Drama League to Honor Kander & Ebb, Mayer, Broadway Cares

The Drama League has announced the recipients of its annual specialty awards, which will be presented at the 73rd Annual Drama League Awards ceremony and luncheon on Friday, May 11 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. The event will be hosted by Tony Award winner Gary Beach.

Composer John Kander and his late songwriting partner, Fred Ebb, will receive the League’s Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award. Michael Mayer, currently represented on Broadway by Spring Awakening, will be honored with the Julia Hansen Award for Excellence in Directing. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS will receive the group’s Unique Contribution to the Theatre Award.

At the luncheon, the winners of the League’s five annual awards, voted on by its 3,000 members, will also be announced: The Distinguished Performance Award, Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, and Distinguished Revival of a Musical. Nominations will be announced on April 25.

The event’s honorary chairs and co-chairs include Michael Cerveris, Billy Crudup, Ethan Hawke, Audra McDonald, Brían F. O’Byrne, and David Hyde Pierce, who will be among the approximately 60 performers honored by the group.

Tickets to the event range in price from $150 to $450. They can be ordered by calling 212-244-9494, ext. 5, or by visiting www.dramaleague.org.