Metamorphoses, The Goat and Thoroughly Modern Millie win at the Drama Desk Awards.
Metamorphoses, Millie by Joan Marcus, Goat by Carol Rosegg
The association of New York City-area theatre writers, critics and editors also honored Private Lives as Outstanding Revival (Play) and its female star, Lindsay Duncan, for Outstanding Actress (Play). Into the Woods was named Outstanding Revival (Musical). Alan Bates and Frank Langella won in the respective categories of Outstanding Actor (Play) and Outstanding Featured Actor (Play), for the new adaptation of the 150-year-old Russian play, Fortune's Fool, by Ivan Turgenev (as adapted by Mike Poulton).
The Last 5 Years, an intimate Off-Broadway musical that had a short run this year before closing in recent weeks, won two Drama Desks for Outstanding Music and Outstanding Lyrics (by Jason Robert Brown). The score is preserved on a cast album. John Lithgow, playing an acidic columnist in the musical, Sweet Smell of Success, won the Drama Desk for Outstanding Actor in a Musical, the sole win among 11 noms. Winners appear in boldface type below, among nominees.
Millie was the night's biggest winner, earning five awards in the annual ceremony that many say prefigures the outcome of the industry-driven Tony Awards (which are announced June 2). Sutton Foster, making her debut in a starring Broadway role, won Outstanding Actress (Musical). Michael Mayer took the Outstanding Director (Musical) statue; Harriet Harris was named Outstanding Featured Actress (Musical); Doug Besterman and the late Ralph Burns won for Outstanding Orchestrations. The new Broadway stage version of the 1967 picture of the same name was nominated for 12 Drama Desk Awards this year.
The second major winner of the Drama Desk Awards was Mary Zimmerman's distillation of Ovid's Greek myths, Metamorphoses, which won four statues: Outstanding Play (tying with Edward Albee's The Goat), Outstanding Lighting (TJ Gerckens), Outstanding Director of a Play (Zimmerman), Outstanding Music in a Play (Willy Schwarz).
Elaine Stritch won two Drama Desk Awards: For Outstanding Solo Performance and Outstanding Book of a Musical (sharing it with John Lahr) for Elaine Stritch At Liberty.
Oklahoma! won for Outstanding Choreography (Susan Stroman) and Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Shuler Hensley).
The Drama Desk is made up of theatre critics, writers and editors who, in these awards, honor Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions and artists. The 2002 Drama Desk Awards were seen on the cable channel, NY-1, which will encore the ceremony 7 PM May 25.
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Here are the 2002 Drama Desk Award nominations and winners:
OUTSTANDING PLAY:
Franny's Way by Richard Nelson
TIE The Goat by Edward Albee
TIE Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman
The Shape of Things by Neil LaBute
Thief River by Lee Blessing
Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks
OUTSTANDING MUSICAL:
The Last 5 Years
Sweet Smell of Success
Thoroughly Modern Millie
tick, tick...BOOM!
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL (PLAY):
The Crucible
Cymbeline
Morning's at Seven
Noises Off
Private Lives
The Seagull
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL (MUSICAL):
Into the Woods
Oklahoma!
OUTSTANDING ACTOR (PLAY):
Alan Bates, Fortune's Fool
Liam Neeson, The Crucible
Bill Pullman, The Goat
Alan Rickman, Private Lives
Dallas Roberts, Nocturne
Jeffrey Wright, Topdog/Underdog
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS (PLAY):
Robin Barlett, Everett Beekin
Lindsay Duncan, Private Lives
Anna Paquin, The Glory of Living
Sarah Jessica Parker, Wonder of the World
Mercedes Ruehl, The Goat
Meryl Streep, The Seagull
OUTSTANDING ACTOR (MUSICAL):
Nobert Leo Butz, The Last Five Years
Raul Esparza, tick, tick... BOOM!
Brian d'Arcy James, Sweet Smell of Success
John Lithgow, Sweet Smell of Success
Patrick Wilson, Oklahoma!
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS (MUSICAL):
Laura Benanti, Into the Woods
Sutton Foster, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Garrett Long, Spitfire Grill
Louise Pitre, Mamma Mia!
Sherie Rene Scott, The Last 5 Years
Vanessa Williams, Into the Woods
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR (PLAY):
Frank Langella, Fortune's Fool
Will LeBow, Nocturne
Brian Murray, The Crucible
Keith Nobbs, Four
Sam Robards, The Man Who Had All the Luck
David Warner, Major Barbara
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS (PLAY):
Jennifer Coolidge, The Women
Kathleen Doyle, Kilt
Linda Emond, Homebody/Kabul
Katie Finneran, Noises Off
Elizabeth Franz, Morning's at Seven
Kathleen Widdoes, Franny's Way
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR (MUSICAL):
Justin Bohon, Oklahoma!
Norbert Leo Butz, Thou Shalt Not
Jerry Dixon, tick, tick...BOOM!
Gregg Edelman, Into the Woods
Shuler Hensley, Oklahoma!
Marc Kudisch, Thoroughly Modern Millie
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS (MUSICAL):
Liz Callaway, The Spitfire Grill
Harriet Harris, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Judy Kaye, Mamma Mia!
Andrea Martin, Oklahoma!
Karen Mason, Mamma Mia!
Kerry O'Malley, Into the Woods
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY:
Howard Davies, Private Lives
Richard Eyre, The Crucible
Carl Forsman, The Voice of the Turtle
Neil LaBute, The Shape of Things
Bartlett Sher, Cymbeline (Theater for a New Audience)
Mary Zimmerman, Metamorphoses
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL:
Nicholas Hytner, Sweet Smell of Success
James Lapine, Into the Woods
Michael Mayer, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Trevor Nunn, Oklahoma!
Scott Schwartz, tick, tick...BOOM!
George C. Wolfe, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY:
Rob Ashford, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Susan Stroman, Oklahoma!
Christopher Wheeldon, Sweet Smell of Success
OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL:
John Guare, Sweet Smell of Success
John Lahr, Elaine Stritch Elaine Stritch At Liberty
Jonathan Larson, David Auburn tick, tick...BOOM!
Richard Morris, Dick Scanlan Thoroughly Modern Millie
OUTSTANDING MUSIC:
Jason Robert Brown, The Last 5 Years
Marvin Hamlisch, Sweet Smell of Success
Jonathan Larson, tick, tick...BOOM!
Jeanine Tesori, Thoroughly Modern Millie
OUTSTANDING LYRICS:
Jason Robert Brown, The Last 5 Years
Craig Carnelia, Sweet Smell of Success
Jonathan Larson, tick, tick...BOOM!
Kevin Murphy, Reefer Madness
Dick Scanlan, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Ben Schatz, Dragapella Starring The Kinsey Sicks
OUTSTANDING ORCHESTRATIONS:
Doug Besterman, Ralph Burns Thoroughly Modern Millie
Jason Robert Brown, The Last 5 Years
Jonathan Tunick, Elaine Stritch At Liberty
OUTSTANDING MUSIC IN A PLAY:
Crispin Cioe, True Love
Nona Hendryx, Blue
Peter John Still, Cymbeline (Theatre for a New Audience)
Willy Schwarz, Metamorphoses
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN OF A PLAY:
John Lee Beatty, Morning's at Seven
Michael Brown, World of Mirth
David Gallo, Wonder of the World
Tim Hatley, Private Lives
Derek McLane, The Women
Douglas Stein, Ruppert Bohle 36 Views
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN OF A MUSICAL:
Beowulf Boritt, The Last 5 Years
Bob Crowley, Sweet Smell of Success
David Gallo, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Douglas W. Schmidt, Into the Woods
Anthony Ward, Oklahoma!
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN:
Jenny Beaven, Private Lives
Bob Crowley, Sweet Smell of Success
Susan Hilferty, Into the Woods
Dick Magnanti, Reefer Madness
Isaac Mizrahi, The Women
Martin Pakledinaz, Thoroughly Modern Millie
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN:
Frances Aronson, Psych
TJ Gerckens, Metamorphoses
David Hersey, Oklahoma!
Natasha Katz, Sweet Smell of Success
Peter Mumford, Private Lives
Kenneth Posner, Monster
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN:
John Collins, Geoff Abbas, Jim Dawson To You, The Birdie!
Mark Huang, Cressida Among the Greeks
Scott Lehrer, Franny's Way
Dan Moses Schreier, Into the Woods
Matthew Spiro, 36 Views
David Van Tieghem, The Glory of Living
OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE:
Simon Callow, The Mystery of Charles Dickens
Dave Gorman, Are You Dave Gorman?
Charles Nelson Reilly, Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly
Reno, Rebel Without a Pause
T. Ryder Smith, Underneath the Lintel
Elaine Stritch, Elaine Stritch At Liberty
SPECIAL AWARDS:
Paul Huntley, hair and wig designer, for Lifetime Achievement
Billy Rosenfield, record producer, for his contributions to the preservation of musical theatre recordings
The Mint Theatre Company for presenting and preserving little known classics
The Worth Street Theater Company for its Stage Door Canteen shows for workers at Ground Zero
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For more information on the Drama Desk, click dramadesk.org.
˜ By Kenneth Jones
and Robert Simonson
