The Second Annual Commy Awards: 2010-11

WINNERS Norbert Leo Butz as a determined F.B.I. agent in his big number, "Don't Break the Rules," in "Catch Me if You Can." Above: Beth Leavel, center, as a housewife turned music producer with the pretend Shirelles in "Baby It's You!"


May 25, 2011

ALMOST all the awards have been presented now. The Obies, the Lortels, the Drama League, the Outer Criics Circle and the Drama Desk. But now there's a long, long wait until the Tony Awards ceremony on June 12. So, to fill in those empty days, we are pleased to present the second annual theatergossip.com Commy Awards. (Please note that categories change each year. There is no award this year, for instance, for best performance by an actress in an owl bolero.)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A GOOD ACTRESS IN A GOD-AWFUL SHOW Donna Murphy in "The People in the Picture," "Beth Leavel in "Baby It's You!" (tie)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS AS A CRAZY LADY Edie Falco in "The House of Blue Leaves," Laurie Metcalf in "The Other Place" (tie)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR AS A CRAZY GUY Geoffrey Rush in "The Diary of a Madman" (Runner-up: Michael Shannon in "Mistakes Were Made")

BEST PERFORMANCE AS A MOTHER SUPERIOR Victoria Clark in "Sister Act," Charles Busch in "The Divine Sister" (tie)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MOVIE STAR PLAYING AN ANIMAL Robin Williams as the ghost of the title character in "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MOVIE STAR SINGING AND DANCING Daniel Radcliffe as J. Pierrepont Finch in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MOVIE STAR DOING A WORKING-CLASS ACCENT Frances McDormand as an unemployed South Boston single mother in "Good People"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR OR ACTRESS MAKING IT SOUND AS IF SHAKESPEARE SPOKE THE SAME LANGUAGE WE DO Lily Rabe as Portia in "The Merchant of Venice"

BEST COMIC PERFORMANCE IN A SKIMPY OUTFIT Laura Benanti in "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR AS A GHOST Robin Williams in "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo," Daniel Davis in "Black Tie" (tie)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN EDWARDIAN DRAG Brian Bedford as Lady Bracknell in "The Importance of Being Earnest"

BEST PIRATE Christian Borle as Black Stache (the future Captain Hook) in "Peter and the Starcatcher"

BEST PLAY PROVING THAT RELIGIOUS FANATICS ARE DANGEROUS "A Bright New Boise"

BEST MUSICAL PROVING THAT RELIGIOUS FANATICS CAN BE FUN "The Book of Mormon"

BEST GIANT PUPPETS "War Horse"

BEST MEDIUM-SIZE PUPPETS "Baby Universe"

BEST SEX SCENES (CLOSE-UP) The cast of "Hello Again"

BEST SEX SCENE (OVER-50 DIVISION) Michele Pawk and Reed Birney in "A Small Fire"

BEST NEW PRODUCTION WRITTEN BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD "Gatz"

BEST-LOOKING NEW DISCOVERY Colin Donnell in "Anything Goes"

MOST THRILLING TRANSFER FROM OFF BROADWAY "Brief Encounter," "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" (tie)

CUTEST REAL-LIFE COUPLE TO WIN MATCHING DRAMA DESK AWARDS Sutton Foster in "Anything Goes," Bobby Cannavale in "The Motherfucker With the Hat"

JAKE AND ELWOOD BLUES AWARD (For best performance by a singer or dancer wearing a suit, tie and hat) Norbert Leo Butz in "Catch Me if You Can"



WANT MORE THEATERGOSSIP? Scroll to read about Daniel Radcliffe, our latest Gossip Guy, in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," and Gossip Girl, Edie Falco, in "The House of Blue Leaves." Then search to read about a dancing F.B.I. man, a mental case at the Lucille Lortel, plus thoughts on "The Normal Heart," "The Book of Mormon," "War Horse" and "Good People."