Drama Desk 2005 nominations announced


The 2005 Drama Desk Award ceremonies where announced today at the New York Friars Club by actors Lynn Redgrave and Robert Goulet.

Heading the nominations were Monty Python�s 'Spamalot' which won 12 nominations, followed by 'The Light in the Piazza' and 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels', which received 11 and 10 nominations respectively. They were followed by 'Altar Boyz' with seven nominations and 'Play Without Words' with six. Winning five nominations each were 'Dessa Rose', 'Doubt' and 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'.

The Drama Desk Award themselves are celebrating their 50th year, having began in 1955

The winners will be announced at the ceremony on the 22 May at LaGuardia Concert Hall.

2005 nominations by category are

Outstanding Play:

  • Democracy; written by Michael Frayn
  • Doubt; written by John Patrick Shanley
  • Pentecost by David Edgar
  • The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh
  • Sailor�s Song by John Patrick Shanley
  • Sin (A Cardinal Deposed) by Michael Murphy

Outstanding Musical:

  • Altar Boyz
  • The Audience
  • Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
  • The Light in the Piazza
  • Monty Python�s Spamalot
  • The 25 th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Outstanding Revival of a Play:

  • Who�s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee
  • Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet
  • Hurlyburly by David Rabe
  • Outward Bound by Sutton Vane
  • Pullman Car Hiawatha by Thornton Wilder
  • Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose

Outstanding Revival of a Musical:

  • Ain�t Supposed to Die a Natural Death
  • La Cage aux Folles
  • On Second Avenue
  • Sweet Charity
  • Hurlyburly; written by David Rabe; produced by The New Group

Outstanding Revue:

  • Absolutely Fascinating
  • Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit
  • Newsical

Outstanding Actor in a Play:

  • Adam Arkin; Brooklyn Boy
  • John Cullum; Sin (A Cardinal Deposed)
  • Bill Irwin; Who�s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
  • Br�an F. O�Byrne; Doubt
  • Jeremy Piven; Fat Pig
  • John Turturro; Souls of Naples

Outstanding Actress in a Play:

  • Veanne Cox; Last Easter
  • Cherry Jones; Doubt
  • Judy Kaye; Souvenir
  • Laura Linney; Sight Unseen
  • Frances Sternhagen; Echoes of the War
  • Kathleen Turner; Who�s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play:

  • Philip Bosco; Twelve Angry Men
  • Larry Bryggman; Romance
  • Jeff Goldblum; The Pillowman
  • Josh Hamilton; Hurlyburly
  • Paul Sparks; Orange Flower Water
  • Michael Stuhlbarg; The Pillowman

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play:

  • Julie Halston; White Chocolate
  • Adriane Lenox; Doubt
  • Portia; McReele
  • Lily Rabe; Steel Magnolias
  • Lee Roy Rogers: Orson�s Shadow
  • Mary Testa; String of Pearls

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical:

  • Christian Borle; Monty Python�s Spamalot
  • Gregory Jbara; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
  • Norm Lewis; Dessa Rose
  • Tyler Maynard; Altar Boyz
  • Michael McGrath; Monty Python�s Spamalot
  • Denis O�Hare; Sweet Charity

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical:

  • Sarah Uriarte Berry; The Light in the Piazza
  • Joanna Gleason; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
  • Kecia Lewis; Dessa Rose
  • Jan Maxwell; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
  • Maureen McGovern; Little Women
  • Jennifer Simard; Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit

Outstanding Director of a Play:

  • Joshua Carlebach; Frankenstein
  • Scott Elliott; Hurlyburly
  • Scott Ellis; Twelve Angry Men
  • Edward Hall; Rose Rage
  • Doug Hughes; Doubt
  • Joe Mantello; Glengarry Glen Ross

Outstanding Director of a Musical:

  • Matthew Bourne; Play Without Words
  • Jack Cummings III; The Audience
  • Mark Dornford-May; The Mysteries
  • James Lapine; The 25 th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
  • Mike Nichols; Monty Python�s Spamalot
  • Bartlett Sher; The Light in the Piazza

Outstanding Choreography:

  • Matthew Bourne; Play Without Words
  • Christopher Gattelli; Altar Boyz
  • Barry McNabb; Sailor�s Song
  • Jerry Mitchell; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
  • Jerry Mitchell; La Cage aux Folles
  • Casey Nicholaw; Monty Python�s Spamalot

Outstanding Music:

  • Gary Adler & Michael Patrick Walker; Altar Boyz
  • Terry Davies; Play Without Words
  • William Finn; The 25 th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
  • Stephen Flaherty; Dessa Rose
  • Adam Guettel; The Light in the Piazza
  • David Yazbek; Dirty Rotten Scoundrel

Outstanding Lyrics:

  • Gary Adler & Michael Patrick Walker; Altar Boyz
  • Douglas J. Cohen; Letters to God
  • Rick Crom; Newsical
  • William Finn; The 25 th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
  • Eric Idle; Monty Python�s Spamalot
  • David Yazbek; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Outstanding Book of a Musical:

  • Nell Benjamin and Laurence O�Keefe; Cam Jensen
  • Kevin Del Aguila; Altar Boyz
  • Mark Harelik; The Immigrant
  • Eric Idle; Monty Python�s Spamalot
  • Jeffrey Lane; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
  • Rachel Sheinkin; The 25 th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Outstanding Orchestrations:

  • Steven M. Alper; The Immigrant
  • Larry Hochman; Monty Python�s Spamalot
  • Doug Katsaros & Lynne Shankel; Altar Boyz
  • Kim Scharnberg; Little Women
  • Ted Sperling, Adam Guettel, Bruce Coughlin; The Light in the Piazza
  • Harold Wheeler; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Outstanding Set Design of a Play:

  • Robert Brill; A Streetcar Named Desire
  • Marisa Frantz; Frankenstein
  • Nathan Heverin; Outward Bound
  • Richard Hoover; After the Fall
  • David Korins; Orange Flower Water
  • Santo Loquasto; Glengarry Glen Ross

Outstanding Set Design of a Musical:

  • Lez Brotherston; Play Without Words
  • Tim Hatley; Monty Python�s Spamalot
  • Scott Pask; Sweet Charity
  • David Rockwell; All Shook Up
  • Anthony Ward; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
  • Michael Yeargan; The Light in the Piazza

Outstanding Costume Design:

  • Lez Brotherston; Play Without Words
  • Tim Hatley; Monty Python�s Spamalot
  • William Ivey Long; La Cage aux Folles
  • Jeff Mahshie; Hurlyburly
  • Anthony Ward; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
  • Catherine Zuber; The Light in the Piazza

Outstanding Lighting Design:

  • Christopher Akerlind; Belle Epoque
  • Christopher Akerlind; The Light in the Piazza
  • Mark Henderson; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
  • Donald Holder; Gem of the Ocean
  • R. Lee Kennedy; The Audience
  • James Japhy Weideman; Frankenstein

Outstanding Sound Design:

  • ACME Sound Partners; The Light in the Piazza
  • Paul Arditti; The Pillowman
  • Jill B.C. DuBoff; Miss Julie
  • Jill B.C. DuBoff; Spatter Pattern (Or, How I Got Away With It)
  • Jeff Lorenz; Frankenstein
  • Darron L. West; Hot �n� Throbbing

Outstanding Solo Performance:

  • Billy Crystal; 700 Sundays
  • Dave Gorman; Dave Gorman�s Googlewhack! Adventure
  • Barry Humphries; Dame Edna: Back with a Vengeance
  • Jackie Mason; Jackie Mason:Freshly Squeezed
  • Tim Miller; Us
  • James Urbaniak; Thom Pain (based on nothing)

Unique Theatrical Experience:

  • all wear bowlers
  • Belle Epoque
  • The Mysteries
  • Play Without Words
  • Slava�s Snowshow
  • Typo

The following noncompetitive awards will be presented by the Drama Desk at its awards ceremony:

Outstanding Ensemble Performances:

  • The cast of Glengarry Glen Ross
  • The cast of The 25 th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

A Career Achievement Award to Julie Harris for her commitment to excellence in the theater.

To Keen Company, a Special Award for moving and enlightening audiences with plays that build upon our theatrical heritage.

In celebration of the 50 th anniversary of the Drama Desk Awards, a Special Award to The Public Theater for its 50 years of exceptional contributions to the theater.

Originally published on

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