News & Views from the Drama Desk

For Immediate Release

2006/2007 DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS TO BE ANNOUNCED
ON APRIL 26 BY BETH LEAVEL AND JAMES NAUGHTON

Announcement Ceremony to be Held at New York Friars Club
at 9:45 AM

Nominations for the 52nd Annual Drama Desk Awards will be announced on Thursday, April 26, 2007, at 9:45 AM at the New York Friars Club, 57 East 55th Street, in Manhattan. A continental breakfast will be available at 9:00 AM.

Actress Beth Leavel, who received the 2006 Drama Desk Award for her performance in The Drowsy Chaperone and actor James Naughton, winner of Drama Desk Awards for City of Angels (1991)and Long Day’s Journey Into Night (1971), will announce the nominations in the various categories. In addition, there will be remarks by Drama Desk President William Wolf,Drama Desk Awards Executive Producer Robert R. Blume, and Randie Levine-Miller, Drama Desk Director of Special Events, who annually produces this event at the Friars Club.

Beth Leavel, who received the 2006 Tony and Outer Critics Circle Awards, in addition to her Drama Desk Award, for her performance in The Drowsy Chaperone, has numerous New York stage credits, including major roles on Broadway in 42nd Street (revival), the original companies of Crazy For You and The Civil War, and Hal Prince’s Show Boat. She has also appeared Off Broadway in Lone Star Love, The Jazz Singer and An Unfinished Song.
In addition to his two Drama Desk Awards, actor/singerJames Naughton, a graduate of the Yale Drama School, won Tony Awards for the musicals City of Angels (1990) and Chicago (1996), and a Theatre World Award for Long Day’s Journey Into Night (1971). He directed Our Town and also had leading roles in the Broadway productions of Prymate and Democracy. Most recently, he was featured in the film The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep.

The Drama Desk, which presented its first awards in 1955, is the only organization of professional theater critics, writers and editors that regularly covers all sectors of New York’s theater, including Broadway, Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway.

The 52nd Annual Drama Desk Awards, hosted by Kristin Chenoweth, who recently starred in the Broadway revival of The Apple Tree, will be held Sunday, May 20, at 9:00 PM in the LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center. A two-hour edited version of the awards ceremony will be televised nationally by PBS stations. In New York the special will air on Thirteen/WNET on Sunday, May 27, 12:30 – 2:30 PM, and on NYC TV 25 on Thursday, May 24, at 8:00 PM, and Saturday, May 26, at 10:00 PM. The awards show will be webcast live for the fifth year in a row by TheaterMania.com.

Drama Desk nominees will receive their Official Nomination Certificates at a Cocktail Reception on Tuesday, May 1, 4:00 to 7:00 PM, at Arte Cafe, 106 West 73rd Street, between Broadway and Columbus Avenue.

The nominations will be decided upon by Barbara Siegel, chairperson,TalkinBroadway.com and Theatermania.com; Glenda Frank, Plays International and nytheatre-wire.com;Tony Phillips, New York Press; Andrew Propst, Americantheaterweb.com and XM Satellite Radio; Richard Ridge, Broadway Beat TV, and William Wolf, Drama Desk President and wolfentertainmentguide.com.

The Drama Desk Board of Directors is composed of: William Wolf (wolfentertainmentguide.com), President; Leslie (Hoban) Blake (WFUV FM), Vice President; Charles Wright (A&E TV Networks, Best Plays International Yearbook), Treasurer and Second Vice President; Joyce Hauser, Secretary; and Members-at-Large: Michael Bracken (WFUV FM); David Kaufman (Freelance); Ellis Nassour (Broadway Stars.com, Playbill); Sam Norkin (Freelance theater artist, Past Drama Desk President); Barbara Siegel (TalkinBroadway.com, TheaterMania.com); and Elyse Sommer (Chief critic and editor, CurtainUp.com).

Robert R. Blume is Executive Producer of the 52nd Annual Drama Desk Awards. Lauren Class Schneider is Producer and Jeff Kalpak is Director. The show is being written by Terry Berliner. Associate Producers are Jacki Barlia Florin, Corine Dana Cohen, Margot Astrachan and Les Schecter who is also Director of Publicity and Promotions. Elias EL-Hage is the General Manager. Randie Levine-Miller is Special Events Director for the Drama Desk. For television, Terry Rohnke is Production Consultant and Roy A. Somlyo is Consulting Producer.

Press Contact: Les Schecter/Matthew Donoghue (L.S. Public Relations)
Tel: 212/586-2600
E-mail: lester.schecter@verizon.net

Press Contact for Drama Desk:    Les Schecter
                                                          212/586-2600
                                                          lester.schecter@verizon.net

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