Angela Lansbury, James Earl Jones, Bernadette Peters et al. to Present 2012 Drama Desk Awards!

The Drama Desk Awards have announced the lineup of presenters for this year's awards ceremony, hosted by Brooke Shields and Drama Desk winner Brian d'Arcy James. The presenters represent many different aspects of the New York theater community including Broadway royalty: Angela Lansbury, James Earl Jones, Bernadette Peters; award winning dramatists: Doug Wright and Rick Elice; legendary composers: Maury Yeston, William Finn; heralded directors: Roger Rees, Alex Timbers; celebrated designers: Peggy Eisenhauer; revered orchestrators: Jonathan Tunick; valued members of the New York theater scene: Oskar Eustis, Jenny Gersten; and, of course, popular performers: Martha Plimpton, John Larroquette, Julie Halston. The 57th Annual Drama Desk Awards will take place on Sunday, June 3, 2012 at 8PM at The Town Hall.

The Drama Desk nominees were announced at Feinstein's at Loews Regency on April 27 and celebrated at an exclusive Nominees' Reception on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at Oceana Restaurant in Manhattan. The 57th Annual Drama Desk Awards will take place on Sunday, June 3, 2012, at 8:00 PM at The Town Hall (123 West 43th Street) in Manhattan. This year's award show is being written by cast album producer, playwright, and two-time Drama Desk Award winner Bill Rosenfield and directed by multi-award winning director Mark Waldrop (Divine Miss Millennium Tour, When Pigs Fly, Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends). Executive Producer Gretchen Shugart, CEO of TheaterMania, will present the awards ceremony with Robert R. Blume and David S. Stone in association with Renee McCurry. TheaterMania has engaged Joey Parnes Productions to produce and manage the event.

The Drama Desk was founded in 1949 to explore key issues in the theater and to bring together critics and writers in an organization to support the ongoing development of theater in New York. For additional information about the Drama Desk and this year's awards show, and to purchase tickets to the 57th Annual Drama Desk Awards show at The Town Hall on June 3, visit www.dramadeskawards.com.

Tickets for the general public, ranging from $45 to $175, can be purchased by visiting www.dramadeskawards.com/tickets.html.