The New York Drama Critics’ Circle named “Shuffle Along” the best new musical of the season, while honoring as Stephen Karam’s “The Humans” as the best play. The former is George C. Wolfe’s meta-musical about a 1921 African-American show that revolutionized Broadway against all odds and then fell into obscurity, while Karam’s drama examines, with humor and sensitivity, the anxieties and fears of a middle-class family as they gather in a New York apartment to celebrate Thanksgiving. The prestigious nods give both Broadway productions a boost as they enter the frantic award season, especially the Tony Awards, since “Shuffle Along” received ten nominations, including Best Musical, while “The Humans” earned six nominations, including Best Play.In any normal year, the anointing of “Shuffle Along” by the critics would give it a leg up on its competition. However, the much-favored “Hamilton” was not in the running since the Circle gave it the top award last year during its run at the Public Theater prior to the show’s Broadway transfer.One of the distinctions of the Critics’ Circle awards, chaired by its president Adam Feldman of Time Out New York, is that it publishes the deliberations of the voting on its website. From that, one can tell how the weighted balloting occurred and which critic favored which show. Also gaining votes among the musicals were “American Psycho,” along with two off-Broadway shows, “Dear Evan Hansen” and “First Daughter Suite.” Favored by some critics among the plays were Annie Baker’s “John” and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ “Gloria,” which both ran Off-Broadway. Also receiving votes was Danai Gurira’s “Eclipsed,” which, with its six Tony nominations, is the chief competition for “The Humans” when those awards are given out on June 12. The Critics’ Circle opted not to name a Best Foreign Play, which could be perceived as something of a snub for “King Charles III,” written by Brit Mike Bartlett, and “The Father,” by French writer Florian Zeller. Both of these plays are in competition with “Eclipsed” and “The Humans” for the Best Play Tony Award.Also honored by the Circle with special citations were Oskar Eustis of the Public Theater, veteran actress Lois Smith, and director Ivo Van Hove and designer Jan Versweyveld, who collaborated on this season’s two Arthur Miller revivals: “The Crucible” and “A View From the Bridge.” But the tip of the hat also goes to producer Scott Rudin, who shepherded both “The Humans” and “Shuffle Along” to Broadway (as well as both of the Miller revivals). He is one of the theater’s most prolific and brilliant producers — his six productions, which also included “Blackbird” and “King Charles III,” earned a whopping total of 28 nominations this season. He is also its boldest. He chose to develop “Shuffle Along” without the benefit of a out-of-town tryout or an engagement at one of New York’s non-profit theaters. And, most tellingly, Rudin chose to produce “The Humans,” a complex and hardly commercial proposition, without it first receiving the approbation of the critics. The producer took in the play during the preview period at Roundabout’s off-Broadway Laura Pels Theatre. He met with the director Joe Mantello days before the critics were to weigh in on the play for the very first time and began outlining how he would bring it to Broadway.At a recent press event for the Tony nominees, Mantello recalled that he told Rudin at the time, “This is all predicated on the fact that we get good reviews.” And Rudin’s succinct reply was, “No.”“Scott trusts his taste, he has the courage of his convictions,” said Mantello. “It’s an extraordinary experience to work with him because he demands a lot but as much as he demands, he’s giving hundred times that. He’s always ahead of the group, leading the charge with such a clear, bold, smart vision. It’s a very rare thing.”Karam, for his part, said, “I’ve never before had the experience of a producer getting so fully onboard before critical response. I felt so understood. I thought I was being punked to be honest. This play has no name, I’m not a name, and there are no celebrities in the cast. That kind of confidence is just extraordinary.”
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