The 55th annual honors will announce nominees April 18 and present the winners (announced May 2) with awards at a ceremony at Sardi's Restaurant, May 26. The awards, known as the first awards of the season, are decided upon by an group of writers "covering New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers, national publications and other media beyond Broadway."
Last year saw several tight races resulting in ties including in the Off-Broadway Musical category (Johnny Guitar and The Thing about Men) and for Featured Actor in a Musical (John Cariani and Michael Cerveris).
The 2003-2004 Outer Critics Circle Awards winners were as follows:
OUTSTANDING BROADWAY PLAY
I Am My Own Wife
OUTSTANDING BROADWAY MUSICAL
Wicked OUTSTANDING OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
Intimate Apparel
OUTSTANDING OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL(tie)
Johnny Guitar
The Thing About Men
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Henry IV
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Wonderful Town
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Frank Langella, Match
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Eileen Atkins, The Retreat From Moscow
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Hugh Jackman, The Boy From Oz
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Donna Murphy, Wonderful Town
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Ned Beatty, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Audra McDonald, A Raisin in the Sun
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL(tie)
John Cariani, Fiddler on the Roof
Michael Cerveris, Assassins
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Karen Ziemba, Never Gonna Dance
OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Jefferson Mays, I Am My Own Wife
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Jack O'Brien, Henry IV
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Joe Mantello, Wicked
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
Kathleen Marshall, Wonderful Town
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
Eugene Lee, Wicked
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Susan Hilferty, Wicked
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer, Assassins
JOHN GASSNER AWARD
(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Lynn Nottage, Intimate Apparel
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Outstanding Ensemble Performance and Puppet Artistry
Avenue Q
