The AUDELCO (Audience Development Committee) has unveiled its 2018 VIV Award nominees celebrating and honoring Black Theatre in New York City. Leading the nominations: the Classic Stage Company revival of Carmen Jones, with 11 nods, including Best Revival of a Musical.
The show's star, Anika Noni Rose, was nominated for Lead Actress in a Musical, with actors Clifton Duncan, David Aron Damane, Tramell Tillman, Lindsay Roberts, and Soara-Joye Ross also nominated for featured roles. Director John Doyle and choreographer Bill T. Jones both received nominations, as did musical director Sheldon Becton and lighting designer Adam Honore.
City College Center for the Arts' production of On Kentucky Avenue was a close second with ten nominations, including Best Musical, Direction (Lee Summers), Choreography (Ty Stephens and Donna Clark), Outstanding Musical Director (Richard Cummings, Jr.), and Costume Design (Pearl Williams and Ty Stephens). N’Kenge and Ty Stephens, who starred in the production, were nominated for Lead Actress and Lead Actor in a Musical. Count Stovall and Lee Summers were nominated for Featured Actor and Andricka Hall for Featured Actress.
Marcus Gardley's The House That Will Not Stand, seen at New York Theatre Workshop, received eight nominations, for playwriting, direction (Lileana Blain-Cruz), costume design (Montana Levi Blanco), and Best Play. Harriett D. Foy and Lynda Gravátt both received nominations for Lead Actress in a Play, as did Joniece Abbott-Pratt and Nedra McClyde for Featured Actress.
The Atlantic Theater Company's critically acclaimed production of Ngozi Anyanwu's The Homecoming Queen was not far behind with seven nominations, including Best Play, nods to the playwright, director (Awoye Timpo), and the show's star, Mfoniso Udofia. Actors Oberon K.A. Adjepong and Mirirai Sithole also received nominations.
Donja R. Love's Sugar in Our Wounds, seen at Manhattan Theatre Club, also received seven nominations, for playwriting, direction (Saheem Ali), sound design (Palmer Hefferan), set design (Arnulfo Maldonado), and lighting design (Jason Lyons). The production was also nominated for Best Play and Outstanding Ensemble Performance.
A third show with seven nods was Classical Theatre of Harlem's Antigone, which received nominations for Best Revival, Lead Actor in a Play (Ty Jones), Featured Actress in a Play (Ava McCoy), Featured Actor in a Play (Anthony Vaughn Parent), Choreography (Tiffany Rea-Fisher), Outstanding Musical Director (Kahlil X. Daniel), and Sound Design (Curtis Craig).
Other shows to receive several nominations include Dominique Morisseau's Paradise Blue, seen at Lincoln Center Theater, Jiréh Breon Holder's Too Heavy for Your Pocket, seen at Roundabout Underground, Liza Jessie Peterson's The Peculiar Patriot, and A Small Oak Tree Runs Red at the Billie Holiday Theatre.
For the complete list of nominations visit AUDELCO.org.
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