For many, 2016 will be recalled with disdain as one of the worst years in recent memory. From political side shows (horror shows?) to international scandals to ever-frequent visits by the grim reaper, it has become difficult to look back on this past year with anything but malaise. After a bountiful year of New York theatre in 2015, 2016 seemed almost quiet in comparison. The buzz of Hamilton continued to sweep through the city – no, the country – as the show picked up a dizzying number of Tonys/Grammys/etc., saw the majority of the original cast take their last bows on Broadway and launched a Chicago production. Believe it or not, Hamilton, which opened in 2015, was unmistakably the most successful show on Broadway in 2016. Despite the continued cultural domination of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s juggernaut musical, there were numerous new and exciting productions of plays and musicals both on and off-Broadway this year – you just had to know where to look. Many unique and experimental theatrical experiences were produced that challenged the limits of traditional theatre. From delightfully modern takes on beloved classics and stunning stagings of familiar tales to truly extraordinary sensory and interactive experiences reflecting our hyper-digital age, there were innumerable opportunities to discover and re-discover the beauty of theatre.
Please note that, in order to be nominated for a 2016 MyTheatre Award, a show must have been seen by at least one staff writer for My Entertainment World in 2016. Productions that were previously nominated off-Broadway are not eligible for nomination if they transferred to Broadway in 2016.
The winners will be announced in April along with the winners of our Honorary Award, Emerging Artist, Performer of the Year and Fan Favourite (which you can vote on by tweeting to @MyEntWorld).
Also be sure to check out our nominations for the MyTV Awards, MyCinema Awards and MyTheatre Awards in London and Toronto.
As always, all nominees are invited to contact us to sign up to be a part of our annual Nominee Interview Series. Email nyc@myentertainmentworld.ca for more information.
After careful consideration, here are the productions and actors in New York being considered for a 2016 MyTheatre Award…
Best Musical
Dear Evan Hansen
Hadestown (New York Theatre Workshop)
Lazarus (New York Theatre Workshop)
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Waitress
Best Play
The Encounter
The Father
Sell/Buy/Date (MTC)
Sense & Sensibility (Bedlam)
Best Revival (Musical)
Cats
Falsettos
Holiday Inn
She Loves Me
Best Revival (Play)
The Crucible
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Long Day’s Journey Into Night
A Streetcar Named Desire (St. Ann’s Warehouse)
Best Actress (Musical)
Rachel Bay Jones in Dear Evan Hansen
Stephanie J. Block in Falsettos
Laura Benanti in She Loves Me
Jessie Mueller in Waitress
Best Actor (Musical)
Ben Platt in Dear Evan Hansen
Michael C. Hall in Lazarus (New York Theatre Workshop)
Josh Groban in Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Zachary Levi in She Loves Me
Best Actress (Play)
Sophie Okonedo in The Crucible
Mary-Louise Parker in Heisenberg
Janet McTeer in Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Sarah Jones in Sell/Buy/Date (MTC)
Gillian Anderson in A Streetcar Named Desire (St. Ann’s Warehouse)
Best Actor (Play)
Ben Whishaw in The Crucible
Simon McBurney in The Encounter
Frank Langella in The Father
Liev Schreiber in Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Mark Rylance in Nice Fish (St. Ann’s Warehouse)
Best Supporting Actress (Musical)
Jennifer Simard in Disaster!
Amber Gray in Hadestown (New York Theatre Workshop)
Megan Lawrence in Holiday Inn
Sophia Anne Caruso in Lazarus (New York Theatre Workshop)
Jane Krakowski in She Loves Me
Best Supporting Actor (Musical)
Tyler Hanes in Cats
Patrick Page in Hadestown (New York Theatre Workshop)
Michael Esper in Lazarus (New York Theatre Workshop)
Gavin Creel in She Loves Me
Brandon Victor Dixon in Shuffle Along
Best Supporting Actress (Play)
Randy Graff in The Babylon Line (Lincoln Center)
Saoirse Ronan in The Crucible
Geneva Carr in Incognito (MTC)
Emily Bergl in Plenty (The Public)
Kate Hamill in Sense & Sensibility (Bedlam)
Best Supporting Actor (Play)
Harold Perrineau in The Cherry Orchard
Morgan Spector in Incognito (MTC)
Michael Shannon in Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Jason O’Connell in Sense & Sensibility (Bedlam)
Ben Foster in A Streetcar Named Desire (St. Ann’s Warehouse)
Best Ensemble
Dear Evan Hansen
Holiday Inn
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Sense & Sensibility (Bedlam)
Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Best Set Design
Derek McLane for Fully Committed
Tom Scutt for Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Sam Pinkleton for Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Todd Rosenthal for Nice Fish (St. Ann’s Warehouse)
John McDermott for Sense & Sensibility (Bedlam)
Best Sound Design
Dan Moses Schreier for American Psycho
Nevin Steinberg for Dear Evan Hansen
Gareth Fry and Pete Malkin for The Encounter
Robert Kaplowitz for Hadestown (New York Theatre Workshop)
Nicholas Pope for Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Best Lighting Design
Justin Townsend for American Psycho
Jan Versweyveld for The Crucible
Jeff Croiter for Falsettos
Jan Versweyveld for Lazarus (New York Theatre Workshop)
Natasha Katz for Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler for Cats
Shana Carroll and Daphné Mauger for Paramour
Denis Jones for Holiday Inn
Warren Carlyle for She Loves Me
Savion Glover for Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Best Costumes
Katrina Lindsay for American Psycho
Alejo Vietti for Holiday Inn
Tom Scutt for Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Paloma Young for Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Ann Roth for Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Most Memorable Broadway Debut
Carmen Cusack in Bright Star
Anthony Rosenthal in Falsettos
Denis Arndt in Heisenberg
Denee Benton in Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Josh Groban in Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Best Special Theatrical Event
The Last Five Years, in concert (Town Hall)
The Secret Garden, in concert (Lincoln Center)
Stronger Together (St. James Theatre)
Sunday in the Park with George (New York City Center)
Most Unique Theatrical Experience
The Encounter
The Grand Paradise (Third Rail Projects)
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Privacy (The Public)
Sense & Sensibility (Bedlam)