THE 74th ANNUAL DRAMA LEAGUE AWARDS NOMINATIONS

DISTINGUISHED PRODUCTION OF A PLAY

August: Osage County by Tracy Letts, Imperial Theatre/Music Box Theatre
Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl, Second Stage Theatre
The Farnsworth Invention by Aaron Sorkin, Music Box Theatre
November by David Mamet, Ethel Barrymore Theatre
Rock ‘N’ Roll by Tom Stoppard, Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
The Seafarer by Conor McPherson, Booth Theatre
Thurgood by George Stevens, Jr., Booth Theatre
The 39 Steps adapted by Patrick Barlow, based on a concept by Simon Corble, Nobby Dimon and the novel by John Buchan, Roundabout Theatre Company/Cort Theatre

DISTINGUISHED PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL

A Catered Affair, Book by Harvey Fierstein; Music and Lyrics by John Bucchino, Walter Kerr Theatre
Cry-Baby, Based on the film by John Waters, Book by Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnell, Lyrics by David Javerbaum, Music by Adam Schlesinger, Marquis Theatre
Next To Normal, Music by Tom Kitt, Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey, Second Stage Theatre
Passing Strange, Book and Lyrics by Stew, Music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, Created in collaboration with Annie Dorsen, The Public Theater/Belasco Theatre
The Adding Machine, Book by Jason Loewith, Book and Music by Joshua Schmidt, Minetta Lane Theatre
The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island, Libretto by Ben Katchor, Music by Mark Mulcahy, Vineyard Theatre
Xanadu, Book by Douglas Carter Beane, Music and Lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, Helen Hayes Theatre
Young Frankenstein, Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks, Hilton Theatre

DISTINGUISHED REVIVAL OF A PLAY

Boeing-Boeing by Marc Camoletti, Longacre Theatre
A Bronx Tale by Chazz Palminteri, Walter Kerr Theatre
Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton, Irish Repertory Theatre
Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Christopher Hampton, from the novel by Choderlos de Laclos, Roundabout Theatre Company/American Airlines Theatre
Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Brooklyn Academy of Music/Lyceum Theatre
The Misanthrope by Moliere, New York Theatre Workshop
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, The Public Theatre/New York Shakespeare Festival
The Ritz by Terrence McNally, Roundabout Theatre Company/Studio 54

DISTINGUISHED REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

Black Nativity, by Langston Hughes, adapted by Alfred Preisser, Classical Theatre of Harlem/The Duke on 42nd Street
Gypsy, Book by Arthur Laurents, Music by Jule Styne; Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, St. James Theatre
Seussical, Book by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Music by Stephen Flaherty; Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Theatreworks USA/Lucille Lortel Theatre
South Pacific, Book by Joshua Logan and Oscar Hammerstein II, Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Lincoln Center Theatre
Sunday in the Park with George, Book by James Lapine; Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Roundabout Theatre Company/Studio 54

DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD
Lauren Ambrose, "Romeo and Juliet"
Hank Azaria, "The Farnsworth Invention"
Roger Bart, "Young Frankenstein"
Christine Baranski, "Boeing-Boeing"
Laura Benanti, "Gypsy"
Sierra Boggess, "The Little Mermaid"
Daniel Breaker, "Passing Strange"
Ellen Burstyn, "The Little Flower of East Orange"
Charles Busch, "Die Mommie Die!"
Kerry Butler, "Xanadu"
Bill Camp, "The Misanthrope"
Bobby Cannavale, "Mauritius"
Margaret Colin, "Old Acquaintance"
Ben Daniels, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"
Andre de Shields, "Black Nativity"
Peter Dinklage, "Things We Want"
Deanna Dunagan, "August: Osage County"
Daniel Evans, "Sunday in the Park with George"
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, "A Midsummer Night’s Dream"
Laurence Fishburne, "Thurgood"
Sutton Foster, "Young Frankenstein"
Elizabeth Franz, "The Piano Teacher"
Morgan Freeman, "The Country Girl"
Peter Gallagher, "The Country Girl"
David Greenspan, "The Beebo Brinker Chronicles"
Harriet Harris, "Old Acquaintance", "Cry-Baby"
Jayne Houdyshell, "The Receptionist", "The New Century"
Terrence Howard, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"
Cheyenne Jackson, "Xanadu"
Brian d’Arcy James, "Next To Normal"
Francis Jue, "Yellow Face"
Kevin Kline, "Cyrano de Bergerac"
Nathan Lane, "November"
Angela Lansbury, "Deuce"
Hoon Lee, "Yellow Face"
Laura Linney, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"
Patti LuPone, "Gypsy"
Elizabeth Marvel, "Top Girls"
Alli Mauzey, "Cry-Baby"
Jefferson Mays, "Pygmalion"
Frances McDormand, "The Country Girl"
S. Epatha Merkerson, "Come Back, Little Sheba"
David Morse, "The Seafarer"
Amy Morton, "August: Osage County"
Jim Norton, "The Seafarer"
Chazz Palminteri, "A Bronx Tale"
Rosie Perez, "The Ritz"
Martha Plimpton, "A Midsummer’s Night Dream", "Cymbeline", "Top Girls"
Faith Prince, "A Catered Affair"
Bill Pullman, "Peter and Jerry"
Dallas Roberts, "Peter and Jerry"
Anika Noni Rose, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"
Mark Rylance, "Boeing-Boeing"
Jenna Russell, "Sunday in the Park with George"
Tobias Segal, "From Up Here"
Marian Seldes, "Deuce"
Jeanine Serralles, "The Black Eyed" and "The Misanthrope"
Rufus Sewell, "Rock ‘N’ Roll"
Jimmi Simpson, "The Farnsworth Invention"
Lois Smith, "100 Saints You Should Know"
James Snyder, "Cry-Baby"
David Staller, "Gaslight"
Bobby Steggert, "The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island"
Stew, "Passing Strange"
Patrick Stewart, "Macbeth"
Paulo Szot, "South Pacific"
Julie White, "From Up Here"
Dianne Wiest, "The Seagull"
Mare Winningham, "10 Million Miles"
Tom Wopat, "A Catered Affair"


Previous Award Recipients who are honored for their work this season, but who are ineligible to win the Distinguished Performance Award a second time, are:

Norbert Leo Butz, "Is He Dead?"
Kathleen Chalfant, "A Hard Heart", "Dead Man’s Cell Phone", "Vita and Virginia"
Harvey Fierstein, "A Catered Affair"
James Earl Jones, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"
John Lithgow, "Stories By Heart"
Ian McKellen, "King Lear"
Mary-Louise Parker, "Dead Man’s Cell Phone"

NOTES: The Broadway production of "In The Heights" was not considered because it received nominations for Production and Performance in 2007, during its Off-Broadway run. "Glory Days" was not considered because it did not begin performances prior to the Drama League Awards deadline for the 2007-2008 season.

SPECIAL AWARD RECIPIENTS

Unique Contribution to the Theatre
Ellen Stewart and La MaMa ETC

Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre
Paul Gemignani

The Julia Hansen Award for Excellence in Directing
Bartlett Sher

This message has been edited. Last edited by: outsider,

Missing from the list:

"The Homecoming"
"The Country Girl"
"Top Girls"
"Is He Dead?"
Kelli O'Hara, "South Pacific"
Ian McShane, Eve Best, Raul Esparza, "The Homecoming"
Andrea Martin, "Young Frankenstein"

Congrats to Martha Plimpton, Laura Linney, Lauren Ambrose, S. Epatha Merkerson and many of the others...

The omissions this year are bizarre.

"The Homecoming" drawing 0 nods, when it's considered a frontrunner at the Tonys for Best Revival and Best Featured Actor...even the snub of Ian McShane over the likes of Azaria and Simpson, two far inferior performances, is very odd.

Kelli O'Hara gets snubbed, but Sierra Boggess ("The Little Mermaid") gets a spot...in fact Szot being the only performance nominee from "South Pacific" is unexpected.

And imo, the best performance in "Gypsy" (Boyd Gaines) is the only one snubbed...

The Distinguished Performance Award is going to come down to the following I think:

Deanna Dunagan
Patti LuPone
Amy Morton
Patrick Stewart

I fear LuPone might get it b/c she's a legend and hasn't won it yet...which would be wrong, considering the other three performances...

Best Musical is going to be tough to predict this year with "In the Heights" out of the running in all the precursors, but not exactly titanic enough to be considered the frontrunner at the Tonys despite what happens beforehand.

I guess it also bears mentioning that while these things carry a bit more clout b/c they're the oldest theater award in New York, they're not really that legitimate either. Pretty much anyone can become a voting member if they want to pay the dues.

I like these nominees