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54th Annual Drama Desk Awards Nominations Announced

  • 54th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED AT NEW YORK FRIARS CLUB BY FAITH PRINCE AND JIM DALE; AWARDS TO BE PRESENTED ON MAY 17 AT GALA CEREMONY HOSTED BY HARVEY FIERSTEIN

    New York, April 27, 2009—Nominations for the 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced this morning at the New York Friars Club by Faith Prince and Jim Dale, multi-award winning stage stars. They were joined for the announcement by William Wolf, Drama Desk President, Barbara Siegel, Chairperson of the Drama Desk Nominating Committee, Robert R. Blume, Executive Producer of the Drama Desk Awards ceremony, and Randie Levine-Miller, Director of Special Events for the Drama Desk.

    In keeping with the Drama Desk's unique mission, the nominators considered shows that opened on Broadway, off Broadway and off-off Broadway during the 2008/2009 season in the same competitive categories. Final deliberations took place at the Travel Inn, New York City.

    The 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards will be held Sunday, May 17, 2009 in the LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center. The awards show will be webcast live for the seventh year in a row by TheaterMania.com.

    Drama Desk nominees will receive their official Nomination Certificates at a cocktail reception on Friday, May 1, 4p.m.—6:30 p.m. at Il Bastardo restaurant, 191 Seventh Avenue (between 21st and 22nd Streets).

    The 2008/2009 Nominating Committee for the Drama Desk Awards is composed of: 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.

    Drama Desk nominees will receive their official nomination certificates at a cocktail reception on Thursday, May 1, 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Arte Café, 106 West 73rd Street, between Broadway and Columbus Avenue.

    Robert R. Blume is Executive Producer of the 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards Ceremony and Blume Media Group Ltd is the producing company. Lauren Class Schneider is Producer and Jeff Kalpak is Director of the Awards ceremony. For the production, the Associate Producers are Margot Astrachan, Jacki Barlia Florin, Joseph Callari, Corine Dana Cohen, Ellis Nassour and Les Schecter, who is also Director of Publicity and Promotions. Felicia M. Lopes is the General Manager; Ellis Nassour is Press Liaison and Randie Levine-Miller is Special Events Director for the Drama Desk organization.

    ABOUT THE DRAMA DESK

    The Drama Desk was founded in 1949 to explore key issues in the theater and to bring together critics and writers in an organization to support the ongoing development of theater in New York. The organization began presenting its awards in 1955, and it is the only critics organization to honor achievement in the theater with competition between Broadway, Off- Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions in the same categories.

    The organization hosts panels throughout the year, to which the public is invited, to promote understanding and appreciation of the professional theater. In addition to honoring creative artists and stage productions in multiple categories, the Drama Desk annually presents scholarships to two worthy seniors in the Drama Department of the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts who are planning careers in the theater.

    The Drama Desk Awards invites personal sketches from this year's nominated performers and creative talent for its Art*Kive program, started nine years ago by Art*Kive creator Sarah Galvin. This annual program--unique to the Drama Desk Awards--invites the nominees to render a sketch that is relevant to the role or stage production that helped them achieve their nomination. The sketches will be displayed at the awards ceremony.

    To find out more about the organization and this year's awards show, visit http://www.dramadesk.com.

    The Executive Board of the Drama Desk is composed of: William Wolf, President; Leslie (Hoban) Blake, Vice President; Charles Wright, Treasurer and 2nd Vice President; Richard Ridge, Secretary; Robert Cashill; Isa Goldberg, David Kaufman; Ellis Nassour; Sam Norkin; and Barbara Siegel.

    DRAMA DESK NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2008/2009 SEASON

    The following awards were voted by the nominating committee and will be presented by the Drama Desk at its awards ceremony:

    Outstanding Ensemble Performances

    This year the nominators chose to bestow special ensemble awards for acting to the casts of two shows. Therefore, individual cast members for these shows were not eligible for acting awards in the competitive categories.

    * The Cripple of Inishmaan
    * The Norman Conquests

    Each year, the Drama Desk votes special awards to recognize excellence and significant contributions to the theater. For 2008/2009, these awards are:

    * 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.

    Following are the nominations for the competitive categories. Winners will be selected by the voting membership of the Drama Desk:

    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

    NOTE:

    Next to Normal was considered last season in its off-Broadway premiere. Alice Ripley was nominated as Outstanding Actress in a Musical and Tom Kitt for Outstanding Music. Under Drama Desk rules only new elements in a transfer can be considered. The producers, who requested that we consider the Broadway transfer only as an entirely new show, refused to invite nominators until it was too late for any new elements to be evaluated.

    All elements in both productions of shows that transferred to Broadway in the same season were eligible.

    [title of show] was considered in a previous season in its off-Broadway premiere.

    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.

    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

    Posted on Monday, April 27, 2009 by Matthew Murray | Item Link


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