Ellen Barkin Joins List of Drama Desk Presenters

A star-studded list of Presenters is being assembled to participate in the 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards Ceremony on Monday, May 23, 2011, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan Center, it was announced here today by Robert R. Blume, Executive Producer of the Drama Desk Awards.

The roster of Presenters, confirmed as of today, includes stage, screen and television stars, among them (in alphabetical order): Ellen Barkin, Tyne Daly. Jonathan Groff, Katie Holmes, Cheyenne Jackson, Larry Kramer, Marcia Mason, David Hyde Pierce, Colin Quinn, Daniel Radcliffe, Liev Schreiber, Annabella Sciorra, Christian Siriano, Holland Taylor and Tom Wopat.

"We are thrilled that so many celebrated theater, TV and movie personalities - many of them past winners of Drama Desk Awards -- have agreed to participate in this year's Drama Desk Awards ceremony which will be seen by millions of theater-lovers around the nation when Ovation televises a 90-minute highlights special starting June 4. It will provide great exposure of the exciting New York theater scene to millions of TV viewers around the country, many of whom will be visiting New York City in the coming year."

The 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards, which celebrates outstanding New York theater productions and creative talent for the 2010-2011 season, will premiere on Ovation, the only network dedicated to arts culture, Saturday, June 4 at 9:00 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT. The 90-minute highlight special, will be hosted by Tony® and Drama Desk Award-winner Harvey Fierstein.

The Drama Desk Awards ceremony will be directed by Jeff Kalpak and will be shot in HD. In addition to the June 4th premiere, Ovation will broadcast encore presentations on Sunday, June 12 at 12:30 PM ET/9:30 AM PT and 2:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT. The highlights special will be produced by Heflin Filmworks, with Lance Heflin serving as supervising producer and Mark Stroman as executive producer. Terry Rohnke is creative consultant.

Ovation.com will stream a special red-carpet show on May 23 at 6 PM PT hosted by renowned stylist/designer Phillip Bloch and The Broadway Channel's Maribel Aber. The Red Carpet coverage will feature arrivals and interviews with the Drama Desk nominees, presenters and guests.
The Drama Desk (www.dramadesk.org) is an organization of professional theater writers, editors, critics and columnists who cover all areas of professional theater in the greater New York area, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway and not-for-profit theaters. The organization was founded in 1949 to explore key issues of the theater community.

For more information and a list of the nominees visit www.dramadeskawards.com.