China Grill to Host Drama Desk Awards V.I.P. Reception

China Grill New York, Jeffrey Chodorow's popular Manhattan restaurant at 60 West 53rd Street, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, will host a gala VIP reception for many of the theater world's luminaries on Sunday, May 20, 11:30 PM to 1:00 AM, immediately following the 52nd Annual Drama Desk Awards ceremony held earlier in the evening at the FH LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center. The Reception will be hosted by Drama Desk Awards Executive Producer Robert R. Blume.

All of the nominees, celebrity presenters and the night's Drama Desk Award winners, are invited to the reception. Guests will come straight from the awards show. Buses, provided by Grey Lines, will transport party guests from LaGuardia Concert Hall to China Grill at the conclusion of the awards ceremony. The reception was arranged by Drama Desk Associate Producer Corine Dana Cohen.

"We are grateful to Jeffrey Chodorow and the management of China Grill for hosting this very special event that provides an exciting conclusion to a thrilling evening," said Blume, who has been executive producer of the Drama Desk Awards since 1999. "The post-ceremony reception is always special since it provides a rare opportunity some of the entertainment world's major stars and creative personnel to mingle with each other, and being able to unwind in the beautiful and spacious China Grill makes it a truly memorable event."

"We are delighted to host the post Drama Desk Awards VIP reception," said Rob Beckham, the China Grill's New York Director of Sales and Catering. "This is a wonderful opportunity for us to show off our restaurant and Asian fusion menu to members of New York's elite theater community."

"For 20 years, the China Grill, with its soaring 30 foot ceilings, stunning multilevel dining platforms and excerpts from Marco Polo's diary inscribed in marble mosaics on its spacious limestone floor, has been a celebrated dining haunt and gathering place for New York's famous and not so famous who come to enjoy its Asian-inspired world cuisine," state press notes.

This year's 52nd Annual Drama Desk Awards, hosted by the multi-award-winning Broadway musical star Kristin Chenoweth, who recently starred in the successful Broadway revival of The Apple Tree, will be taped and a two-hour edited version will be broadcast nationally on PBS stations. In New York, the telecast will be aired by Thirteen/WNET on Sunday, May 27, 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM. NYC TV 25 will broadcast the awards special on Thursday, May 24, at 8:00 PM and on Saturday, May 26, at 10:00 PM. The awards ceremony will also be webcast live on May 20 by TheaterMania.com.  For the first time, the awards ceremony will also be broadcast live by XM Satellite Radio's theater channel -- Broadway -- XM-28 On Broadway.

 The Drama Desk, which has presented its awards annually since 1955, is the only organization of working theater critics, writers and editors, that honors excellence in all sectors of New York theater, including the Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway and not-for-profit.

Robert R. Blume is Executive Producer of the 52nd Annual Drama Desk Awards.  Lauren Class Schneider is Producer and Jeff Kalpak is Director. The show is being written by Peter Flynn. Kelly Martindale is Production Manager. Associate Producers are Jacki Barlia Florin, Corine Dana Cohen, Margot Astrachan, Matthew P. Donoghue and Les Schecter who is also Director of Publicity and Promotions. Elias El-Hage is the General Manager. Randie Levine-Miller is Special Events Director for the Drama Desk. For television, Terry Rohnke is Production Consultant and Roy A. Somlyo is Consulting Producer.

Visit www.dramadesk.org for more information.