Alan Menken, Rosie O'Donnell & Diane Paulus Named 2012 Drama League Special Honorees

The Drama League will honor three outstanding theatre luminaries at this year's 78th Annual Drama League Awards set for Friday afternoon, May 18th at the Marriott Marquis Times Square.

The 2012 recipients are as follows: eight-time Academy Award-winner, theatre and movie composer Alan Menken (Newsies, Leap of Faith, Sister Act) will receive the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award in recognition of his contribution to the musical theatre; stage, television and movie star Rosie O'Donnell (Fiddler on the Roof, Suessical, Grease) will receive the Unique Contribution to the Theatre Award for her continuing efforts in promoting live theatre; and Drama League Directors Project alum Diane Paulus, the Artistic Director of The American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Mass., the director of the Broadway production of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess and a Tony nominee for Hair, will receive The Founders Award for Excellence in Directing (formerly named the Julia Hansen Award).

The Drama League Nominees for Distinguished Play, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Best Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and the much coveted Distinguished Performance Award will be announced on Tuesday, April 24th at 11:00 a.m. at Sardi's and will be streamed live online at BroadwayWorld.com.

The 78th Annual Awards Ceremony and Luncheon includes cocktail reception, luncheon, and awards presentation. It will be held at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in the Broadway Ballroom (1535 Broadway) on Friday, May 18, 2012.

For more information about the Drama League Awards, please call (212) 244-9494 ext 27, or e-mail events@dramaleague.org, or visit the website at www.dramaleague.org.

The Drama League Awards Eligibility Committee recently determined that productions transferring from Off-Broadway to Broadway, or vice versa, in successive years are now eligible for consideration in both seasons.

"With the tradition of out-of-town tryouts waning, the theatre industry has challenged all of us who love the theatre to see transfers in a new way, not only as an extension of a production's life span, but as an opportunity to re-imagine and re-discover," said Executive Director Gabriel Shanks.

Mr. Shanks went on to add, "A transfer isn't just a change in real estate; it requires a re-thinking of the production from top to bottom, with different production values and needs. It seemed increasingly unfair to disqualify shows simply because they started their life Off-Broadway rather than out-of-town."

First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. They are the only major theatergoer awards chosen by audience members - specifically, by the thousands of Drama League members nationwide who attend Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.

The Drama League Awards honor distinguished productions, performances, and exemplary career achievements in musical theatre and directing. The first Drama League Award was presented to Katharine Cornell in 1935. Since then, the Distinguished Performance Award has been accorded to a roster of theatre legends such as Liam Neeson, Hugh Jackman, Patti LuPone, Glenn Close, Liev Schreiber, Sir John Gielgud, Harvey Fierstein, Cherry Jones, Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones, Julie Harris, Helen Hayes, Jeremy Irons, Mary-Louise Parker, Sir Ian McKellen, Bernadette Peters, and Christopher Plummer.

Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski