RUTHLESS!, GLORIA and More Nominated for 2016 Off Broadway Alliance Awards

The Off Broadway Alliance, the organization of Off Broadway producers, theaters, general managers, press agents, and marketing professionals, has announced the nominees for the 6th Annual Off Broadway Alliance Awards, honoring commercial and not-for-profit productions that opened Off Broadway during the 2015-2016 season.

Awards will be presented in seven competitive categories: Best New Musical, Best New Play, Best Musical Revival, Best Play Revival, Best Unique Theatrical Experience, Best Solo Performance, and Best Family Show. Winners in all categories will be selected by secret ballot by members of the awards committee of the Off Broadway Alliance.

In addition to the competitive awards, four Off Broadway Alliance Legend of Off Broadway Awards are being presented for sustained achievement in the world of Off Broadway. The 2016 Legend of Off Broadway recipients are Merle Debuskey, Linda Lavin, Robert Moss, and Lois Smith. The Off Broadway Alliance Hall of Fame Awards will be presented posthumously to Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach, Anne Meara, and Elizabeth Swados.

Samuel French is especially thrilled for the nominations of Ruthless! by Marvin Laird and Joel Paley and John by Annie Baker.

Winners will be announced on May 18th. A complete list of nominees follows.

NOMINEES AND HONORARY AWARD RECIPIENTS

2016 OFF BROADWAY ALLIANCE AWARDS 

Best New Musical
Cagney
Daddy Long Legs
Dear Evan Hansen
Futurity
Who’s Your Baghdaddy?

Best New Play
Exit Strategy
Gloria
John
O, Earth
The Qualms

Best Musical Revival
Once Upon a Mattress
The Robber Bridegroom
Rothschild & Sons
Ruthless!
Sayonara 

Best Play Revival
Incident at Vichy
The School for Scandal
Two Gentlemen of Verona
Widowers’ Houses
Women Without Men 

Best Unique Theatrical Experience
Angel Reapers
Preludes
Sense & Sensibility
Shear Madness
Standard Time 

Best Solo Performance
Mike Birbiglia, Thank God for Jokes
Staceyann Chin, Motherstruck
James Lecesne, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
Joanna Rush, Kick
Andrew Schneider, Youarenowhere 

Best Family Show
The Commedia Rapunzel
The Pirate La Dee Da
The Velveteen Rabbit
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show
Young Charles Dickens

 Legend of Off Broadway Honorees
Merle Debuskey
Linda Lavin
Robert Moss
Lois Smith 

Hall of Fame Awards
Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach
Anne Meara
Elizabeth Swados 

Past winners of the top awards bestowed by The Off Broadway Alliance include Hamilton, Fun Home, Hand to God, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Freud’s Last Session, Buyer & Cellar, and SILENCE! The Musical.

The Off Broadway Alliance is a non-profit corporation organized by theater professionals dedicated to supporting, promoting and encouraging the production of Off Broadway theater and to making live theater increasingly accessible to new and diverse audiences. The Alliance holds monthly meetings and membership is open to everyone in the Off Broadway theater community.

Among its initiatives, The Off Broadway Alliance sponsors 20at20, the event that runs twice a year for 20 days and lets theatergoers purchase $20 tickets to dozens of Off Broadway shows 20 minutes before curtain. It also produces a free Seminar Series focusing on the culture, business and history of Off Broadway featuring major players from the Off Broadway scene. The Alliance operates the OBA Mentorship Program, which provides new producers with guidance and direction from Off Broadway veterans. And the Alliance created the Off Broadway Economic Impact Report, which outlines Off Broadway’s over $500 million annual impact on the economy of the City of New York.

For more information, visit www.OffBroadwayAlliance.com.