Nominations for the 2016 Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced this morning at Feinstein’s/54 Below by Vanessa Williams (Into the Woods, The Trip to Bountiful “Ugly Betty”) and Matthew Morrison (Finding Neverland, Hairspray, The Light in the Piazza, “Glee”). The nominations announcement was streamed live on www.TheaterMania.com. The full list of nominees is available on the website and below.
In keeping with Drama Desk’s mission, nominators considered shows that opened on Broadway, Off Broadway, and Off Off Broadway during the 2015-2016 New York theater season.
The 2015-2016 Drama Desk Nominating Committee is composed of: David Barbour (Lighting&Sound America), Chair; Peter Filichia (Broadway Select, author, most recently, of The Great Parade: The Remarkable 1963-64 Broadway Season); David Finkle (Blogger, Huffington Post; Clyde Fitch Report); Sandy MacDonald (Time Out New York, TheaterNewsOnline.com); Andy Propst (AmericanTheaterWeb.com, author, You Fascinate Me So: The Life & Times of Cy Coleman); Diane Snyder (Cititour.com, Time Out New York); Douglas Strassler (Garden State Journal), Charles Wright (President, Drama Desk), ex officio.
Eligibility and award category designations for the productions under consideration this season were determined by the Drama Desk board of directors, with recommendations from the nominating committee. Because of the abundance of great work throughout the season, the board also authorized the increase in the number of nominees allowed in select categories.
“The nature of the work we’ve seen this particular season led us to make a few changes in the awards categories,” said Drama Desk Nominating Committee Chair David Barbour. “In the case of design, the committee was moved to create separate categories for musicals and non-musicals in all four disciplines, also adding a category for wig and hair design. The committee also chose not to make any nominations this year in the categories of Outstanding Book of a Musical and Outstanding Revue.”
The Drama Desk nominees will receive their official nomination certificates at the nominees’ reception on May 11 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at The New York Marriott Marquis.
The 61st Annual Drama Desk Awards, hosted by Michael Urie, will take place on Sunday, June 5, 2016, at 8:00 PM at The Town Hall in Manhattan. TheaterMania.com will present the awards ceremony. Gretchen Shugart is Managing Executive Producer of the Drama Desk Awards and the President of Drama Desk is Charles Wright.
About Drama Desk Drama Desk was founded in 1949 to explore key issues in the theater and to bring together critics and writers in an organization to support the ongoing development of theater in New York. The organization began presenting its awards in 1955, and it is the only critics’ organization to honor achievement in the theater with competition among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions in the same categories.
The 2015-2016 Board of Directors of the Drama Desk is composed of: Charles Wright (A+E Networks), President; Richard Ridge (BroadwayWorld.com), 1st Vice President and Secretary; Lauren Yarger (Manchester Journal-Inquirer, reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com), 2nd Vice President; Edward Karam (offoffonline.com), Treasurer; David Barbour (Lighting&Sound America), Chair, Awards Nominating Committee; Leslie (Hoban) Blake (Two on the Aisle/MNN/YouTube/Daily Motion), Historian; Arlene Epstein (Richner Communications/South Shore Record, liherald.com); Elysa Gardner (USA Today); Isa Goldberg (East Hampton Independent, Southampton Press); John Istel (Managing editor, DramaDesk.org; freelance arts editor and journalist); David Kaufman (author, Some Enchanted Evenings: The Glittering Life and Times of Mary Martin); Andy Lefkowitz (TheaterMania); William Wolf (Adjunct professor, NYU, WolfEntertainmentGuide.com)
About TheaterMania.com Founded in 1999, TheaterMania connects the theater industry to a mass consumer audience, with comprehensive listings, news, reviews, features, interviews, and video content covering theater across the United States. TheaterMania’s widely distributed email newsletters provide special ticket offers to over one million subscribers. In addition to providing theaters with online marketing programs to drive ticket sales, TheaterMania’s proprietary ticketing system OvationTix™ is used throughout America by hundreds of performing arts organizations, museums, concerts, festivals, and events to process tickets sales, and manage fundraising and patron information. TheaterMania also owns London-based WhatsOnStage.com, a source for information and tickets to UK theatre, and the producer of the annual WhatsOnStage Awards.
For more information, please visit: www.DramaDeskAwards.com
2016 Drama Desk Award Nominations
Outstanding Play The Christians, Playwrights Horizons The Humans, Roundabout Theatre Company John, Signature Theatre King Charles III The Royale, Lincoln Center Theater
Outstanding Musical First Daughter Suite, Public Theater Daddy Long Legs School of Rock Shuffle Along Waitress
Outstanding Revival of a Play Cloud Nine, Atlantic Theater Company Death of a Salesman, New Yiddish Rep Henry IV, Donmar Warehouse at St. Ann’s Warehouse Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Roundabout Theatre Company A View from the Bridge Women Without Men, Mint Theater Company
Outstanding Revival of a Musical The Color Purple The Golden Bride, National Yiddish Theatre Folkesbiene Fiddler on the Roof She Loves Me, Roundabout Theatre Company Spring Awakening
Outstanding Actor in a Play Andrew Garman, The Christians, Playwrights Horizons Avi Hoffman, Death of a Salesman Frank Langella, The Father, Manhattan Theatre Club Tim Pigott-Smith, King Charles III Mark Strong, A View from the Bridge
Outstanding Actress in a Play Georgia Engel, John, Signature Theatre Mamie Gummer, Ugly Lies the Bone, Roundabout Undeground Marin Ireland, Ironbound, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater/Women’s Project Theater Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey Into Night Nicola Walker, A View from the Bridge
Outstanding Actor in a Musical Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof Robert Creighton, Cagney, York Theatre Company Michael C. Hall, Lazarus, New York Theatre Workshop Zachary Levi, She Loves Me Benjamin Walker, American Psycho
Outstanding Actress in a Musical Laura Benanti, She Loves Me Carmen Cusack, Bright Star Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple Jessie Mueller, Waitress Annette O’Toole, Southern Comfort, Public Theater
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Bill Camp, The Crucible David Furr, Noises Off, Roundabout Theatre Company Matt McGrath, The Legend of Georgia McBride, MCC Theater Richard Thomas, Incident at Vichy, Signature Theatre Michael Shannon, Long’s Day Journey Into Night
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Brooke Bloom, Cloud Nine Megan Hilty, Noises Off Kellie Overbey, Women Without Men Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed, Public Theater Jeanine Serralles, Gloria, Vineyard Theatre
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Nicholas Barasch, She Loves Me Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress Baylee Littrell, Disaster! Paul Alexander Nolan, Bright Star A.J. Shively, Bright Star
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple Alison Fraser, First Daughter Suite Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen, Second Stage Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me Mary Testa, First Daughter Suite
Outstanding Director of a Play Rachel Chavkin, The Royale Sam Gold, John Rupert Goold, King Charles III Joe Mantello, The Humans Jenn Thompson, Women Without Men Ivo van Hove, A View from the Bridge
Outstanding Director of a Musical Michael Arden, Spring Awakening John Doyle, The Color Purple Rupert Goold, American Psycho Bartlett Sher, Fiddler on the Roof Bryna Wasserman, Motl Didner, The Golden Bride
Outstanding Choreography Joshua Bergasse, Cagney Spencer Liff, Spring Awakening Lynne Page, American Psycho Randy Skinner, Dames at Sea Savion Glover, Shuffle Along
Outstanding Music Sara Bareilles, Waitress Michael John LaChiusa, First Daughter Suite, Andrew Lloyd Webber, School of Rock The Lobbyists, SeaWife, Naked Angels Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Bright Star
Outstanding Lyrics Sara Bareilles, Waitress Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Dear Evan Hansen Glenn Slater, School of Rock Michael John LaChiusa, First Daughter Suite
Outstanding Orchestrations August Eriksmoen, Bright Star Larry Hochman, She Loves Me, Roundabout Theatre Company Joseph Joubert/Catherine Jayes, The Color Purple Andrew Lloyd Webber, School of Rock Michael Starobin/Bruce Coughlin, First Daughter Suite
Outstanding Music in a Play Billie Joe Armstrong, These Paper Bullets!, Atlantic Theatre Company Estelle Bajou, Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, One Year Lease Theater Company Shaun Davey, Pericles, Theatre for a New Audience Philip Glass, The Crucible Tom Kitt, Cymbeline, New York Shakespeare Festival
Outstanding Set Design for a Play Riccardo Hernandez, Red Speedo, New York Theatre Workshop Mimi Lien, John G. W. Mercier, Head of Passes, Public Theater Christopher Oram, Hughie Derek McLane, Fully Committed
Outstanding Set Design for a Musical Es Devlin, American Psycho Emily Orling, Matt Saunders, Eric Farber, Futurity, Soho Rep/Ars Nova David Rockwell, She Loves Me
Outstanding Costume Design for a Play Jessica Ford, These Paper Bullets! Martha Hally, Women Without Men Constance Hoffman, Pericles William Ivey Long, Shows for Days, Lincoln Center Theater Anita Yavich, The Legend of Georgia McBride
Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical Jane Greenwood, Bright Star Katrina Lindsay, American Psycho Jeff Mahshie, She Loves Me Alejo Vietti, Allegiance Ann Roth, Shuffle Along
Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play Neil Austin, Hughie Mark Barton, John Bradley King, Empanada Loca, Labyrinth Theater Company Tyler Micoleau, Antlia Pneumatica, Playwrights Horizons Justin Townsend, The Humans
Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical Jane Cox, The Color Purple Jake DeGroot, SeaWife, Ben Stanton, Spring Awakening Justin Townsend, American Psycho Jules Fisher/Peggy Eisenhauer, Shuffle Along
Outstanding Projection Design Nicholas Hussong, These Paper Bullets! Darrel Maloney, Tappin’ Thru Life Peter Nigrini, Dear Evan Hansen Finn Ross, American Psycho Tal Yarden, Lazarus
Outstanding Sound Design in a Play Fitz Patton, An Act of God Fitz Patton, The Humans Miles Polaski, Fulfillment, The Flea Theatre Bray Poor, John Ryan Rumery, Empanada Loca
Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical Mick Potter, School of Rock Brian Ronan, Lazarus Nevin Steinberg, Bright Star Dan Moses Schreier, American Psycho Scott Lehrer, Shuffle Along
Outstanding Wig and Hair David Brian Brown, She Loves Me Jason Hayes, The Legend of Georgia McBride Robert-Charles Vallance, Women Without Men Charles G. LaPointe, The School for Scandal, Red Bull Theater Mia M. Neal, Shuffle Along
Outstanding Solo Performance Simon Callow, Tuesdays at Tesco’s, 59E59 Kathleen Chalfant, Rose, Nora’s Playhouse James Lecesne, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey Daphne Rubin-Vega, Empanada Loca Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Fully Committed
Unique Theatrical Experience ADA/AVA, Manual Cinema/3LD/The Tank/ Antigona – Soledad Barrio/Noche Flamenca That Physics Show The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show YOUARENOWHERE – 3LD/The Tank Outstanding Book of a Musical: John Caird, Daddy Long Legs
Special Awards
The Humans – Special Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Cassie Beck, Reed Birney, Jayne Houdyshell, Lauren Klein, Arian Moayed, and Sarah Steele spend a very special Thanksgiving Day together in Stephen Karam’s play, reminding us that home is indeed where The Humans are.
The Royale – Special Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble The heavyweight cast of McKinley Belcher III, Khris Davis, Montego Glover, John Lavelle, and Clarke Peters gels as a unit in bringing Marco Ramirez’s story, inspired by Jack Johnson, to unforgettable life, offering a trenchant statement on racism in America.
Sheldon Harnick – Special Drama Desk Award New productions of Fiddler on the Roof, Rothschild and Sons, and She Loves Me this season remind us that this veteran lyricist’s takes on faith, family and community are as resonant as ever.
Camp Broadway – Special Drama Desk Award For more than 20 years, this indispensable organization has introduced young people to the magic of theater. Camp Broadway plays a crucial role in creating tomorrow’s audiences.
Danai Gurira – Sam Norkin Award Whether writing about women in wartime Liberia in Eclipsed or about an affluent immigrant family from Zimbabwe struggling with assimilation in Familiar, Danai Gurira demonstrates great insight, range, and depth, bringing a fresh new voice to American theater.
64 shows with nominations 33 shows with multiple nominations 31 shows with single nominations
Shows with multiple nominations
She Loves Me – 9 American Psycho – 8 Bright Star – 7 The Color Purple, First Daughter Suite, John, Shuffle Along – 6 School of Rock, Waitress, Women Without Men – 5 The Humans, Spring Awakening, A View from the Bridge – 4 Dear Evan Hansen, Empanada Loca, Fiddler on the Roof, King Charles III, Lazarus, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, These Paper Bullets! – 3 Cagney, The Christians, Cloud Nine, The Crucible, Death of a Salesman, Fully Committed, The Golden Bride, Hughie, Noises Off, Pericles, The Royale, SeaWife – 2
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2016 Drama Desk Nominations
Nominations for the 2016 Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced this morning at Feinstein’s/54 Below by Vanessa Williams (Into the Woods, The Trip to Bountiful “Ugly Betty”) and Matthew Morrison (Finding Neverland, Hairspray, The Light in the Piazza, “Glee”). |