'Carnage,' 'Elliot' up for OCC awards

NEW YORK, April 20 (UPI) -- The Outer Critics Circle has nominated "God of Carnage," "Irena's Vow," "Reasons to Be Pretty" and "33 Variations" for its outstanding new Broadway play prize.

The nominees in the new Broadway musical category are "Billy Elliot the Musical," "Rock of Ages," "Shrek the Musical" and "A Tale of Two Cities."

In the running for outstanding new off-Broadway play are "Becky Shaw," "Farragut North," "Ruined,"

"Shipwrecked! The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told By Himself,)" and "Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them."

Shortlisted for outstanding new off-Broadway musical are "Happiness," "Rooms: A Rock Romance," "The Toxic Avenger" and "What's That Smell? The Music of Jacob Sterling."

Nominated for outstanding revival of a play are "Blithe Spirit," "The Cripple of Inishmaan," "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," "The Norman Conquests" and "Waiting for Godot."

"Enter Laughing," "Hair," "Pal Joey" and "West Side Story" are vying for the outstanding revival of a musical title.

The nominees for outstanding actor in a play are Raul Esparza for "Speed-the-Plow," Bill Irwin and Nathan Lane for "Waiting for Godot," Geoffrey Rush for "Exit the King" and Thomas Sadoski for "Reasons To Be Pretty."

Named in the outstanding actress in a play category are Saidah Arrika Ekulona for "Ruined," Carla Gugino for "Desire Under the Elms," Marcia Gay Harden for "God of Carnage," and Janet McTeer and Harriet Walter for "Mary Stuart."

Up for actor in a musical are James Barbour from "A Tale of Two Cities," Matt Cavenaugh from "West Side Story," Brian d'Arcy James from "Shrek," Josh Grisetti from "Enter Laughing" and David Pittu from "What's That Smell?"

The short list for outstanding actress in a musical are Sutton Foster from "Shrek," Megan Hilty from "9 to 5," Leslie Kritzer from "Rooms," Nancy Opel from "The Toxic Avenger" and Josefina Scaglione from "West Side Story."