The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspapers, digital and national publications, and other media beyond Broadway. The awards were first presented during the 1949–50 theater season.

History

The Outer Critics Circle was founded as the Outer Circle during the Broadway season of 1949–50 by an assortment of theater critics led by

John Gassner John Waldhorn Gassner (January 30, 1903 – April 2, 1967) was a Hungarian-born American theatre historian, critic, educator, and anthologist. Early life and education At birth in the town of Máramarossziget, Hungary (today in Romania), he was ...

, a reviewer, essayist, dramaturg, and professor of theater. These critics were writing for academic publications, special interest journals, monthlies, quarterlies, and weekly publications outside the New York metro area, and were looking for a forum where they could discuss the theater in general, particularly the current New York season. The creation of the OCC was also a reaction to the New York Drama Critics Circle, which did not allow critics of lesser-known publications to join their ranks alongside writers of major New York and national publications. The first awards (for 1949–50) were: '' The Cocktail Party'' (Play); '' The Consul'' (Musical); Sheila Guyse, Performances in Supporting Roles for ''

Lost in the Stars ''Lost in the Stars'' is a musical theatre, musical with book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson and music by Kurt Weill, based on the novel ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' (1948) by Alan Paton. The musical premiered on Broadway theatre, Broadway in 19 ...

'', and Daniel Reed, Performances in Supporting Roles for '' Come Back, Little Sheba''. In the early 1960s, the awards and forums of the OCC were supervised by Broadway veteran Charles K. Freeman and Joseph Kay, Manhattan reporter/critic for the ''

Kansas City Star ''The Kansas City Star'' is a newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Star'' is most notable for its influence on the career of President Harry S. Truman and a ...

''. This team was succeeded by Marjorie Gunner, who guided the group for 25 years before retiring in 2004. Simon Saltzman, a New Jersey–based theater critic, served as President until 2018, when he was succeeded by David Gordon of TheaterMania. In addition to Gordon (president) and Saltzman (now President Emeritus), the Board of Directors currently includes Richard Ridge (Vice President), Joseph Cervelli (Recording Secretary), Patrick Hoffman (Corresponding Secretary), David Roberts (treasurer), Harry Haun (Historian), Cynthia Allen (Web Editor), Janice Simpson (Member), Doug Strassler (member), Dan Rubins (member), and Stanley L. Cohen (advisor).

Winners and nominees

2008–2009 season

Billy Elliot the Musical ''Billy Elliot: The Musical'' is a Coming-of-age story, coming-of-age stage musical based on the Billy Elliot, 2000 film of the same name. The music is by Elton John, and the book and lyrics are by Lee Hall (playwright), Lee Hall, who wrote th ...

'' and '' Shrek the Musical'' each received ten nominations, the most of any show. The winners were announced on May 11, 2009, with an awards dinner on May 21 at Sardi's Restaurant. ''Billy Elliot the Musical'' won seven awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical, followed by ''Shrek the Musical'' with four. The award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical was a tie between Sutton Foster and Josefina Scaglione.

Brian d'Arcy James Brian d'Arcy James (born June 29, 1968) is an American actor and musician. He is known primarily for his Broadway roles, including Shrek in '' Shrek the Musical'', Nick Bottom in '' Something Rotten!'', King George III in '' Hamilton'', and T ...

won for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. Outstanding New Broadway Play was won by '' God of Carnage''. The John Gassner Award (presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright) was won by Gina Gionfriddo for '' Becky Shaw'', and the Special Achievement Award was given to the three actors who share the role of Billy Elliot, David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish in ''Billy Elliot the Musical''.

2009–2010 season

Nominees for the 2009–2010 season were announced on April 26, 2010, by siblings Sutton Foster and Hunter Foster, with winners announced on May 17. Seven nominations each were received by the musical '' Memphis'' and the revival of '' The Royal Family'', the most of any production. '' The Scottsboro Boys'' was nominated for six awards, including Best Off-Broadway musical. Shows receiving five nominations were ''

The Addams Family The Addams Family is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 standalone single-panel comics, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' between 193 ...

'', '' Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson'', '' The Orphans' Home Cycle'', and '' Promises, Promises''. '' Finian's Rainbow'', '' La Cage aux Folles'', '' Lend Me A Tenor'', and '' Sondheim on Sondheim'' each received four nominations. The Outstanding New Broadway Musical award was won by ''Memphis'', which won a total of four awards. Other winners included: Outstanding New Broadway Play for '' Red'' and Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play for '' The Orphans' Home Cycle'', which won two awards. The Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical was a tie, won by ''Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson'' and ''The Scottsboro Boys''. ''La Cage aux Folles'' won four awards: Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Outstanding Actor In A Musical (

Douglas Hodge Douglas William Hodge (born 25 February 1960) is an English actor, director and musician. He has had an extensive career in theatre, as well as film and television where he has appeared in ''Robin Hood'' (2010), '' Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Retu ...

), Director (Terry Johnson), and Costume Design (Matthew Wright). Montego Glover (''Memphis'') and

Catherine Zeta-Jones Catherine Zeta-Jones (; born 25 September 1969) is a Welsh actress. Recognised for her versatility, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed Comm ...

(''A Little Night Music'') tied for Outstanding Actress In A Musical.

2010–2011 season

The nominees, announced on April 26, 2011, included nine nominations for the musical '' Sister Act'', the most of any show. '' Anything Goes'' received eight nominations. The Special Achievement Awards were also announced: Ellen Barkin, Outstanding Broadway Debut in '' The Normal Heart''; and Adrian Kohler with Basil Jones for Handspring Puppet Company Puppet Design, Fabrication and Direction for '' War Horse''.Gans, Andrew
"Outer Critics Circle Nominees Include 'Sister Act', 'Anything Goes', 'Book of Mormon' "
playbill.com, April 26, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2018. The winners were:

2011–2012 season

The nominees included nine nominations for the new musical '' Nice Work If You Can Get It'', the most of any production, with the musicals '' Newsies'' and ''

Once Once may refer to: Film, television and theatre * ''Once'' (film), a 2007 Irish musical film by John Carney ** ''Once'' (musical), a 2011 stage adaptation of the film * ''Once'' (TV series), a 2017–2019 Argentine telenovela * Canal Once (Mex ...

'' each receiving seven nominations and the revival of '' Follies'' receiving five. The Public Theater received an honorary award "on its 50th anniversary presenting free theatre at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park."Gans, Andrew
"62nd Annual Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations Announced; 'Nice Work' Receives Nine Nods"
playbill.com, April 23, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2018. Winners include '' One Man, Two Guvnors'' as Outstanding New Broadway Play, ''Once'' as Outstanding New Broadway Musical, '' Sons of the Prophet'' by Stephen Karam as Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play, and

Michael John LaChiusa Michael John LaChiusa (born July 24, 1962) is an American musical theatre and opera composer, lyricist, and librettist. He is best known for musically esoteric shows such as '' Hello Again'', '' Marie Christine'', '' The Wild Party'', and '' See W ...

's '' Queen of the Mist'' as Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical. ''The Submission'' by Jeff Talbot received the John Gassner Award.

2012–2013 season

The nominees included 11 nominations for the revival of the musical '' Pippin'', nine nominations for '' Kinky Boots'', eight nominations (each) for '' Chaplin: The Musical'' and ''

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

'' and six nominations (each) for '' Golden Boy'' and '' The Nance''.Gans, Andrew
" 'Pippin' Is Big Winner of 2012–13 Outer Critics Circle Awards"
playbill.com, May 13, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2018. Winners include ''

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike ''Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike'' is a comedy play written by Christopher Durang. The story revolves around the relationships of three middle-aged single siblings, two of whom live together, and takes place during a visit by the third, ...

'' as Outstanding New Broadway Play, ''Kinky Boots'' as Outstanding New Broadway Musical, ''My Name is Asher Lev'' as Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play and '' Here Lies Love'' as Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical. ''

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of middle-aged couple Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they rece ...

'' was named Outstanding Revival of a Play and ''Pippin'' as Outstanding Revival of a Musical. ''My Name is Asher Lev'' by Aaron Posner received the John Gassner Award. The Special Achievement Award was presented to the Irish Repertory Theatre.

2013–2014 season

The nominees included 11 nominations for '' A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder'', 8 nominations for the new musical ''Aladdin'', and 7 nominations for the new musical '' Fun Home''; the dramas ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

'' received 5 nominations, '' Act One'' 4 nominations, and '' All the Way'' 4 nominations.Gans, Andrew
"64th Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards Nominations Announced; A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder Leads the Pack"
playbill.com, April 22, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2018. Winners of multiple awards were ''A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder'' (including New Musical) with 4; ''Bullets Over Broadway'' and ''The Glass Menagerie'' with 3 each; and ''All the Way'' (including New Play) and ''Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' with 2 each. Three plays tied for the John Glassner Award: Eric Dufault, ''Year of the Rooster''; Madeleine George, ''The (Curious Case of the) Watson Intelligence''; and

Steven Levenson Steven Levenson (born May 1984) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for ''Dear Evan Hansen''. Early life Levenson was raised in Bethesda, Maryland. He was raised in a Reform Jewish f ...

, ''The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin''.Gans, Andrew
"64th Annual Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced; 'Gentleman's Guide' Wins Four Awards"
playbill.com, May 12, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2018.

2014–2015 season

The nominees included '' Something Rotten!'' – 12, '' On the Twentieth Century'' – 9, ''

An American in Paris ''An American in Paris'' is a jazz-influenced symphonic poem (or tone poem) for orchestra by American composer George Gershwin first performed in 1928. It was inspired by the time that Gershwin had spent in Paris and evokes the sights and en ...

'' – 8, ''

Wolf Hall ''Wolf Hall'' is a 2009 historical novel by English author Hilary Mantel, published by Fourth Estate, named after the Seymour family's seat of Wolfhall, or Wulfhall, in Wiltshire. Set in the period from 1500 to 1535, ''Wolf Hall'' is a sym ...

'' – 7, ''It Shoulda Been You'' – 6, '' The Audience'' – 6, '' The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'' – 6, ''

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

'' – 5, ''

The Elephant Man Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890) was an English man known for his severe physical deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "The Elephant Man", and then went to live at the London Hospital, ...

'' – 5, ''

The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the childr ...

'' – 5, '' The Visit'' – 5, '' On The Town'' – 4, '' You Can't Take It with You'' – 4, '' The Heidi Chronicles'' – 3 and '' The Last Ship'' – 3.Gans, Andrew and Viagas, Robert
"Outer Critics Circle Nominees Announced; 'Something Rotten!' Leads the Pack"
playbill.com, April 20, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2018. Multiple winners: ''The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'' (5, including Outstanding New Broadway Play), ''An American in Paris'' (3, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical), ''Hamilton'' (3, including Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical), ''The King and I'' (3), ''The Audience'' (2), ''On the 20th Century'' (2) and ''You Can't Take It With You'' (2).Clement, Olivia
" 'Curious Incident' Top Winner at Outer Critics Circle Awards"
playbill.com, May 11, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2018. The John Gassner Award winner was ''The Invisible Hand'' by

Ayad Akhtar Ayad Akhtar (born October 28, 1970) is an American playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. He has received numerous accolades including the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as nominations for two Tony Awards. Akhtar is known as a playwrig ...

2015–2016 season

The nominees included ''

American Psycho ''American Psycho'' is a black comedy horror novel by American writer Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the First-person narrative, first-person by Patrick Bateman, a wealthy, narcissistic, and vain Manhattan investmen ...

'' and '' She Loves Me'' – 8; '' Bright Star'' and '' On Your Feet!'' – 7; ''

Dear Evan Hansen ''Dear Evan Hansen'' is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Pasek and Paul, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson. The musical follows Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety, "who invents an important rol ...

'' – 6; ''Eclipsed'', ''Lazarus'', '' Long Day's Journey Into Night'' and '' Spring Awakening'' – 5; and '' The Humans'', ''

A View From the Bridge ''A View from the Bridge'' is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was first staged on September 29, 1955, as a one-act verse drama with '' A Memory of Two Mondays'' at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The run was unsuccessful, ...

'' and ''

Waitress Waiting staff ( BrE), waiters () / waitresses (), or servers (AmE) are those who work at a restaurant, a diner, or a bar and sometimes in private homes, attending to customers by supplying them with food and drink as requested. Waiting staff ...

'' – 4. Multiple winners: ''She Loves Me'' – 4; Long Day’s Journey Into Night – 3. The Outstanding New Broadway Musical was ''Bright Star'', and the Outstanding New Broadway Play was ''The Humans''; Outstanding Revival of a Play was ''Long Day’s Journey Into Night'' and Outstanding Revival of a Musical was ''She Loves Me''. The John Gassner Award winner was Marco Ramirez for ''The Royale''.

2016–2017 season

The nominees included ''Anastasia'' – 13; ''Hello, Dolly!'' – 10; ''

The Band's Visit ''The Band's Visit'' () is a 2007 comedy-drama film written and directed by Eran Kolirin, and starring Saleh Bakri, Ronit Elkabetz, Sasson Gabai and Uri Gavriel. It is an international co-production between Israel, France and the United Sta ...

'' and '' Come from Away'' – 7; ''Groundhog Day'' – 5; ''A Bronx Tale'' – 4; ''

Falsettos ''Falsettos'' is a sung-through musical theatre, musical with a book by William Finn and James Lapine, and music and lyrics by Finn. The musical consists of ''March of the Falsettos'' (1981) and ''Falsettoland'' (1990), the last two installment ...

'', ''Holiday Inn'', and '' Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812'' – 3; and ''

Miss Saigon ''Miss Saigon'' is a sung-through musical theatre, stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madama Butterfly'', and similarly tells th ...

'', ''

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway (California), Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisad ...

'' – 1. Multiple winners: ''Come from Away'' and ''Hello, Dolly!'' – 4; ''The Band's Visit'' and ''Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812'' – 2. The Outstanding New Broadway Musical was ''Come from Away'', and the Outstanding New Broadway Play was ''Oslo''; Outstanding Revival of a Play was ''Jitney'' and Outstanding Revival of a Musical was ''Hello, Dolly!''. The John Gassner Award winner was Bess Wohl for ''Small Mouth Sounds''.

2017–2018 season

The nominees included ''

SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...

'' – 11; '' Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'' – 10; ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'' and on the Pygmalion (1938 film), 1938 film ...

'' – 9; '' Mean Girls'' – 8; ''

Angels in America ''Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes'' is a 1991 American two-part Play (theatre), play by American playwright Tony Kushner. The two parts of the play, ''Millennium Approaches'' and ''Perestroika'', may be presented separate ...

'', ''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (International English), or galloper (British English) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The seats are tradit ...

'', and '' Once on This Island'' – 6; '' Three Tall Women'' – 5; '' Frozen'' and '' Prince of Broadway'' – 4; '' Farinelli and the King'' and ''

Travesties ''Travesties'' is a 1974 play by Tom Stoppard. It centres on the figure of Henry Wilfred Carr, Henry Carr, an old man who reminisces about Zürich in 1917 during World War I, the First World War, and his interactions with James Joyce when he w ...

'' – 3. The award winners were announced on May 7, 2018. Multiple winners are: ''Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'' with six awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Play, and ''My Fair Lady'' with five awards, including Outstanding Revival of a Musical. ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' won the Outstanding New Broadway Musical, with two additional awards. Jocelyn Bioh, for ''School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play'' won the John Gassner Award.McPhee, Ryan
" 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child', 'My Fair Lady' Win Big at 2018 Outer Critics Circle Awards"
Playbill, May 7, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.

2018–2019 season

The Outer Critics Circle Award winners for the 2018–19 season include ''

Hadestown ''Hadestown'' is a musical with music, lyrics, and a book by Anaïs Mitchell. It tells a version of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Eurydice, a young girl looking for something to eat, goes to work in a hellish industrial vers ...

'' (Musical), '' The Ferryman'' (Play), '' Girl From the North Country'' (Off-Broadway Musical), and ''

White Noise In signal processing, white noise is a random signal having equal intensity at different frequencies, giving it a constant power spectral density. The term is used with this or similar meanings in many scientific and technical disciplines, i ...

'' (Off-Broadway Play).

2019-2020 season

References

External links

* {{Official website American theater awards Theatre in New York City Awards established in 1950 1950 establishments in New York City Awards for projection designers