Nominations for the 38th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway were announced today by Victoria Clark and Justin Cooley, two of the stars of last year’s Lortel Award-winning musical, Kimberly Akimbo. The 2023 Awards will be presented at the annual ceremony which will take place on Sunday, May 7, 2023, at NYU Skirball beginning at 7:00pm. The event will once again be open to the public, with tickets available for purchase at tickets.nyu.edu or at the NYU Skirball box office Tuesday – Saturday 12pm – 6pm. As always, the Lortel Awards is a benefit for the Entertainment Community Fund and fans are encouraged to make donations at LortelAward.com. The Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by the Off-Broadway League and Lucille Lortel Theatre, with additional support provided by TDF.
The 2023 Lucille Lortel Award nominations include a nomination for Barry Manilow’s Harmony in the category of Outstanding Musical, alongside the breakout hit Titaníque. New York Theatre Workshop’s Broadway-bound production of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along earned a nomination for Outstanding Revival, as well as one for Lead Performer in a Musical, Lindsay Mendez. Performer and playwright Ryan J. Haddad received nominations for his Off-Broadway debuts as both a writer and performer, being recognized in three different categories: Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play (american (tele)visions), Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play (Dark Disabled Stories), and Outstanding Play (Dark Disabled Stories).
As previously announced, special honorees this year include Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Stephen McKinley Henderson, Playwrights’ Sidewalk inductee Ntozake Shange, and A.R.T./New York, who will be honored for their Body of Work.
The Off-Broadway League’s Lortel Awards Producing & Administration Committee (Jeremy Adams, Tisa Chang, Carol Fishman, George Forbes, Danielle Karliner Naish, Kenneth Naanep, Ralph Peña, Catherine Russell, Lindsey Sag, and Casey York) and the Lucille Lortel Theatre (George Forbes, Jeffrey Shubart, Nancy Hurvitz, Alana Canty-Samuel, Maura Le Viness, and Karla Liriano) produce the Lortel Awards Ceremony. Acclaimed writer/director Michael Heitzman returns to direct the Lortel Awards for the twelfth consecutive year. Representatives of the Off-Broadway League, Actors’ Equity Association, Stage Directors & Choreographers Society, United Scenic Artists, the Lucille Lortel Theatre, in addition to theatre journalists, academics and other Off-Broadway professionals, serve on the Voting Committee.
For updates and news visit www.lortelaward.com. Follow the Lortel Awards (#LortelAwards) on Twitter (Lucille Lortel Theatre (@Lortel_Theatre)), Instagram (Lucille Lortel Theatre (@lorteltheatre)), and Facebook (Lucille Lortel Theatre | New York NY); and subscribe to the Lortel Awards YouTube channel.
2023 LUCILLE LORTEL AWARDS NOMINATIONS
Outstanding Play
A Case for the Existence of God
Produced by Signature Theatre
Written by Samuel D. Hunter
Dark Disabled Stories
Produced by The Bushwick Starr, presented by The Public Theater
Written by Ryan J. Haddad
Downstate
Produced by Playwrights Horizons
Written by Bruce Norris
Epiphany
Produced by Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3
Written by Brian Watkins
Wolf Play
Produced by MCC Theater, a Soho Rep production, in collaboration with Ma-Yi Theater Company
Written by Hansol Jung
Outstanding Musical
Dreaming Zenzile
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop & National Black Theatre
Written by Somi Kakoma
Harmony
Produced by National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene in association with Ken Davenport & Sandi Moran, Garry C. Kief, Amuse Inc., Patty Baker, Tom & Michael D'Angora, Susan DuBow, Michelle Kaplan, Mapleseed Productions, Harold Matzner and Neil Gooding Productions
Music by Barry Manilow, Book and Lyrics by Bruce Sussman
SUFFS
Produced by The Public Theater
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Shaina Taub
Titaníque
Produced by Eva Price, James L. Nederlander, Diamond Dog Entertainment LLC, Benj Pasek, Blumenthal Performing Arts, Penny Rousouli, Jodi & Howard Tenenbaum, Philip Byron, Marcia Ellis, Iris Smith, Stellar Live, Inc.
Book by Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue, Music by Various Authors
Weightless
Produced by WP Theater
Written by The Kilbanes
Outstanding Revival
A Bright New Boise
Produced by Signature Theatre
Written by Samuel D. Hunter
Endgame
Produced by Irish Repertory Theatre Company
Written by Samuel Beckett
A Man of No Importance
Produced by Classic Stage Company
Book by Terrence McNally, Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Merrily We Roll Along
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by George Furth
A Raisin in the Sun
Produced by The Public Theater
Written by Lorraine Hansberry
Outstanding Director
Zi Alikhan – On That Day in Amsterdam
David Cromer – A Case for the Existence of God
Robert O'Hara – A Raisin in the Sun
Whitney White – soft
Dustin Wills – Wolf Play
Outstanding Choreographer
Andy Blankenbuehler – Only Gold
Warren Carlyle – Harmony
Edgar Godineaux – The Harder They Come
Jerry Mitchell – Kinky Boots
Ellenore Scott – Titaníque
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play
Kyle Beltran – A Case For the Existence of God
Marylouise Burke – Epiphany
K. Todd Freeman – Downstate
Ryan J. Haddad – Dark Disabled Stories
Bill Irwin – Endgame
Tonya Pinkins – A Raisin in the Sun
John Douglas Thompson – Endgame
Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play
Mia Barron – The Coast Starlight
Susanna Guzman – Downstate
Ryan J. Haddad – american (tele)visions
Dickie Hearts – Dark Disabled Stories
Patrice Johnson Chevannes – Endgame
Maureen Sebastian – The Best We Could (a family tragedy)
Eddie Torres – Downstate
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical
Nicholas Barasch – The Butcher Boy
Callum Francis – Kinky Boots
Natey Jones – The Harder They Come
Somi Kakoma – Dreaming Zenzile
Lindsay Mendez – Merrily We Roll Along
Marla Mindelle – Titaníque
Jim Parsons – A Man of No Importance
Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical
Krystal Joy Brown – Merrily We Roll Along
Darren Goldstein – The Bedwetter
Nikki M. James – SUFFS
Jacob Ming-Trent – The Harder They Come
John Riddle – Titaníque
Reg Rogers – Merrily We Roll Along
A.J. Shively – A Man of No Importance
Outstanding Ensemble
The Nosebleed
Drae Campbell, Ashil Lee, Chris Manley, Aya Ogawa, Saori Tsukada, Kaili Y. Turner
soft
Leon Addison Brown, Biko Eisen-Martin, Dharon Jones, Essence Lotus, Travis Raeburn, Shakur Tolliver, Dario Vazquez, Ed Ventura
Wolf Play
Christopher Bannow, Esco Jouléy, Brian Quijada, Nicole Villamil, Mitchell Winter
Outstanding Scenic Design
John Lee Beatty – Epiphany
You-Shin Chen – Wolf Play
dots – You Will Get Sick
Arnulfo Maldonado – A Case for the Existence of God
Clint Ramos – The Far Country
Outstanding Costume Design
Enver Chakartash – THE TREES
Sarah Laux – Wish You Were Here
Orla Long – Endgame
Qween Jean – Soft
Alejo Vietti – Titaníque
Outstanding Lighting Design
Isabella Byrd – Epiphany
Jiyoun Chang – The Far Country
Tyler Micoleau – A Case for the Existence of God
Barbara Samuels – Wolf Play
Cha See – On That Day in Amsterdam
Outstanding Sound Design
Mikhail Fiksel – How To Defend Yourself
Daniel Kluger – Epiphany
Kate Marvin – Wolf Play
Theater Mitu – american (tele)visions
Sinan Refik Zafar – LETTERS FROM MAX, a ritual
Outstanding Projection Design
Alex Basco Koch – The Orchard
Yee Eun Nam – ONCE UPON A (korean) TIME
Kameron Neal – Dark Disabled Stories
Theater Mitu – american (tele)visions
S Katy Tucker – LETTERS FROM MAX, a ritual
HONORARY AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement Award
Stephen McKinley Henderson
Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee
Ntozake Shange
Body of Work
A.R.T./New York
Photo: Getty Images North America