Nominations for the 2020 Lucille Lortel Awards were announced April 14; watch above as Jeremy Jordan and Ashley Spencer reveal which productions and artists were recognized for their work Off-Broadway.
Two Playwrights Horizons productions lead the nominations for the 2019–2020 season, abridged due to the coronavirus pandemic. Out in front with seven nods is Michael R. Jackson’s semi-autobiographical musical A Strange Loop, which was co-produced with Page 73, followed by Will Arbery’s tense political drama Heroes of the Fourth Turning, which received six nominations.
Grace McLean’s debut musical, In The Green, seen at Lincoln Center Theater as part of its LCT3 programming, also earned six nods, with two going to McLean for her writing and lead performance as one of Medieval history's most powerful and creative women: Hildegard von Bingen.
The Public Theater’s revival of Ntozake Shange's for colored girls, directed by Leah C. Gardiner, received five nominations, as did Dave Malloy’s a cappella musical Octet, and Jeanine Tesori and David Henry Hwang’s musical-play hybrid Soft Power.
Of 101 eligible productions, 41 shows were recognized with a total of 95 nominations. The winners will be unveiled May 3, with the ceremony moved online.
During the virtual ceremony, Tim Sanford will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award while Anna Deavere Smith will be inducted onto the Playwrights’ Sidewalk. The Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by the Off-Broadway League, by arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Theatre Foundation.
See below for the full list of nominations.
Outstanding Play
BLKS
Produced by MCC Theater
Written by Aziza Barnes
Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven
Produced by Atlantic Theater Company
Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis
Heroes of the Fourth Turning
Produced by Playwrights Horizons
Written by Will Arbery
Is This A Room
Produced by Vineyard Theatre
Conceived by Tina Satter
Mrs. Murray's Menagerie
Produced by Ars Nova
Created by The Mad Ones and Phillip James Brannon, Brad Heberlee, Carmen M. Herlihy, January LaVoy
Outstanding Musical
A Strange Loop
Produced by Playwrights Horizons in association with Page 73 Productions
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson
In The Green
Produced by Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Grace McLean Octet
Produced by Signature Theatre Book, Music, and Lyrics by Dave Malloy
Octet
Produced by Signature Theatre
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Dave Malloy
Soft Power
Produced by The Public Theater and Center Theatre Group
Play and Lyrics by David Henry Hwang, Music and Additional Lyrics by Jeanine Tesori
The Secret Life of Bees
Produced by Atlantic Theater Company
Book by Lynn Nottage, Music by Duncan Sheik, Lyrics by Susan Birkenhead Based on the novel by Sue Monk Kidd
Outstanding Revival
A Bright Room Called Day
Produced by The Public Theater
Written by Tony Kushner
Fires in the Mirror
Produced by Signature Theatre
Written by Anna Deavere Smith
Performed by Michael Benjamin Washington
for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Produced by The Public Theater
Written by Ntozake Shange
Little Shop of Horrors
Produced by Tom Kirdahy, Robert Ahrens, Hunter Arnold, Mickey Liddell, Caiola Productions, Curt Cronin, John Joseph, DDM Productions, DeSantis-Baugh Productions, Elizabeth Dewberry & Ali Ahmet Kocabiyik, Wendy Federman, Roy Furman, Deborah Green, Kayla Greenspan, Marguerite Hoffman, Sally Cade Holmes, Latitude Link, Seriff Productions, Silva Theatrical Group, Eric Gelb/Oliver Roth
Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman, Music by Alan Menken
MAC BETH
Produced by Red Bull Theater
Written by William Shakespeare,
Adapted by Erica Schmidt
Outstanding Solo Show
Bella Bella
Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club
Written and Performed by Harvey Fierstein
Dana H.
Produced by Vineyard Theatre, Goodman Theatre, and Center Theatre Group
Written by Lucas Hnath
Performed by Deirdre O'Connell
the way she spoke
Produced by Audible
Written by Isaac Gomez
Performed by Kate del Castillo
We're Only Alive for A Short Amount of Time
Produced by The Public Theater and Goodman Theatre
Written and Performed by David Cale, Lyrics by David Cale, Music by David Cale and Matthew Dean Marsh
Where We Stand
Produced by WP Theater in association with Baltimore Center Stage
Written and Performed by Donnetta Lavinia Grays
Outstanding Director
Stephen Brackett, A Strange Loop
Tina Satter, Is This A Room
Danya Taymor, Heroes of the Fourth Turning
Annie Tippe, Octet
Les Waters, Dana H.
Outstanding Choreographer
Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Camille A. Brown, Toni Stone
Raja Feather Kelly, A Strange Loop
Sam Pinkleton, Soft Power
Travis Wall, The Wrong Man
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play
Charles Busch, The Confession of Lily Dare
Edmund Donovan, Greater Clements
Raúl Esparza, Seared
Hamish Linklater, The Pain of My Belligerence
Aaron Yoo, The Headlands
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play
Liza Colón-Zayas, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven
Emily Davis, Is This A Room
April Matthis, Toni Stone
Zoë Winters, Heroes of the Fourth Turning
Kara Young, All the Natalie Portmans
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Christopher Borg, The Confession of Lily Dare
Marc Bovino, Mrs. Murray's Menagerie
Garcia, Continuity
Francis Jue, Cambodian Rock Band
Ken Narasaki, Greater Clements
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Okwui Okpokwasili, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Estelle Parsons, A Bright Room Called Day
Michele Pawk, Heroes of the Fourth Turning
Stephanie Wright Thompson, Mrs. Murray's Menagerie
Alexandria Wailes, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical
Jonathan Groff, Little Shop of Horrors
Joshua Henry, The Wrong Man
Francis Jue, Soft Power
Larry Owens, A Strange Loop
Conrad Ricamora, Soft Power
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical
Eisa Davis, The Secret Life of Bees
LaChanze, The Secret Life of Bees
Beth Malone, The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Janelle McDermoth, We're Gonna Die
Grace McLean, In The Green
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Christian Borle, Little Shop of Horrors
Alex Gibson, Octet
Gus Halper, Sing Street
Jay Armstrong Johnson, Scotland, PA
John-Andrew Morrison, A Strange Loop
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Ashley Pérez Flanagan, In The Green
Ari Groover, Little Shop of Horrors
L Morgan Lee, A Strange Loop
Ciara Renée, The Wrong Man
Kuhoo Verma, Octet
Outstanding Scenic Design
You-Shin Chen and Laura Jellinek, Mrs. Murray's Menagerie
Yu-Hsuan Chen, Our Dear Dead Drug Lord
Tim Mackabee, Seared
James Noone, London Assurance
Clint Ramos, Soft Power
Outstanding Costume Design
Dede Ayite, BLKS
Montana Levi Blanco, A Strange Loop
Oana Botez, In The Green
Toni-Leslie James, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Rachel Townsend and Jessica Jahn, The Confession of Lily Dare
Outstanding Lighting Design
Isabella Byrd, Heroes of the Fourth Turning
Alan C. Edwards, Fires in the Mirror
Tyler Micoleau, Socrates
Barbara Samuels, In The Green
Jen Schriever, Power Strip
Outstanding Sound Design
Justin Ellington, Heroes of the Fourth Turning
Mikhail Fiksel, Dana H.
Lee Kinney and Sanae Yamada, Is This A Room
Hidenori Nakajo, Octet
Nicholas Pope, In The Green
Outstanding Projection Design
Stephan Mazurek, Mojada
Lisa Renkel and Possible, Emojiland the Musical
Ruey Horng Sun, The Headlands
Hannah Wasileski, Anatomy of a Suicide
Hannah Wasileski, Fires in the Mirror
