Geoffrey Rush, Elton John, Angela Lansbury, Arthur Laurents, et al. Receive Drama League Awards

The 75th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon were held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square on Friday, May 15. Jeremy Irons and Cynthia Nixon co-hosted the event.

The group’s five main awards went to Exit the King star Geoffrey Rush for Distinguished Performance of the Year; God of Carnage for Distinguished Production of a Play; Billy Elliot for Distinguished Production of a Musical; Blithe Spirit for Distinguished Revival of a Play; and Hair for Distinguished Revival of a Musical. The musicals Next to Normal, [title of show] and the play Dividing the Estate were considered in previous years and were ineligible.

As previously announced, Elton John received the Distinguished Achievement in a Musical Theatre Award; Arthur Laurents received the Julia Hansen Award; Angela Lansbury received the Unique Contribution to the Theatre Award, and producer Herb Blodgett received with the 75th Anniversary Leadership Award.

A complete list of nominees follows:

Distinguished Production of a Play
33 Variations
Black Watch
Chair
God of Carnage
If You See Something Say Something
Lady
reasons to be pretty
Ruined
Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself)
Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them
Wig Out!

Distinguished Production of a Musical
9 to 5: The Musical
Billy Elliot: The Musical
Fela!
Liza’s at the Palace
The Marvelous Wonderettes
Road Show
Rock of Ages
Shrek The Musical
The Toxic Avenger
This Beautiful City

Distinguished Revival of a Play
Blithe Spirit
The Cripple of Inishmaan
Desire Under the Elms

Exit the King
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Mabou Mines Dollhouse
Mary Stuart
The Norman Conquests
Our Town
The Seagull
Speed-the-Plow
Uncle Vanya

Distinguished Revival of a Musical
Enter Laughing
Garden of Earthly Delights
Guys and Dolls
Hair
Pal Joey
West Side Story

Distinguished Performance of the Year
Jane Alexander – Chasing Manet
David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, Kiril Kulish – Billy Elliot
Kahlil Ashanti – Basic Training
James Barbour – A Tale of Two Cities
David Wilson Barnes – Becky Shaw
Simon Russell Beale – The Cherry Orchard
Annika Boras – An Oresteia
Christian Camargo – Hamlet
Bobby Cannavale – The Gingerbread House
Matt Cavenaugh – West Side Story
Julia Coffey – The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd
Lynn Cohen – Chasing Manet
Chad Coleman – Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Gavin Creel – Hair
David Cromer – Our Town
Joshua Cruz – Wig Out!
Mike Daisey – If You See Something Say Something
Saidah Arrika Ekulona – Ruined
Ensemble – Black Watch
Raúl Esparza – Speed-the-Plow
Rupert Everett – Blithe Spirit
Tovah Feldshuh – Irena’s Vow
Jane Fonda – 33 Variations
Sutton Foster – Shrek The Musical
James Gandolfini – God of Carnage
Alexander Gemignani – Road Show
John Glover – Waiting for Godot
Lauren Graham – Guys and Dolls
Nathan Lee Graham – Wig Out!
Josh Grisetti – Enter Laughing
Carla Gugino – Desire Under the Elms
Marcia Gay Harden – God of Carnage
Megan Hilty – 9 to 5: The Musical
Danny Hoch – Taking Over
Marin Ireland – reasons to be pretty
Bill Irwin – Waiting for Godot
Dana Ivey – The Savannah Disputation
Allison Janney – 9 to 5: The Musical
Angela Lansbury – Blithe Spirit
Constantine Maroulis – Rock of Ages
Elizabeth Marvel – Fifty Words
Janet McTeer – Mary Stuart
Ben Miles – The Norman Conquests
Liza Minnelli – Liza’s at the Palace
Maude Mitchell – Mabou Mines Dollhouse
Bruce Myers – The Grand Inquisitor
Sahr Ngaujah – Fela!
Kristine Nielsen – Why Torture Is Wrong…And the People Who Love Them
Cynthia Nixon – Distracted

Denis O’Hare – Uncle Vanya

Karen Olivo – West Side Story
Nancy Opel – The Toxic Avenger
David Pearse – The Cripple of Inishmaan
David Hyde Pierce – Accent on Youth
Martha Plimpton – Pal Joey
Daniel Radcliffe – Equus
Heather Raffo – Palace of the End
Roger Robinson – Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Geoffrey Rush – Exit the King
Thomas Sadoski – reasons to be pretty
Susan Sarandon – Exit the King
Campbell Scott – The Atheist
Christopher Sieber – Shrek The Musical
Michael Stuhlbarg – Hamlet
Will Swenson – Hair
Kristin Scott Thomas – The Seagull
John Douglas Thompson – Othello
Harriet Walter – Mary Stuart
Patrick Wilson – All My Sons