25th Lucille Lortel Awards: Neuwirth & Batt to host

The Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway have announced the co-hosts of this year's Ceremony, stars of stage and screen, Bebe Neuwirth and Bryan Batt. The Awards reception will be held on 2 May 2010 at 6pm EST with the Ceremony beginning at 8pm EST.

The 25th Lortel Awards will be handed out on 2 May2010 at Terminal 5, (610 West 56th Street, between 11th & 12th Avenues in New York City). With the "Off-Broadway Comes Home" theme, this 25th anniversary show features live performances from talent and shows that started Off-Broadway, including LaChanze, singing "Waiting for Life" from 'Once On This Island,' a special performance by Seth Rudetsky, celebrity presenters, a curated gallery of historic programs, production stills, costumes, props from the last 25 years of Off-Broadway and several surprises.

This year, members of the general public are welcome to view the ceremony that begins at 8pm. Public tickets are $75 and are available by calling 212-279-4200.

Bebe Neuwirth currently appears as 'Morticia Addams' in the Broadway musical production of 'The Addams Family.' Broadway credits: 'A Chorus Line,' 'Little Me,' 'Sweet Charity' (Tony Award), 'Damn Yankees,' and 'Chicago' (Tony). Off-Broadway credits include 'Everett Beekin,' 'Here Lies Jenny,' 'Ashley Montana,' and 'Writer's Block.' She has many TV and film credits to her name, and is most fampus for playing 'Lillith' in both 'Cheers' and 'Frasier' for which she won two Emmy awards.

Bryan Batt who has won two Screen Actors Guild Awards is a native New Orleanian actor, designer, fund-raiser, and civic activist in both New Orleans and New York. He plays 'Salvatore Romano' on AMC's Emmy, Golden Globe, and Peabody Award-winning drama "Mad Men" and was recently featured on the last two episodes of "Ugly Betty."

His book, 'She Ain't Heavy, She's My Mother: A Memoir' hits stores nation-wide on 4 May 2010, and he is performing a show, B'att on a Hot Tin Roof' at Feinstein's at the Loews Regency in the Fall of 2010. Broadway credits include 'Saturday Night Fever,' 'The Scarlet Pimpernel,' 'Sunset Boulevard,' 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,' 'Starlight Express' and 'Cats.'

The nominations for the Lucille Lortel Awards were announced on 2 Apr 2010.

Bebe NeuwirthBryan Batt