News & Views from the Drama Desk
For Release: Sunday, May 18, 2003 at 11:30 p.m. (EDT)
HAIRSPRAY AND TAKE ME OUT VOTED 2002/2003
OUTSTANDING NEW MUSICAL AND PLAY BY DRAMA DESK;
NINE AND LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT
TOUTED AS OUTSTANDING REVIVALS
ANTONIO BANDERAS (NINE) AND HARVEY FIERSTEIN (HAIRSPRAY)
TIE AS OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTORS IN A MUSICAL
EDDIE IZZARD, VANESSA REDGRAVE AND MARISSA JARET WINOKUR WIN OTHER TOP ACTING AWARDS
Hairspray Heads List of Winners With 10 Awards, Followed by La Boheme, Long Day's Journey Into Night And Nine With Two Each
New York, NY, May 18, 2003 - Hairspray, the smash new Broadway musical, received a total of ten Awards tonight, including one for Outstanding New Musical, when the Drama Desk -- an organization of professional writers, critics and editors who regularly cover all areas of New York theatre -- presented its 48th Annual Drama Desk Awards for the 2002/2003 theatre season. The total was second only to the 11 Drama Desk Awards received by The Producers two seasons ago..
Other multiple award-winning shows were Baz Luhrmann's production of La Boheme, the star-studded revival of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night, and the musical revival of Nine each of which captured three Awards. Richard Greenberg's Take Me Out was the only other multiple award winner with two, including one as Outstanding Play.
Antonio Banderas (Nine) and Harvey Fierstein (Hairspray) shared the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical Award. The Redgrave sisters, Vanessa and Lynn, each won Drama Desk Awards - Vanessa for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play for Long Day's Journey Into Night and Lynn for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for Talking Heads.
Long Day's Journey Into Night and Nine were voted Outstanding Revivals of a Play and Musical, respectively.
Eddie Izzard (A Day in the Death of Joe Egg) was voted Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play and newcomer Marissa Jaret Winokur (Hairspray) was voted Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical. Dick Latessa (Hairspray) won as Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Jane Krakowski out-polled her Nine co-stars Chita Rivera and Mary Stuart Masterson to win as Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, and Denis O'Hare (Take Me Out) was voted Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play. Tovah Feldshuh (Golda's Balcony) won for Outstanding Solo Performance.
Robert Falls (Long Day's Journey Into Night) and Jack O'Brien (Hairspray) were voted Outstanding Director of a Play and Musical, respectively. Twyla Tharp (Movin' Out) won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography.
Hairspray's cache of 10 Drama Desk Awards also included Marc Shaiman for Outstanding Music, Scott Whitman and Marc Shaiman for Outstanding Lyrics, Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan for Outstanding Book of a Musical, Harold Wheeler for Outstanding Orchestrations and William Ivey Long for Outstanding Costumes.
La Boheme's three Drama Desk Awards were given to Catherine Martin (Outstanding Set Design of a Musical), Nigel Levings (Outstanding Lighting Design) and Acme Sound Partners (Outstanding Sound Design).
John Lee Beatty (Dinner at Eight) won for Outstanding Set Design of a Play. A Drama Desk Award was given to The Exonerated for Unique Theatrical Experience.
Special Drama Desk Awards were presented to: Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) for bringing works of distinction from around the world to New York audiences; Charles Busch for career achievement as performer and playwright Geoffrey Johnson and Vincent Liff (posthumously) of Johnson-Liff Casting for career achievement
During the awards show, the Drama Desk also presented Drama Desk 2003 Scholarship Awards, co-sponsored by The Smart Family Foundation, Alan Simon of On Location Education, Daryl Roth, Jamie deRoy & friends and Robert R. Blume, to Sari Goldberg and David Blondell, two drama majors at F.H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. The scholarships are given annually to promising students in the school's Drama Department who are planning to pursue careers in the theatre.
For the first time, Drama Desk members were able to cast their votes in all categories at the Drama Desk web site - www.dramadesk.com. This method of online voting was highly efficient for the members and the producers of the awards presentations.
The 48th Annual Drama Desk Awards, hosted by Chita Rivera, were held in the Concert Hall at F.H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Presenters at tonight's Drama Desk Awards show included: Antonio Banderas, Jim Dale, Tovah Feldshuh, Harvey Fierstein, Sean Foley, Melanie Griffith, Hamish McColl, Bebe Neuwirth, Bernadette Peters, Chita Rivera and Tommy Tune.
The Drama Desk Awards were webcast with live streaming video from 9 PM to the awards show conclusion by TheaterMania.com.
Robert R. Blume is Executive Producer of the 48th Annual Drama Desk Awards. TheaterMania.com is the Associate Presenter. The Drama Desk Awards is a TheatreSport Limited production. Lauren Class Schneider is Producer and Jeff Kalpak is Director. Jeff Dobbins is the writer. Associate Producers are Sarah Galvin, Corine Dana Cohen, Jae French and Les Schecter, who is also Director of Publicity. Felicia M. Lopes is the General Manager. Randie Levine-Miller is Executive Director for the Drama Desk.
Organized in 1949, the Drama Desk is the only theatre organization whose award nominations honor Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway and not-for-profit theatre productions equally in multiple categories. The Drama Desk membership includes more than 120 voting theatre critics, reporters and editors.
This year's Drama Desk Awards were supported by Lynn & Lewis Pell, David S. Stone, Esq. of Boise, Schiller and Flexner LLP, NJ office, Richard I. Kandel and Diane Wilsey.
Sponsors included TheaterMania.com, GSD Productions, Variety, International Barter Network, Gray Line NY Sightseeing, Event Webcasting, VisionMix Creative Solutions and Manhattan Bride Magazine. Receptions were hosted by Compass Restaurant and Bar, Firebird Russian Restaurant, St. John Boutique and Gotham Magazine, The New York Friars Club, and Link Restaurant. Food and beverages are being donated by Relish Catering, Moet & Chandon, Ecco Domani, Cademartori's Imports of Italy and Baccardi Razz.
The Board of Directors of the Drama Desk includes: David Sheward, Back Stage, Co-President; William Wolf, wolfentertainmentguide.com, Co-President; Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, First Vice-President; Leslie (Hoban) Blake, Theatermania.com, Second Vice-President; Charles Wright, A&E Television Networks, Treasurer; Ellis Nassour, Freelance, Co-Secretary; Robert Simonson, Playbill Online, Co-Secretary; and Members-at-Large: Sam Norkin, Freelance Theatre Artist, Past President; David Kaufman, The Nation, and Parco Programs; Robert Sandia, Freelance; and Barbara Siegel, TheaterMania.com and Siegel Entertainment Syndicate.
Organized in 1949, the Drama Desk is the only theatre organization whose award nominations honor Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway and not-for-profit theatre productions equally in multiple categories.
Click HERE for a complete list of all Winners!
Press Contact: |
Les Schecter/Matthew Donohue |
| Tel: | 212/586-2600 |
| E-mail: | lester.schecter@verizon.net or matthew_p._donoghue@worldnet.att.net |
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