Broadway's Brightest: 2008 Lucille Lortel Nominees Announced

Nominations for the 23rd annual Lucille Lortel Awards, traditionally covering off-Broadway theater, were announced on Monday, March 31st.

Nominees include Broadway transfer "Passing Strange" as well as current high profile off-Broadway shows such as "Dead Man's Cell Phone", "Next To Normal", "The Four Of Us", and more.

The musical adaptation of Elmer Rice's play, "Adding Machine", earned the most nominations, coming away with a total of six to its name.

Detailed categories and nominations are as follows:

Outstanding Play

"Betrayed"
Written by George Packer
Produced by Culture Project

"Blackbird"
Written by David Harrower
Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club

"The Brothers Size"
Written by Tarell Alvin McCraney
Produced by The Public Theater, in association with The Foundry Theatre

"New Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation: Amsterdam, July 27, 1656"
Written by David Ives
Produced by Classic Stage Company, by special arrangement with Bob Boyett

"Opus"
Written by Michael Hollinger
Produced by Primary Stages

Outstanding Musical

"Adding Machine"
Original Music by Joshua Schmidt, Libretto by Jason Loewith and Joshua Schmidt
Produced by Scott Morfee, Tom Wirtshafter, and Margaret Cotter

"Next to Normal"
Music by Tom Kitt, Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey
Produced by Second Stage Theatre

"Passing Strange"
Book and Lyrics by Stew, Music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, Created in Collaboration with Annie Dorsen
Produced by The Public Theater, in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre

"The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island (or the Friends of Dr. Rushower)"
Libretto and Drawings by Ben Katchor, Music by Mark Mulcahy
Produced by Vineyard Theatre

"Wanda's World"
Book by Eric H. Weinberger, Music and Lyrics by Beth Falcone, Story by Eric H. Weinberger and Beth Falcone
Produced by Amas Musical Theatre, in association with Terry Schnuck

Outstanding Solo Show

"Beyond Glory"
Written and Performed by Stephen Lang
Produced by Roundabout Theatre Company

"Dai (enough)"
Written and Performed by Iris Bahr
Produced by Bernie Kukoff, Jonathan Pollard, Jon Cutler in association with Highbrow Entertainment

"Liberty City"
Written by Jessica Blank and April Yvette Thompson
Performed by April Yvette Thompson
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop

"Tings Dey Happen"
Written by Dan Hoyle, Developed with Charlie Varon
Performed by Dan Hoyle
Produced by Culture Project

Outstanding Revival

"Beckett Shorts"
Written by Samuel Beckett
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop

"Dividing the Estate"
Written by Horton Foote
Produced by Primary Stages, in association with Jamie deRoy

"The Misanthrope"
Written by Molière, Translation by Tony Harrison
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop

"Ohio State Murders"
Written by Adrienne Kennedy
Produced by Theatre for a New Audience

"Seussical"
Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Book by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Co-Conceived by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, and Eric Idle, Based on the works of Dr. Seuss
Produced by Theatreworks USA

Outstanding Director

David Cromer for "Adding Machine"
Daniel Fish for "Paradise Park"
Elizabeth LeCompte for the Wooster Group's production of "Hamlet"
Bob McGrath for "The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island (or the Friends of Dr. Rushower)"
Terrence J. Nolen for "Opus"

Outstanding Choreographer

Marcia Milgrom Dodge for "Seussical"
Peter Pucci for "Queens Boulevard (the musical)"
Lynne Taylor-Corbett for "Wanda's World"

Outstanding Lead Actor

Jeff Daniels for "Blackbird"
André De Shields for "Black Nativity"
Joel Hatch for "Adding Machine"
Morlan Higgins for "Exits and Entrances"
Jeremy Strong for "New Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation: Amsterdam, July 27, 1656"

Outstanding Lead Actress

Elizabeth Franz for "The Piano Teacher"
Lisa Gay Hamilton for "Ohio State Murders"
Jayne Houdyshell for "The Receptionist"
Alison Pill for "Blackbird"
Lynn Redgrave for "Grace"

Outstanding Featured Actor

Francis Jue for "Yellow Face"
David Margulies for "The Accomplices"
Brian Murray for "Gaslight"
Lorenzo Pisoni for "Election Day"
Aaron Tveit for "Next to Normal"

Outstanding Featured Actress

Veanne Cox for "Paradise Park"
Veanne Cox for "Spain"
Zoe Kazan for "100 Saints You Should Know"
Amy Warren for "Adding Machine"
Mare Winningham for "10 Million Miles"

Outstanding Scenic Design

Scott Bradley for "Eurydice"
Jim Findlay and Jeff Sugg for "The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island (or the Friends of Dr. Rushower)"
Derek McLane for "10 Million Miles"
Scott Pask for "Blackbird"
David Zinn for "The Four of Us"

Outstanding Costume Design

Mara Blumenfeld for "The Glorious Ones"
Michael Bottari & Ronald Case, and Jessica Jahn for "Die Mommie Die!"
Tracy Christensen for "Seussical"
Kristine Knanishu for "Adding Machine"
Jenny Mannis for "The Drunken City"

Outstanding Lighting Design

Kevin Adams for "Passing Strange"
Kevin Adams for "Next to Normal"
Russell H. Champa for "Eurydice"
Peter Mumford for "Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?"
Keith Parham for "Adding Machine"

Outstanding Sound Design

Geoff Abbas, Joby Emmons, and Matt Schloss for the Wooster Group's production of "Hamlet"
Daniel Baker for "The Four of Us"
Jorge Cousineau for "Opus"
Frank Gaeta for "Dai (enough)"
Darron L West for "Dead Man's Cell Phone"

In addition, three special awards were anounced:

The Edith Oliver Award will go to producer Theodore Mann.
The Outstanding Body of Work Award will be presented to Primary Stages.
The Unique Theatrical Experience Award goes to Horizon, produced by New York Theatre Workshop.

The awards will be presented May 5 at the Union Square Theatre. Tickets for the ceremony go on sale April 1 and are available through TicketMaster.com or at the Union Square Theatre. The awards are presented by The League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers.

For more information, visit www.lortel.org

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