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

Nominees for the 2015-2016 Drama Desk Awards were announced. These awards honor excellence in Broadway and off-Broadway, and are voted on by theater critics, journalists, editors, and publishers. Winners will be announced at that June 5 ceremony. Herein, the full list of nominees. (Note that, because it was considered last year during its off-Broadway run, Hamilton was not eligible this year.) Outstanding Play The Christians The Humans John King Charles III The Royale Outstanding Musical First Daughter Suite Daddy Long Legs School of Rock Shuffle Along... Waitress Outstanding Revival of a Play     Cloud Nine Death of a Salesman Henry IV Long Day's Journey Into Night A View from the Bridge Women Without Men Outstanding Revival of a Musical The Color Purple The Golden Bride Fiddler on the Roof She Loves Me Spring Awakening Outstanding Actor in a Play Andrew Garman , The Christians Avi Hoffman , Death of a Salesman Frank Langella , The F...

The nominations for the Outer Critics Circle (OCC) Awards were announced today. These awards honor excellence in both Broadway and off-Broadway. The OCC includes critics covering New York theatre for out-of-town outlets. Note that Hamilton was not considered this year as it was considered (and awarded) last year, for its off-Broadway iteration; only new elements of the Broadway production were considered. In addition, at the request of the show's producers, Shuffle Along... was not considered this year because of the OCC nomination deadline; it will be considered next year. Winners of this year's awards will be announced May 9 and feted May 26. Herein, the full list of nominees (unless otherwise noted, categories include Broadway and off-Broadway): Outstanding New Broadway Play Eclipsed The Father The Humans King Charles III Therese Raquin Outstanding New Broadway Musical American Psycho Bright Star On Your Feet Tuck Everlasting Waitress Outstanding New Off-...

Did you hear the one about Steve Martin writing a musical? It's true. Along with Edie Brickell , with whom he's collaborated on a Grammy–winning album, Martin wrote Bright Star , a new musical making its Broadway debut. (Music, book, and story credit goes to Martin; music, lyric, and story credit goes to Brickell.) The company steps out onto the set (love the rustic scenic design by Eugene Lee ), and our leading lady, Alice Murphy (Carmen Cusack), teases us with "If You Knew My Story." And so, for the next two hours (plus intermission), we learn her story, which takes place in North Carolina in 1945-46 and 22 years earlier. In 1945/46, Alice is the well-regarded editor-in-chief at a popular Asheville magazine. ( Jeff Blumenkrantz ( Murder for Two ) and Emily Padgett ( Side Show ) provide amusing comic relief as her sassy busybody assistants, Daryl and Lucy, respectively.) It is at the magazine that she meets Billy Cane (A.J. Shively), a young man just home fro...

Off-Broadway Othello  to Star David Oyelowo Golden Globe and Emmy nominee David Oyelowo  ( Selma ) will return to the stage, playing the title role in Shakespeare's classic tragedy, Othello . The New York Theatre Workshop production will also star Daniel Craig  ( James Bond ), who'll play the villain Iago. Dates and additional casting for the 2016 off-Broadway production have yet to be announced, but we do know that Tony winner Sam Gold  ( Fun Home , The Flick ) will direct. Theater Mania has more. Justin Peck and Amar Ramasar Win Bessie Awards Justin Peck 's stunning and romantic ballet, Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes won a Bessie Award for Outstanding Production. Peck took to Instagram and Twitter to express his gratitude to his collaborators, his mentors, like the late Albert Evans, and to Aaron Copland, whose music Peck reinterpreted to create his own Rodeo . (Pioneering director and choreographer Agnes de Mille famously used the same music for her lan...