Spamalot Tops List of London's 2007 Olivier Award Nominations
A runaway success on Broadway and now the West End, Spamalot drew nominations for Best Actor for Tim Curry, who brought his Broadway-originated King Arthur to London, Best Actress for Hannah Waddingham, Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Tom Goodman-Hill, and further recognition for Best New Musical, Best Lighting, Set and Costume Design.
In a year in which big shows have drawn plaudits, the more modest Sunday in the Park with George has outdone Wicked, Cabaret, Porgy and Bess and Evita, which nonetheless all netted at least three nominations each. Sunday in the Park with George's six nods included Jenna Russell for Best Actress in a Musical, Daniel Evans for Best Actor in a Musical and Sam Buntrock for Best Director. Wicked was snubbed in the Best Musical race although director Joe Mantello got a nod and Idina Menzel was not nominated for her lead performance.
Tom Stoppard's latest play, Rock 'N' Roll, which transferred from the Royal Court to the Duke of York's, received four nominations including Stoppard in the Best New Play category, Sinead Cusack for Best Actress, Rufus Sewell for Best Actor and Ian Dickinson at the Royal Court for Best Sound Design.
The 31st Annual Laurence Olivier Awards will take place on February 18 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
A complete list of the nominees follows:
Best New Play
Blackbird by David Harrower
Frost/Nixon by Peter Morgan
Rock ‘N' Roll by Tom Stoppard
The Seafarer by Conor McPherson
Best New Comedy
The 39 Steps adapted by Patrick Barlow from John Buchan's novel with an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon
Don Juan in Soho by Patrick Marber after Moliere
Love Song by John Kolvenbach
Best Revival
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Donkey's Years by Michael Frayn
A Moon for the Misbegotten by Eugene O'Neill
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? By Edward Albee
Best New Musical
Avenue Q by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx music, lyrics and original concept and Jeff Whitty book
Caroline, or Change by Tony Kushner book and lyrics and Jeanine Tesori music
Monty Python's Spamalot by Eric Idle boko and lyrics and John Du Prez music from the original screenplay by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin
Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin music and Dubose and Dorothy Heyward and Ira Gershwin book and lyrics with an adaptation by Trevor Nunn
Cabaret by John Masteroff book, John Kander music and Fred Ebb lyrics, based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood
Evita by Tim Rice lyrics and Andrew Lloyd Webber music
The Sound of Music by Richard Rodgers music, Oscar Hammerstein II lyrics and Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse book, suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp
Sunday in the Park with George by Stephen Sondheim music and lyrics and James Lapine book
Best Actress
Eve Best for A Moon for the Misbegotten
Sinead Cusack for Rock ‘N' Roll
Tamsin Greig for Much Ado About Nothing
Kathleen Turner for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Best Actor
Iain Glen for The Crucible
David Haig for Donkey's Years
Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon
Rufus Sewell for Rock ‘N' Roll
Michael Sheen for Frost/Nixon
Best Performance in a Supporting Role
Samantha Bond for Donkey's Years
Deborah Findlay for The Cut
Mark Hadfield for Thérèse Raquin
Colm Meaney for A Moon For The Misbegotten
Jim Norton for The Seafarer
Nicola Hughes for the Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Tonya Pinkins for Caroline, or Change
Elena Roger for Evita
Jenna Russell for Sunday in the Park with George
Hannah Waddingham for Monty Python's Spamalot Best Actor in a Musical
Tim Curry for Monty Python's Spamalot
Daniel Evans for Sunday in the Park with George
Clarke Peters for the Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Philip Quast for Evita
Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Anna Francolini for Caroline, or Change
Tom Goodman-Hill for Monty Python's Spamalot
Sheila Hancock for Cabaret
Summer Strallen for The Boy Friend
Sam Buntrock for Sunday in the Park with George
Dominic Cooke for The Crucible
Joe Mantello for Wicked
Best Theatre Choregrapher
Rob Ashford for Evita
Javier de Frutos for Cabaret
Bill Dreamer for The Boy Friend
Stephen Mear for Sinatra at the London Palladium
Best Lighting Design Best New Opera Production Outstanding Achievement in Opera Best New Dance Production Outstanding Achievement in Dance
The Crucible designed by Jean Kalman and Vince Herbert
Monty Python's Spamalot designed by Hugh Vanstone
Sunday in the Park with George designed by Natasha Chivers and Mike Robertson
Therese Raquin designed by Neil Austin
Wicked designed by Kenneth Posner
Monty Python's Spamalot designed by Tim Hatley
Sunday in the Park with George designed by David Farley
Wicked designed by Eugene Lee
Best Costume Design
Monty Python's Spamalot designed by Tim Hatley
The Voysey Inheritance designed by Alison Chitty
Wicked designed by Susan Hilferty
Best Sound Design
The 39 Steps designed by Mic Pool
Rock ‘N' Roll designed by Ian Dickinson
Waves designed by Gareth Fry
Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre
Pied Piper at Theatre Royal, Stratford East
Theatre Royal, Stratford East for a powerful season of provocative work, reaching new audiences
Love and Money at the Maria, Young Vic
Roy Dotrice for his performance in The Best of Friends at Hampstead Theatre
English National Opera's Jenufa
English National Opera's The Makropulos Case
English National Opera's Orfero
Opera North's Peter Grimes
John Mark Ainsley for his performance in English National Opera's Orfero
Joyce Didonato for her performance in Les Arts Florissant's Hercules
Amanda Roocrofy for her performance in English National Opera's Jenufa
John Tomlinson for his performance in the Royal Opera's Götterdämmerung
The Royal Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty
Kabuki Fuji Musume & Kasane
The Royal Ballet's DVG Dance à Grande Vitesse
The Royal Ballet's Chroma
Steven McRae for his performances in the Royal Ballet's Homage to the Queen and Chroma
Carlos Acosta for his programme of work and performances at Sadler's Wells
Mariela Nunez for her performances in the Royal Ballet's Chroma and The Sleeping Beauty and in Carlos Acosta's programme at Sadler's Wells
Wayne McGregor for his choreography of the Royal Ballet's Chroma