Jessica Hecht & Jeremy Shamos to Co-Host the 2013 Obie Awards

The 58th Annual Obie Awards will be held on Monday, May 20, 2013
Webster Hall 125 East 11th Street, and will be co-Hosted by Jessica Hecht & Jeremy Shamos.

The OBIE Awards will be presented by: Bobby Cannavale, Maggie Grace, Cyndi Lauper, Judith Light, Krysta Rodriguez, Duncan Sheik, and Courtney B. Vance. The 2013 Lifetime Achievement OBIE Award Recipients will include Lois Smith and Frances Sternhagen, who will be presented with their awards by Meryl Streep.

Within a pulsating dance club atmosphere, HERE LIES LOVE, the much-lauded new musical by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, now playing at The Public Theater, deconstructs the astonishing journey of Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos, retracing her meteoric rise to power and subsequent descent into infamy and disgrace with the advent of the People Power Revolution.

Neither a period piece nor a biography, neither a play nor a traditional musical, HERE LIES LOVE is an immersive theatrical event, combining songs influenced by four decades of dance music, adrenalin-fueled choreography, and a remarkable 360-degree scenic and video environment to go beyond Imelda's near-mythic obsession with shoes and explore the tragic consequences of the abuse of power. Here Lies Love is directed by two-time OBIE winner Alex Timbers, with choreography by OBIE winner Annie-B Parson [cq - not "Parsons"] and projection design by OBIE winner Peter Nigrini.

Banda Magda, founded by its charismatic leader and vocalist, Magda Giannikou, boasts an intricate, tropical and eclectic sound, drawing from world chansons, infused into South American grooves with a twist of jazz. An intense assemblage of vibraphone, guitar, bass, vocals, accordion, piano and a cataclysmic overload of percussion, Banda Magda is a hip, mod, and ultimately fantastic group. Received with wild acclaim at [look up on their website & give a few previous venues], Banda Magda will be presented by BRIC as part of this summer's Celebrate Brooklyn! Performing Arts Festival at the Prospect Park Bandshell.

The Obies will be co-hosted by the distinguished actress Jessica Hecht, known for her many memorable performances on stage and television (most recently opposite Jim Parsons in Broadway's Harvey), and Jeremy Shamos, an Obie winner (and a Tony nominee for his performance in Clybourne Park). The two are currently starring together in the Broadway production of The Assembled Parties by Obie-winning playwright Richard Greenberg.

Because the Obies always strive to recognize artists of exceptional ability early in their careers, the award often serves to encourage, support, and in some sense nurture youthful talent. The Obies help shine an important light on theater artists who are breaking new ground, or just breaking through in their careers. In addition, the Obies honor those who have given years of service to the theater, with awards for Sustained Excellence and Lifetime Achievement.

Tickets for the Village Voice's 58th Annual Obie Awards are $25 general admission and are on sale now HERE The ceremony begins at 8pm sharp and will be held at Webster Hall. For more information please visit http://obies.villagevoice.com/2013/

The Obie Awards are presented by STELLA ARTOIS and benefiting A.R.T./ New York (Alliance of Residence Theaters). Additional sponsors include Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Academy of Dramatic Arts and Fragoli.

The Village Voice has independently produced and created such celebrated events as the Choice Eats, Obies Awards, 4Knots Music Festival, Choice Streets, Web Awards, Brooklyn Pour, as well as the most anticipated issues and guides of the year including the annual Pazz and Jop music poll, Best of NYC, and its Spring, Summer, and Fall Preview guides. The Voice is New York's most influential must-read alternative newspaper in print and online. For more information on the Voice or its events, please visit us online at www.villagevoice.comhttp://www.villagevoice.com.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public Theater is the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare and the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. The Public continues the work of its visionary founder, Joe Papp, by acting as an advocate for the theater as an essential cultural force, and leading and framing dialogue on some of the most important issues of our day. Creating theater for one of the largest and most diverse audience bases in New York City for nearly 60 years, today the Company engages audiences in a variety of venues-including its landmark downtown home at Astor Place, which houses five theaters and Joe's Pub; the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home to its beloved, free Shakespeare in the Park; and the Mobile Unit, which tours Shakespearean productions for underserved audiences throughout New York City's five boroughs. The Public's wide range of programming includes free Shakespeare in the Park, the bedrock of the Company's dedication to making theater accessible to all, new and experimental stagings at The Public at Astor Place, and a range of artist and audience development initiatives including its Public Forum series, which brings together theater artists and professionals from a variety of disciplines for discussions that shed light on social issues explored in Public productions. The Public Theater is located on property owned by the City of New York and receives annual support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust provides leadership support for The Public Theater's year-round activities www.publictheater.org

BRIC, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, has been the driving cultural force behind a number of Brooklyn's most renowned and beloved arts and media programs. All of BRIC's programs are anchored by the organization's commitment to artistic excellence, programmatic breadth, diverse cultural representation and genuine accessibility.

BRIC presents live music and performing arts, contemporary art, and community media programs. The organization places special emphasis upon providing opportunities and platforms for Brooklyn artists and media makers to create and present new works.

The Celebrate Brooklyn! Performing Arts Festival is BRIC's flagship performing arts program. Launched by BRIC in 1979 as a catalyst for a burgeoning Brooklyn performing arts scene, and to bring people back into Prospect Park after years of neglect, Celebrate Brooklyn! was an early anchor in the park's revitalization and has become one of the city's foremost summer cultural attractions. Over its history, the festival has presented over 2,000 artists, from emerging innovators to internationally established performers.
This fall, BRIC will inaugurate a new era of service to the borough when it opens BRIC House, a 40,000 square-foot arts and media facility located in the cultural hub of Downtown Brooklyn. The complex includes a flexible state-of-the-art performance space, a major contemporary art gallery, artist workspace, and multiple television and media production studios. For more information, please visit BRICartsmedia.org.