53rd Drama Desk Awards to be presented on 18 May 2008

Nominations for the 53rd Annual Drama Desk Awards will be announced on 28 Apr 2008, at the New York Friars Club in Manhattan. Bebe Neuwirth and Len Cariou, both multi-award-winning stage, screen and television actors, will announce the nominations in the various categories.

Ms. Neuwirth, who won the Drama Desk Award as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical in 1997 for Chicago, is also the recipient of two Tony Awards (Chicago and Sweet Charity), two Primetime Emmy Awards (Cheers) and one Academy Award (Dear Diary). She was also nominated for a Drama Desk Award as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical for Sweet Charity. She hosted the 45th Annual Drama Desk Awards in 2000.

Mr. Cariou is a three-time Tony nominee, for Applause,' 'A Little Night Music,' and 'Sweeney Todd,' and a Tony and Drama Desk Award-winner as Outstanding Actor for the latter. His other Broadway credits include 'Nightwatch,' 'Cold Storage,' 'Teddy & Allice,' 'Dance a Little Closer,' 'The Dinner Party' and Proof.

The 53rd Drama Desk Awards, for honoring outstanding achievement in all areas of New York theatre, will be presented on the 18 May 2008 at the F.H. LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center

The Drama Desk, which was organized in 1949 and presented its first awards in 1955, is the only organization of professional theater critics, writers and editors that bestows awards with Broadway, Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway productions competing in the same categories.

The 2007/2008 Nominating Committee for the Drama Desk Awards is composed of: Barbara Siegel, Chairperson, Dan Bacalzo, Robert Cashill, Celia Ipiotis, Tony Phillips, Gerard Raymond and Richard Ridge.