‘Stereophonic’, ‘Dead Outlaw’ Take Top New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards

Greg Evans
·3 min read
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David Adjmi’s Stereophonic was named Best Play of the year by the New York Drama Critics’ Circle today, with the Best Musical Award going to the Off Broadway production of Dead Outlaw from the team behind The Band’s Visit.

Stereophonic, currently on Broadway, has received 13 Tony Award nominations, and includes songs written by Will Butler from the indie rock band Arcade Fire. The play tells the story of a fractious 1970s Fleetwood Mac-like rock band recording what will be a massive Rumours-like hit record.

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Dead Outlaw, with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna and a book by Itamar Moses, is inspired by the life of Elmer McCurdy. The musical, which premiered this year at the Minetta Lane Theatre, was originally conceived by Yazbek and tells the story of an outlaw from the early 20th Century whose corpse became a traveling sideshow exhibit for decades. Long thought to be a Western-themed mannequin at a Southern California amusement park, the body was determined to be the real thing when a crew from The Six Million Dollar Man came to shoot an episode at the park.

Although a Broadway run for Dead Outlaw has not been announced, the prospect grows stronger with every award.

Two joint special citations were awarded: One to the revivals of Merrily We Roll Along and Purlie Victorious, and a second to actors Maryann Plunkett and Jay O. Sanders for lifetime achievement; Plunkett has appeared this season in The Notebook and Deep Blue Sound, and Sanders in Primary Trust and Purlie Victorious. A third special citation was awarded to writer-composer Heather Christian, whose Terce: A Practical Breviary premiered this season.

The awards, which will be presented during a private ceremony on Tuesday, May 21, include a cash prize of $2,500 for best play, made possible by a grant from the Lucille Lortel Foundation.

Earlier today, the New York-based Outer Critics Circle for out-of-town newspapers and national publications, named Stereophonic the year’s Outstanding New Broadway Play and Suffs the Outstanding Broadway Musical. Other Outer Critics winners were:

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical: Dead Outlaw
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play: Primary Trust
New American Play (preferably by a new playwright): Oh, Mary!
Outstanding Revival of a Musical: I Can Get It for You Wholesale
Outstanding Revival of a Play: Appropriate
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play: Jessica Lange – Mother Play
Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play: Kara Young – Purlie Victorious
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical: Kelli O’Hara – Days of Wine and Roses
Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Musical: Kecia Lewis – Hell’s Kitchen
Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical: Andrew Durand – Dead Outlaw
Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical (tie): Judy Kuhn – I Can Get It For You Wholesale; Thom Sesma – Dead Outlaw
Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Play (tie): Cole Escola–Oh, Mary!; William Jackson Harper – Primary Trust
Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Play: Jay O. Sanders – Primary Trust
Outstanding Solo Performance: Patrick Page – All the Devils are Here
Outstanding Book of a Musical: Shaina Taub – Suffs
Outstanding Score: Shaina Taub – Suffs
Outstanding Orchestrations Marco Paguia – Buena Vista Social Club
Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Jessica Stone – Water for Elephants
Outstanding Direction of a Play: Daniel Aukin – Stereophonic
Outstanding Choreography (Broadway or Off-Broadway): Justin Peck — Illinoise
Outstanding Scenic Design (tie): David Zinn – Stereophonic; Paul Tate dePoo III – The Great Gatsby
Outstanding Costume Design: Linda Cho – The Great Gatsby
Outstanding Lighting Design: Brian MacDevitt – The Outsiders
Outstanding Sound Design: Ryan Rumery – Stereophonic
Outstanding Video/Projections: Peter Nigrini – The Who’s Tommy

The Outer Critics Circle awards ceremony for the winners will be held on Thursday, May 23, in the Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center’s New York Public Library for The Performing Arts.

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