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Nominees for 81st Drama League Awards Announced. Annual Ceremony Set for 5/15.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE

THE DRAMA LEAGUE

ANNOUNCES THE NOMINEES FOR

THE 81ST DRAMA LEAGUE ANNUAL AWARDS

 

CEREMONY SET FOR FRIDAY, MAY 15th

AT THE MARRIOTT MARQUIS TIMES SQUARE

 

New York, NY (April 21, 2015) – The Drama League (Executive Director, Gabriel Shanks) has announced the 2015 Drama League Awards Nominees for Outstanding Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, and the much-coveted Distinguished Performance Award.  The nominations were announced this morning at a ceremony hosted by Tony® Award winners Cherry Jones and Denis O’Hare at Sardi’s Restaurant, which were streamed live online at www.BroadwayWorld.com.  The Nominee Announcement was hosted by National Life Group, a longstanding Drama League partner and supporter of the arts. Since 1848, National Life has lived its corporate values of do good, be good, and make good by offering financial solutions to those it serves.

The nominations announcement begins the month of celebrations leading up to the 81st Annual Drama League Awards, which will be held at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway) on Friday, May 15, 2015.  Tickets for The Drama League Awards, which includes pre-event cocktails at 12 p.m. and the star-studded afternoon luncheon ceremony at 1 p.m. sharp, are available by calling (212) 244-9494 or visiting www.dramaleague.org.

Official sponsors for the 81st Annual Drama League Awards include 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.

The Drama League previously announced its 2015 Special Recognition Honorees:  Tony®, and Oscar® Award winner Joel Grey will receive the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award; WNET: Neal Shapiro and David Horn will receive 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 will receive the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing.  

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.

For more information about the Drama League Awards, please call (212) 244-9494 or by visiting www.dramaleague.org.

 

2015 DRAMA LEAGUE AWARDS NOMINATIONS

 

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION

OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY

 

The Audience

By Peter Morgan

Directed by Stephen Daldry

Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre

Matthew Byam Shaw, Robert Fox, Andy Harries, Beverly Bartner, Scott M. Delman, Ed Mirvish Enterprises Limited, Stephanie P. McClelland, MSG WLE, Jon B. Platt, Scott Rudin, Carole Shorenstein Hays, The Shubert Organization, Alice Tulchin, producers

 

Between Riverside and Crazy

By Stephen Adly Guirgis

Directed by Austin Pendleton

Atlantic Theater Company/Second Stage Theatre

Atlantic Theatre Company: Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director

Second Stage Theatre: Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director, in association with Scott Rudin

 

Bootycandy

By Robert O’Hara

Directed by Robert O’Hara

Playwrights Horizons

Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director; Carol Fishman, General Manager

 

Constellations

By Nick Payne

Directed by Michael Longhurst

Manhattan Theatre Club/The Royal Court Theatre

Manhattan Theatre Club: Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grove, Executive Producer; The Royal Court Theatre: Vicky Featherstone, Artistic Director; Lucy Davies, Executive Producer; by special arrangement with Ambassador Theatre Group and the Dodgers

 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

By Simon Stephens, based on the novel by Mark Haddon

Directed by Marianne Elliott

Ethel Barrymore Theatre

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

 

Hand to God

By Robert Askins

Directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel

Booth Theatre

Kevin McCollum, Broadway Global Ventures, CMC, Morris Berchard, Mariano V. Tolentino Jr., Stephanie Kramer, LAMS Productions,  DeSimone/Winkler, Joan Raffe & Jhett Tolentino, Timothy Laczynski, Lily Fan, Ayal Miodovnik, JAM Theatricals, Ensemble Studio Theatre: William Carden, Artistic Director; Paul A. Slee, Executive Director, and MCC Theater: Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director, producers

 

An Octoroon

By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

Directed by Sarah Benson

Soho Rep/Theatre for a New Audience

Soho Rep: Sarah Benson, Artistic Director; Cynthia Flowers, Executive Director in association with John Adrian Selzer; Theatre for a New Audience: Jeffrey Horowitz, Artistic Director; Dorothy Ryan, Managing Director

 

Punk Rock

By Simon Stephens

Directed by Trip Cullman

MCC Theater

Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director

 

Scenes from a Marriage

By Ingmar Bergman

Adapted by Emily Mann

Directed by Ivo van Hove

New York Theatre Workshop

James C. Nicola, Artistic Director; Jeremy Blocker, Managing Director

 

Wolf Hall, Parts One & Two

By Hilary Mantel, Adapted by Mike Poulton

Directed by Jeremy Herrin

Winter Garden Theatre

Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Matthew Byam Shaw, Nia Janis & Nick Salmon for Playful Productions UK, Carole Shorenstein Hays, JAM Theatricals, Ron Kastner, Kyodo Tokyo, Inc., Tulchin Bartner Productions, WLE MSG, Jane Bergère, Scott M. Delman, Rebecca Gold, Just For Laughs Theatricals, Kit Seidel, Triple Play Productions, Gabrielle Palitz, Georgia Gatti, Jessica Genick, Will Trice and The Shubert Organization, producers; The Royal Shakespeare Company: Gregory Doran, Artistic Director; Catherine Mallyon, Executive Director

 

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL

OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY

 

Big Love

By Charles Mee

Directed by Tina Landau

Signature Theatre Company

James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director

 

The Elephant Man

By Bernard Pomerance

Directed by Scott Ellis

Booth Theatre

James. L. Nederlander, Terry Allen Kramer, Catherine Adler, Roger Berlind, Caiola Productions, Patrick Catullo, Roy Furman, Larry Hirschhorn, Jeffrey Finn Productions, Van Kaplan, Edward M. Kaufmann, Hal Luftig, Arielle Tepper Madover, Peter May, Stephanie P. McClelland, The Shubert Organization, Douglas Smith, Jonathan M. Tisch, WLE  MSG, LLC, Scott & Brian Zeilinger, producers; Williamstown Theatre Festival, Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director; Stephen M. Kaus, Producer

 

The Heidi Chronicles

By Wendy Wasserstein

Directed by Pam MacKinnon

Music Box Theatre

Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Susan Gallin, Mary Lu Roffe, Eagle Productions LLC, Stacy Jacobs, LTPS Productions, Gabrielle Palitz, Sally Horchow, Rebecca Gold, Ken Greiner, Grimaldi & WSProductions, Jamie deRoy & friends, Amy Kaissar, Suzanne Friedman, Ed Goldstone, Jessica Genick, Will Trice, producers

 

The Iceman Cometh

By Eugene O’Neill

Directed by Robert Falls

Brooklyn Academy of Music

BAM and Scott Rudin, producers; Joseph V. Melillo, Executive Producer; Karen Brooks Hopkins, President

 

It’s Only a Play

By Terrence McNally

Directed by Jack O’Brien

Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre

Tom Kirdahy, Roy Furman, Ken Davenport, Hunter Arnold, Morris Berchard and Susan Dietz, Caiola Productions, Carl Daikeler, Jim Fantaci, Wendy Federman, Barbara Freitag and Loraine Alterman Boyle, Hugh Hayes, Jim Herbert, Ricardo F. Hornos, Stephanie Kramer, LAMS Productions, Scott Landis, Mark Lee and Ed Filipowski, Harold Newman, Roy Putrino, Sanford Robertson, Tom Smedes and Peter Stern, and Brian Cromwell Smith, producers

 

Skylight

By David Hare

Directed by Stephen Daldry

Golden Theatre

Robert Fox, Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, Roger Berlind, William Berlind, Roy Furman, Jon B. Platt, The Shubert Organization, Stephanie P. McClelland, Catherine Adler, Jay Alix & Una Jackman, Scott M. Delman, Heni Koenigsberg, Spring Sirkin, Stuart Thompson, True Love Productions, The Araca Group, Carlos Arana, David Mirvish, producers; Joey Parnes, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, executive producers

 

Tamburlaine, Parts I and II

By Christopher Marlowe

Edited and Directed by Michael Boyd

Theatre for a New Audience

Jeffrey Horowitz, Founding Artistic Director; Dorothy Ryan, Managing Director

 

This Is Our Youth

By Kenneth Lonergan

Directed by Anna D. Shapiro

Cort Theatre

Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, Roger Berlind, William Berlind, Jon B. Platt, Roy Furman, The Shubert Organization, Ruth Hendel, Scott M. Delman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Sonia Friedman, Tulchin Bartner, The Araca Group, Heni Koenigsberg, Daryl Roth, Joan Raffe & Jhett Tolentino, Catherine & Fred Adler, producers; Joey Parnes, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, executive producers

 

You Can’t Take It with You

By Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman

Directed by Scott Ellis

Longacre Theatre

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

 

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION

OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

 

An American in Paris

Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, Book by Craig Lucas

Directed by Christopher Wheeldon

Palace Theatre

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

 

Finding Neverland

Book by James Graham, Music and Lyrics by Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy

Directed by Diane Paulus

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

Weinstein Live Entertainment, The Madison Square Garden Company, Len Blavatnik, Ron Burkle, Radenko Milakovic, Bryan Cranston, Jason Blum, Broadway Across America, Stephen Bronfman, Rodgin Cohen, Michael Cohl, Jean Doumanian, Chad Dubea, Rick Gerson, Jeremiah J. Harris, Sh. Mohammed Y. El Khereiji, Terry Allen Kramer, Howard Milstein, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Dalip Pathak, Marvin Peart, Steve Rattner, Jimmy Sommers, Peter Stavola and the American Repertory Theater, producers

 

Fun Home

Music by Jeanine Tesori, Book and Lyrics by Lisa Kron

Directed by Sam Gold

Circle in the Square Theatre

Fox Theatricals, Barbara Whitman, Carole Shorenstein Hays, Tom Casserly, Paula Marie Black, Latitude Link, Terry Schnuck/Jack Lane, The Forstalls, Nathan Vernon, Mint Theatricals, Elizabeth Armstrong, Jam Theatricals, Delman Whitney, Kristin Caskey & Mike Isaacson, producers; The Public Theater: Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Patrick Willingham, Executive Director

 

Ghost Quartet

Music, Lyrics, and Text by Dave Malloy

Directed by Annie Tippe

The McKittrick Hotel

Emursive: Arthur Karpati, Jonathan Hochwald, and Randy Weiner, producers

 

Hamilton

Book, Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Directed by Thomas Kail

The Public Theater

Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Patrick Willingham, Managing Director; with the support of Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs and Jill Furman

 

It Shoulda Been You

Book and Lyrics by Brian Hargrove, Music and Concept by Barbara Anselmi

Directed by David Hyde Pierce

Brooks Atkinson Theatre

Daryl Roth, Scott Landis, Jane Bergère, Jayne Baron Sherman, Patty Baker, Broadway Across America, Clear Channel Spectacolor, Gloken LLC, James L. Nederlander, John O’Boyle, Judith Ann Abrams/Jacki Barila Florin, producers

 

Something Rotten!

Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, Music and Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick

Directed by Casey Nicholaw

St. James Theatre

Kevin McCollum, Broadway Global Ventures, CMC, Dennis Mastro, Jerry Frankel, Morris Berchard, Kyodo Tokyo Inc., Wendy Federman, Barbara Freitag, LAMS Productions, Winkler/DeSimone, Timothy Laczynski, Dan Markley, JAM Theatricals, Robert Greenblatt, and Jujamcyn Theaters, producers

 

The Visit

Book by Terrence McNally, Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb

Directed by John Doyle

Lyceum Theatre

Tom Kirdahy, Edgar Bronfman, Jr., Tom Smedes, Hugh Hayes, Peter Stern, Judith Ann Abrams, Rich Affannato, Hunter Arnold, Carl Daikeler, Ken Davenport, Bharat Mitra & Bhavani Lev, Peter May, Ted Snowdon, Gabrielle Palitz/Weatherby & Fishman LLC, Marguerite Hoffman/Jeremy Youett, Carlos Arana/Terry Loftis, Veenerick & Katherine Vos Van Liempt, 42nd Club/Silva Theatrical and The Shubert Organization, producers, in association with The Williamstown Theatre Festival: Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director; Stephen M. Kaus, Producer

 

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL

OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

 

Allegro

Music by Richard Rodgers

Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Directed by John Doyle

Classic Stage Company

Brian Kulick, Artistic Director; Jeff Griffin, Managing Director; Greg Reiner, Executive Director

 

Into the Woods

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by James Lapine

Directed by Noah Brody and Ben Steinfeld

Roundabout Theatre Company

Todd Haimes, Artistic Director; Harold Walpert, Managing Director; Julia C. Levy, Executive Director; Sydney Beers, General Manager

In association with McCarter Theatre Center: Emily Mann, Artistic Director; Timothy J. Shields, Managing Director

 

The King and I

Music by Richard Rodgers

Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Directed by Bartlett Sher

Lincoln Center Theatre

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

 

On The Town

Music by Leonard Bernstein, Book and Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green

Directed by John Rando

Lyric Theatre

Howard and Janet Kagan, Severn Partners Entertainment, Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman, Paula Marie Black, Nigel Lythgoe, Michael J. Moritz, Jr., Mahoney/Alden/Badway, Ambassador Theatre Group, Margie and Bryan Weingarten, Kim Schall, Michael Rubenstein, Terry/Louise/Chris Lingner,  Brunish & Trinchero, Stephanie Rosenberg, Laruffa & Hinderliter, Rubinstein/Handelman, A&A Gordon, Matt Ross/Ben Feldman/Pamela Cooper, and Barrington Stage Company, producers

 

On The Twentieth Century

Book and Lyrics by Better Comden and Adolph Green, Music by Cy Coleman

Directed by Scott Ellis

Roundabout Theatre Company

Todd Haimes, Artistic Director; Harold Wolpert, Managing Director; Julia C. Levy, Executive Director; Sydney Beers, General Manager

 

NOMINEES FOR

THE DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD

One winner is selected from this category.  The recipient can only receive this award once during his or her career.

 

Usman Ally, The Invisible Hand

Christian Borle, Something Rotten!

Steven Boyer, Hand to God

Sterling K. Brown, Father Comes Home from the Wars Parts 1, 2 & 3

Michael Cerveris, Fun Home

Kristin Chenoweth, On The Twentieth Century

Bradley Cooper, The Elephant Man

Leanne Cope, An American in Paris

Jim Dale, Just Jim Dale

Tyne Daly, It Shoulda Been You

Daveed Diggs, Hamilton

Robert Fairchild, An American in Paris

Renee Fleming, Living on Love

Kelsey Grammer, Finding Neverland

Jake Gyllenhaal, Constellations

Stephen McKinley Henderson, Between Riverside and Crazy

Lisa Howard, It Shoulda Been You

Brian D'Arcy James, Something Rotten!

Rebecca Naomi Jones, Big Love

Cush Jumbo, Josephine and I, The River

Andy Karl, On The Twentieth Century

Judy Kuhn, Fun Home

Lesley Manville, Ghosts

Jan Maxwell, The City of Conversation

Richard McCabe, The Audience

Rob McClure, Honeymoon in Vegas

Ewan McGregor, The Real Thing

Ben Miles, Wolf Hall, Parts One & Two

Ruthie Ann Miles, The King and I

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

Helen Mirren, The Audience

Matthew Morrison, Finding Neverland

Elisabeth Moss, The Heidi Chronicles

Carey Mulligan, Skylight

Tam Mutu, Doctor Zhivago

Bill Nighy, Skylight

Kelli O'Hara, The King and I

Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall, Parts One & Two

Bryce Pinkham, The Heidi Chronicles

Roger Rees, The Visit

Chita Rivera, The Visit

Alexander Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Douglas Sills, Living on Love

John Douglas Thompson, Tamburlaine, Parts I and II, The Iceman Cometh

Julie White, Airline Highway

Ruth Wilson, Constellations

Tony Yazbeck, On The Town

The Drama League also wishes to acknowledge the previous recipients of the Distinguished Performance Award who appeared in New York productions this season.  As the Award can only be won once in a performer’s lifetime, they are ineligible this season.  Their exemplary work, however, is recognized and applauded.

Kathleen Chalfant, A Walk in the Woods

Stockard Channing, It’s Only A Play

Glenn Close, A Delicate Balance

Rosemary Harris, Indian Ink

Hugh Jackman, The River

Cherry Jones, When We Were Young and Unafraid

James Earl Jones, You Can’t Take It With You

Nathan Lane, The Iceman Cometh, It’s Only A Play

John Lithgow, A Delicate Balance, King Lear

 

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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