Monday, March 18, 2024

Broadway: “Shuffle Along” Producers Ask to Be Excused from Awards: “Not Ready”

Share

“Shuffle Along” was not included in today’s Outer Critics Circle nominations. That’s because producer Scott Rudin told the group the multi million dollar musical directed by George C. Wolfe is not ready. The show opens on April 28th, in 9 days.

The Drama Desk was told the same thing, for “Shuffle Along” not be included in their awards too.

Basically no nominators have seen the musical starring Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Billy Porter.

The show “locks” on April 25th for press, and opens three days later. The Tony voters will have just a couple of days to see it and decide what to do.

“Shuffle Along” certainly wasn’t ready when I saw it on April 1st. It lacked a cohesive second act and an actual ending. The show’s whole point was delivered in Act 1.

A week later, on April 8, nothing had changed according to observers. It’s been ten days since then. Maybe there have been a lot of improvements. But the show I saw, and was seen on April 8th, ran three hours including a 15 minute intermission.

On top of that, Audra McDonald will leave the show after six weeks. She had already agreed to perform “Lady Day at the Emerson Bar and Grill” in London for three months. Who’s going to replace her for ticket buyers? That’s a tough job.

Not being ready on April 19th for awards nominations is like saying My dog ate my homework. This doesn’t bode well for what is otherwise a buoyant celebration of Eubie Blake’s famed 1921 musical.

The OCC voted “Hamilton” Best Musical last year when it was off Broadway, so the show wasn’t eligible again.

The complete list of 2015-16 Outer Critics Circle Asards Nominations follows.

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY

Eclipsed

The Father

The Humans

King Charles III

Therese Raquin

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL

American Psycho the Musical

Bright Star

On Your Feet!

Tuck Everlasting the Musical

Waitress

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY

The Christians

Familiar

Gloria

Hold On to Me Darling

The Legend of Georgia McBride

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

Cagney

Daddy Long Legs

Dear Evan Hansen

Lazarus

Southern Comfort

OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Bright Star

Daddy Long Legs

Dear Evan Hansen

Lazarus

On Your Feet!

OUTSTANDING NEW SCORE (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

American Psycho the Musical

Bright Star

Daddy Long Legs

Dear Evan Hansen

Waitress

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Blackbird

The Crucible

Fool for Love

Long Day’s Journey Into Night

A View From the Bridge

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

The Color Purple the Musical

Dames at Sea

Fiddler on the Roof

She Loves Me

Spring Awakening

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY

Evan Cabnet Gloria

Mike Donahue The Legend of Georgia McBride

Rupert Goold King Charles III

Joe Mantello The Humans

Ivo van Hove A View From the Bridge

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL

Michael Arden Spring Awakening

Walter Bobbie Bright Star

Scott Ellis She Loves Me

Rupert Goold American Psycho the Musical

Michael Greif Dear Evan Hansen

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER

Joshua Bergasse Cagney

Spencer Liff Spring Awakening

Josh Rhodes Bright Star

Randy Skinner Dames at Sea

Sergio Trujillo On Your Feet!

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN (Play or Musical)

Beowulf Boritt Therese Raquin

David Korins Misery

Mimi Lien John

David Rockwell She Loves Me

Walt Spangler Tuck Everlasting the Musical

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN (Play or Musical)

ESosa On Your Feet!

Jane Greenwood Bright Star

Katrina Lindsay American Psycho the Musical

Jeff Mahshie She Loves Me

Tom Scutt King Charles III

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN (Play or Musical)
Donald Holder She Loves Me

Natasha Katz Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Kenneth Posner On Your Feet!

Ben Stanton Spring Awakening

Justin Townsend American Psycho the Musical

OUTSTANDING PROJECTION DESIGN (Play or Musical)
Lucy MacKinnon Spring Awakening

Peter Nigrini Grounded

Peter Nigrini Dear Evan Hansen

Finn Ross American Psycho the Musical

Tal Yarden Lazarus

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY

Reed Birney The Humans

Gabriel Byrne Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Frank Langella The Father

Mark Strong A View From the Bridge

Ben Whishaw The Crucible

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Jayne Houdyshell The Humans

Jessica Lange Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Lupita Nyong’o Eclipsed

Nicola Walker A View From the Bridge

Michelle Williams Blackbird

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Alex Brightman School of Rock the Musical

Danny Burstein Fiddler on the Roof

Robert Creighton Cagney

Ben Platt Dear Evan Hansen

Benjamin Walker American Psycho the Musical

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Laura Benanti She Loves Me

Carmen Cusack Bright Star

Cynthia Erivo The Color Purple the Musical

Jessie Mueller Waitress

Ana Villafañe On Your Feet!

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY

Sanjit De Silva Dry Powder

Matt McGrath The Legend of Georgia McBride

Jim Norton The Crucible

Robert Sella Sylvia

Michael Shannon Long Day’s Journey Into Night

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Pascale Armand Eclipsed

Zainab Jah Eclipsed

Judith Light Therese Raquin

Saycon Sengbloh Eclipsed

Myra Lucretia Taylor Familiar

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Nicholas Barasch She Loves Me

Roger Bart Disaster!

Michael Esper Lazarus

Christopher Fitzgerald Waitress

Terrence Mann Tuck Everlasting the Musical

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Danielle Brooks The Color Purple the Musical

Andrea Burns On Your Feet!

Sophia Anne Caruso Lazarus

Jane Krakowski She Loves Me

Helene Yorke American Psycho the Musical

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE

Mike Birbiglia Thank God For Jokes

Kathleen Chalfant Rose

Anne Hathaway Grounded

James Lecesne The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey

Daphne Rubin-Vega Empanada Loca

JOHN GASSNER AWARD

(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)

Lindsey Ferrentino Ugly Lies the Bone

Lauren Gunderson I and You

Martyna Majok Ironbound

Marco Ramirez The Royale

Anna Ziegler Boy

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

James Houghton Signature Theater Company

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
spot_img

Read more

In Other News