54th Drama Desk Awards: nominations to be announced on 27 Apr by Faith Prince & Jim Dale

Nominations for the 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards will be announced on 27 Apr 2009, at the New York Friars Club in Manhattan. Faith Prince and Jim Dale, both multi-award-winning stage actors, will announce the nominations in the various categories.

Tony Award winner Faith Prince, who will be joining the cast of Disney�s 'The Little Mermaid' as the villainess, 'Ursula' the Sea Witch, on 7 Apr 2009, won Drama Desk and Tony Awards as the perennially unwed 'Miss Adelaide' in the 1992 Broadway production of 'Guys and Dolls'. In 2008, she garnered Drama Desk and Tony nominations co-starring opposite Harvey Fierstein in 'A Catered Affair.' She also received Drama Desk and Tony nominations for 'Jerome Robbins' Broadway' and the revival of 'Bells are Ringing.'

British-born Jim Dale made his Broadway debut in 'Scapino,' winning the first of his four Drama Desk Awards. His second Drama Desk Award came in 1981 when he created the flamboyant title role in CY Coleman�s Broadway musical, 'Barnum' for which he also won a Tony. Dale also received Drama Desk Awards for his starring roles in 'Travels With My Aunt' and 'Three Penny Opera.'. In addition to his many film and TV credits both in the US and Great Britain, Dale is one of the world�s most prolific Audio Book actors, whose distinctive voice is recognized worldwide on the audio recordings of all seven Harry Potter novels, among others.

The 54th Drama Desk Awards, for honoring outstanding achievement in all areas of New York theatre, will be presented on the 17 May 2009 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.