Drama Desk Awards

Meet the Drama Desk Award nominees 2019

The New York Theatre Guide attends the "Meet the Nominees" press event at the Green Room 42...

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

Today the New York Theatre Guide was invited to attend the "Meet the Nominees" press event at the Green Room 42 ahead of The 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards, which is scheduled to be held on Sunday, June 2, 2019 at 8pm at The Town Hall and hosted for a fourth consecutive time by Drama Desk Award winner Michael Urie.

The New York theatre community gathered to celebrate some of the best work seen on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway this season and we'd love to share with you this montage of some of our favorite, up close and personal shots of some of the 2019 nominees:

The Broadway revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! leads the pack this year with a grand total of 12 nominations, followed by Tootsie with 11 nods, Ars Nova's Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future with 9, Be More Chill with 8, and Beetlejuice and Hadestown both with 7 nominations each.

Here's a reminder of the full list of nominees:

Outstanding Play

Fairview, by Jackie Sibblies Drury, Soho Rep

The Ferryman, by Jez Butterworth

Lewiston/Clarkston, by Samuel D. Hunter, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater

Usual Girls, by Ming Peiffer, Roundabout Theatre Company

What the Constitution Means to Me, by Heidi Schreck, New York Theatre Workshop and Broadway


Outstanding Musical

Be More Chill

The Hello GirlsProspect Theater Company

The Prom

Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the FutureArs Nova

Tootsie


Outstanding Revival of a Play

Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine, Signature Theatre

Henry VI: Shakespeare's Trilogy in Two Parts, National Asian American Theatre Company

Our Lady of 121st Street, Signature Theatre

Summer and Smoke, Classic Stage Company/Transport Group

The Waverly Gallery

Uncle Vanya, Hunter Theater Project


Outstanding Revival of a Musical

Carmen Jones, Classic Stage Company

Fiddler on the Roof, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene and Off-Broadway

Kiss Me, Kate, Roundabout Theatre Company

Merrily We Roll Along, Fiasco Theater/Roundabout Theatre Company

Oklahoma!, Bard Summerscape/St. Ann's Warehouse and Broadway


Outstanding Actor in a Play

Jeff BiehlLife Sucks

Edmund DonovanLewiston/Clarkston

Raúl EsparzaThe Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

Russell HarvardI Was Most Alive With You

Jay O. SandersUncle Vanya


Outstanding Actress in a Play

Midori FrancisUsual Girls

Zainab JahBoesman and Lena

Elaine MayThe Waverly Gallery

Laurie MetcalfHillary and Clinton

Heidi SchreckWhat the Constitution Means to Me


Outstanding Actor in a Musical

Brooks AshmanskasThe Prom

Andrew R. ButlerRags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

Damon DaunnoOklahoma!

Santino FontanaTootsie

Steven SkybellFiddler on the Roof


Outstanding Actress in a Musical

Stephanie J. BlockThe Cher Show

Beth LeavelThe Prom

Rebecca Naomi Jones, Oklahoma!

Anika Noni RoseCarmen Jones

Stacey SargeantRags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future


Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play

Charles BrowningFairview

Arnie BurtonLewiston/Clarkston

Hampton FlukerAll My Sons

Tom Glynn-CarneyThe Ferryman

Brandon UranowitzBurn This


Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

Harriett D. FoyThe House That Will Not Stand

Megan HillEddie and Dave

Celia Keenan-BolgerTo Kill A Mockingbird

Ruth WilsonKing Lear

Alison WrightOthello


Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical

Corbin BleuKiss Me, Kate

André De ShieldsHadestown

Sydney James HarcourtGirl from the North Country

George SalazarBe More Chill

Patrick VaillOklahoma!


Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

Stephanie HsuBe More Chill

Leslie KritzerBeetlejuice

Soara-Joye RossCarmen Jones

Sarah StilesTootsie

Ali StrokerOklahoma!

Mary TestaOklahoma!


Outstanding Director of a Play

Sarah BensonFairview

Stephen Daldry and Justin MartinThe Jungle

Sam MendesThe Ferryman

Tyne RafaeliUsual Girls

Taylor ReynoldsPlano

Jeff WiseLife Sucks


Outstanding Director of a Musical

Noah BrodyMerrily We Roll Along

Rachel ChavkinHadestown

Scott EllisTootsie

Daniel FishOklahoma!

Joel GreyFiddler on the Roof


Outstanding Choreography presented by LaDuca Dance Shoes

Camille A. BrownChoir Boy

Warren CarlyleKiss Me, Kate

Denis JonesTootsie

Lorin LatarroTwelfth Night

Rick and Jeff KupermanAlice by Heart

David NeumannHadestown


Outstanding Music presented by Music Theatre International

Andrew R. ButlerRags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

Joe IconisBe More Chill

Peter MillsThe Hello Girls

Mark SonnenblickMidnight at the Never Get

Shaina TaubTwelfth Night

David YazbekTootsie


Outstanding Lyrics presented by Music Theatre International

Chad BeguelinThe Prom

Andrew R. ButlerRags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

Joe IconisBe More Chill

Peter MillsThe Hello Girls

David YazbekTootsie


Outstanding Book of a Musical presented by Music Theatre International

Scott Brown and Anthony KingBeetlejuice

Andrew R. ButlerRags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

Robert HornTootsie

Bob Martin and Chad BeguelinThe Prom

Dominique MorisseauAin't Too Proud


Outstanding Orchestrations

Larry BlankFiddler on the Roof

Simon HaleGirl from the North Country

Daniel KlugerOklahoma!

Charlie RosenBe More Chill

Daryl WatersThe Cher Show


Outstanding Music in a Play

Paul Castles and Jongbin JungWild Goose Dreams

Justin EllingtonMrs. Murray's Menagerie

Justin EllingtonThe House That Will Not Stand

Nick PowellThe Lehman Trilogy

Jason Michael Webb and Fitz PattonChoir Boy


Outstanding Set Design of a Play

Miriam BuetherThe Jungle

Es DevlinGirls & Boys

Maruti EvansThe Peculiar Patriot

Mimi LienFairview

Matt Saunders"Daddy"


Outstanding Set Design for a Musical presented by Hudson Scenic

Rachel HauckHadestown

Laura JellinekOklahoma!

Laura JellinekRags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

David KorinsBeetlejuice

Rae SmithGirl from the North Country


Outstanding Costume Design for a Play

Dede M. AyiteBy the Way, Meet Vera Stark

Dede M. AyiteIf Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka

Ásta Bennie HostetterMrs. Murray's Menagerie

Toni-Leslie JamesBernhardt/Hamlet

Nicole SlavenHenry VI: Shakespeare's Trilogy in Two Parts


Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical

William Ivey LongBeetlejuice

William Ivey LongTootsie

Bobby Frederick Tilly IIBe More Chill

Michael KrassHadestown

Bob MackieThe Cher Show

Paloma YoungAlice by Heart


Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play

Amith ChandrashakerBoesman and Lena

Amith ChandrashakerFairview

Jiyoun ChangSlave Play

Jon ClarkThe Jungle

Simon ClevelandSpaceman

Yi ZhaoThe House That Will Not Stand


Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical presented by Production Resource Group

Adam HonoréCarmen Jones

Bradley KingHadestown

Jamie RoderickMidnight at the Never Get

Barbara SamuelsRags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

Scott ZielinskiOklahoma!


Outstanding Projection Design

Peter EnglandKing Kong

Katherine FreerBy the Way, Meet Vera Stark

Luke HallsThe Lehman Trilogy

Alex Basco KochBe More Chill

Peter NigriniBeetlejuice

Joshua ThorsonOklahoma!


Outstanding Sound Design in a Play

Tyler KiefferPlano

Fitz PattonChoir Boy

Nick PowellThe Ferryman

Jane ShawI Was Most Alive with You

Mikaal SulaimanFairview


Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical

Simon BakerGirl from the North Country

Drew LevyOklahoma!

Brian RonanTootsie

Nevin Steinberg and Jessica PazHadestown

Mikaal SulaimanRags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future


Outstanding Wig and Hair Design

Campbell Young AssociatesGary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus  

Cookie JordanEddie and Dave

Paul HuntleyTootsie

Charles G. LaPointeBeetlejuice

Charles G. LaPointeThe Cher Show


Outstanding Solo Performance

Mike BirbigliaThe New One

Carey MulliganGirls & Boys

Liza Jessie PetersonThe Peculiar Patriot, National Black Theatre/Hi-Arts

Erin TreadwaySpaceman, Loading Dock Theatre

Phoebe Waller-BridgeFleabag


Unique Theatrical Experience

All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, Theater Latté Da/Laura Little Theatrical Productions/The Sheen Center

Love's Labor's Lost, Shake & Bake

The B-Side: "Negro Folklore from Texas State Prisons," The Wooster Group

What to Send Up When It Goes Down, The Movement Theatre Company


Outstanding Fight Choreography

U. Jonathan ToppoThe Tragedy of Julius Caesar

Claire Warden"Daddy"

Claire WardenSlave Play


Outstanding Puppet Design

Michael CurryBeetlejuice

Sonny TildersKing Kong

Tschabalala Self"Daddy"

 


SPECIAL AWARDS

- Ensemble Award: To the uncanny ensemble of Dance Nation for their pointed portrait of a dance troupe driven by competition but fused by the experiences of youth: Purva Bedi, Eboni Booth, Camila Canó-Flaviá, Dina Shihabi, Ellen Maddow, Christina Rouner, Thomas Jay Ryan, Lucy Taylor, and Ikechukwu Ufomadu.

- Sam Norkin Award: To Montana Levi Blanco, who enriched this season with his vibrant and detailed costumes for FairviewThe House That Will Not StandFabulation, Or the Re-Education of UndineEddie and Dave"Daddy", and Ain't No Mo'. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a Blanco costume is worth considerably more, telling us a complete story about its wearer while giving us something fabulous to look at.

To Mia Katigbak, the backbone of the Off-Broadway scene, we acclaim her for her performances this season in Henry VI: Shakespeare's Trilogy in Two PartsThe Trial of the Catonsville NinePeace for Mary Francisand Recent Alien Abductions. This award also recognizes her vital presence as the artistic director of NAATCOand her sustained excellence as a performer and mentor.

- To Repertorio Español for presenting a year-round rotating repertory of new and classic Spanish-language plays in its intimate Gramercy venue. For the past 51 years, Repertorio has been an indispensable theater for Spanish-speaking audiences, while inviting non-Spanish-speaking theatergoers to discover the delights of the Spanish-language canon and introducing New York audiences to the work of actors like Zulema Clares and Germán Jaramillo.


Drama Desk was founded in 1949 to explore key issues in the theater and to bring together critics and writers in an organization to support the ongoing development of theater in New York. The organization began presenting its awards in 1955, and it is the only critics' organization to honor achievement in the theater with competition among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions in the same categories.

 

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