Yesterday, May 18th 2008 the winners of this years Drama Desk Awards were announced. The 53rd Annual Drama Desk Awards were held in the LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center. The awards show was webcast for the sixth year in a row by TheaterMania.com. It was also broadcast live on satellite radio's XM – 28 On Broadway for the second consecutive year. Drama Desk nominees will receive their official nomination certificates at a cocktail reception on Thursday, May 1, 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Arte Café, 106 West 73rd Street, between Broadway and Columbus Avenue.
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. The organization began presenting its awards in 1955, and it is the only organization to honor achievement in the theater with competition between Broadway, off Broadway and off-off Broadway productions in the same categories. For more information please visit
www.dramadesk.com
Winners are in bold:
Outstanding Play:
Alan Ayckbourn, Intimate Exchanges
Rinde Eckert, Horizon
Liz Flahive, From Up Here
Horton Foote, Dividing the Estate
Tracy Letts, August: Osage CountyTom Stoppard, Rock 'n' Roll
Outstanding Musical:
A Catered AffairAdding Machine
Passing StrangeThe Glorious Ones
The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island
XanaduOutstanding Revival of a Play:
Boeing-BoeingHappy DaysMacbethThe Country GirlThe Dining Room
The Return of the Prodigal
Outstanding Revival of a Musical:
Black Nativity
GypsySouth PacificSunday in the Park with GeorgeTake Me Along
Outstanding Revue:
Forbidden Broadway: Rude AwakeningFugitive Songs
Make Me a Song
Outstanding Actor in a Play:
Bill Champion, Intimate Exchanges
Kevin Kline,
Cyrano de BergeracBill Pullman, Peter and Jerry
Mark Rylance, Boeing-BoeingTobias Segal, From Up Here
Rufus Sewell, Rock 'n' Roll
Outstanding Actress in a Play:
Sinead Cusack, Rock 'n' Roll
Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage CountyFrances McDormand,
The Country GirlAmy Morton,
August: Osage CountyFiona Shaw,
Happy DaysJulie White, From Up Here
Outstanding Actor in a Musical:
Daniel Breaker,
Passing StrangeAndré De Shields, Black Nativity
Daniel Evans,
Sunday in the Park with GeorgeCheyenne Jackson,
XanaduMatthew Morrison, 10 Million Miles
Paulo Szot, South PacificOutstanding Actress in a Musical:
Sierra Boggess,
The Little MermaidPatti LuPone, GypsyKelli O'Hara,
South PacificFaith Prince,
A Catered AffairAlice Ripley,
Next to NormalJenna Russell,
Sunday in the Park with GeorgeOutstanding Featured Actor in a Play:
John Cullum, The Conscientious Objector
Conleth Hill, The SeafarerFrancis Jue, Yellow Face
Arian Moayed, Masked
Jeff Perry,
August: Osage CountyMichael T. Weiss, Scarcity
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play:
Elizabeth Ashley, Dividing the Estate
JohAnna Day, Peter and Jerry
Zoe Kazan, 100 Saints You Should Know
Linda Lavin, The New CenturyRondi Reed,
August: Osage CountyMarisa Tomei,
Top GirlsOutstanding Featured Actor in a Musical:
Danny Burstein,
South PacificChristopher Fitzgerald,
Young FrankensteinBoyd Gaines, GypsyShuler Hensley,
Young FrankensteinBobby Steggert, The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island
Tom Wopat,
A Catered AffairOutstanding Featured Actress in a Musical:
Laura Benanti, GypsyLeslie Kritzer,
A Catered AffairAndrea Martin,
Young FrankensteinMary Testa,
XanaduAmy Warren, Adding Machine
Mare Winningham, 10 Million Miles
Outstanding Director of a Play:
David Schweizer, Horizon
Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage CountyLeigh Silverman, From Up Here
Jonathan Silverstein, The Dining Room
Matthew Warchus, Boeing-Boeing
Deborah Warner,
Happy DaysOutstanding Director of a Musical:
Christopher Ashley,
XanaduSam Buntrock,
Sunday in the Park with GeorgeDavid Cromer, Adding Machine
John Doyle,
A Catered AffairBob McGrath, The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island
Bartlett Sher, South Pacific
Outstanding Choreography:
Karole Armitage,
Passing StrangeRob Ashford, Cry-Baby The MusicalShana Carroll and
Gypsy Snider, Traces
Dan Knechtges,
XanaduPeter Pucci, Queens Boulevard (the musical)
Susan Stroman,
Young FrankensteinOutstanding Music:
John Bucchino,
A Catered AffairStephen Flaherty, The Glorious Ones
Tom Kitt,
Next to NormalMark Mulcahy, The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island
Joshua Schmidt, Adding Machine
Stew and Heidi Rodewald, Passing StrangeOutstanding Lyrics:
Lynn Ahrens, The Glorious Ones
Mel Brooks,
Young FrankensteinJohn Bucchino,
A Catered AffairBen Katchor, The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island
Jason Loewith and
Joshua Schmidt, Adding Machine
Stew, Passing StrangeOutstanding Book of a Musical:
Douglas Carter Beane, XanaduHarvey Fierstein,
A Catered AffairBen Katchor, The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island
Jason Loewith and
Joshua Schmidt, Adding Machine
Stew,
Passing StrangeEric H. Weinberger, Wanda's World
Outstanding Orchestrations:
Doug Besterman,
Young FrankensteinJason Carr, Sunday in the Park with GeorgeMichael Starobin, The Glorious Ones
Stew and
Heidi Rodewald,
Passing StrangeJonathan Tunick,
A Catered AffairTim Weil, 10 Million Miles
Outstanding Set Design of a Play:
Beowulf Boritt, Spain
Scott Bradley, Eurydice
David Korins, Hunting and Gathering
Santo Loquasto, Trumpery
Scott Pask, Les Liaisons DangereusesClint Ramos, The Return of the Prodigal
Outstanding Set Design of a Musical:
David Gallo,
A Catered AffairTakeshi Kata, Adding Machine
Derek McLane, 10 Million Miles
George Tsypin,
The Little MermaidRobin Wagner,
Young FrankensteinMichael Yeargan, South PacificOutstanding Costume Design:
Mara Blumenfeld, The Glorious Ones
Michael Bottari and
Ronald Case,
Jessica Jahn, Die Mommie Die!
Ann Hould-Ward,
A Catered AffairAna Kuzmanic,
August: Osage CountyKatrina Lindsay, Les Liaisons DangereusesWilliam Ivey Long,
Young FrankensteinOutstanding Lighting Design:
Kevin Adams, The 39 StepsKen Billington,
Sunday in the Park with GeorgeMaruti Evans, Slaughterhouse-Five
Donald Holder,
South PacificNatasha Katz,
The Little MermaidKeith Parham, Adding Machine
Outstanding Sound Design:
Adam Cork,
MacbethJorge Cousineau, Opus
Joseph Fosco, The Conversation
Scott Lehrer, South PacificMic Pool,
The 39 StepsTony Smolenski IV, Adding Machine
Outstanding Solo Performance:
Kris Andersson, Dixie's Tupperware Party
Laurence Fishburne, ThurgoodStephen Lang, Beyond Glory
April Yvette Thompson, Liberty City
Outstanding Projection and Video Design:
Paul Barritt, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Timothy Bird and The Knifedge Creative Network, Sunday in the Park with GeorgeZachary Borovay,
A Catered AffairJim Findlay and
Jeff Sugg, The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island
Lorna Heavey,
MacbethTal Yarden, The Misanthrope
Unique Theatrical Experience:
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Cut to the Chase
Fabrik
The 39 StepsTraces
The following awards were voted by the nominating committee and were announced prior to the Drama Desk ceremony:
Outstanding Ensemble Performances
The Dining Room
The HomecomingSpecial Awards
Edward Albee
James Earl Jones
59E59 Theaters
Playwrights Horizons
Photo Credit Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.