Patti LuPone Hosts Drama Desk Awards May 23 | Playbill

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News Patti LuPone Hosts Drama Desk Awards May 23 Olivier Award winner, two-time Tony Award winner and three-time Drama Desk Award winner Patti LuPone hosts the 55th Annual Drama Desk Awards May 23 at 9 PM at the LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center.

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Patti LuPone Photo by Ethan Hill

Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning actors Brian Stokes Mitchell (Ragtime, Man of La Mancha) and Cady Huffman (The Producers, Will Rogers Follies) announced the nominations for the Drama Desk Awards May 3. The recent Off-Broadway musical The Scottsboro Boys, which is headed to Broadway in the fall, received nine nominations, the most of any production of the season.

The Broadway revival of Ragtime had also originally been nominated for nine awards, but the leadership of the Drama Desk Awards informed its membership May 14 that two of that musical's 2010 nominations had been withdrawn. The following statement was sent to Drama Desk voters: "The Drama Desk makes its own decisions. But when the Tony Awards withdrew its nomination for the Ragtime revival's costumes because they were not sufficiently different from the original production and when the lead producer and nominated costume designer Santo Loquasto did not disagree with the decision, we revisited the issue. The Drama Desk concurs that the excellent costuming was not sufficiently new to make it eligible. Therefore, the nomination will be removed from the ballot in the Outstanding Costume Design category. We have also determined that the nomination for Ragtime for Outstanding Orchestration [William David Brohn] should not be on the ballot because the highly regarded orchestration was not different enough from that of the original production to be eligible."

Presenters for the evening are scheduled to include Boyd Gaines, Cheyenne Jackson, Martha Plimpton, Anna Gasteyer, Jesse L. Martin, Mitzi Gaynor, Michael Cerveris, Matthew Modine, Brooke Shields, Rosie Perez, Leslie Jordan and Corbin Bleu.

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.

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.)

 

Circle Mirror Transformation 

The Temperamentals 

 

Special Awards: 

Each year, the Drama Desk votes special awards to recognize excellence and significant contributions to the theatre.

 

To the cast, creative team and producers of Horton Foote’s epic The Orphans' Home Cycle: "We salute the breadth of vision, which inspired the exceptional direction, performances, sets, lighting, costumes, music and sound that made it the theatrical event of this season."

 

To Jerry Herman "for enchanting and dazzling audiences with his exuberant music and heartfelt lyrics for more than half a century." 

 

To Godlight Theatre Company for "consistent originality and excellence in dramatizing modern literature, and especially for the vibrant theatricality of its innovative productions."

 

To Ma-Yi Theater Company for "more than two decades of excellence and for nurturing Asian-American voices in stylistically varied and engaging theater."

 

Nominations for the competitive categories follow:
 

Outstanding Play: 

Alan Ayckbourn, My Wonderful Day 

Annie Baker, Circle Mirror Transformation 

Lucinda Coxon, Happy Now? 

John Logan, Red 

Geoffrey Nauffts, Next Fall 

Bruce Norris, Clybourne Park 

 

Outstanding Musical: 

American Idiot 

Everyday Rapture 

Memphis 

The Addams Family 

The Scottsboro Boys 

Yank! 

 

Outstanding Revival of a Play: 

A View from the Bridge 

Brighton Beach Memoirs 

Fences 

Hamlet 

So Help Me God! 

The Boys in the Band 

 

Outstanding Revival of a Musical: 

A Little Night Music 

Finian's Rainbow 

La Cage Aux Folles 

Promises, Promises 

Ragtime 

 

Outstanding Actor in a Play: 

Bill Heck, The Orphans' Home Cycle 

Jude Law, Hamlet 

Alfred Molina, Red 

Eddie Redmayne, Red 

Liev Schreiber, A View from the Bridge 

John Douglas Thompson, The Emperor Jones 

Christopher Walken, A Behanding in Spokane 

 

Outstanding Actress in a Play: 

Ayesha Antoine, My Wonderful Day 

Melissa Errico, Candida 

Anne Hathaway, Twelfth Night 

Kristen Johnston, So Help Me God! 

Laura Linney, Time Stands Still 

Jan Maxwell, The Royal Family 

 

Outstanding Actor in a Musical: 

Brandon Victor Dixon, The Scottsboro Boys 

Douglas Hodge, La Cage Aux Folles 

Cheyenne Jackson, Finian's Rainbow 

Chad Kimball, Memphis 

Nathan Lane, The Addams Family 

Bobby Steggert, Yank! 

 

Outstanding Actress in a Musical: 

Kate Baldwin, Finian's Rainbow 

Montego Glover, Memphis 

Jayne Houdyshell, Coraline 

Christiane Noll, Ragtime 

Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture 

Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music 

 

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: 

Chris Chalk, Fences 

Sean Dugan, Next Fall 

Santino Fontana, Brighton Beach Memoirs 

Adam James, The Pride 

Hamish Linklater, Twelfth Night 

Nick Westrate, The Boys in the Band 

 

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: 

Victoria Clark, When the Rain Stops Falling 

Viola Davis, Fences 

Xanthe Elbrick, Candida 

Mary Beth Hurt, When the Rain Stops Falling 

Scarlett Johansson, A View from the Bridge 

Andrea Riseborough, The Pride 

 

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: 

Kevin Chamberlin, The Addams Family

Robin De Jesus, La Cage Aux Folles 

Jeffry Denman, Yank! 

Christopher Fitzgerald, Finian's Rainbow 

Jeremy Morse, Bloodsong of Love 

Bobby Steggert, Ragtime 

 

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical:  

Carolee Carmello, The Addams Family 

Carrie Cimma, Lizzie Borden 

Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises 

Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music 

Kenita Miller, Langston in Harlem 

Terri White, Finian's Rainbow 

 

Outstanding Director of a Play: 

Jonathan Bank, So Help Me God! 

Jack Cummings III, The Boys in the Band 

Sam Gold, Circle Mirror Transformation 

Michael Grandage, Hamlet 

Michael Grandage, Red 

Ethan Hawke, A Lie of the Mind 

 

Outstanding Director of a Musical: 

Warren Carlyle, Finian's Rainbow 

Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Ragtime 

Igor Goldin, Yank! 

Terry Johnson, La Cage Aux Folles 

Michael Mayer, American Idiot 

Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys 

 

Outstanding Choreography: 

Warren Carlyle, Finian's Rainbow 

Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Ragtime 

Lynne Page, La Cage Aux Folles 

Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys 

Twyla Tharp, Come Fly Away 

Sergio Trujillo, Memphis 

 

Outstanding Music: 

David Bryan, Memphis 

Michael Friedman, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson 

Joe Iconis, Bloodsong of Love 

John Kander & Fred Ebb, The Scottsboro Boys 

Andrew Lippa, The Addams Family 

Joseph Zellnik, Yank! 

 

Outstanding Lyrics: 

Rick Crom, Newsical The Musical 

Kevin Del Aguila, Click, Clack, Moo 

John Kander & Fred Ebb, The Scottsboro Boys 

Dillie Keane and Adèle Anderson, Fascinating Ada Absolutely Miraculous! 

Andrew Lippa, The Addams Family 

David Zellnik, Yank! 

 

Outstanding Book of a Musical: 

Joe DiPietro, Memphis 

Joe Iconis, Bloodsong of Love 

Dick Scanlan & Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture 

David Thompson, The Scottsboro Boys 

Alex Timbers, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson 

David Zellnik, Yank!  

 

Outstanding Orchestrations: 

Larry Hochman, The Scottsboro Boys 

Tom Kitt, American Idiot 

Tom Kitt, Everyday Rapture 

John Oddo, All About Me 

Daryl Waters & David Bryan, Memphis 

 

Outstanding Musical Revue: 

Fascinating Ada Absolutely Miraculous! 

Million Dollar Quartet 

Newsical The Musical 

Simon Green: Traveling Light 

Sondheim on Sondheim 

 

Outstanding Music in a Play: 

Adam Cochran, A Play on War 

Adam Cork, Red 

Gaines, A Lie of the Mind 

Philip Glass, The Bacchae 

Hem, Twelfth Night 

Branford Marsalis, Fences 

 

Outstanding Set Design: 

Sandra Goldmark, The Boys in the Band 

Phelim McDermott, Julian Crouch & Basil Twist, The Addams Family 

Derek McLane, Ragtime 

Christopher Oram, Red 

Jay Rohloff, Underground 

Karen Tennent, Hansel and Gretel 

 

Outstanding Costume Design: 

Antonia Ford-Roberts & Bob Flanagan, The Emperor Jones 

Clint Ramos, So Help Me God! 

Bobby Frederick Tilley II, Lizzie Borden 

Matthew Wright, La Cage Aux Folles 

David Zinn, In the Next Room or the vibrator play 

 

Outstanding Lighting Design:  

Neil Austin, Hamlet 

Neil Austin, Red 

Christian M. DeAngelis, Lizzie Borden 

Maruti Evans, John Ball's In the Heat of the Night 

Natasha Katz, The Addams Family 

Dane Laffrey, The Boys in the Band 

 

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical: 

Acme Sound Partners, Ragtime 

Jonathan Deans, La Cage Aux Folles 

Ashley Hanson, Kurt Eric Fischer & Brian Ronan, Everyday Rapture 

Peter Hylenski, The Scottsboro Boys 

Scott Lehrer, Finian's Rainbow 

Brian Ronan, Promises, Promises 

 

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play

Dan Bianchi & Wes Shippee, Frankenstein 

Dale Bigall, Underground

Adam Cork, Enron 

Lindsay Jones and Jamie McElhinney, Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers 

Fitz Patton, When the Rain Stops Falling

Elizabeth Rhodes, John Ball's In the Heat of the Night 

 

Outstanding Solo Performance: 

Theodore Bikel, Sholom Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears 

Jim Brochu, Zero Hour 

Colman Domingo, A Boy and his Soul 

Carrie Fisher, Wishful Drinking  

Judith Ivey, The Lady With All the Answers 

Anna Deavere Smith, Let Me Down Easy 

 

Unique Theatrical Experience

Charles L. Mee's Fêtes de la Nuit 

Hansel and Gretel 

John Tartaglia's Imaginocean 

Love, Loss, and What I Wore 

Stuffed and Unstrung 

The Provenance of Beauty 

 
Notes: The nominating committee made the following decisions related to the scope of technical award nominations: Basil Twist’s puppetry was included in the nomination for Outstanding Set Design for The Addams Family. Bob Flanagan’s puppet and mask design were included in the Outstanding Costume Design nomination for The Emperor Jones.  Fela! was considered last season in its Off-Broadway premiere and received four nominations— Outstanding Musical; Sahr Ngaujah as Outstanding Actor in a Musical; Bill T. Jones for Outstanding Choreography and Aaron Johnson and Antibalas were nominated for Outstanding Orchestrations. Under Drama Desk rules, only new elements in a transfer can be considered.  
 
PRODUCTIONS WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS 

The Scottsboro Boys     9 

Finians’ Rainbow     8 

The Addams Family     8 

La Cage Aux Folles     7 

Memphis      7 

Ragtime      7

Red       7 

Yank!       7 

Everyday Rapture     5 

The Boys in the Band     5 

Fences      4 

Hamlet       4 

So Help Me God!     4 

A Little Night Music     3 

A View from the Bridge    3 

American Idiot      3 

Bloodsong of Love     3 

Lizzie Borden      3 

Promises, Promises     3 

Twelfth Night      3 

When the Rain Stops Falling    3 

A Lie of the Mind     2 

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson   2 

Brighton Beach Memoirs    2 

Candida      2 

Circle Mirror Transformation    2 

Fascinating Ada Absolutely Miraculous!  2 

Hansel and Gretel     2 

John Ball's In the Heat of the Night  2 

My Wonderful Day     2 

Newsical The Musical     2 

Next Fall      2 

The Emperor Jones     2 

The Pride      2 

Underground      2 

 

The 2009-10 Nominating Committee includes chairperson Barbara Siegel, TalkinBroadway.com, Theatermania.com; Christopher Byrne, Gay City News; Patrick Christiano, Dan's Papers, Theaterlife.com; David Kaufman, freelance author; Gerard Raymond, Backstage, The Advocate; Richard Ridge, Broadway Beat TV; and Paulanne Simmons, CurtainUp.com and NYTheatre-wire.com.

The Drama Desk, organized in 1949, presented its first awards in 1955. William Wolf is president of the Drama Desk; Leslie (Hoban) Blake is vice president.

For her performance as Rose in the recent revival of Gypsy at the St. James Theatre, Patti LuPone won the Tony Award, the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award and the Drama League's Distinguished Performance Award. A Tony Award winner for her work in Evita, LuPone also earned an Olivier Award for her performances in the West End productions of Les Misérables and The Cradle Will Rock. Her other theatrical credits include Sunset Boulevard, Anything Goes, Oliver!, Working, The Old Neighborhood, Master Class and Pal Joey. LuPone also headlined two solo Broadway concerts, Patti LuPone On Broadway and Matters of the Heart, and received glowing notices for her performance as Mrs. Lovett in the Lincoln Center concert version of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd and a Tony nomination for her performance in the recent revival of that Sondheim work. She was seen in the Kennedy Center's staging of Marc Blitzstein's Regina and joined Audra McDonald for Los Angeles Opera's production of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. She was also seen as Rose in a Ravinia Festival concert run of Gypsy. Her screen and recording credits are numerous.

LuPone won Drama Desk Awards for her work in Evita, Anything Goes and Gypsy.

For more information visit DramaDesk.

 
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