Confessions of a Chicago Theatre Addict

*By “informed” and “researched”, I mean thoroughly conjectured and opinionified through rumor, hearsay, blogger reviews, youtube and other such means.

Best Play:
*August: Osage County
Rock ‘n’ Roll
The Seafarer
The 39 Steps

It won the Pulitzer for pissake.

Best Musical:
Cry-Baby
*In the Heights
Passing Strange
Xanadu

I am shocked A (The?) Catered Affair isn’t listed here, and Cry-Baby is. Shocked! Wasn’t ACF nommed like 25 times for the Drama Desks? Strange. And big HA to you, Young Frankenstein/Mel Brooks/Susan Stroman. You can serve us shit for $450 a serving, but we don’t have to eat it. And while I’d LOVE Xanadu to win, In the Heights is gonna get it.

Best Book of a Musical
Cry-Baby, Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan
*In the Heights, Quiara Alegria Hudes
Passing Strange, Stew
Xanadu, Douglas Carter Beane

Confession: I know absolutely nothing about Passing Strange.

Best Original Score
Cry-Baby, Music & Lyrics: David Javerbaum & Adam Schlesinger
*In The Heights, Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda
The Little Mermaid, Music: Alan Menken and Lyrics: Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater
Passing Strange, Music: Stew and Heidi Rodewald Lyrics: Stew

I’m predicting a near sweep for In The Heights. Because Priscilla Lopez can kick your ass.

Best Revival of a Play
Boeing-Boeing
The Homecoming
Les Liaisons Dangereueses
*Macbeth

Sure? Kari’s review was pretty persuasive.

Best Revival of a Musical
Grease
Gypsy
*Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific
Sunday in the Park With George

While SITPWG was the front runner in my mind for a while, South Pacific is a show everyone seems hot over currently. It hasn’t been on Broadway for what, 128 years? And I think too many voters have the formidable, original SITPWG in their mind, what with the DVD so readily available.

Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Play
Ben Daniels, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing
Rufus Sewell, Rock ‘n’ Roll
*Patrick Stewart, Macbeth

Patrick’s due for one.

Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Play
Eve Best, The Homecoming
*Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County
Kate Fleetwood, Macbeth
S. Epatha Merkerson, Come Back, Little Sheba
Amy Morton, August: Osage County

Deanna seems the heart of this Pulitzer Prize winning play. And I base that observation on absolutely nothing.

Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Musical
Daniel Evans, Sunday in the Park With George
Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights
Stew, Passing Strange
Paulo Szot, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific
*Tom Wopat, A Catered Affair

This Miranda guy could take it, but I like Tom Wopat and The (A?) Catered Affair should win something.

Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Musical
Kerry Butler, Xanadu
****Patti LuPone, Gypsy
Kelli O’Hara, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific
Faith Prince, A Catered Affair
Jenna Russell, Sunday in the Park With George

Duh. But…Kelli O’Hara is the critics’ darling. Miss O better watch her back, is all I’m saying.

Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Play
Bobby Cannavale, Mauritius
Raúl Esparza, The Homecoming
*Conleth Hill, The Seafarer
Jim Norton, The Seafarer
David Pittu, Is He Dead?

Being that I know only two of these actors and none of the plays, I choose Conleth Hill, because I like his first name.

Best Performance By a Featured Actress in a Play
Sinead Cusack, Rock ‘n’ Roll
Mary McCormack, Boeing-Boeing
Laurie Metcalf, November
Martha Plimpton, Top Girls
*Rondi Reed, August: Osage County

Rondi seems to have buzz in a show that’s all buzz. Buzzzzzz.

Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Musical
Daniel Breaker, Passing Strange
Danny Burstein, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific
Robin De Jesús, In The Heights
Christopher Fitzgerald, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
*Boyd Gaines, Gypsy

Can you see my prejudice? Note: Jamie wants you to know that she’s rooting for Mr. Fitzgerald. “I just want him to get recognition for turning shit into gold, apparently.”

Best Performance By a Featured Actress in a Musical
de’Adre Aziza, Passing Strange
*Laura Benanti, Gypsy
Andrea Martin, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Olga Merediz, In The Heights
Loretta Ables Sayre, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific

There really is no competition in this category, as for as I’m concerned.

And because I really have nothing to offer but my highly-tuned instinct on the following, let the guess-hazarding ensue.

Best Direction of a Play
Maria Aitken, The 39 Steps
Conor McPherson, The Seafarer
*Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County
Matthew Warchus, Boeing-Boeing

Best Direction of a Musical
Sam Buntrock, Sunday in the Park with George
Thomas Kail, In The Heights
Arthur Laurents, Gypsy
*Bartlett Sher, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific

Best Choreography
*Rob Ashford, Cry-Baby
Andy Blankenbuehler, In The Heights
Christopher Gattelli, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific
Dan Knechtges, Xanadu

Best Orchestrations
Jason Carr, Sunday in the Park with George
*Alex Lacamoire & Bill Sherman, In the Heights
Stew & Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange
Jonathan Tunick, A Catered Affair

Best Scenic Design of a Play
*Peter McKintosh, The 39 Steps
Scott Pask, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Todd Rosenthal, August: Osage County
Anthony Ward, Macbeth

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
*David Farley and Timothy Bird & The Knifedge Creative Network, Sunday in the Park with George
Anna Louizos, In the Heights
Robin Wagner, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Michael Yeargan, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific

Best Costume Design of a Play
Gregory Gale, Cyrano de Bergerac
Rob Howell, Boeing-Boeing
Katrina Lindsay, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
*Peter McKintosh, The 39 Steps

Best Costume Design of a Musical
David Farley, Sunday in the Park with George
Martin Pakledinaz, Gypsy
Paul Tazewell, In the Heights
*Catherine Zuber, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific

Best Lighting Design of a Play
*Kevin Adams, The 39 Steps
Howard Harrison, Macbeth
Donald Holder, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Ann G. Wrightson, August: Osage County

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
*Ken Billington, Sunday in the Park with George
Howell Binkley, In the Heights
Donald Holder, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific
Natasha Katz, The Little Mermaid

Best Sound Design of a Play
Simon Baker, Boeing-Boeing
Adam Cork, Macbeth
*Ian Dickson, Rock ‘n’ Roll
Mic Pool, The 39 Steps

Comment needed: I’m confused. I thought Boeing-Boeing was done sans sound enhancement?

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Acme Sound Partners, In the Heights
Sebastian Frost, Sunday in the Park with George
*Scott Lehrer, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific
Dan Moses Schreier, Gypsy

And there you have it. Tune in to CBS on Sunday, June 15 at 8/7C to see all the glory, glitter and gravitas that is the 2008 Antoinette Perry Awards!