New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards announced

The winners of the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award were announced yesterday evening. Alan Bennet's The History Boys won Best play whilst The Drowsy Chaperone won Best Musical. Sweeney Todd and Grey Gardens each received a special citation award.

The selections were made at the offices of Time Out New York, where the 70th annual voting meeting of the New York Drama Critics' Circle (NYDCC) made their deliberations.

The Awards will be presented at a cocktail party to be held at the Algonquin Hotel, where the NYDCC was founded in 1935, on the 23 May 2006.

This is the second award for Alan Bennett's The History Boys, having been announced the winner of 'Distinguised Production of a Play' by The Drama League Award last week.

The NYDCC for the first time awarded two special citation awards in one season. One to John Doyle, Sarah Travis and the company of the revival of Sweeney Todd and the other to Christine Ebersole for her performance in the Off-Broadway musical Grey Gardens.

The New York Drama Critics' Circle is comprised of president Adam Feldman (Time Out New York), vice-president Frank Scheck (The Hollywood Reporter, New York Post), treasurer Michael Kuchwara (Associated Press), Clive Barnes (The New York Post), David Cote (Time Out New York), Michael Feingold (The Village Voice), Robert Feldberg (Bergen Record), Elysa Gardner (USA Today), John Heilpern (The New York Observer), Howard Kissel (The Daily News, Jacques le Sourd (Gannett Newspapers), Jeremy McCarter (New York), David Rooney (Variety), David Sheward (Back Stage, John Simon (Bloomberg News), Michael Sommers (The Star-Ledger/Newhouse Newspapers), Terry Teachout (The Wall Street Journal), Linda Winer (Newsday) and Richard Zoglin (Time).