Begun during the 1949-1950 theater season, the Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for media outlets outside of New York City. Broadway theatre is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. ... Off-Broadway plays or musicals are performed in New York City in smaller theatres than Broadway, but larger than Off-Off-Broadway, productions. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the United States, the most densely populated major city in North America, and is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture. ...

The nominees are announced each April. The presentation of awards is made in late May at Sardi's Restaurant in Manhattan and preceeds the Tony Awards by about two weeks. Manhattan is an island bordering the lower Hudson River. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater. ...