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HARVEY FIERSTEIN returns as host of the Drama Desk Awards
by Ellis Nassour



    Harvey Fierstein, the multi-award-winning comic actor currently winning raves in the Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof, hosts the 50th Annual Drama Desk Awards on Sunday, May 22 at the LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center.

    HARVEY FIERSTEIN returns as host of the Drama Desk Awards

    For this milestone anniversary of the theatrical organization that honors outstanding work On and Off Broadway, he'll be joined by Award presenters: Alan Alda (Glengarry Glen Ross), Hank Azaria (Spamalot), Christina Applegate (Sweet Charity), Delta Burke (Steel Magnolias), Sutton Foster (Little Women), Jeff Goldblum (The Pillowman), Robert Goulet (La Cage aux Folles), Ethan Hawke (Hurlyburly), Patti Lupone, David Hyde Pierce (Spamalot), Rue McClanahan, Maureen McGovern (Little Women), Lynn Redgrave (The Constant Wife), Liev Schreiber (Glengarry Glen Ross), Tommy Tune, Kathleen Turner (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) and the cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

    There'll be performances by the cast of Outstanding Musical nominee Altar Boyz, Outstanding Actress nominee Victoria Clark (The Light in the Piazza), Outstanding Actress nominee Sherie Renee Scott (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and Outstanding Featured Actress nominee Maureen McGovern (Little Women).

    DRAMA DESK NOMINATIONS 2004-2005
    CATEGORY HIGHLIGHTS
    for nominees in all categories and much, much more
    visit: www.dramadesk.com

    Outstanding Play :
    Democracy (Michael Frayn)
    Doubt (John Patrick Shanley)
    Pentecost (David Edgar)
    The Pillowman (Martin McDonagh)
    Sailor's Song (John Patrick Shanley)
    Sin (A Cardinal Deposed) (Michael Murphy)

    Outstanding Musical :
    Altar Boyz
    The Audience
    Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
    The Light in the Piazza
    Monty Python's Spamalot
    The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

    Outstanding Actor, Play :
    Adam Arkin, Brooklyn Boy
    John Cullum, Sin (A Cardinal Deposed)
    Bill Irwin, Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
    Br"an F. O'Byrne, Doubt
    Jeremy Piven, Fat Pig
    John Turturro, Souls of Naples

    Outstanding Actress, Play :
    Veanne Cox, Last Easter
    Cherry Jones, Doubt
    Judy Kaye, Souvenir
    Laura Linney, Sight Unseen
    Frances Sternhagen, Echoes of the War
    Kathleen Turner, Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

    Outstanding Actor, Musical :
    Hank Azaria, Monty Python's Spamalot
    Mike Burstyn, On Second Avenue
    Norbert Leo Butz, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
    Matthew Morrison, The Light in the Piazza
    David Hyde Pierce, Monty Python's Spamalot
    Bill Thompson, God Hates the Irish: The Ballad of Armless Johnny

    Outstanding Actress, Musical :
    Christina Applegate, Sweet Charity
    Victoria Clark, The Light in the Piazza
    Sutton Foster, Little Women
    LaChanze, Dessa Rose
    Sherie Rene Scott, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
    Rachel York, Dessa Rose


    __________ AND [SOME OF] THE NOMINEES ARE : __________





    Bill Irwin and Kathleen Turner, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf; Cherry Jones, Doubt;
    Frances Sternhagen, Echoes of the War; Christina Applegate, Sweet Charity;
    Norbert Leo Butz, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; David Hyde Pierce, Spamalot;
    Victoria Clark, The Light in the Piazza; Gregory Jbara and Joanna Gleason,
    Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Maureen McGovern, Little Women;
    Jan Maxwell, with Marc Kudish, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
    ____________________________________________________

    Outstanding Featured Actor, Play:
    Philip Bosco, Twelve Angry Men
    Larry Bryggman, Romance
    Jeff Goldblum, The Pillowman
    Josh Hamilton, Hurlyburly
    Paul Sparks, Orange Flower Water
    Michael Stuhlbarg, The Pillowman

    Outstanding Featured Actress, Play :
    Julie Halston, White Chocolate
    Adriane Lenox, Doubt
    Portia, McReele
    Lily Rabe, Steel Magnolias
    Lee Roy Rogers, Orson's Shadow
    Mary Testa, String of Pearls

    Outstanding Featured Actor, Musical :
    Christian Borle, Monty Python's Spamalot
    Gregory Jbara, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
    Norm Lewis, Dessa Rose
    Tyler Maynard, Altar Boyz
    Michael McGrath, Monty Python's Spamalot
    Denis O'Hare, Sweet Charity

    Outstanding Featured Actress, Musical :
    Sarah Uriarte Berry, The Light in the Piazza
    Joanna Gleason, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
    Kecia Lewis, Dessa Rose
    Maureen McGovern, Little Women
    Jan Maxwell, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
    Jennifer Simard, Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit

    Outstanding Director, Play :
    Joshua Carlebach, Frankenstein
    Scott Elliott, Hurlyburly
    Scott Ellis, Twelve Angry Men
    Edward Hall, Rose Rage
    Doug Hughes, Doubt
    Joe Mantello, Glengarry Glen Ross

    Outstanding Director, Musical :
    Matthew Bourne, Play Without Words
    Jack Cummings III, The Audience
    Mark Dornford-May, The Mysteries
    James Lapine, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
    Mike Nichols, Monty Python's Spamalot
    Bartlett Sher, The Light in the Piazza

    Outstanding Music :
    Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker, Altar Boyz
    Terry Davies, Play Without Words
    William Finn, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
    Stephen Flaherty, Dessa Rose
    Adam Guettel, The Light in the Piazza
    David Yazbek, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

    Outstanding Lyrics :
    Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker, Altar Boyz
    Douglas J. Cohen, Children's Letters to God
    Rick Crom, Newsical
    William Finn, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
    Eric Idle, Monty Python's Spamalot
    David Yazbek, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

    Outstanding Book of a Musical :
    Nell Benjamin and Laurence O'Keefe, Cam Jensen
    Kevin Del Aguila, Altar Boyz
    Mark Harelik, The Immigrant
    Eric Idle, Monty Python's Spamalot
    Jeffrey Lane, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
    Rachel Sheinkin, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee


    The following noncompetitive awards will be presented:

    Outstanding Ensemble Performances:
    The cast of Glengarry Glen Ross
    The cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee


    __________ ENSEMBLE HONORS __________

    Alan Alda and Liev Schreiber from the cast of Glengarry Glen Ross;
    from Rear, Clockwise, Jose Llana, Deborah S. Craig, Jesse Tyler Ferguson,
    Celia Keenan-Bolger, Dan Folger and Sarah Saltzberg from the cast of
    The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
    _______________________________________________________

    A Career Achievement Award to Julie Harris for her commitment to excellence in the theater.

    A Special Award to Keen Company, for moving and enlightening audiences with plays that build upon our theatrical heritage.

    A Special Award to the Public Theater for 50 years of exceptional contributions to the theater.

    __________________ LOOKING BACK ___________________

    from the pen of SAM NORKIN
    Charter member of Drama Desk


    Company, A Chorus Line and Follies

    Copyright, SAM NORKIN: Used by persmission
    _________________________________________________________

    A two-hour version of the Awards will air on NYC TV Channel 25 Wednesday, May 25 and Friday, May 27 at 8 PM each night; as well as on Thirteen/WNET on Sunday, May 29 at Noon.

    The Awards will air on PBS stations on the following dates:
    WEAO TV Akron, Friday, May 27, at 10 PM
    WNEO TV Alliance (Ohio), Friday, May 27, at 10 PM
    WQED TV Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 29, at 3 PM
    WHYY TV Philadelphia, Thursday, June 2, at 10 PM
    KTCI TV Boston, Thursday, June 2, at 8 PM
    WKNO TV Memphis, Sunday, June 12, at 6 PM
    KQED TV San Francisco, Sunday, June 12, at 6 PM
    WPBT TV Miami, Sunday, June 26, at 4 PM

    [Photo Credits, from Left and continuing Clockwise: Linda Lenzi:BroadwayWorld.com, Ellis Nassour, Joan Marcus, Paul Kolnik, Carol Rosegg, Joan Marcus, Joan Marcus, Carol Rosegg, Paul Kolnik, Joan Marcus; and, below, Les Schecter, Joan Marcus]

    [Note: Ellis Nassour is a member of Drama Desk and the Drama Desk Executive Board.]


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    Sunday, May 22, 2005 at 12:01 AM | Item Link



    Ellis Nassour is an international media journalist, and author of Honky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline, which he has adapted into a musical for the stage. Visit www.patsyclinehta.com.

    He can be reached at [email protected]



    The last five columns written by Ellis Nassour:

    07/02/2010: Summer in the City: Fireworks on the Hudson Launch a Season with Plenty to Do and See

    06/13/2010: The 64th Annual Tony Awards Celebrating Broadway Achievement

    06/10/2010: Tony Honoree Marian Seldes: Grand Duse of the American Theater

    06/08/2010: Starry, Starry Nights [Hopefully] with the Bard; Broadway by the Year Celebrates 10th Anniversary; Old Flames Reignite [Onstage]; Summer in and Out of the City; Stars Rally for Dancers; Cast CDs and Re-releases; New to DVD

    05/21/2010: Patti LuPone Hosts Sunday's Drama Desk Awards; A Starry, Starry Season; Tovah Feldshuh, Sherman Brothers Honored; Broadway By the Year Season Finale

    For a listing of all features written by Ellis, click here.

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