Stephanie J. Block & Santino Fontana

Drama Desk Awards 2019 - And the Winners are...

The Prom and The Ferryman win big at The 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards at The Town Hall.

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

Last night the New York Theatre community came together to celebrate The 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards at The Town Hall, which was hosted (for a fourth consecutive time) by Drama Desk Award winner Michael Urie. The ceremony also featured performances from Fiddler on the RoofRags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future, and Be More Chill, with George Salazar singing the popular Broadway hit "Michael in the Bathroom". Lilias White also gave her version of Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" during the In Memoriam section of the ceremony.

The biggest winners of the night were the Broadway premieres of The Prom and The Ferryman, which took home the awards for "Outstanding Musical" and "Outstanding Play," respectively, whilst The Waverly Gallery and the Yiddish-language version of Fiddler on the Roof grabbed their respective awards for "Outstanding Revival of a Play" and "Outstanding Revival of a Musical".

It should be noted that the Broadway productions of Hadestown, Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song and Choir Boy had already been considered by the Drama Desk Awards for their off-Broadway premieres, allowing only new elements of the productions to be considered for their respective Broadway transfers. In addition, The Boys in the Band was not eligible for this season's Drama Desk Awards due to the fact that the production did not accommodate nominators during its limited Broadway owing to limited ticket availability.

The New York Theatre Guide was on hand to greet all of the winners (in attendance) and we'd like to share with you our celebratory photos along with the full list of this year's winners below...


The 2019 Winners (and Nominees) by category are:

Outstanding Play

Fairview, by Jackie Sibblies Drury, Soho Rep

The Ferryman, by Jez Butterworth WINNER!!!

Lewiston/Clarkston, by Samuel D. Hunter, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater

Usual Girls, by Ming Peiffer, Roundabout Theatre Company

What the Constitution Means to Me, by Heidi Schreck, New York Theatre Workshop and Broadway


Outstanding Musical

Be More Chill

The Hello Girls, Prospect Theater Company

The Prom WINNER!!!

Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future, Ars Nova

Tootsie


Outstanding Revival of a Play

Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine, Signature Theatre

Henry VI: Shakespeare's Trilogy in Two Parts, National Asian American Theatre Company

Our Lady of 121st Street, Signature Theatre

Summer and Smoke, Classic Stage Company/Transport Group

The Waverly Gallery WINNER!!!

Uncle Vanya, Hunter Theater Project


Outstanding Revival of a Musical

Carmen Jones, Classic Stage Company

Fiddler on the Roof, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene and Off-Broadway WINNER!!!

Kiss Me, Kate, Roundabout Theatre Company

Merrily We Roll Along, Fiasco Theater/Roundabout Theatre Company

Oklahoma!, Bard Summerscape/St. Ann's Warehouse and Broadway


Outstanding Actor in a Play

Jeff Biehl, Life Sucks

Edmund Donovan, Lewiston/Clarkston

Raúl Esparza, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

Russell Harvard, I Was Most Alive With You

Jay O. SandersUncle Vanya WINNER!!!


Outstanding Actress in a Play

Midori Francis, Usual Girls

Zainab Jah, Boesman and Lena

Elaine MayThe Waverly Gallery WINNER!!!

Laurie MetcalfHillary and Clinton

Heidi Schreck, What the Constitution Means to Me


Outstanding Actor in a Musical

Brooks Ashmanskas, The Prom

Andrew R. Butler, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

Damon Daunno, Oklahoma!

Santino FontanaTootsie WINNER!!!

Steven Skybell, Fiddler on the Roof


Outstanding Actress in a Musical

Stephanie J. BlockThe Cher Show WINNER!!!

Beth Leavel, The Prom

Rebecca Naomi Jones, Oklahoma!

Anika Noni Rose, Carmen Jones

Stacey Sargeant, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future


Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play

Charles Browning, Fairview

Arnie Burton, Lewiston/Clarkston

Hampton Fluker, All My Sons

Tom Glynn-CarneyThe Ferryman WINNER!!!

Brandon Uranowitz, Burn This


Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

Harriett D. Foy, The House That Will Not Stand

Megan Hill, Eddie and Dave

Celia Keenan-BolgerTo Kill A Mockingbird WINNER!!!

Ruth WilsonKing Lear

Alison Wright, Othello


Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical

Corbin BleuKiss Me, Kate

André De ShieldsHadestown WINNER!!!

Sydney James Harcourt, Girl from the North Country

George Salazar, Be More Chill

Patrick Vaill, Oklahoma!


Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

Stephanie Hsu, Be More Chill

Leslie Kritzer, Beetlejuice

Soara-Joye Ross, Carmen Jones

Sarah Stiles, Tootsie

Ali StrokerOklahoma! WINNER!!!

Mary Testa, Oklahoma!


Outstanding Director of a Play

Sarah Benson, Fairview

Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, The Jungle

Sam MendesThe Ferryman WINNER!!!

Tyne Rafaeli, Usual Girls

Taylor Reynolds, Plano

Jeff Wise, Life Sucks


Outstanding Director of a Musical

Noah Brody, Merrily We Roll Along

Rachel ChavkinHadestown WINNER!!!

Scott Ellis, Tootsie

Daniel Fish, Oklahoma!

Joel Grey, Fiddler on the Roof


Outstanding Choreography presented by LaDuca Dance Shoes

Camille A. Brown, Choir Boy

Warren CarlyleKiss Me, Kate WINNER!!!

Denis Jones, Tootsie

Lorin Latarro, Twelfth Night

Rick and Jeff Kuperman, Alice by Heart

David Neumann, Hadestown


Outstanding Music presented by Music Theatre International

Andrew R. Butler, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

Joe Iconis, Be More Chill

Peter Mills, The Hello Girls

Mark Sonnenblick, Midnight at the Never Get

Shaina Taub, Twelfth Night

David YazbekTootsie WINNER!!!


Outstanding Lyrics presented by Music Theatre International

Chad Beguelin, The Prom

Andrew R. Butler, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

Joe Iconis, Be More Chill

Peter Mills, The Hello Girls

David YazbekTootsie WINNER!!!


Outstanding Book of a Musical presented by Music Theatre International

Scott Brown and Anthony King, Beetlejuice

Andrew R. Butler, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

Robert HornTootsie WINNER!!!

Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, The Prom

Dominique Morisseau, Ain't Too Proud


Outstanding Orchestrations

Larry Blank, Fiddler on the Roof

Simon Hale, Girl from the North Country

Daniel KlugerOklahoma! WINNER!!!

Charlie Rosen, Be More Chill

Daryl Waters, The Cher Show


Outstanding Music in a Play

Paul Castles and Jongbin Jung, Wild Goose Dreams

Justin Ellington, Mrs. Murray's Menagerie

Justin Ellington, The House That Will Not Stand

Nick Powell, The Lehman Trilogy

Jason Michael Webb and Fitz PattonChoir Boy WINNER!!!


Outstanding Set Design of a Play

Miriam Buether, The Jungle

Es Devlin, Girls & Boys

Maruti Evans, The Peculiar Patriot

Mimi Lien, Fairview

Matt Saunders"Daddy" WINNER!!!


Outstanding Set Design for a Musical presented by Hudson Scenic

Rachel Hauck, Hadestown

Laura Jellinek, Oklahoma!

Laura Jellinek, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

David KorinsBeetlejuice WINNER!!!

Rae Smith, Girl from the North Country


Outstanding Costume Design for a Play

Dede M. Ayite, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark

Dede M. Ayite, If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka

Ásta Bennie Hostetter, Mrs. Murray's Menagerie

Toni-Leslie JamesBernhardt/Hamlet WINNER!!!

Nicole Slaven, Henry VI: Shakespeare's Trilogy in Two Parts


Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical

William Ivey Long, Beetlejuice

William Ivey Long, Tootsie

Bobby Frederick Tilly II, Be More Chill

Michael Krass, Hadestown

Bob MackieThe Cher Show WINNER!!!

Paloma Young, Alice by Heart


Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play

Amith ChandrashakerBoesman and Lena WINNER!!!

Amith Chandrashaker, Fairview

Jiyoun Chang, Slave Play

Jon Clark, The Jungle

Simon Cleveland, Spaceman

Yi Zhao, The House That Will Not Stand


Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical presented by Production Resource Group

Adam Honoré, Carmen Jones

Bradley KingHadestown WINNER!!!

Jamie Roderick, Midnight at the Never Get

Barbara Samuels, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

Scott Zielinski, Oklahoma!


Outstanding Projection Design

Peter EnglandKing Kong WINNER!!!

Katherine Freer, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark

Luke Halls, The Lehman Trilogy

Alex Basco Koch, Be More Chill

Peter Nigrini, Beetlejuice

Joshua Thorson, Oklahoma!


Outstanding Sound Design in a Play

Tyler Kieffer, Plano

Fitz Patton, Choir Boy

Nick PowellThe Ferryman WINNER!!!

Jane Shaw, I Was Most Alive with You

Mikaal Sulaiman, Fairview


Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical

Simon Baker, Girl from the North Country

Drew Levy, Oklahoma!

Brian Ronan, Tootsie

Nevin Steinberg and Jessica PazHadestown WINNER!!!

Mikaal Sulaiman, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future


Outstanding Wig and Hair Design

Campbell Young Associates, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus  

Cookie Jordan, Eddie and Dave

Paul Huntley, Tootsie

Charles G. LaPointe, Beetlejuice

Charles G. LaPointeThe Cher Show WINNER!!!


Outstanding Solo Performance

Mike BirbigliaThe New One WINNER!!!

Carey Mulligan, Girls & Boys

Liza Jessie Peterson, The Peculiar Patriot, National Black Theatre/Hi-Arts

Erin Treadway, Spaceman, Loading Dock Theatre

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag


Unique Theatrical Experience

All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, Theater Latté Da/Laura Little Theatrical Productions/The Sheen Center WINNER!!!

Love's Labor's Lost, Shake & Bake

The B-Side: "Negro Folklore from Texas State Prisons," The Wooster Group

What to Send Up When It Goes Down, The Movement Theatre Company


Outstanding Fight Choreography

U. Jonathan Toppo, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

Claire Warden, "Daddy"

Claire WardenSlave Play WINNER!!!


Outstanding Puppet Design

Michael Curry, Beetlejuice

Sonny TildersKing Kong WINNER!!!

Tschabalala Self, "Daddy"

 


SPECIAL AWARDS

- Ensemble Award: To the uncanny ensemble of Dance Nation for their pointed portrait of a dance troupe driven by competition but fused by the experiences of youth: Purva Bedi, Eboni Booth, Camila Canó-Flaviá, Dina Shihabi, Ellen Maddow, Christina Rouner, Thomas Jay Ryan, Lucy Taylor, and Ikechukwu Ufomadu.

- Sam Norkin Award: To Montana Levi Blanco, who enriched this season with his vibrant and detailed costumes for FairviewThe House That Will Not StandFabulation, Or the Re-Education of UndineEddie and Dave"Daddy", and Ain't No Mo'. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a Blanco costume is worth considerably more, telling us a complete story about its wearer while giving us something fabulous to look at.

To Mia Katigbak, the backbone of the Off-Broadway scene, we acclaim her for her performances this season in Henry VI: Shakespeare's Trilogy in Two PartsThe Trial of the Catonsville NinePeace for Mary Francisand Recent Alien Abductions. This award also recognizes her vital presence as the artistic director of NAATCOand her sustained excellence as a performer and mentor.

- To Repertorio Español for presenting a year-round rotating repertory of new and classic Spanish-language plays in its intimate Gramercy venue. For the past 51 years, Repertorio has been an indispensable theater for Spanish-speaking audiences, while inviting non-Spanish-speaking theatergoers to discover the delights of the Spanish-language canon and introducing New York audiences to the work of actors like Zulema Clares and Germán Jaramillo.


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.

(Photos by Shoshana Medney)

 

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