Tony Award winners Jim Dale and Faith Prince announced the nominees for the 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards April 27 at the New York Friars Club. 9 to 5, the new Dolly Parton-scored musical based on the film of the same name, earned 15 nominations, the most of any show of the 2008-2009 season.
Others showered with multiple nominations: Shrek the Musical and Billy Elliot The Musical, also based on films, received 12 and 10 nominations, respectively. The acclaimed revival of Hair, which began life at the outdoor Delacorte Theater prior to its Broadway run at the Hirschfeld, nabbed ten nominations. Lynn Nottage's Ruined — which recently won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama — and the London import The Norman Conquests each received the most nominations of any play of the season, five a piece.
The Drama Desk is an organization of theatre critics, writers and editors that honors excellence in all areas of New York theatre: Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway and not-for-profit.
Next to Normal was considered last season in its Off-Broadway premiere. The producers, according to the Drama Desk, "requested that [the organization] consider the Broadway transfer only as an entirely new show [and] refused to invite nominators until it was too late for any new elements to be evaluated." [title of show] was considered in a previous season in its Off-Broadway premiere and was therefore ineligible for nominations this season for its Broadway incarnation. Only one actor playing Billy in Billy Elliot was seen by all nominators, who were not invited to see the other two for consideration unless "the Drama Desk Executive Board agreed to classify all three separate performances as one unit for Outstanding Actor in a Musical." The Board rejected that request, as well as a request that as an alternative no actor playing Billy be considered.
The following awards were voted by the nominating committee and will be presented by the Drama Desk at its awards ceremony:
Outstanding Ensemble Performances The Cripple of Inishmaan The Norman Conquests
Because of the ensemble honor, individual cast members for these two shows were not eligible for acting awards in the competitive categories.
Special Awards To Liza Minnelli, a "beloved American musical theater icon, for her enduring career of sustained excellence, and her glorious performance in Liza's at the Palace.
To Forbidden Broadway at the end of its nearly three-decade run and "the creators, casts and designers who made it an unparalleled New York institution cherished for its satire and celebration of Broadway."
To Atlantic Theater Company and artistic director Neil Pepe for "exceptional craftsmanship, dedication to excellence and productions that engage, inspire and enlighten."
To TADA! Youth Theater for "providing an invaluable contribution to the future of the theater. The company makes outstanding training and experience accessible and affordable to young people and mounts productions remarkable for their quality and professionalism."
Nominees for the 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards follow:
Outstanding Play: Annie Baker, Body Awareness Gina Gionfriddo, Becky Shaw Neil LaBute, reasons to be pretty Lynn Nottage, Ruined Michael Weller, Fifty Words Craig Wright, Lady
Outstanding Musical: 9 to 5 Billy Elliot The Musical Fela! Liza's at the Palace…. Shrek The Musical The Story of My Life
Outstanding Revival of a Play: Blithe Spirit Exit the King Mary Stuart The Cripple of Inishmaan The Norman Conquests Waiting for Godot
Outstanding Revival of a Musical: Enter Laughing The Musical Hair Pal Joey West Side Story
Outstanding Actor in a Play: Simon Russell Beale, The Winter's Tale Reed Birney, Blasted Raúl Esparza, Speed-The-Plow Bill Irwin, Waiting for Godot Daniel Radcliffe, Equus Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King Thomas Sadoski, reasons to be pretty
Outstanding Actress in a Play: Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Ruined Jane Fonda, 33 Variations Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage Elizabeth Marvel, Fifty Words Jan Maxwell, Scenes From an Execution Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
Outstanding Actor in a Musical: James Barbour, A Tale of Two Cities Daniel Breaker, Shrek The Musical Brian d'Arcy James, Shrek The Musical Josh Grisetti, Enter Laughing The Musical Sahr Ngaujah, Fela! Will Swenson, Hair
Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Stephanie J. Block, 9 to 5 Stockard Channing, Pal Joey Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical Megan Hilty, 9 to 5 Allison Janney, 9 to 5 Karen Murphy, My Vaudeville Man!
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: Brian d'Arcy James, Port Authority Jeremy Davidson, Back Back Back Peter Friedman, Body Awareness Ethan Hawke, The Winter's Tale Pablo Schreiber, reasons to be pretty (Off-Broadway) Jeremy Shamos, Animals Out of Paper
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Rebecca Hall, The Cherry Orchard Zoe Kazan, The Seagull Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit Andrea Martin, Exit the King Carey Mulligan, The Seagull Condola Rashad, Ruined
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Hunter Foster, Happiness Demond Green, The Toxic Avenger Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot The Musical Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5 Bryce Ryness, Hair Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Farah Alvin, The Marvelous Wonderettes Christina Bianco, Forbidden Broadway Goes to Rehab Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot The Musical Karen Olivo, West Side Story Nancy Opel, The Toxic Avenger Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
Outstanding Director of a Play: Sarah Benson, Blasted Michael Blakemore, Blithe Spirit Garry Hynes, The Cripple of Inishmaan Terry Kinney, reasons to be pretty Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests Kate Whoriskey, Ruined
Outstanding Director of a Musical: Walter Bobbie, Irving Berlin's White Christmas Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot The Musical Joe Mantello, 9 to 5 Jason Moore, Shrek The Musical Diane Paulus, Hair Stuart Ross, Enter Laughing The Musical
Outstanding Choreography: Karole Armitage, Hair Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5 Peter Darling, Billy Elliot The Musical Bill T. Jones, Fela! Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin's White Christmas Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Shonn Wiley, My Vaudeville Man!
Outstanding Music: Neil Bartram, The Story of My Life Zina Goldrich, Dear Edwina Elton John, Billy Elliot The Musical Dolly Parton, 9 to 5 Stephen Sondheim, Road Show Jeanine Tesori, Shrek The Musical
Outstanding Lyrics: Neil Bartram, The Story of My Life Jason Robert Brown, 13 Marcy Heisler, Dear Edwina David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek The Musical Dolly Parton, 9 to 5 Stephen Sondheim, Road Show
Outstanding Book of a Musical: Steven Cosson and Jim Lewis, This Beautiful City Joe DiPietro, The Toxic Avenger Lee Hall, Billy Elliot The Musical Brian Hill, The Story of My Life David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek The Musical Patricia Resnick, 9 to 5
Outstanding Orchestrations: Larry Blank, Irving Berlin's White Christmas Bruce Coughlin, 9 to 5 Aaron Johnson and Antibalas, Fela! Edward B. Kessel, A Tale of Two Cities Martin Koch, Billy Elliot The Musical Danny Troob, Shrek The Musical
Outstanding Music in a Play: Mark Bennett, The Cherry Orchard Mark Bennett, The Winter's Tale Dominic Kanza, Ruined DJ Rekha, Rafta, Rafta… Richard Woodbury, Desire Under the Elms Gary Yershon, The Norman Conquests
Outstanding Set Design of a Play: Dale Ferguson, Exit the King Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests David Korins, Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them Derek McLane, 33 Variations Neil Patel, Fifty Words Walt Spangler, Desire Under the Elms
Outstanding Set Design of a Musical: Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical Anna Louizos, Irving Berlin's White Christmas Thomas Lynch, Happiness Scott Pask, 9 to 5 Scott Pask, Hair Basil Twist, Arias With a Twist
Outstanding Costume Design: Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests William Ivey Long, 9 to 5 Michael McDonald, Hair Martin Pakledinaz, Blithe Spirit Carrie Robbins, Irving Berlin's White Christmas
Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play: Marcus Doshi, Hamlet (Theatre for a New Audience) David Hersey, Equus Ben Kato, Washing Machine R. Lee Kennedy, Bury the Dead Paul Pyant, The Winter's Tale Hugh Vanstone, Mary Stuart
Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical: Kevin Adams, Hair Jules Fisher and Kenneth Posner, 9 to 5 Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot The Musical Jason Lyons, Clay Sinéad McKenna, Improbable Frequency Richard Pilbrow, A Tale of Two Cities
Outstanding Sound Design: Acme Sound Partners, Irving Berlin's White Christmas Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot The Musical Gregory Clarke, Equus John Gromada, Shipwrecked! An Entertainment The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself) André J. Pluess, 33 Variations John H. Shivers, 9 to 5
Outstanding Solo Performance: Mike Birbiglia, Sleepwalk With Me Frank Blocker, Southern Gothic Novel Michael Laurence, Krapp, 39 Lorenzo Pisoni, Humor Abuse Matt Sax, Clay Campbell Scott, The Atheist
Unique Theatrical Experience: Absinthe (2008 Edition) Arias With a Twist Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words Désir Soul of Shaolin Surrender
Productions with multiple nominations 9 to 5, 15 Shrek The Musical, 12 Billy Elliot The Musical, 10 Hair, 8 Irving Berlin's White Christmas, 6 Ruined, 5 The Norman Conquests, 5 Blithe Spirit, 4 Exit the King, 4 Fela!, 4 reasons to be pretty, 4 The Story of My Life, 4 The Winter's Tale, 4 33 Variations, 3 A Tale of Two Cities, 3 Enter Laughing The Musical, 3 Equus, 3 Fifty Words, 3 Mary Stuart, 3 Pal Joey, 3 The Toxic Avenger, 3 Arias With a Twist, 2 Blasted, 2 Body Awareness, 2 Clay, 2 Dear Edwina, 2 Desire Under the Elms, 2 Happiness, 2 My Vaudeville Man!, 2 Road Show, 2 The Cherry Orchard, 2 The Cripple of Inishmaan, 2 The Seagull, 2 Waiting for Godot, 2 West Side Story, 2
Nominees will receive their nomination certificate at a private ceremony May 1 at 4 PM at IL Bastardo Ristorante.
The 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards, hosted by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein, will be held May 17 at the F.H. LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. The ceremony will begin at 9 PM.
The 2008-2009 Drama Desk nominating committee comprises Barbara Siegel (Chairperson) TalkinBroadway.com, TheaterMania.com; Dan Bacalzo, TheaterMania.com; Christopher Byrne, Gay City News; Patrick Christiano, TheaterLife.com, Dan's Papers; Jason Clark, Entertainment Weekly, TheaterOnline.com; Gerard Raymond, Back Stage, The Advocate; and Richard Ridge, Broadway Beat TV.
Robert R. Blume is executive producer of the 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards.
The Drama Desk, organized in 1949, presented its first awards in 1955.
Posts: 2803 | Location: New York, New York | Registered: August 08, 2003
The three women from 9 to 5 all nominated and Mary but not Elizabeth from Mary Stuart.
WILLIAM PETERSEN: Well, this is a shock. The only explanation for this is that somehow in the last year, every one of you tried to act with rubber gloves and tweezers.
Posts: 6619 | Location: NY | Registered: December 01, 2002
Drama Desk is, I think, a group better used for tracking who is ahead for the win in close Tony races -- at least with the NY vote -- than for who will get Tony nominations. It's a particularly quirky group when it comes to nominations, probably because of its tiny nominating committee.
Still, this is good news for 9 to 5, I guess.
Blithe Spirit really performed better than expected for one of the less well-reviewed play revivals of the season (4 nods, including DIRECTING)...
..while The Seagull gets the shaft. Its two nods for its supporting ladies are very well-deserved, however. No nomination for Set Design of a Play while Exit the King and The Norman Conquests are included is sort of baffling to me. Maybe they do just have short memories.
also, nothing for Joe Turner.
No Brian Dennehy (Desire Under the Elms) in Best Actor in a Play.
Will Swenson nominated for Hair, but not Gavin Creel. (It remains to be seen what the category placement for those two will be at the Tonys, Creel likely lead, Swenson uncertain).
The ensemble award to "Norman Conquests" is very deserved because it is almost impossible to favor one of the performances over the others as they compliment and rely on each other so much. That having been said, the Tonys will pick some over the others (do all six cast members get nominated? Maybe they deserve to, but very unlikely) and so it'll be quite difficult trying to predict that...
Liza was nominated for Best Musical?
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Posts: 2803 | Location: New York, New York | Registered: August 08, 2003
Congrats Carey Mulligan, Rebecca Hall, Brian d'Arcy James, and Allison Janney...
2010 Oscars FYC:
Lead Actor - Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer Lead Actress - Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia Supporting Actor - Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds Supporting Actress - Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire Original Screenplay - Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber, (500) Days of Summer
Posts: 4923 | Location: Why Do You Want To Know? | Registered: November 21, 2006
These noms are just too weird. First of all, I'm sorry, but there are way too many nominees per category. Narrow it down, people! And I have a hard time taking any awards seriously that would nominate "A Tale of Two Cities" or "The Story of My Life" for anything after both shows got middling reviews and were open for such brief runs. I won't get into all the glaring omissions in this list. How they could nominate so many people and shows and still manage to overlook some of the finest work of the season says a lot, IMHO.
I'm very interested to see what the Tonys do next week.
Outstanding Play: Annie Baker, Body Awareness Gina Gionfriddo, Becky Shaw Neil LaBute, reasons to be pretty X Lynn Nottage, Ruined Michael Weller, Fifty Words Craig Wright, Lady
Outstanding Musical: 9 to 5 X Billy Elliot The Musical Fela! Liza's at the Palace…. Shrek The Musical The Story of My Life
Outstanding Revival of a Play: Blithe Spirit Exit the King Mary Stuart The Cripple of Inishmaan X The Norman Conquests Waiting for Godot
Outstanding Revival of a Musical: Enter Laughing The Musical X Hair Pal Joey West Side Story
Outstanding Actor in a Play: Simon Russell Beale, The Winter's Tale Reed Birney, Blasted Raúl Esparza, Speed-The-Plow Bill Irwin, Waiting for Godot Daniel Radcliffe, Equus X Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King Thomas Sadoski, reasons to be pretty
Outstanding Actress in a Play: Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Ruined Jane Fonda, 33 Variations X Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage Elizabeth Marvel, Fifty Words Jan Maxwell, Scenes From an Execution Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
Outstanding Actor in a Musical: James Barbour, A Tale of Two Cities Daniel Breaker, Shrek The Musical Brian d'Arcy James, Shrek The Musical Josh Grisetti, Enter Laughing The Musical Sahr Ngaujah, Fela! X Will Swenson, Hair
Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Stephanie J. Block, 9 to 5 Stockard Channing, Pal Joey X Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical Megan Hilty, 9 to 5 Allison Janney, 9 to 5 Karen Murphy, My Vaudeville Man!
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: X Brian d'Arcy James, Port Authority Jeremy Davidson, Back Back Back Peter Friedman, Body Awareness Ethan Hawke, The Winter's Tale Pablo Schreiber, reasons to be pretty (Off-Broadway) Jeremy Shamos, Animals Out of Paper
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Rebecca Hall, The Cherry Orchard Zoe Kazan, The Seagull X Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit Andrea Martin, Exit the King Carey Mulligan, The Seagull Condola Rashad, Ruined
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Hunter Foster, Happiness Demond Green, The Toxic Avenger Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot The Musical Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5 Bryce Ryness, Hair X Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Farah Alvin, The Marvelous Wonderettes Christina Bianco, Forbidden Broadway Goes to Rehab X Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot The Musical Karen Olivo, West Side Story Nancy Opel, The Toxic Avenger Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
Outstanding Director of a Play: Sarah Benson, Blasted Michael Blakemore, Blithe Spirit Garry Hynes, The Cripple of Inishmaan Terry Kinney, reasons to be pretty X Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests Kate Whoriskey, Ruined
Outstanding Director of a Musical: Walter Bobbie, Irving Berlin's White Christmas X Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot The Musical Joe Mantello, 9 to 5 Jason Moore, Shrek The Musical Diane Paulus, Hair Stuart Ross, Enter Laughing The Musical
Outstanding Choreography: Karole Armitage, Hair Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5 X Peter Darling, Billy Elliot The Musical Bill T. Jones, Fela! Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin's White Christmas Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Shonn Wiley, My Vaudeville Man!
Outstanding Music: Neil Bartram, The Story of My Life Zina Goldrich, Dear Edwina X Elton John, Billy Elliot The Musical Dolly Parton, 9 to 5 Stephen Sondheim, Road Show Jeanine Tesori, Shrek The Musical
Outstanding Lyrics: Neil Bartram, The Story of My Life Jason Robert Brown, 13 Marcy Heisler, Dear Edwina X David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek The Musical Dolly Parton, 9 to 5 Stephen Sondheim, Road Show
Outstanding Book of a Musical: Steven Cosson and Jim Lewis, This Beautiful City Joe DiPietro, The Toxic Avenger X Lee Hall, Billy Elliot The Musical Brian Hill, The Story of My Life David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek The Musical Patricia Resnick, 9 to 5
Outstanding Orchestrations: Larry Blank, Irving Berlin's White Christmas Bruce Coughlin, 9 to 5 Aaron Johnson and Antibalas, Fela! Edward B. Kessel, A Tale of Two Cities X Martin Koch, Billy Elliot The Musical Danny Troob, Shrek The Musical
Outstanding Music in a Play: Mark Bennett, The Cherry Orchard Mark Bennett, The Winter's Tale X Dominic Kanza, Ruined DJ Rekha, Rafta, Rafta… Richard Woodbury, Desire Under the Elms Gary Yershon, The Norman Conquests
Outstanding Set Design of a Play: Dale Ferguson, Exit the King X Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests David Korins, Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them Derek McLane, 33 Variations Neil Patel, Fifty Words Walt Spangler, Desire Under the Elms
Outstanding Set Design of a Musical: Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical Anna Louizos, Irving Berlin's White Christmas Thomas Lynch, Happiness X Scott Pask, 9 to 5 Scott Pask, Hair Basil Twist, Arias With a Twist
Outstanding Costume Design: X Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests William Ivey Long, 9 to 5 Michael McDonald, Hair Martin Pakledinaz, Blithe Spirit Carrie Robbins, Irving Berlin's White Christmas
Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play: Marcus Doshi, Hamlet (Theatre for a New Audience) David Hersey, Equus Ben Kato, Washing Machine R. Lee Kennedy, Bury the Dead Paul Pyant, The Winter's Tale X Hugh Vanstone, Mary Stuart
Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical: X Kevin Adams, Hair Jules Fisher and Kenneth Posner, 9 to 5 Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot The Musical Jason Lyons, Clay Sinéad McKenna, Improbable Frequency Richard Pilbrow, A Tale of Two Cities
Outstanding Sound Design: Acme Sound Partners, Irving Berlin's White Christmas Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot The Musical Gregory Clarke, Equus X John Gromada, Shipwrecked! An Entertainment The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself) André J. Pluess, 33 Variations John H. Shivers, 9 to 5
Outstanding Solo Performance: Mike Birbiglia, Sleepwalk With Me Frank Blocker, Southern Gothic Novel Michael Laurence, Krapp, 39 X Lorenzo Pisoni, Humor Abuse Matt Sax, Clay Campbell Scott, The Atheist
Unique Theatrical Experience: Absinthe (2008 Edition) Arias With a Twist Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words Désir X Soul of Shaolin Surrender
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Posts: 2803 | Location: New York, New York | Registered: August 08, 2003
No truly momentous upsets... I'm surprised that "Billy Elliot the Musical" won every award it was up for, particularly both featured actor and actress. It makes me wonder if we're in for a big sweep come the Tonys.
My best call was Janet McTeer for "Mary Stuart." I felt that, without Walter in the race, she would win on all the "Mary Stuart" votes. For my money, Best Actress in a Play is the tightest race at the Tonys with everyone (except maybe Hope Davis) a legitimate contender.
