Leading the pack of the nominees were the musicals Nine and Hairspray, which each garnered 12 nods. Emerging as the most nominated play was the dark horse Enchanted April, which snuck onto Broadway recently without much ballyhoo and had not officially opened to critics when the nominations were announced. The only Broadway production the Nominating Committee did not get to see prior to the cutoff date was Long Day’s Journey Into Nigh. The committee, therefore, will consider the production for next season’s awards.
The Outer Critics Circle is an organization of over 75 out-of-town critics and writers, whose annual Award nominations unofficially kick off New York's theatrical awards season. The annual Outer Critics Gala Awards Party is scheduled for Thursday, May 29.
The complete list of nominees follows:
OUTSTANDING BROADWAY PLAY
Enchanted April
The Play What I Wrote
Take Me Out
Vincent in Brixton
OUTSTANDING BROADWAY MUSICAL
Amour
Hairspray
Movin’ Out
Urban Cowboy OUTSTANDING OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
The Exonerated
Kimberly Akimbo
Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme
Talking Heads
OUTSTANDING OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
Avenue Q
Hank Williams: Lost Highway
Radiant Baby
Zanna Don’t
A Man of No Importance
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
Dinner at Eight
Our Town
Tartuffe
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
La Bohème
Gypsy
Man of La Mancha
Nine
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Michael Engler, Talking Heads
Gerald Gutierrez, Dinner at Eight
Joe Mantello, Take Me Out
Michael Wilson, Enchanted April
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
David Leveaux, Nine
Baz Luhrmann, La Bohème
Randal Myler, Hank Williams: Lost Highway
Jack O’Brien, Hairspray
Sam Mendes, Gypsy
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
Jonathan Butterell, Nine
Robert Longbottom, Flower Drum Song
Jerry Mitchell, Hairspray
Twyla Tharp, Movin’ Out
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
John Lee Beatty, Dinner at Eight
Catherine Martin, La Bohème
David Rockwell, Hairspray
Tony Straiges, Enchanted April
Scott Pask, Nine
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Jess Goldstein, Enchanted April
William Ivey Long, Hairspray
Catherine Martin & Angus Strathie, La Bohème
Vicki Mortimer, Nine
Catherine Zuber, Dinner at Eight
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Paul Gallo, Man of La Mancha
Nigel Levings, La Bohème
Brian MacDevitt, Nine
Kenneth Posner, Hairspray
Rui Rita, Enchanted April
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Brian Bedford, Tartuffe
Jochum ten Haaf, Vincent in Brixton
Eddie Izzard, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
Howard W. Overshown, Yellowman
Daniel Sunjata, Take Me Out
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Jayne Atkinson, Enchanted April
Marylouise Burke, Kimberly Akimbo
Christine Ebersole, Dinner at Eight
Victoria Hamilton, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
Clare Higgins, Vincent in Brixton
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Antonio Banderas, Nine
Harvey Fierstein, Hairspray
Brian Stokes Mitchell, Man of La Mancha
Jason Petty, Hank Williams: Lost Highway
Roger Rees, A Man of No Importance
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Jenn Colella, Urban Cowboy
Melissa Errico, Amour
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Man of La Mancha
Chita Rivera, Nine
Marissa Jaret Winokur, Hairspray
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Walter Bobbie, Polish Joke
Michael Cumpsty, Enchanted April
Daniel Gerroll, Enchanted April
Denis O’Hare, Take Me Out
B.D. Wong, Shanghai Moon
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Linda Emond, Life (x) 3
Kathryn Meisle, Tartuffe
Marian Seldes, Dinner at Eight
Emily Skinner, Dinner at Eight
J. Smith-Cameron, Tartuffe
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Randall Duk Kim, Flower Drum Song
Dick Latessa, Hairspray
Matthew Morrison, Hairspray
Steven Pasquale, A Man of No Importance
Corey Reynolds, Hairspray
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Laura Benanti, Nine
Kerry Butler, Hairspray
Jane Krakowski, Nine
Mary Stuart Masterson, Nine
Mary Beth Peil, Nine
OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Tovah Feldshuh, Golda’s Balcony
Frank Gorshin, Say Goodnight Gracie
Kate Mulgrew, Tea at Five
Louis Mustillo, Bartenders
Charlayne Woodard, In Real Life
JOHN GASSNER AWARD (Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Matthew Barber, Enchanted April
Stephen Adly Guirgis, Our Lady of 121st Street
Erik Jensen & Jessica Blank, The Exonerated
Dael Orlandersmith, Yellowman
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Outstanding Ensemble Performance: Talking Heads
The 2002-2003 Outer Critics Circle Executive / Nominating Committee included Marjorie Gunner (President), Mario Fratti (Vice-President), Glenn Loney (Secretary), Patrick Hoffman (Corresponding Secretary), Louis A. Rachow (Treasurer), Aubrey Reuben, Irene Backalenick and Simon Saltzman (Members-at-Large).
