Montreal teen to share theatre award with Billy Elliot colleagues

Montreal teen David Alvarez and the two young actors with whom he shares the spotlight in Broadway's Billy Elliot the Musical will receive a special award at the Outer Critics Circle Awards next month.

Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish who take turns in the titular role of the popular musical will share a special achievement prize at the Outer Critics Circle Awards ceremony in May, organizers said Monday as they revealed this year's slate of prize nominees.

Billy Elliot, playing at New York's Imperial Theatre, follows the smash hit production in London's West End. Both are based on the 2000 film of the same name.

The British edition of the show, which has been a hit since 2005, won the U.K.'s prestigious Olivier Award for best new musical in 2006. The three teen actors who shared the lead in that original West End run also scooped the Olivier for best actor.

Billy Elliott, Shrek lead award nominees

Billy Elliott tied with Shrek the Musical as the lead nominee for the upcoming Outer Critics Circle gala, with each netting 10 nods.

Leading plays vying for the honours include 33 Variations, Waiting for Godot and Ruined each of which received five nominations.

Nominees in selected categories include:

• New Broadway play: God of Carnage; Irena's Vow; Reasons To Be Pretty; 33 Variations.
• New Broadway musical: Billy Elliot the Musical; Rock of Ages; Shrek the Musical; A Tale of Two Cities.
• New score (Broadway or Off-Broadway): Billy Elliot the Musical; Happiness; Rooms: A Rock Romance; Shrek the Musical.
• Revival of a play (Broadway or Off-Broadway): Blithe Spirit; The Cripple of Inishmaan; Joe Turner's Come and Gone; The Norman Conquests; Waiting for Godot.
• Revival of a musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway): Enter Laughing; Hair; Pal Joey; West Side Story.
• Actor in a play: Raul Esparza, Speed-the-Plow; Bill Irwin, Waiting for Godot; Nathan Lane, Waiting for Godot;Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King; Thomas Sadoski, Reasons To Be Pretty.
• Actress in a play: Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Ruined; Carla Gugino, Desire Under the Elms; Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage; Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart; Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart.
• Actor in a musical: James Barbour, A Tale of Two Cities; Matt Cavenaugh, West Side Story; Brian d'Arcy James, Shrek the Musical; Josh Grisetti, Enter Laughing; David Pittu, What's That Smell? The Music of Jacob Sterling.
• Actress in a musical: Sutton Foster, Shrek the Musical; Megan Hilty, 9 to 5; Leslie Kritzer, Rooms A Rock Romance; Nancy Opel, The Toxic Avenger; Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story.
• Ensemble performance award: Amelia Bullmore, Jessica Hynes, Stephen Mangan, Ben Miles, Paul Ritter and Amanda Root for The Norman Conquests.

The Outer Critics Circle Awards honour excellence in Broadway and Off-Broadway fare. The organization represents journalists covering the city's theatre scene for major media outlets outside New York.

Winners will be announced May 11, with the gala set for May 21.