Feature: The Real MVPs! - A VIP Reception at the Drama League Awards

On Friday, May 20, 2022, one hour before the Drama League Awards, Board President Bonnie Comley, Kirk Iwanowski, Mary Jain, and the Board Hosted a VIP Reception at the Drama League Awards right next to the Ziegfeld Ballroom. While the Drama League Distinguished Performance nominees were lining up for the dais, a cocktail party was in full swing in the adjacent ballroom.

It was a Who's Who of award-winning producers including; James L. Nederlander, John Gore, Stewart F. Lane, Nelle Nugent, Fran Weissler, Nick Scandalios, Andre Bishop, Oskar Eustis, Kevin McCollum, Jill Furman, Chris Harper, Lia Vollack, Barry Grove, Carole Rothman, Sydney Beers, Luigi Caiola, Riki Kane Larimer, Wendy Federman, Stephen Byrd, Doug Denoff, Alia Jones Harvey, Tom Kirdahy, Ken Davenport, Jenna Segal, Jane Bergere, Gabrielle Palitz, Judy Abrams, Neal Rubinstein, Kenneth Keaton, Kate Horton, Mara Isaac, Catherine Schreiber, Travis Lemont Ballenger, Margot Astrachan, and Hunter Arnold.

Other behind the scenes theater and industry VIPs and friends included; Frank DiLella (Awards host and Emmy winning tv personality ), Laura Michele Talbot (American Theater Wing), Joe Benincasa (Entertainment Community Fund), Melissa Farber (BroadwayHD), Carin Chadow (City National Bank), Rebecca Shalam (HUG NFTs), Darin Oduyoye (JP Morgan Next List), Doug Reside ( NYPL Billy Rose Theatre Division), Scott Schwartz (Bay Street Theater), Tracy Mitchell (Bay Street Theater), Gary Hygom (Suffolk Theater), Nicole Rosky (BroadwayWorld), Susan Lee (Broadway Education Alliance), Amy Herman Schechter (Nest Seekers), Matt Schechter (NYC & Co), Andrea Grover (Guild Hall), CeCe Black (Whidden Black, Co), Greg Rohan (Heritage Auctions), Danielle Allen (BroadwayHD), Ellie Heyman (Directors Project Alumnae), John Rando (Direcotrs Project Alumna), Margo Nederlander, Howard Rudominer (Drama League NAC), Lynn Notage (Playwright), Charmayne Strayhorn (Myles Frost's mother who posted his dancing videos online and he got the job - thanks, Mom!), Warren Carlyle (choreographer), Lear deBessonet (Director Project alumnae), Todd Haimes (Roundabout), Joe Machota (CAA), Susan Lang (Drama League NAC), Gio Messale (BoradwayHD), Rick Miramontez (DKC/O&M), Catalin Stelian (Catalin Media), Annette Pfister (Drama League) and Nick Falzon (Disney Theatrical).

The Drama League Board Members include Bonnie Comley, Joe Pizza, Arthur Pober, Donna Daniels, Tony Benton, Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Bevin Ross, Elena Araoz, Estefania Fadul, Leslie Feldman, Irene Gandy, Sarah Hutton, Kirk Iwanowski, Una Jackman, mary Jain, Paula Kaminsky Davis, Gwynn MacDonald, Stan Ponte, Townsend Teague, John Alan Turner, Nicole A. Watson, and Kumiko Yoshii,

Proceeds from the Drama League Awards go to funding The Drama League's The Directors Project. The 2022 Directors Project stage directors who will receive fellowships, assistantships, and residencies are NJ Agwuna, Jean Carlo Yunén Aróstegui, Jennifer Chang, Andrew Coopman, Justin Emeka, Nadia Guevara, Emily Hartford, Susanna Jaramillo, Ibi Owolabi, Logan Gabrielle Schulman, Noam Shapiro, Jessica Natalie Smith, and Kendra Ware. Several of these recipients were in attendance to receive a formal introduction at the Ziegfeld Ballroom.

The VIP reception was followed by the award ceremony hosted by Frank DiLella and honored Willette Murphy Klausner, Liliana Blain-Cruz, Hugh Jackman, and Billy Crystal. The ceremony opened with remarks from Bonnie Comley, Executive Director, Bevin Ross, and Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks. The awards were presented during a luncheon which allowed all the Drama League Distinguished Performance nominees to give short, heartfelt remarks about their work and careers. The afternoon was intimate, full of laughter, tears, respect, and celebration of life in the theater.

To learn more about The Drama League, and for a full list of winners and nominees, go to www.DramaLeague.org

Pictures: Eugene Gologursky