Reviewing the Drama: Broadway, Off-Broadway, Ballet, Movies, and TV Reviews

The nominations for the 62nd annual Outer Critics Circle Awards were announced earlier today. (These awards honor excellence in Broadway and off-Broadway, and are presented by writers and commentators who cover New York theatre for out-of-town media outlets.) Pippin leads with 11 nominations, though Kinky Boots is not far behind with nine nods (look for my review of Kinky Boots later this week). Winners will be announced May 13 and honored at a luncheon on May 23. Herein, the full list of nominees. Outstanding New Broadway Play Grace (by Craig Wright) Lucky Guy (by Nora Ephron) The Nance (by Douglas Carter Beane) The Testament of Mary (by Colm Toibin) Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (by Christopher Durang) Outstanding New Broadway Musical Chaplin A Christmas Story Hands on a Hardbody Kinky Boots Matilda Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play Bad Jews (by Joshua Harmon) Cock (by Mike Bartlett) My Name is Asher Lev (by Aaron Posner) Really Really (by ...

Time 's 100 Most Influential People in the World The news magazine announced its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The list includes world leaders, artists, entertainers and sports stars, activists and more. Time splits the list into five categories, Titans (like Jay-Z , Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett and Lebron James )  Pioneers (like the Egyptian Jon Stewart, Bassem Youssef ), Leaders (like President Barack Obama , Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan and New Jersey governor Chris Christie ), Icons (like Michelle Obama , Justin Timberlake , Beyonce , Daniel Day-Lewis and Lena Dunham ) and Artists (like Jennifer Lawrence , Jimmy Fallon and Mindy Kaling ). What might be even more interesting than the list itself is the roster of folks who are writing about the influential people. To wit: Mayor Mike Bloomberg writes about Jay-Z. Head to the Time website for the full list of influential people. [Note: click on any one of the five category headings ...

Oscars Prep The Oscars are this Sunday night (!!!) so here are some last minute bits of info to help you prepare for Hollywood's big, glamorous night. Full list of nominees , and a round up Oscar promos , featuring host Seth MacFarlane More presenters have been announced, including: Jack Nicholson , Dustin Hoffman , Paul Rudd , Jamie Foxx , Michael Douglas , Salma Hayek , Melissa McCarthy , Liam Neeson and John Travolta Helping to present the awards will be film students who, through a contest, won the opportunity to carry Oscar trophies to the stage , a job usually saved for models. Instead, these film students - who hope to contribute to the future of film making - will have that honor. Cinema Blend has more. A full list of performers has been announced, and includes Aaron Tveit , Eddie Redmayne , Samantha Barks and other Les Miserables cast members, as well as Catherine Zeta-Jones and the previously announced Barbra Streisand , Shirley Bassey and Norah Jones ....

The Newsroom "I'll Try to Fix You" was so "Let Bartlet Be Barlet" - the episode starts slow, seems innocuous but steadily builds to this thrilling finish during which the collective finds its voice, becoming something truly inspirational. Absolutely brilliant. Broadway.com once again recaps what happened this week, offering some choice quotes. (Although, they left out my favorite of the night: Don (to Reese, in re: "calling" Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords): "She's a person. A doctor pronounces her dead, not the news.") And now, here's a look at what you can expect on the next episode, "Amen": Bonus Newsroom goodies:   John Gallagher, Jr. , talks to Canadian magazine Filler about working on the show and the differences between stage and screen. Jeff Daniels took part in an HBO Connect Q & A, answering fans' questions about the show and his career. Takeaways include: (1)When speaking about lear...