BOSTON — Jewish theater and talent are once again prominent in the Elliot Norton Visiting Production Awards and local production nominations.
The awards will be presented by the Boston Theater Critics Association on June 1. Last year, the Arlekin Players Theatre won the outstanding production of a play – small stage prize for its vivid revival of “The Dybbuk” at Boston’s Vilna Shul.
This year at the 43rd annual awards, the Needham-based company is winning the outstanding visiting play award for its strong staging – directed by Ukrainian-Jewish artistic director Igor Golyak – of the powerful Tadeusz Slobodzianek drama “Our Class” (focused on antisemitism and the Holocaust) at the Calderwood Pavilion.
Arlekin previously won four Lucile Lortel Awards for its New York revival of the play. Chulpan Khamatova is being honored with the outstanding visiting lead performance in a play award for portraying the pivotal Jewish student Rachelka (later Marianna).
Arlekin fans were able to see the troupe’s latest production, entitled “Beethoven,” at their Needham base May 1-10. The play – in Russian with English subtitles – focuses on the composer’s transcendence of deafness and poverty and includes performance of some of his work.
A major local nominee is “We Had a World” by playwright Joshua Harmon. This regional premiere at the Huntington (mainstage) focuses on the relationship between third-generation Joshua (a Harmon persona), his mother Ellen and his grandmother Renee. In addition to a nomination for outstanding play – large, “We Had a World” is nominated for its three actors: Will Conard (Joshua), Eva Kaminsky (Ellen), and Amy Resnick (Renee).
Harmon buffs (who will remember his earlier Tony-nominated play “Prayer for the French Republic,” also staged by the Huntington) will have the opportunity to see a world premiere effort at the Huntington next season for which the playwright is writing the book.
Based on the Deborah Feldman 2012 memoir “Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots,” the new musical “Unorthodox” will feature music by Benj Pasek (Tony winner for “Dear Evan Hansen”) and Shaina Taub (two-Tony Award winner for the book and music of “Suffs”). The Broadway in Boston tour of “Suffs” is being honored with the Norton Award for outstanding visiting musical.
Tony Award talent informs two other Huntington efforts. “Fun Home” – with music by Tony-winning Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by Jewish Tony Award winner Lisa Kron – is nominated for outstanding musical. Philip Rosenberg is a nominee for the musical’s lighting. “Light in the Piazza” – with Tony Award winning music by Adam Guettel – is a fellow outstanding musical nominee.
Design nominees for a revival of another Tony-winning musical – this one the Jonathan Larson show “Rent” at the North Shore Music Theatre – are Rebecca Glick for costumes and Alex Berg for sound. “Rent” is also nominated for outstanding musical and outstanding ensemble – along with “Piazza.” Bill Hanney, the owner/producer of NSMT, is receiving the prestigious Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence.
Elsewhere, double threat Ilyse Robbins has received two nominations for her work on a revival of Larson’s less well-known but equally worthy “tick, tick…BOOM!” at Umbrella Stage. Her nods are for direction and choreography. The Umbrella Stage revival is also in the running for outstanding musical.
There are two other announced awards for visiting fare.
Sam Tutty has been honored with the award for outstanding performance in a visiting musical for his snappy effort in the musical “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” – seen at the American Repertory Theater. Tutty is also now a Tony Award Nominee – with the awards being presented on June 7. Eddie Izzard has won the outstanding visiting solo award for “The Tragedy of Hamlet” – seen at the Shubert Theatre, Boch Center. Izzard plays all of the roles in the play with distinctive voices and body language.
Each year, the Boston Theater Critics Association – which presents the Elliot Norton Awards – gives an honor known as the Elliot Norton Arts Education Award (including a cash grant). This year’s recipient is Open Door Theater. Since 1980, Open Door has been making theater accessible on both sides of the curtain.
The annual ceremony will be held on Monday, June 1 at the Huntington Theatre (mainstage). For a full list of the awards, go to www.elliotnortonawards.com.
