‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ Breaks Olivier Awards Record With 11 Nominations

J.K. Rowling’s two-part play dominates London theater awards, including nod for Best New Play

harry potter and the cursed child

J.K. Rowling’s two part play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” which opened in London last summer to sell-out crowds, dominated the nominations for this year’s Olivier Awards.

The show, which follows the boy wizard as a grown-up and his young son in his first days at Hogwarts, earned 11 nominations, including Best New Play, becoming the most nominated new play in Olivier history. Back in 2008, the American musical “Hairspray” also received 11 nominations.

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is scheduled to open on Broadway in spring 2018 at the Lyric Theatre.

Composer Tim Minchin’s “Groundhog Day,” which is scheduled to open its Broadway production this spring, received eight Olivier nominations, including Best New Musical.

And composer Andrew Lloyd Webber received recognition for three shows — “School of Rock” as well as revivals of “Sunset Boulevard” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

Here’s the complete list of nominations:

Virgin Atlantic Best New Play

Elegy at Donmar Warehouse
The Flick at National Theatre – Dorfman
Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre
One Night In Miami… at Donmar Warehouse

Mastercard Best New Musical

Dreamgirls at Savoy Theatre
The Girls at Phoenix Theatre
Groundhog Day at The Old Vic
School Of Rock The Musical at New London Theatre

Best Actor

Ed Harris for Buried Child at Trafalgar Studios 1
Tom Hollander for Travesties at Apollo Theatre
Ian McKellen for No Man’s Land at Wyndham’s Theatre
Jamie Parker for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre

Best Actress

Glenda Jackson for King Lear at The Old Vic
Cherry Jones
for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre
Billie Piper
for Yerma at Young Vic
Ruth Wilson for Hedda Gabler at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Best Director

Simon Stone for Yerma at Young Vic
John Tiffany for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre
John Tiffany for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre
Matthew Warchus for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Ian Bartholomew for Half A Sixpence at Noël Coward Theatre
Adam J Bernard for Dreamgirls at Savoy Theatre
Ben Hunter for The Girls at Phoenix Theatre
Andrew Langtree for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Haydn Gwynne for The Threepenny Opera at National Theatre – Olivier
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for Murder Ballad at Arts Theatre
Rebecca Trehearn for Show Boat at New London Theatre
Emma Williams for Half A Sixpence at Noël Coward Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in Music

Dreamgirls – Music by Henry Krieger at Savoy Theatre

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child – Composer and Arranger: Imogen Heap at Palace Theatre

Jesus Christ Superstar – The band and company creating the gig-like rock vibe of the original concept album of Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

School Of Rock The Musical – Three children’s bands who play instruments live every night at New London Theatre

Best New Dance Production

Betroffenheit by Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young at Sadler’s Wells
Blak Whyte Gray by Boy Blue Entertainment at Barbican Theatre
Giselle by Akram Khan and English National Ballet at Sadler’s Wells
My Mother, My Dog And CLOWNS! by Michael Clark at Barbican Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in Dance

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for their London season at Sadler’s Wells
Luke Ahmet for The Creation by Rambert at Sadler’s Wells
English National Ballet for expanding the variety of their repertoire with Giselle and She Said at Sadler’s Wells

Best Entertainment and Family

Cinderella at London Palladium
David Baddiel – My Family: Not The Sitcom at Vaudeville Theatre
Peter Pan at National Theatre – Olivier
The Red Shoes at Sadler’s Wells

Best Theatre Choreographer

Matthew Bourne for The Red Shoes at Sadler’s Wells
Peter Darling and Ellen Kane for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic
Steven Hoggett for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre
Drew McOnie for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Magic Radio Best Musical Revival

Funny Girl at Savoy Theatre
Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Show Boat at New London Theatre
Sunset Boulevard at London Coliseum

Best Actor in a Musical

David Fynn for School Of Rock The Musical at New London Theatre
Tyrone Huntley for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Andy Karl for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic
Charlie Stemp for Half A Sixpence at Noël Coward Theatre

Best Actress in a Musical

Glenn Close for Sunset Boulevard at London Coliseum
“The Girls” – Debbie Chazen, Sophie-Louise Dann, Michele Dotrice, Claire Machin, Claire Moore and Joanna Riding – for The Girls at Phoenix Theatre
Amber Riley for Dreamgirls at Savoy Theatre
Sheridan Smith for Funny Girl at Savoy Theatre

Best Revival

The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre
This House at Garrick Theatre
Travesties at Apollo Theatre
Yerma at Young Vic

Best New Comedy

The Comedy About A Bank Robbery at Criterion Theatre
Nice Fish at Harold Pinter Theatre
Our Ladies Of Perpetual Succour at National Theatre – Dorfman
The Truth at Wyndham’s Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre

Cuttin’ It at The Maria, Young Vic
The Government Inspector at Theatre Royal Stratford East
The Invisible Hand at Tricycle Theatre
It Is Easy To Be Dead at Trafalgar Studios 2
Rotterdam at Trafalgar Studios 2

White Light Award for Best Lighting Design

Neil Austin for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre
Lee Curran for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Natasha Katz for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre
Hugh Vanstone for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic

Best Sound Design

Paul Arditti for Amadeus at National Theatre – Olivier
Adam Cork for Travesties at Apollo Theatre
Gareth Fry for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre
Nick Lidster for Autograph for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Best Costume Design

Gregg Barnes for Dreamgirls at Savoy Theatre
Hugh Durrant for Cinderella at London Palladium
Rob Howell for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic
Katrina Lindsay for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre

Blue-i Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design

Bob Crowley for Disney’s Aladdin at Prince Edward Theatre
Bob Crowley for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre
Rob Howell for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic
Christine Jones for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Anthony Boyle for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre
Freddie Fox for Travesties at Apollo Theatre
Brian J. Smith for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre
Rafe Spall for Hedda Gabler at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Melissa Allan, Caroline Deyga, Kirsty Findlay, Karen Fishwick, Kirsty MacLaren, Frances Mayli McCann, Joanne McGuinness and Dawn Sievewright for Our Ladies Of Perpetual Succour at National Theatre – Dorfman

Noma Dumezweni for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre

Clare Foster for Travesties at Apollo Theatre

Kate O’Flynn for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre

Best New Opera Production

4.48 Psychosis at Lyric Hammersmith
Akhnaten at London Coliseum
Così Fan Tutte at Royal Opera House
Lulu at London Coliseum

Outstanding Achievement in Opera

Renée Fleming for her performance in Der Rosenkavalier at Royal Opera House
Stuart Skelton for his performance in Tristan And Isolde at London Coliseum
Mark Wigglesworth for his conducting of Don Giovanni and Lulu at London Coliseum

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