BEST BOOK of a MUSICAL

John Weidman, Big, The Musical

John Weidman received a Tony Award nomination for the book of the Stephen Sondheim musical Pacific Overtures. He co-authored the Tony Award-winning 1987 revival of Cole Porter's Anything Goes and wrote the book for the Sondheim musical, Assassins. He was awarded the 1996 Kleban Award and is currently writing a new musical with Mr. Sondheim, commissioned by the Kennedy Center.

Reg E. Gaines, Bring In 'Da Noise, Bring In 'Da Funk

Reg E. Gaines is a poet. Two of his works have been recorded on Mercury Records, Please Don't Take My Air Jordans and Sweeper Don't Clean My Street. He has appeared on MTV's "Unplugged," "The Jon Stewart Show" and "The Arsenio Hall Show." Mr. Gaines has performed at MTV's Spoken Word Tour and Woodstock '94.

Graciela Daniele, Jim Lewis, Michael John LaChiusa Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Graciela Daniele received Tony Award nominations for her choreography in The Goodbye Girl, Once on This Island, Dangerous Games, The Rink, The Mystery of Edwin Drood and The Pirates of Penzance. Ms. Daniele conceived, directed and choreographed Tango Aspasionado. Jim Lewis's work was last seen on Broadway in Dangerous Games and worked with Ms. Daniele on Tango Apasionado. Dramaturg work includes Comedy of Errors (NYSF), Colors of Desire (Walker Arts Center), Stone Wedding (LATC), and Roosters (NYSF/INTAR). Michael John LaChiusa won the 1994 Obie Award for his musicals Hello Again and First Lady Suite. His other musicals include The Petrified Prince, Agnes and Lucky Nurse. He wrote the music for Bella, Belle of Byelorussia; Artificial Reality and Triplets in Uniform; and the libretti for Tania, From the Towers of the Moon and Desert of Roses .

Jonathan Larson, Rent Jonathan Larson received the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 1994 Richard Rodgers Award for Rent. He twice received The Gilman & Gonzales-Falla Theatre Foundation's Commendation Award. In 1989, Mr. Larson was granted the Stephen Sondheim Award from the American Music Theatre Festival. His other musical works include Superbia, J. P. Morgan Saves the Nation and tick, tick...BOOM! He died of an aortic aneurysm at the age of 35 following the dress rehearsal of the production at The New York Theatre Workshop.