Theater News

2006 Drama Desk Awards Bestowed at LaGuardia Concert Hall

Bob Martin, co-author and starof The Drowsy Chaperone(Photo © Joseph Marzullo)
Bob Martin, co-author and star
of The Drowsy Chaperone
(Photo © Joseph Marzullo)

The 2006 Drama Desk Awards, honoring the best of Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway, were presented tonight in the concert hall at the LaGuardia High School for Music and Art and the Performing Arts. For the third consecutive year, Harvey Fierstein hosted the ceremony, which was webcast live by TheaterMania.com.

Presenters included Harry Connick, Jr., Barbara Cook, Paige Davis, Fran Drescher, Victor Garber, Deborah Gibson, Angela Lansbury, Cynthia Nixon, Kelli O’Hara, Patti LuPone, and Jonathan Pryce. The evening also featured performances of numbers from eight nominated musicals, including The Drowsy Chaperone, Grey Gardens, and Jersey Boys.

The ceremony was taped for television; it will be edited and broadcast as a two-hour special on WNET-TV on Monday, May 29 from 1pm to 3pm, and on PBS stations nationwide in June. (Check local listings for details). The show will also be telecast on Channel 25 in New York City on Tuesday, May 30 and Thursday, June 1 from 10pm to 12:30am.

Following is a complete list of the nominees, with the winners’ names in bold.


********************

Outstanding Play
Alan Bennett, The History Boys
David Hare, Stuff Happens
Warren Leight, No Foreigners Beyond this Point
Martin McDonagh, The Lieutenant of Inishmore
Terrence McNally, Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams
Craig Wright, The Pavilion

Outstanding Musical
The Drowsy Chaperone
Grey Gardens
Jersey Boys
See What I Wanna See
Thrill Me
The Wedding Singer

Outstanding Revival of a Play
Awake and Sing!
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
Philadelphia, Here I Come!
Soldier’s Wife
The Traveling Lady
The Trip to Bountiful

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
The Pajama Game
Sweeney Todd

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Vince Gatton, Candy & Dorothy
John Glover, The Paris Letter
Richard Griffiths, The History Boys
Zeljko Ivanek, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
Nathan Lane, Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams
Brían F. O’Byrne, Shining City

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Margaret Colin, Defiance
Cherry Jones, Faith Healer
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Abigail’s Party
Jan Maxwell, Entertaining Mr. Sloane
Lois Smith, The Trip to Bountiful
Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Michael Cerveris, Sweeney Todd
Harry Connick, Jr., The Pajama Game
Marc Kudisch, See What I Wanna See
Stephen Lynch, The Wedding Singer
Bob Martin, The Drowsy Chaperone
John Lloyd Young, Jersey Boys

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Nancy Anderson, Fanny Hill
Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
Sutton Foster, The Drowsy Chaperone
Patti LuPone, Sweeney Todd
Idina Menzel, See What I Wanna See
Kelli O’Hara, The Pajama Game

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Devon Abner, The Trip to Bountiful
Samuel Barnett, The History Boys
Dominic Cooper, The History Boys
Jason Butler Harner, The Paris Letter
Stephen Campbell Moore, The History Boys
David Pittu, Celebration/The Room

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Frances de la Tour, The History Boys
Lisa Emery, Abigail’s Party
Judith Hawking, Soldier’s Wife
Michele Pawk, The Paris Letter
Lynn Redgrave, The Constant Wife
Marian Seldes, Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Jim Dale, The Threepenny Opera
Alexander Gemignani, Sweeney Todd
Christian Hoff, Jersey Boys
Eddie Korbich, The Drowsy Chaperone
John McMartin, Grey Gardens
Daniel Reichard, Jersey Boys

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Carolee Carmello, Lestat
Leslie Kritzer, The Great American Trailer Park Musical
Beth Leavel, The Drowsy Chaperone
Mary Louise Wilson, Grey Gardens
Amy Spanger, The Wedding Singer
Mary Testa, See What I Wanna See

Outstanding Director of a Play
Alan Ayckbourn, Private Fears in Public Places
Gisela Cardenas, Agamemnon
Nicholas Hytner, The History Boys
Daniel Sullivan, Stuff Happens
Robert Wilson, Peer Gynt
Jerry Zaks, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial

Outstanding Director of a Musical
John Doyle, Sweeney Todd
Michael Greif, Grey Gardens
Kathleen Marshall, The Pajama Game
Des McAnuff, Jersey Boys
Casey Nicholaw, The Drowsy Chaperone
Daniele Finzi Pasca, Rain

Outstanding Choreography
Rob Ashford, The Wedding Singer
Angela Chang, Golden Dragon Acrobats
Graciela Daniele, Bernarda Alba
Kathleen Marshall, The Pajama Game
Casey Nicholaw, The Drowsy Chaperone
Sergio Trujillo, Jersey Boys

Outstanding Music
Stephen Dolginoff, Thrill Me
Scott Frankel, Grey Gardens
Michael John LaChiusa, See What I Wanna See
Lisa Lambert & Greg Morrison, The Drowsy Chaperone
Peter Mills, The Pursuit of Persephone
Matthew Sklar, The Wedding Singer

Outstanding Lyrics
Chad Beguelin, The Wedding Singer
Mark Campbell, Songs from an Unmade Bed
Ryan Cunningham, I Love You Because
Michael Korie, Grey Gardens
Michael John LaChiusa, See What I Wanna See
Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, The Drowsy Chaperone

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Rick Elice & Marshall Brickman, Jersey Boys
Bob Martin & Don McKellar, The Drowsy Chaperone
Doug Wright, Grey Gardens

Outstanding Orchestrations
Larry Blank, The Drowsy Chaperone
Bruce Coughlin, Grey Gardens
Bruce Coughlin, See What I Wanna See
Peter Mills and Daniel Feyer, The Pursuit of Persephone
Sarah Travis, Sweeney Todd
Danny Troob & Dick Lieb, The Pajama Game

Outstanding Set Design of a Play
Roger Hanna, Walking Down Broadway
Eugene Lee, The Ruby Sunrise
Derek McLane, Abigail’s Party
Robert Wilson, Peer Gynt
Michael Yeargan, Awake and Sing!
Michael Yeargan, Seascape

Outstanding Set Design of a Musical
Michael Bottari & Ronald Case, Fanny Hill
John Doyle, Sweeney Todd
David Gallo, The Drowsy Chaperone
Thomas Lynch, See What I Wanna See
Allen Moyer, Grey Gardens
Scott Pask, The Wedding Singer

Outstanding Costume Design
Gregg Barnes, The Drowsy Chaperone
Eric Becker, Abigail’s Party
Gregory Gale, The Wedding Singer
William Ivey Long, Grey Gardens
Jacques Reynaud, Peer Gynt
Anita Yavich, The Wooden Breeks

Outstanding Lighting Design
Christopher Akerlind, Awake and Sing!
Richard G. Jones, Sweeney Todd
Traci Klainer, The Asphalt Kiss
Martin Labrecque, Rain
John McKernon, The Trip to Bountiful
Robert Wilson, Peer Gynt

Outstanding Sound Design
Acme Sound Partners, The Drowsy Chaperone
Acme Sound Partners, See What I Wanna See
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Jersey Boys
Daniel Moses Schreier, Sweeney Todd
Brian Ronan, Grey Gardens
Brian Ronan, The Pajama Game

Outstanding Solo Performance
Judy Gold, 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother
Marga Gomez, Los Big Names
Jon Peterson, George M. Cohan Tonight!
Antony Sher, Primo
Janis Stevens, Vivien
Michael Winther, Songs from an Unmade Bed

Unique Theatrical Experience
Christine Jorgensen Reveals
The Frog Bride
Golden Dragon Acrobats
Peer Gynt
Rain
The Stones