Leguizamo Receives Lucille Lortel Award Nomination for His “Latin History for Morons” Play

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

John Leguizamo is reaping the critical acclaim for his return to the theater…

The 52-year-old Colombian American actor, stand-up comedian and playwright – who has earned Drama Desk Awards for his plays Ghetto Klown and Freak, along with other theater prizes – has earned a nomination at this year’s Lucille Lortel Awards, which salute commercial and nonprofit off-Broadway productions.

Leguizamo, who earned a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actor back in 1993 for his one-man play Spic-O-Rama, is nominated in the Outstanding Solo Show category for his Latin History for Morons, which he wrote and stars in. It was produced by The Public Theater in a co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

Joel Perez earned a nomination in the Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical category for his performance in Sweet Charity, the New Group revival starring Sutton Foster.

The Latino actor’s theater work includes Fun Home (Broadway and The Public Theater), as well as national and international tours of In the Heights and Fame.

María Irene Fornés, a multiple Obie Award winner, has received a nomination in the Outstanding Revival category.

The 86-year-old Cuban-American avant garde playwright and director is nominated for penning Drowning, one of the three plays that make up the Signature Theatre-produced Signature Plays: Edward Albee’s The Sandbox, María Irene Fornés’ Drowning, and Adrienne Kennedy’s Funnyhouse of a Negro.

Montana Blanco picked up a nod in the Outstanding Costume Design category for his work on The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World AKA the Negro Book of the Dead.

The awards will be presented on May 7 at an event hosted by ex-SNL company member Taran Killam to benefit The Actors Fund.

The complete list of nominations follows:

Outstanding Play
Indecent
Produced by Vineyard Theatre in association with La Jolla Playhouse and Yale Repertory Theatre
Written by Paula Vogel, Created by Paula Vogel & Rebecca Taichman

Oslo
Produced by Lincoln Center Theater
Written by J.T. Rogers

Underground Railroad Game
Produced by Ars Nova
Written by Jennifer Kidwell and Scott R. Sheppard

Vietgone
Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club in association with South Coast Repertory
Written by Qui Nguyen

The Wolves
Produced by The Playwrights Realm in association with New York Stage and Film and Vassar’s Powerhouse Theatre Season
Written by Sarah DeLappe

Outstanding Musical
The Band’s Visit
Produced by Atlantic Theater Company
Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek, Book by Itamar Moses, Based on the screenplay by Eran Kolirin

Dear Evan Hansen
Produced by Second Stage Theatre in association with Stacey Mindich Productions
Book by Steven Levenson, Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Hadestown
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop
Written by Anaïs Mitchell

Ride the Cyclone
Produced by MCC Theater
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Brooke Maxwell and Jacob Richmond

The Total Bent
Produced by The Public Theater
Text by Stew, Music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald

Outstanding Revival
The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World AKA the Negro Book of the Dead
Produced by Signature Theatre
Written by Suzan-Lori Parks

Othello
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop
Written by William Shakespeare

Signature Plays: Edward Albee’s The Sandbox, María Irene Fornés’ Drowning, and Adrienne Kennedy’s Funnyhouse of a Negro
Produced by Signature Theatre
Written by Edward Albee, María Irene Fornés, and Adrienne Kennedy

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Produced by Rachel Edwards, Jenny Gersten, Seaview Productions, Nate Koch, Fiona Rudin, Barrow Street Theatre, Jean Doumanian, Rebecca Gold, and Tooting Arts Club
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by Hugh Wheeler, Adaptation by Christopher Bond

Sweet Charity
Produced by The New Group in association with Kevin McCollum
Book by Neil Simon, Music by Cy Coleman, Lyrics by Dorothy Fields

Outstanding Solo Show
Chris Gethard: Career Suicide
Produced by Judd Apatow, Mike Berkowitz, Brian Stern, Mike Lavoie, and Carlee Briglia
Written and Performed by Chris Gethard

Latin History for Morons
Produced by The Public Theater in a co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Written and Performed by John Leguizamo

Notes From The Field
Produced by Second Stage Theatre and American Repertory Theater
Created, Written, and Performed by Anna Deavere Smith

The Outer Space
Produced by The Public Theater
Book and Lyrics by Ethan Lipton, Music by Ethan Lipton, Vito Dieterle, Eben Levy, and Ian M. Riggs
Performed by Ethan Lipton

Sell/Buy/Date
Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club
Written and Performed by Sarah Jones

Outstanding Director
Will Davis, Men On Boats
Anne Kauffman, A Life
Lila Neugebauer, The Wolves
Bartlett Sher, Oslo
Rebecca Taichman, Indecent

Outstanding Choreographer
Joshua Bergasse, Sweet Charity
David Dorfman, Indecent
Georgina Lamb, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
David Neumann, Hadestown
David Neumann, The Total Bent

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play
Reed Birney, Man From Nebraska
Michael Emerson, Wakey, Wakey
Lucas Hedges, YEN
Joe Morton, Turn Me Loose
David Hyde Pierce, A Life

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play
Johanna Day, Sweat
Jennifer Ehle, Oslo
Jennifer Kidwell, Underground Railroad Game
Kecia Lewis, Marie and Rosetta
Maryann Plunkett, Women of a Certain Age

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Michael Aronov, Oslo
Charlie Cox, Incognito
Matthew Maher, Othello
Justice Smith, YEN
Paco Tolson, Vietgone

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Jocelyn Bioh, Everybody
Hannah Cabell, The Moors
Randy Graff, The Babylon Line
Ari Graynor, YEN
Nana Mensah, Man From Nebraska

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical
Ato Blankson-Wood, The Total Bent
Shuler Hensley, Sweet Charity
Patrick Page, Hadestown
Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen
Jeremy Secomb, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Sweet Charity
Amber Gray, Hadestown
Jo Lampert, Joan of Arc: Into the Fire
Katrina Lenk, The Band’s Visit
Siobhan McCarthy, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Nathan Lee Graham, The View UpStairs
Gus Halper, Ride the Cyclone
Joel Perez, Sweet Charity
Ari’el Stachel, The Band’s Visit
Chris Sullivan, Hadestown

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Asmeret Ghebremichael, Sweet Charity
Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen
Betsy Morgan, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Emily Rohm, Ride the Cyclone
Karen Ziemba, Kid Victory

Outstanding Scenic Design
Scott Davis, Ride the Cyclone
Rachel Hauck, Hadestown
Laura Jellinek, A Life
Mimi Lien, Signature Plays: Edward Albee’s The Sandbox, María Irene Fornés’ Drowning, and Adrienne Kennedy’s Funnyhouse of a Negro
Jason Sherwood, The View UpStairs

Outstanding Costume Design
Montana Blanco, The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World AKA the Negro Book of the Dead
Tilly Grimes, Underground Railroad Game
Susan Hilferty, Love, Love, Love
Sarah Laux, The Band’s Visit
Emily Rebholz, Indecent

Outstanding Lighting Design
Mark Barton, Signature Plays: Edward Albee’s The Sandbox, María Irene Fornés’ Drowning, and Adrienne Kennedy’s Funnyhouse of a Negro
Jane Cox, Othello
Greg Hofmann, Ride the Cyclone
Amy Mae, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Ben Stanton, YEN

Outstanding Sound Design
Mikhail Fiksel, A Life
Robert Kaplowitz, Hadestown
Stowe Nelson, Small Mouth Sounds
Nevin Steinberg, Wakey, Wakey
Matt Stine, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Outstanding Projection Design
Elaine McCarthy, Notes From The Field
Duncan McLean, Privacy
Jared Mezzochi, Vietgone
Peter Nigrini, Dear Evan Hansen
Peter Nigrini, Wakey, Wakey

HONORARY AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement Award
William Ivey Long

Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee
Lynn Nottage

Edith Oliver Service to Off-Broadway Award
Harold Wolpert

Leguizamo to Star Opposite Tina Fey & Amy Poehler in “The Nest”

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

John Leguizamo is flying to the nest…

The 49-year-old Colombian actor has landed a role in The Nest, a comedy starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as two 30-something sisters who throw one last party in their parents’ soon-to-be-sold house.

Directed by Pitch Perfect-helmer Jason Moore froma screenplay by Paula Pell, the film will also star John Cena, James Brolin, Ike Barinholtz and Maya Rudolph.

No word yet on Leguizamo’s character in the film for Universal Pictures.

Earlier this year, he starred in the hit comedy Ride Along, where he co-starred with Ice Cube and Kevin Hart. He was also recently seen in the Open Road pic Chef and has a handful of projects set to go into production, including Fugly and American Ultra.

The multi-hyphenate has also begun expanding his brand outside of film with his HBO special Ghetto Klown premiering in March and his PBS special American Masters: The Boomer List currently in pre-production. He will also be performing at Central Park SummerStage on July 28th.

The Nest is set for release on December 18, 2015.

Leguizamo to Star in Atlas Independent’s Feature “The Man on Carrion Road”

Posted on April 5, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

John Leguizamo is about to cause a little trouble on the border…

The 49-year-old Colombian American actor/comedian has joined Lynn Collins and Jim Belushi for Atlas Independent‘s latest feature project The Man on Carrion Road.

The film, directed by Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego, will star Patrick Wilson and Ian McShane.

From a screenplay written by Nils Lyew, the story chronicles a botched Mexican cartel deal in the back roads of a border town.

The town’s new sheriff (Wilson) must team up with the retired lawman (McShane) he replaced to investigate the source of the deal in order to stop a mysterious cartel butcher (Leguizamo) and his systematic brutalization of the town’s residents.

Production is scheduled to begin April 14.

Leguizamo most recently performed his one-man show on the HBO special John Leguizamo‘s Ghetto Klown.

He’ll also star alongside Uma Thurman, Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart in the upcoming action-comedy film American Ultra, directed by Nima Nourizadeh.

Leguizamo’s One-Man Show “Ghetto Klown” to Become an HBO Special

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

John Leguizamo will be klowning around on HBO next spring…

The 49-year-old Colombian American comedian/actor will be bringing his Ghetto Klown to HBO.

The pay cable network will tape Leguizamo’s hit one-man show on November 16 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Victoria Theatre for debut next spring.

Ghetto Klown, for which Leguizamo received a Drama Desk Award, is a semi-autobiographical show about his path to stardom based on his memoir Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas, and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends.

Ghetto Klown, written by Leguizamo, will be directed by Fisher Stevens, who also directed the successful 2012 Broadway production and national tour.

It’s Leguizamo’s first HBO special in 11 years and the fifth one-man show to become a special on HBO.

His other shows include Mambo Mouth (1991); Spic-O-Rama (1993); Freak (1998), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award; and Sexaholic…A Love Story (2002).

Leguizamo’s Film “Fugly!” to Be Released This Summer

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Things are about to get Fugly! for John Leguizamo at the box office…

The 48-year-old Colombia-born comedian/actor’s autobiographical film Fugly! will be released in the United States this summer through 108 Media, according to IndieWire.com.

The film is an adaptation of the two-time Tony nominee’s one-man Broadway show Ghetto Klown, which traces Leguizamo’s journey from a young aspiring actor in New York City to his extensive Hollywood career in films like Carlito’s Way, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.

Fugly! co-stars Rosie Perez, Radha Mitchell, Griffin Dunne, Yul Vasquez, Tomas Milian and Ally Sheedy.

Ghetto Klown, which opened on Broadway in March 2011, closed in July 10 after 95 performances. The production earned Leguizamo a Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Solo Performance. The show then moved in to play in Los Angeles in September 2011, before moving to London’s Charing Cross Theatre the following month.

The news of Fugly!’s release comes on the heels of the announcement that ABC has placed a pilot order for a television sitcom based on Leguizamo’s life.

Leguizamo to Star in ABC’s “Only Fools And Horses” Pilot

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

He only signed his development deal with ABC less than two weeks ago… But John Leguizamo is already getting to work on a comedy pilot for the network.

The 47-year-old Colombian actor/comedian has signed on to star in the ABC/ABC Studios multi-camera comedy pilot Only Fools And Horses.

Based on a British sitcom of the same name, the multi-camera comedy chronicles the misadventures of two streetwise brothers—Del (Leguizamo) and Rodney—and their aging grandfather as they drum up some seriously outrageous and morally questionable get-rich-quick schemes in their attempt to become millionaires.

Del, the older of the two brothers, is considered the leader of the group. He’s an overly confident con artist who trades crap out of the trunk of his car, cheerfully oblivious to his so-called “low-life scammer” status.

As part of the Emmy-winning comedian’s deal with ABC, if Only Fools And Horses does not get picked up as a series, the Alphabet Network will develop a single-camera comedy inspired by Leguizamo’s professional, personal and family life in New York City for him to star in and executive produce.

Leguizamo is currently touring with his fifth one-man show, Ghetto Klown.

Leguizamo Signs Development Deal with ABC/ABC Studios…

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

John Leguizamo could be appearing on the “Alphabet Network” in the near future.

The 47-year-old Colombian actor/comedian, currently appearing on the big screen in Katherine Heigl’s One for the Money, has signed a development deal with ABC and ABC Studios.

As part of the pact, Leguizamo will star in and executive produce a single-camera comedy inspired by his professional, personal and family life in New York City.

It would be the first comedy series for Leguizamo who previously co-starred on ER and The Kill Point and headlined the CBS drama pilot Edison.

The search is currently underway for a writer to pen the comedy project, which will likely be developed off-cycle given the timing of the deal.

Leguizamo, who will executive produce the show, will not be required to do an ABC pilot this season, but will be exposed to some and could take one on.

Leguizamo is currently touring the country with his fifth one-man show, Ghetto Klown, following a successful summer run on Broadway.

One of his previous stage shows, Freak, was broadcast by HBO and earned him an Emmy Award.

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