This morning via Facebook Live, journalist Michael Musto announced the nominees for the 10th annual OBA Awards. Among the Off Broadway Alliance honorary awards, book writer and lyricist Gretchen Cryer was named as one of the Legends of Off Broadway. The 2020 competitive category winners will be announced May 19. The Best New Musical nominees included the following six works.
Cambodian Rock Band: Presented Feb. 24-Mar. 12, 2020, at Signature Theatre. This play with music recounts a Khmer Rouge survivor’s return home after 30 years, as one of Cambodia’s most infamous war criminals faces trial. The creative team included Lauren Yee (playwright), Dengue Fever (music), Chay Yew (director), Takeshi Kata (sets), Linda Cho (costumes), David Weiner (lights), Mikhail Fiksel (sound), Luke Norby (projections), Tom Watson (wigs), and Matt MacNelly (music supervisor). The cast included Francis Jue (Duch), Abraham Kim (Rom, Journalist), Jane Lui (Pou, S21 Guard), Joe Ngo (Chum), Courtney Reed (Neary, Sothea), and Moses Villarama (Ted, Leng, Cadre).
Emojiland: Presented Jan. 19-Mar. 12, 2020, at the Duke on 42nd Street. This original musical explores a diverse community of archetypes who take one another at face value. The creative team included Keith Harrison and Laura Schein (book, lyrics, music), Thomas Caruso (director), Kenny Ingram (choreographer), David Goldstein (sets), Vanessa Leuck (costumes), Jamie Roderick (lights), Kenneth Goodwin (sound), Possible Productions and Lisa Renkel (projections), Vanessa Leuck (makeup), and Lena Gabrielle (musical direction). The cast included George Abud (Nerd Face), Felicia Boswell (Police Officer), Jacob Dickey (Sunny), Ann Harada (Pile of Poo), Josh Lamon (Prince), Lesli Margherita (Princess), Laura Schein (Smize), Lucas Steele (Skull), Natalie Weiss (Construction Worker), Max Crumm (Man in Business Suit Levitating), Dwelvan David (Guardsman), Jordan Fife Hunt (Man Dancing), Heather Makalani (Information Desk Person, Kissy Face), and Tanisha Moore (Woman Dancing).
Romeo & Bernadette: Presented Jan. 23-Feb. 16, 2020, by Amas Musical Theatre. Romeo finds himself transported to 1960 Brooklyn. The creative team included Mark Saltzman (book, lyrics), Justin Ross Cohen (director, choreographer), Walt Spangler (sets), Joseph Schrope and Fabio Toblini (costumes), Ken Billington (lights), One Dream (sound), Tommy Kurzman (wigs), and Andy Gandy (music direction). The cast included Nikita Burshteyn (Romeo), Anna Kostakis (Bernadette), Carlos Lopez (Sal Penza), Michael Marotta (Don Del Canto), Judy McLane (Camille Penza), Michael Notardonato (Dino Del Canto), Ari Raskin (Donna Dubachek), Troy Valjean Rucker (Multi-character), Zach Schanne (Tito), and Viet Vo (Lips).
The Secret Life of Bees: Presented June 13-July 21, 2019, at Atlantic Theater Company. In this musical adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd’s 2001 novel, a young girl and her black caregiver find refuge in the world of bees and spirituality. The creative team included Lynn Nottage (book), Susan Birkenhead (lyrics), Duncan Sheik (music), Sam Gold (director), Chris Walker (choreographer), Mimi Lien (sets), Dede M. Ayite (costumes), Jane Cox (lights), Dan Moses Schreier (sound), Cookie Jordan (hair & makeup), Achesonwalsh Studios (puppets), and Jason Hart (music direction). The cast included Romelda T. Benjamin (Queenie), Joe Cassidy (Clayton), Vita E. Cleveland (Violet), Eisa Davis (June), Matt DeAngelis (Silas), Manoel Feliciano (T-Ray), Brett Gray (Zachary), Jai’Len Christine Li Josey (Sugar Girl), LaChanze (August), Anastacia McCleskey (May), Saycon Sengbloh (Rosaleen), Nathaniel Stampley (Neil), and Elizabeth Teeter (Lily).
Sing Street: Presented Dec. 16, 2019-Jan. 26, 2020, at New York Theatre Workshop. Conor and his schoolmates turn to music to escape troubles at home and impress a mysterious girl in this adaptation of the 2016 movie. The creative team included (Enda Walsh (book), John Carney and Gary Clark (lyrics, music), Rebecca Taichman (director), Sonya Tayeh (choreographer), Bob Crowley (sets, costumes), Christopher Akerlind (lights), Charles Coes and Darron L. West (sound), J. Jared Jaras (hair & makeup), and Fred Lassen (music direction). The cast included Max William Bartos (Darren), Brendan C. Callahan (Gary), Billy Carter (Robert), Zara Devlin (Raphina), Gus Halper (Brendan), Jakeim Hart (Larry), Martin Moran (Brother Baxter), Anne L. Nathan (Sandra), Johnny Newcomb (Barry), Brenock O’Connor (Conor), Gian Perez (Kevin), Sam Poon (Eamon), Skyler Volpe (Anne), and Amy Warren (Penny).
A Strange Loop: Presented June 17-July 28, 2019, at Playwrights Horizons. Usher works a job he hates while writing a musical, about a writer working a job he hates while writing a musical. Can he break out of this strange loop? The creative team included Michael R. Jackson (book, lyrics, music), Stephen Brackett (director), Raja Feather Kelly (choreographer), Arnulfo Maldonado (sets), Montana Levi Blanco (costumes), Jen Schriever (lights), Alex Hawthorn (sound), Cookie Jordan (hair), and Rona Siddiqui (music direction). The cast included Larry Owens (Usher), L Morgan Lee (Thought 1), James Jackson Jr. (Thought 2), John-Michael Lyles (Thought 3), John-Andrew Morrison (Thought 4), Jason Veasey (Thought 5), and Antwayn Hopper (Thought 6).