McClure plays Charlie Chaplin — singing, dancing, acting and doing acrobatics — in the new musical now on Broadway. The other theatre nominees were in limited engagements in Off-Broadway not-for-profit theatres (Second Stage presented Dogfight, Signature Theatre Company produced My Children, My Africa and Hurt Village).
The news of the nominees first broke in the New York Times on Oct. 16. The Times was one of the papers for which the late Barnes wrote in a long career. The dance and theatre critic died at the age of 81 in 2008.
The 2012 nominees in dance are Lauren Lovette (New York City Ballet), Steven Melendez (New York Theater Ballet) and Ashley Murphy (Dance Theater of Harlem).
The recipients will be named at the Third Annual Clive Barnes Foundation Awards reception Dec. 10 at 2:30 PM at the Walter Reade Theatre, Lincoln Center.
The Clive Barnes Foundation was formed in 2009 by Valerie Taylor Barnes, former soloist with The Royal Ballet, "to create Annual Awards giving recognition, encouragement, and financial support to two talented young professionals and thus, honoring the memory of the immense body of critical work and warm personal generosity of Clive Barnes." MJ Rodriguez of Off-Broadway's Rent was named winner of the 2011 Clive Barnes Award.
Annaleigh Ashford of Rent, Jennifer Damiano of Broadway's Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark and Josh Grisetti of Off-Broadway's Enter Laughing were the other finalists in the 2011 Barnes Award theatre division.
Nina Arianda (Venus in Fur) was the 2010 Barnes theatre awardee.
"[Clive] was very keen on young would-be performers and dancers," Valerie Taylor Barnes previously told Playbill.com. "I decided that's what we should do…honor and continue helping young people."
The awards address fall-to-spring seasons.
Visit clivebarnesfoundation.com.