AwardsThe Band's Visit and Oslo Win 2017 Drama Critics’ Circle AwardsThis is the third major prize both shows have won in two days.
By
Ryan McPhee
May 08, 2017
The New York Drama Critics’ Circle have awarded Oslo and The Band’s Visit Best Play and Best Musical of the year, respectively. The 2017 awards have also brought special citations to Paula Vogel, whose play, Indecent, is currently on Broadway, Taylor Mac, who was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist for A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, as well as director Ruben Santiago-Hudson and the ensemble cast of Jitney.
The cast of JitneyJoseph Marzullo/WENN
The 82nd annual awards will be celebrated during a cocktail reception May 18.
Both Oslo and The Band’s Visit have picked up additional awards in the past few days. The two wonOutstanding Play and Outstanding Musical, respectively, at the Lucille Lortel Awards May 7, as well as Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding New Broadway Play and Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical.
J.T. Roger’s Oslo, which chronicles peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine as moderated by a Norwegian husband-and-wife team, premiered Off-Broadway at Lincoln Center Theater’s Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater in 2016 prior to an April 13, 2017 Broadway opening this season at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre. The Bartlett Sher-directed production received seven Tony Award nominations including Best Play.
The Band’s Visit features a score by David Yazbek and a book by Itamar Moses. The musical made its world premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company in November 2016 under the direction of David Cromer. Based on the 2007 film of the same name, the show follows an Egyptian police band accidentally stranded in a small Israeli town.
Founded in 1935, the New York Drama Critics’ Circle is comprised of 22 drama critics in the New York metropolitan area; Time Out New York critic Adam Feldman serves as president. The committee met for their annual voting session May 8.
