The Drama League (Jano Herbosch, President; Gabriel Shanks, Executive Director) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2009 Special Recognitions, to be presented along with its five competitive production and performance awards at The 75th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Friday, May 15, 2009 (noon) in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square (1535 Broadway).
Elton John (
Billy Elliot: The Musical) will receive the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award,
Arthur Laurents (
West Side Story) will be honored with the
Julia Hansen Award for Excellence in Directing, and
Angela Lansbury (
Blithe Spirit) will receive the Unique Contribution to the Theatre Award. In addition, Broadway producer
Herb Blodgett will receive The 75th Anniversary Leadership Award.
Billy Elliot: The Musical director
Stephen Daldry will be on-hand to present the award to
Elton John and legendary Broadway impresario
Harold Prince will present
Angela Lansbury with her award. Producer
Irv Welzer will present
Herb Blodgett with his award. Other presenters will be announced soon.
Co-hosted by
Jeremy Irons (Broadway's
Impressionism) and
Cynthia Nixon (Off-Broadway's Distracted),The 75th Annual Drama League Awards is co-chaired by theatre luminaries
Jane Alexander (Chasing Manet),
Matt Cavenaugh (
West Side Story),
Raul Esparza (Speed-the-Plow),
Tovah Feldshuh (
Irena's Vow),
Jane Fonda (
33 Variations),
Lauren Graham (
Guys and Dolls),
Allison Janney (9 to 5),
Constantine Maroulis (
Rock of Ages),
David Hyde Pierce (Accent on Youth) and
Geoffrey Rush (Exit the King).
Long considered the theatre season's most festive award ceremony, The Drama League Awards pays tribute to the season's best performers by including the nominees of The Distinguished Performance Award on a dais. The 75th Annual Drama League Awards dais will feature approximately 60 stars from the 2008-09 Broadway and Off-Broadway season, including the Honorary Co-Chairs.
In addition to the Specia Recognitions,The Drama League's 3,000+ members vote on five other annual awards: Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical and The Distinguished Performance Award. Nominations for these five awards will be announced live from Sardi's on Tuesday, April 21 at 10:30 a.m.
Tickets for The 75th Annual Drama League Awards are now available. Individual tickets are $150-$450. Tables of ten range from $1,750 to $4,250. For more information, please call The Drama League at 212-244-9494 ext. 5 or visit www.dramaleague.org.
Last season, the competitive Drama League Awards were presented to
Patti LuPone (Distinguished Performance),
August: Osage County (Distinguished Production of a Play),
A Catered Affair (Distinguished Production of a Musical), Macbeth (Distinguished Revival of a Play) and
South Pacific (Distinguished Revival of a Musical). Special Recognitions were presented to
Paul Gemignani,
Bartlett Sher and
Ellen Stewart.
The Drama League's first Distinguished Performance Award was presented to actress
Katharine Cornell in 1935, making it the oldest
National Theatre honor, predating the Tony Awards by twelve years. In recent years, the Distinguished Performance Award has been accorded to a roster of theatre legends such as
RoseMary Harris,
Christopher Plummer, Sir
Ian McKellen,
Bernadette Peters,
James Earl Jones,
John Lithgow,
Stockard Channing,
Glenn Close,
Bebe Neuwirth,
Cherry Jones,
Mary-Louise Parker,
Liam Neeson,
Harvey Fierstein,
Norbert Leo Butz,
Christine Ebersole and
Liev Schreiber, among others.
The Drama League was founded in 1916 as an association of theatre professionals and patrons dedicated to encouraging the finest in professional theatre. The Drama League provides an unparalleled training program for emerging theatre artists through The Directors Project, which encourages and trains young talents while providing much-needed exposure and essential connections to the professional theatrical community.
The Drama League's Audience Project is dedicated to building strong, passionate audiences for the American theatre, providing discounted tickets for its members to the best Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional productions across the United States while enhancing the theatergoer's understanding and experience of live theatre through its informative panels, luncheons and discussions with leading figures in the field.
For more information visit,
www.dramaleague.org.
