54th Drama Desk Awards: Harvey Fierstein to host Awards ceremony

Multiple Drama Desk and Tony Award winning actor/writer Harvey Fierstein will host the 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards ceremony on 17 May 2009, at the F.H. LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City.

This will be the fourth time in the past six years that Fierstein has hosted the Drama Desk Awards, having emceed the Awards in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

"We are delighted that Harvey Fierstein has accepted our invitation to host this year�s Awards ceremony,� said Robert R. Blume, Executive Producer of the annual Drama Desk Awards ceremony. �He has a cutting edge sense of humor and a quick wit that are perfectly suited for this type of hosting assignment. He understands all aspects of theater and uses his knowledge to great advantage.�

�The Drama Desk organization takes great pride in our awards presentations and the selection of Harvey Fierstein as host this year is welcomed.� said William Wolf, President of the Drama Desk. �Harvey has done a magnificent job hosting in the past and we are confident his professionalism will add excitement to this year�s proceedings.�

For his performance as 'Edna Turnblad' in the musical 'Hairspray,' Fierstein received the 2003 Drama Desk Award (Outstanding Actor in a Musical), Drama League Award (Outstanding Performance of the Year) and New York Magazine Award. He also received the 2003 Tony Award (Best Actor in a Musical), making him only the second person in history to win Tonys in four different categories. Fierstein�s recent appearances on Broadway include 'Tevye' in the record-breaking revival of 'Fiddler on the Roof' and the musical, 'A Catered Affair,' for which he wrote the book and also co-starred.

The Drama Desk Awards honor excellence in all areas of New York theatre, including Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway and not-for-profit theater.

Nominations for the 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards will be announced on 27 Apr 2009 by Faith Prince and Jim Dale at the New York Friars Club in Manhattan.

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.