Doubt, Spamalot sweep N.Y. Outer Critics awards

John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Doubt and the musical Monty Python's Spamalot dominated the Outer Critics Circle awards announced on Monday. Outstanding Broadway Play winner Doubt, the story of a nun who accuses a priest of child molestation, won best director for Doug Hughes, as well as awards for its two stars, Cherry Jones and Brian O'Byrne. Spamalot, based on the work of the British comedy troupe, also won four awards. It was named Best Broadway Musical and cited for Best Costume Design, and its director, Mike Nichols, was chosen for Best Direction of a Musical, while Sara Ramirez was voted Best Featured Actress in a Musical. The awards are voted on by journalists who cover New York theater for out-of-town media. They are closely watched in the run-up to the Tony Awards in June, nominations for which are to be announced on Tuesday. While the Tony Awards honor only Broadway productions, the Outer Critics Circle and the Drama Desk Awards, to be presented on May 22, also celebrate off-Broadway productions. The award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play was a tie between Fat Pig and Going to St. Ives. Altar Boyz won Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical. In a season of major revivals on Broadway, the critically acclaimed Twelve Angry Men won Best Revival of a Play and La Cage aux Folles won Best Musical Revival. Though Broadway has seen a host of Hollywood stars this season, from Laura Linney to Denzel Washington, most of the big names from cinema missed out on the awards. The exceptions were Jeff Goldblum, named Best Featured Actor in a Play for The Pillowman, and Billy Crystal, whose autobiographical revue 700 Sundays won Best Solo Performance. The awards for Best Acting in a Musical went to Norbert Leo Butz for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Victoria Clark for The Light in the Piazza. (Reuters)