Yasmina Reza's Art was named best play of the season this morning by the New York Drama Critics' Circle. Tina Howe's Pride's Crossing won for best American play, and The Lion King was named best musical.

The critics had to vote several times, narrowing the wide field of possibilities, before a given production got enough votes to win. Art came out on top after the fourth ballot. Pride's Crossing prevailed on the third ballot. The Lion King, meanwhile, emerged as the winner after only two ballots. Art and Lion King are currently playing on Broadway; Off Broadway's Pride's Crossing closed at Lincoln Center's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre on April 5 after a five-month run.

The Circle also awarded a special prize to the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Kander and Ebb's Cabaret.

Last year's winners were How I Learned to Drive as best play, Skylight as best foreign play, and Violet as best musical.

Founded in 1935, the Circle is comprised of 23 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines, and wire services based in the New York metropolitan area. Jacques le Sourd of the Gannett Newspapers is president of the organization. The members of the New York Drama Critics' Circle are Ben Brantley and Peter Marks of The New York Times; Fintan O'Toole of The Daily News; Clive Barnes of the New York Post; Linda Winer, Jan Stuart, and Aileen Jacobson of Newsday; Michael Kuchwara and Mary Campbell of the Associated Press; Michael Sommers of Newhouse Newspapers; John Simon of New York; Michael Feingold of The Village Voice; Robert Feldberg of The Bergen Record; John Heilpern of The New York Observer; Jack Kroll of Newsweek; Donald Lyons of The Wall Street Journal; Alexis Greene and Ken Mandelbaum of InTheater; Frank Scheck of The Christian Science Monitor; David Sheward of Back Stage; David Patrick Stearns of USA Today; and Richard Zoglin of Time.

The awards will be presented at a cocktail reception on Tuesday, May 12, 5-7 PM at Sardi's theatrical restaurant in New York.