Now in its 24th year, the Lortel Awards were handed out on Sunday, May 3, 2009 at the “Off” Broadway Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis. The Lortel Recipients were lauded by lovely host, Kristen Johnston, a performance by nominated comedian Mike Birbiglia and with a bevy of presenters, including Jane Krakowski, Parker Posey, Marcia Gay Harden, Piper Perabo, Lisa Edelstein, Jeremy Irons, Ari Graynor, Ellen Burstyn, Craig Bierko, Christian Siriano, Tim Gunn, Mireille Enos, Olivia d’Abo, John Glover, Margarita Levieva, Mark Indelicato, Keith Nobbs, Kerry Butler, Marsha Mason, Robert Verdi, Karen Olivo, Boyd Gaines & Lynn Cohen, Stephanie J Block, Fern Mallis, Ty Burrell, Phyllis Newman, Michael T. Weiss, Kate Jennings Grant, Jessica Blank & Erik Jensen.
Representatives of the Off-Broadway League, Actors’ Equity Association, Society of Stage Directors & Choreographers, the Lucille Lortel Foundation in addition to theatre journalists and academics and other Off-Broadway professionals serve on the Voting Committee. The 2009 Voting Committee is comprised of Jeremy Dobrish, John Clinton Eisner, Barrack Evans, Kurt Everhart, Peter Filichia, David Finkle, Jeffrey Fiske, Elizabeth Frankel, Melanie Herman, Linda Herring, Matthew Kelty, Walt Kiskaddon, Renée Lasher, Russell Lehrer, Niclas Nagler, Barbara Pasternack, Richard Price, Mark Rossier, David Savran and Barbara Toy.
The Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by the Off-Broadway League by special arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Foundation. Additional support provided by Theatre Development Fund. Support also provided by Ketel One Vodka, Lunetta Prosecco, The Powder Group and Amavi Cellars.
2009 Nominations by Category
Outstanding Play
Animals Out of Paper; Written by Rajiv Joseph; Produced by Second Stage Theatre
Becky Shaw; Written by Gina Gionfriddo; Produced by Second Stage Theatre
Ruined; Written by Lynn Nottage; Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club and Goodman Theatre
The Good Negro; Written by Tracey Scott Wilson; Produced by The Public Theater in association with Dallas Theater Center
The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928); Text by William Faulkner, Created by Elevator Repair Service; Produced by New York Theatre Workshop and Elevator Repair Service
Outstanding Musical
Fela! A New Musical; Book by Jim Lewis and Bill T. Jones, Music and Lyrics by Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Add’l Music by Aaron Johnson and Jordan McLean, Add’l Lyrics by Jim Lewis; Produced by Ruth and Stephen Hendel and Roy Gabay
My Vaudeville Man!; Book by Jeff Hochhauser, Music by Bob Johnston, Lyrics by Bob Johnston and Jeff Hochhauser; Produced by The York Theatre Company and Melanie Herman
Road Show; Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by John Weidman; Produced by The Public Theater
Saved; Music and Lyrics by Michael Friedman, Book and Lyrics by John Dempsey and Rinne Groff; Produced by Playwrights Horizons in association with Elephant Eye Theatrical
This Beautiful City; Composer and Lyricist Michael Friedman, Librettist Steve Cosson and Jim Lewis, Created by The Civilians; Produced by Vineyard Theatre
Outstanding Revival
Enter Laughing, The Musical; Book by Joseph Stein, Music and Lyrics by Stan Daniels, Based on the play Enter Laughing by Joseph Stein, from the novel by Carl Reiner; Produced by The York Theatre Company
Othello; Written by William Shakespeare; Produced by Theatre for a New Audience
Our Town; Written by Thornton Wilder; Produced by Scott Morfee, Jean Doumanian, Tom Wirtshafter, Ted Snowdon, Eagle Productions, Dena Hammerstein/Pam Pariseau, The Weinstein Company, Burnt Umber Productions, Producers
The Cripple of Inishmaan; Written by Martin McDonagh; Produced by Atlantic Theater Company and Druid Theatre Company
The Glass Cage; Written by J.B. Priestley; Produced by Mint Theater Company
Outstanding Solo Show
Humor Abuse; Created by Lorenzo Pisoni and Erica Schmidt, Performed by Lorenzo Pisoni; Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club
Sleepwalk With Me; Written and Performed by Mike Birbiglia; Produced by Eli Gonda, Ryan Scott Warren, Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf, and Nathan Lane
Outstanding Director
Arin Arbus, Othello
David Cromer, Our Town
Garry Hynes, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Kate Whoriskey, Ruined
Robert Woodruff, Chair
Outstanding Choreographer
Martha Clarke, Garden of Earthly Delights
Bill T. Jones, Fela! A New Musical
Janet Miller, The Marvelous Wonderettes
Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Shonn Wiley, My Vaudeville Man!
Sergio Trujillo, Saved
Outstanding Lead Actor
Ned Eisenberg,Othello
Josh Grisetti, Enter Laughing, The Musical
Brian d’Arcy James, Port Authority
Sahr Ngaujah, Fela! A New Musical
John Douglas Thompson, Othello
Outstanding Lead Actress
Ellen Burstyn, The Little Flower of East Orange
Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Ruined
Carmen M. Herlihy, crooked
Kellie Overbey, The Savannah Disputation
Annie Parisse, Becky Shaw
Outstanding Featured Actor
Utkarsh Ambudkar, Animals Out of Paper
Francois Battiste, The Good Negro
John McMartin, Saturn Returns
Aaron Monaghan, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Thomas Sadoski, Becky Shaw
Outstanding Featured Actress
Annika Boras, Chair
Kerry Condon, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Lisa Emery, Distracted
Mamie Gummer, Uncle Vanya
Juliet Rylance, Othello
Outstanding Scenic Design
Beowulf Boritt, Animals Out of Paper
Marina Draghici, Fela! A New Musical
Roger Hanna, The Glass Cage
James Schuette, Wig Out!
David Zinn, Chair
Outstanding Costume Design
Marina Draghici, Fela! A New Musical
Ann Hould-Ward, Road Show
Toni-Leslie James, Wig Out!
Karen Perry,The First Breeze of Summer
Theresa Squire, Rafta, Rafta…
Outstanding Lighting Design
Christopher Akerlind, Garden of Earthly Delights
Mark Barton, Chair
Lap Chi Chu, The Good Negro
Marcus Doshi, Othello
Jason Lyons, Mourning Becomes Electra
Outstanding Sound Design
Quentin Chiappetta, Irena’s Vow
John Gromada, Shipwrecked! An Entertainment
Robert Kaplowitz, Wig Out!
Jane Shaw, The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd
Matt Tierney, The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928)
Outstanding Body of Work The Lark Play Development Center
Edith Oliver Award for Sustained Excellence Ira Weitzman