And the Award Goes to: the Drama League Annouces Winners of 81st Annual Awards Today
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Rick Miramontez / Philip Carrubba
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE
THE DRAMA LEAGUE
ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF
81ST ANNUAL AWARDS
“AN AMERICAN IN PARIS”
NAMED DISTINGUISHED MUSICAL
“THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME”
NAMED DISTINGUISHED PLAY
“THE KING AND I”
NAMED DISTINGUISHED REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
“YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU”
NAMED DISTINGUISHED REVIVAL OF A PLAY
CHITA RIVERA
RECEIVES DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD
STAR STUDDED CEREMONY HELD MAY 15TH
AT THE MARRIOTT MARQUIS TIMES SQUARE
New York, NY (May 15, 2014) – The Drama League (Executive Director, Gabriel Shanks) announced today the winners for the 81st Annual Drama League Awards: Distinguished Production of a Musical, An American in Paris; Distinguished Play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Distinguished Revival of a Musical, The King and I; Distinguished Revival of a Play, You Can’t Take It With You; and Distinguished Performance, Chita Rivera, at a star-studded luncheon ceremony hosted by Hand to God’s Stephen Boyer at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway).
In addition to the competitive categories, Tony®, and Oscar® Award winner Joel Grey was honored with the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award; WNET: Neal Shapiro and David Horn was honored with the Unique Contribution to the Theater Award for their vital work in bringing New York theater to viewers across America; and Tony®, Drama Desk®, Olivier Award winner and Oscar® nominee Stephen Daldry was honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing.
During the ceremony, Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director, Mandy Greenfield, introduced the 2015 Fellows of The Drama League Directors Project: Paul Bedard, Estefanía Fadul, Aneesha Kudtarkar, Emily Lyon, Brad Raimondo, Austin Regan, Daniel Rogers, Annie Tippe, Sarah Wansley, and Brandon Woolf. She also announced a new partnership between Williamstown Theatre Festival and the Drama League: The Drama League/Williamstown Theatre Festival Residency, a first-of-its-kind initiative to support emerging theater directors. Ms. Greenfield then went on to introduce the first recipient of the Fellowship, Dustin Wills.
The Drama League/Williamstown Theatre Festival Residency will build upon WTF’s acclaimed Boris Sagal Fellowship, through which the Festival selects a stage director to develop a new project during the company’s summer season. Beginning this year, The Drama League will bring that summer project to New York for a full professional developmental workshop at The Drama League Theater Center in Tribeca, including dramaturgical support and presentation. The goal is to hone and sharpen a director’s conceptual vision from its earliest stages to its full readiness for production. During his time in the residency program, Mr. Wills will translate and adapt Once Five Years Pass by Federico Garcia Lorca. “Williamstown and The Drama League share a passion for nurturing young artists,” said Drama League Executive Director Gabriel Shanks. “We’re thrilled to be joining with them to support directorial vision in this new and unprecendented effort.”
The 81st Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon included a nominees cocktail reception, luncheon, and awards presentation held at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in the Broadway Ballroom (1535 Broadway) on Friday, May 15, 2015. Drama League Board President Jano Herbosch was joined by Bonnie Comley as Co-Chair.
Official sponsors for the 81st Annual Drama League Awards included Delta Air Lines, the Official Airline of The Drama League; MAC Cosmetics, the Official Makeup Partner of The Drama League; National Life Group; and GenSpring Family Offices.
First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. They are the only major theatergoer awards chosen by audience members — specifically, by the thousands of Drama League members nationwide who attend Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.
The Drama League Awards honor distinguished productions, performances, and exemplary career achievements in musical theatre and directing. The first Drama League Award was presented to Katharine Cornell in 1935. Since then, the Distinguished Performance Award has been accorded to a roster of theatre legends such as Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Liam Neeson, Hugh Jackman, Patti LuPone, Glenn Close, Liev Schreiber, Sir John Gielgud, Harvey Fierstein, Cherry Jones, Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones, Julie Harris, Helen Hayes, Jeremy Irons, Mary-Louise Parker, Sir Ian McKellen, Bernadette Peters, and Christopher Plummer.
2015 DRAMA LEAGUE AWARDS WINNERS
DISTINGUISHED PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
An American in Paris
Palace Theatre
Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, Book by Craig Lucas
Directed by Christopher Wheeldon
Stuart Oken, Van Kaplan, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Darren Bagert,
Carole L. Haber, James Nederlander, Five Cent Productions, Michael Leavitt,
Apples and Oranges Studios/Dominion Pictures, Roger Berlind/Arch Road,
Simone Genatt Haft/Marc Routh, Triptyk Studios/Spencer Ross,
Ed Walson/Pater May, Adam Zotovich/Celia Atkin, Eugene Beard/Julie Boardman
/Kallish-Weinstein, Stuart Ditsky/Jim Herbert/Sandy Robertson, Suzanne Friedman
/Independent Presenters Network/Wonderful Productions, The Leonore S. Gershwin 1987 Trust
/Jenkins-Taylor/Proctors, Harriet Newman Leve/Jane Dubin/Sarahbeth Grossman,
Caiola Productions/Jennifer Isaacson/Raise the Curtain, producers, by special
arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical & Pittsburgh CLO and Théâtre du Châtelet
* * *
DISTINGUISHED PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Ethel Barrymore Theatre
By Simon Stephens, based on the novel by Mark Haddon
Directed by Marianne Elliott
Stuart Thompson, Tim Levy for NT America, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures,
Nick Starr & Chris Harper for NT Productions, Bob Boyett, Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman,
Roy Furman, Glass Half Full Productions, Ruth Hendel, Jon B. Platt, Prime Number Group,
Scott Rudin, Triple Play Broadway, and The Shubert Organization, producers
* * *
DISTINGUISHED REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
The King and I
Lincoln Center Theatre
Music by Richard Rodgers
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Directed by Bartlett Sher
André Bishop, Artistic Director; Adam Siegel, Managing Director; Hattie K. Jutagir, Executive
Director of Development and Planning; in association with Ambassador Theatre Group;
with gratitude to the Stacey and Eric Mindich Fund for Musical Theater
* * *
DISTINGUISHED REVIVAL OF A PLAY
You Can’t Take It with You
Longacre Theatre
By Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman
Directed by Scott Ellis
Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Jam Theatricals, Dominion Pictures, Gutterman &
Winkler, Daryl Roth, Terry Schnuck, Jane Bergère, Caiola Productions, Rebecca Gold,
Laruffa & Hinderliter, Larry Magid, Gabrielle Palitz, Spisto & Kierstead, Sunnyspot Productions,
Venuworks Theatricals, Jessica Genick, Will Trice, producers, by special arrangement with
Roundabout Theatre Company: Todd Haimes, Artistic Director; Harold Wolpert, Managing Director;
Julia C. Levy, Executive Director; Sydney Beers, General Manager
* * *
DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD
Chita Rivera
The Visit
* * *
DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSICAL THEATRE
Joel Grey
* * *
UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO THE THEATRE
WNET: Neal Shapiro and David Horn
* * *
FOUNDERS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN DIRECTING
Stephen Daldry
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