Rivera, a Broadway legend, has acted in the original productions of West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, The Rink, Chicago and Kiss of the Spider Woman. She is currently starring as Liliane La Fleur, the tough and sexy producer to Antonio Banderas' filmmaker Guido Contini in Maury Yeston's Nine. Together, they stop the show nightly with a highly theatrical tango. The Drama Desk is an organization of theatre critics, editors and reporters. In a change from the past seven years, the May 18 ceremony will not be broadcast live on NY1 or rebroadcast on PBS' Channel 13. Instead, the event will be webcast by TheaterMania. Executive director Robert R. Blume said video highlights of the evening will be available on the web within 48 hours. Blume said the television networks dropped out "because of budgetary problems."

Drama Desk Award nominations for the 2002-03 season will be announced 10 AM May 1 at the New York Friars Club.

In another recent change to the organization, longtime president David Sheward is now sharing the position with William Wolf of William Wolf Entertainment Guide. This year's nominating committee includes Sheward, Frank Scheck at The Hollywood Reporter, Robert Dominguez of The Daily News, David Finkle of TheatreMania.com, Susan Haskins of "Theater Talk," Edward Karam of Manchester Guardian and Barbara Siegel of Theatremania.com and Siegel Entertainment Syndicate.