| NOW TAKE A DEEP BREATH
|
By Roger B. Harris
|
|
Published March 9 2008 |
 |
|
| Leanne Jones and Michael Ball |
|
|
The 2008 Laurence Olivier Award winners were announced at a ceremony held at the Grosvenor House on Park Lane in London tonight . Hairspray, the musical version of the John Waters movie, notched four awards, including Best New Musical. (It had received 11 nominations.) The show has music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan.
The three other Hairspray winners were Leanne Jones and Michael Ball, who play Tracy Turnblad and her mom Edna, respectively, who won Best Musical Actress and Best Musical Actor awards. And Tracie Bennett, picked up an award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical, as Velma Von Tussie. Among the other winners: Chiwetel Ejiofor was selected as Best Actor for his performance in the title role of Othello, at the Donmar. Kristin Scott Thomas was named Best Actress for The Seagull, at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court. Best New Play honors went to A Disappearing Floor by Simon McBurney at the Barbican Best New Comedy honors went to Rafta Rafta by Ayub Khan-Din (based on All in Good Time) at the Lytttelton Best Revival went to Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw at the Olivier Best Musical Revival went to The Magic Flute-Impempe Yomlingo (adapted from Mozart by Mark Dornford-May words and music by Mandisi Dyantyis, Mbali Kgosidintsi, Pauline Malefane and Nolufefe Mtshabe) at the Young Vic Best Director honors went to Rupert Goold for Macbeth at the Gielgud
|
