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65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
Last Edit: Official_Press_Release 02:36 pm EDT 04/21/20
Posted by: Official_Press_Release 02:30 pm EDT 04/21/20

65th Annual Drama Desk Awards Nominations Announced

Awards will be announced May 31, 2020

www.DramaDeskAwards.com

NEW YORK, NY (April 21, 2020) – Nominations for the 65th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced today, honoring the outstanding achievements of professional theater artists on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway. The Awards will be announced May 31, 2020. The full list of nominees is available below.

In keeping with the Drama Desk's mission and the theater industry shutdown in mid-March, the nominators considered productions that opened on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway during the 2019-2020 New York theater season, the end of which the Drama Desk determined to be March 11, 2020.

“The Drama Desk Awards this year attest to the community’s vigor and unity and are dedicated to the memory of our friend, colleague, and former president William Wolf,” Charles Wright and David Barbour, Drama Desk Co-Presidents, said.

In determining eligibility of the Broadway productions of Slave Play and Girl from the North Country, which had recent Off-Broadway runs in previous seasons, the nominating committee considered only those elements which constituted new work. The following shows were not eligible because they were considered in other seasons: Sea Wall / A Life, Derren Brown: Secret, Slava’s Snowshow, and Pip’s Island. The nominating committee did not consider God Shows Up by Peter Filichia at the Actors Temple Theatre.



The 2019-2020 Drama Desk Nominating Committee is composed of: Martha Wade Steketee (Dramatics, HowlRound, Urban Excavations), Chair; Linda Buchwald (American Theatre, TDF Stages, Theatre is Easy, Jewish Telegraphic Agency); Peter Filichia (Broadway Select; Broadway Radio; books including Strippers, Showgirls, and Sharks, St. Martin's Press); Sandy MacDonald (New York Theater News, TDF Stages); Jose Solís (American Theatre's Token Theatre Friends, Scenes in Color, TDF Stages); Zachary Stewart (Theatermania.com); Doug Strassler (Garden State Journal, Back on the Block, TDF Stages); Charles Wright (Drama Desk Co-President), ex officio.

The 65th Annual Drama Desk Award Nominations are as follows.

65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK NOMINATIONS:

Outstanding Play
Cambodian Rock Band, by Lauren Yee, Signature Theatre
Greater Clements, by Samuel D. Hunter, Lincoln Center Theater
Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven, by Stephen Adly Guirgis, Atlantic Theater Company/LAByrinth Theater Company
Heroes of the Fourth Turning, by Will Arbery, Playwrights Horizons
The Inheritance, by Matthew Lopez

Outstanding Musical
Octet, Signature Theatre
The Secret Life of Bees, Atlantic Theater Company
Soft Power, The Public Theater
A Strange Loop, Playwrights Horizons/Page 73 Productions
The Wrong Man, MCC Theater

Outstanding Revival of a Play
Fefu and Her Friends, Theatre for a New Audience
for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, The Public Theater
Mac Beth, Red Bull Theater/Hunter Theater Project
Much Ado About Nothing, The Public Theater
A Soldier’s Play, Roundabout Theatre Company

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Little Shop of Horrors
The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Transport Group
West Side Story

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Charles Busch, The Confession of Lily Dare
Edmund Donovan, Greater Clements
Raúl Esparza, Seared
Francis Jue, Cambodian Rock Band
Triney Sandoval, 72 Miles to Go…
Kyle Soller, The Inheritance

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Rose Byrne, Medea
Liza Colón-Zayas, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven
Emily Davis, Is This A Room
April Matthis, Toni Stone
Ruth Negga, Hamlet

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
David Aron Damane, The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Chris Dwan, Enter Laughing
Joshua Henry, The Wrong Man
Francis Jue, Soft Power
Larry Owens, A Strange Loop

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Tammy Blanchard, Little Shop of Horrors
Beth Malone, The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Saycon Sengbloh, The Secret Life of Bees
Elizabeth Stanley, Jagged Little Pill
Adrienne Warren, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Victor Almanzar, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven
Esteban Andres Cruz, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven
David Alan Grier, A Soldier’s Play
Paul Hilton, The Inheritance
Chris Perfetti, Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Patrice Johnson Chevannes, runboyrun & In Old Age
Kristina Poe, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven
Belange Rodríguez, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Elizabeth Rodriguez, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven
Lois Smith, The Inheritance

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
George Abud, Emojiland
Christian Borle, Little Shop of Horrors
Jay Armstrong Johnson, Scotland, PA
Conrad Ricamora, Soft Power
Ryan Vasquez, The Wrong Man

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Yesenia Ayala, West Side Story
Paula Leggett Chase, The Unsinkable Molly Brown
LaChanze, The Secret Life of Bees
Alyse Alan Louis, Soft Power
Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill

Outstanding Director of a Play
Jessica Blank, Coal Country
Stephen Daldry, The Inheritance
John Ortiz, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven
Tina Satter, Is This A Room
Erica Schmidt, Mac Beth

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Stephen Brackett, A Strange Loop
Thomas Kail, The Wrong Man
Kathleen Marshall, The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Leigh Silverman, Soft Power
Annie Tippe, Octet

Outstanding Choreography
Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, West Side Story
Keone Madrid and Mari Madrid, Beyond Babel
Kathleen Marshall, The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge!
Travis Wall, The Wrong Man

Outstanding Music
Ross Golan, The Wrong Man
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
Dave Malloy, Octet
Joshua Rosenblum, Einstein’s Dreams
Duncan Sheik, The Secret Life of Bees
Jeanine Tesori, Soft Power

Outstanding Lyrics
Susan Birkenhead, The Secret Life of Bees
Adam Gwon, Scotland, PA
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
Joanne Sydney Lessner and Joshua Rosenblum, Einstein’s Dreams
Dave Malloy, Octet
Mark Saltzman, Romeo & Bernadette

Outstanding Book of a Musical
David Henry Hwang, Soft Power
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
Dave Malloy, Octet
Lynn Nottage, The Secret Life of Bees
Mark Saltzman, Romeo & Bernadette
Dick Scanlan, The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Outstanding Orchestrations
Tom Kitt, Jagged Little Pill
Alex Lacamoire, The Wrong Man
Or Matias and Dave Malloy, Octet
Danny Troob, John Clancy, and Larry Hochman, Soft Power
Jonathan Tunick, West Side Story

Outstanding Music in a Play
Steve Earle, Coal Country
Frightened Rabbit, Square Go
Jim Harbourne, Feral
Martha Redbone, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Adam Seidel, Jane Bruce, and Daniel Ocanto, Original Sound

Outstanding Scenic Design for a Play
Catherine Cornell, Mac Beth
Clint Ramos, Grand Horizons
Adam Rigg, Fefu and Her Friends
Paul Steinberg, Judgment Day
B.T. Whitehill, The Confession of Lily Dare

Outstanding Scenic Design for a Musical
Julian Crouch, Little Shop of Horrors
Anna Louizos, Scotland, PA
Derek McLane, Moulin Rouge!
Clint Ramos, Soft Power
Amy Rubin and Brittany Vasta, Octet

Outstanding Costume Design for a Play
Asa Benally, Blues for an Alabama Sky
Montana Levi Blanco, Fefu and Her Friends
Toni-Leslie James, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Antony McDonald, Judgment Day
Rachel Townsend and Jessica Jahn, The Confession of Lily Dare
Kaye Voyce, Coriolanus

Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical
Vanessa Leuck, Emojiland
Jeff Mahshie, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
Mark Thompson, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Anita Yavich, Soft Power
Catherine Zuber, Moulin Rouge!

Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play
Isabella Byrd, Heroes of the Fourth Turning
Oona Curley, Dr. Ride’s American Beach House
Heather Gilbert, The Sound Inside
Mimi Jordan Sherin, Judgment Day
Yi Zhao, Greater Clements

Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical
Betsy Adams, The Wrong Man
Jane Cox, The Secret Life of Bees
Herrick Goldman, Einstein’s Dreams
Bruno Poet, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Justin Townsend, Moulin Rouge!

Outstanding Projection Design
David Bengali, Einstein’s Dreams
Julia Frey, Medea
Luke Halls, West Side Story
Lisa Renkel and POSSIBLE, Emojiland
Hannah Wasileski, Fires in the Mirror

Outstanding Sound Design for a Play
Paul Arditti and Christopher Reid, The Inheritance
Justin Ellington, Heroes of the Fourth Turning
Mikhail Fiksel, Dana H.
Palmer Hefferan, Fefu and Her Friends
Lee Kinney and Sanae Yamada, Is This A Room

Outstanding Sound Design for a Musical
Tom Gibbons, West Side Story
Kai Harada, Soft Power
Peter Hylenski, Moulin Rouge!
Hidenori Nakajo, Octet
Nevin Steinberg, The Wrong Man

Outstanding Wig and Hair Design
Campbell Young Associates, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Cookie Jordan, Fefu and Her Friends
Nikiya Mathis, STEW
Tom Watson, The Great Society
Bobbie Zlotnik, Emojiland

Outstanding Solo Performance
David Cale, We’re Only Alive for a Short Amount of Time
Kate del Castillo, the way she spoke
Laura Linney, My Name is Lucy Barton
Jacqueline Novak, Get on Your Knees
Deirdre O’Connell, Dana H.

Unique Theatrical Experience
Beyond Babel, Hideaway Circus
Feral, Tortoise in a Nutshell/Cumbernauld Theatre/59E59
Is This A Room, Vineyard Theatre
Midsummer: A Banquet, Food of Love Productions/Third Rail Projects

Outstanding Fight Choreography
Vicki Manderson, Square Go
Thomas Schall, A Soldier’s Play
UnkleDave’s Fight House, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven

Outstanding Adaptation
A Christmas Carol, by Jack Thorne
Judgment Day, by Christopher Shinn
Mojada, by Luis Alfaro
Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow, by Halley Feiffer

Outstanding Puppet Design
Raphael Mishler, Tumacho
Rockefeller Productions, Paddington Gets in a Jam
Amanda Villalobos, Is This A Room

Special Awards:

Ensemble Award: To the eight pitch-perfect performers in Dave Malloy’s a cappella musical Octet: Adam Bashian, Kim Blanck, Starr Busby, Alex Gibson, Justin Gregory Lopez, J.D. Mollison, Margo Seibert, and Kuhoo Verma proved instrumental in giving a layered look at modern forms of addiction.

Sam Norkin Award: To actress Mary Bacon, who continued her versatile career of compassionate, searing work for such companies as The Mint, Primary Stages, The Public Theater, and The Actors Theater Company, with two of Off-Broadway’s most humane performances this season in Coal Country at the Public Theater and Nothing Gold Can Stay presented by Partial Comfort Productions.
To The Actors Fund, Seth Rudetsky, and James Wesley for connecting members of the theater community and lifting spirits during the coronavirus crisis. The Actors Fund has worked tirelessly to provide financial and health resources to those impacted by the pandemic; Rudetsky and Wesley’s semi-daily “Stars in the House” webcast is raising funds for The Actors Fund, while providing performances, reunions, and medical updates.

To The Public Theater’s Mobile Unit, a reinvention of Joseph Papp’s “Mobile Theater” that began in 1957 and evolved into the New York Shakespeare Festival and The Public Theater. The current Mobile Unit tours free Shakespeare throughout the five boroughs, including prisons, homeless shelters, and community centers, reminding audiences new and old that the play really is the thing.

To WP Theater and Julia Miles, the company’s founder who died this spring. Formerly known as The Women’s Project and Productions, the company began in 1978 at American Place Theatre, where Miles served as associate to visionary artistic director Wynn Handman, who also died this spring. WP is the largest, most enduring American company that nurtures and produces works by female-identified creators. Over a little more than four decades, it has changed the demographics of American drama through an unwavering focus on women writers, directors, producers, performers, and craftspeople.

To Claire Warden for her pioneering work as an intimacy choreographer in such recent projects as Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune and Linda Vista, and her leadership in the rapidly emerging movement of intimacy direction. As part of the creative team of Intimacy Directors & Coordinators and Director of Engagement for and co-founder of Intimacy Directors International, she is helping create theater experiences that are safer for performers and more authentic for contemporary audiences.

Productions with more than one nomination:
Soft Power -- 11
The Wrong Man -- 9
Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven -- 8
Octet -- 8
The Secret Life of Bees -- 7
The Unsinkable Molly Brown -- 7
A Strange Loop -- 6
The Inheritance -- 6
West Side Story -- 6
Fefu and Her Friends -- 5
Is This A Room -- 5
Moulin Rouge! -- 5
Einstein's Dreams -- 4
Emojiland -- 4
for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf -- 4
Judgment Day -- 4
Little Shop of Horrors -- 4
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical -- 4
A Soldier's Play -- 3
Greater Clements -- 3
Heroes of the Fourth Turning -- 3
Jagged Little Pill -- 3
Mac Beth -- 3
Scotland, PA -- 3
The Confession of Lily Dare -- 3
Beyond Babel -- 2
Cambodian Rock Band – 2
Coal Country -- 2
Dana H. -- 2
Feral -- 2
Medea -- 2
Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow -- 2
Romeo & Bernadette -- 2
Square Go -- 2
Additional details about the 65th Annual Drama Desk Awards announcement will be determined as the situation allows and announced at a later date.

Founded in 1955, the Drama Desk Awards honor outstanding achievement by professional theater artists on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway. The Drama Desk Awards are voted on and bestowed by theater critics, journalists, editors, publishers and broadcasters covering theater.

Sponsors for the 65th Annual Drama Desk Awards include The John Gore Organization, Jujamcyn Theatres, The Nederlander Organization, and The Shubert Organization.

The Drama Desk Awards are presented by the Drama Desk organization in partnership with Broadway Brands. Joey Parnes Productions will produce the ceremony, as it has since 2012.

Visit the Drama Desk Awards website for updated information as it becomes available.

* * *

About Drama Desk

The mission of the Drama Desk is to recognize outstanding achievement in New York theater and encourage discussion of issues significant to theater professionals. The organization accomplishes these goals by bestowing annual awards in more than 30 categories of theater arts and crafts, hosting the awards celebration, and presenting educational forums and panel discussions on theater topics.

The Drama Desk was founded in 1949 by New York Times arts reporter Sam Zolotow, Edith Oliver of The New Yorker, and New York Post critic Vernon Rice, among others. Six years later, after Rice’s untimely death, the organization initiated an award in his honor for outstanding achievement Off-Broadway. Subsequently expanded and renamed the Drama Desk Awards, they now recognize accomplishments on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway.

About Broadway Brands

Based in the heart of Times Square, Broadway Brands (broadwaybrands.com) is a theater media conglomerate that seeks to build creative, informative, and inspiring products for a variety of audiences on Broadway and beyond. The company made its debut in 2015 with the launch of Broadway Briefing, and recently launched the Broadway App, with more brands on the way.

Broadway Briefing (broadwaybriefing.com) is a fun, fast (and free) must-read morning newsletter for theater professionals.

Broadway News (broadwaynews.com) is the new home for original theater journalism from editor-in-chief Caitlin Huston, with reviews by Charles Isherwood, and featuring contributions from experienced theater journalists.

Broadway Business (broadwaybusiness.com) is an exclusive new suite of products for Broadway professionals.

Broadway App (broadwayapp.com) is a new mobile app designed to help theatergoers navigate the Broadway Theater District.

Broadway Brands is building a community of entertainment entrepreneurs, with a passion for taking show business seriously. It celebrates the history of the industry and is even more excited for its future.

About Joey Parnes Productions

Led by Joey Parnes, a Broadway producer and general manager with over 40 years’ experience, Joey Parnes Productions produces, executive produces, and general manages theatrical productions from the commercial and non-profit worlds, both on and off Broadway, internationally and on the road. Credits include A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (Tony Award), Hello, Dolly! (2017; Tony Award), To Kill a Mockingbird, Bright Star, Fish in the Dark, The Humans (Tony Award), A Raisin in the Sun (2014; Tony Award), Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Tony Award), HAIR (Tony Award) and Passing Strange, among many others. Currently, Joey is working to bring the musicals Almost Famous and KPOP to Broadway. He is a past president of the Yale Dramatic Association and teaches Producing for the Commercial Theatre at Yale School of Drama. Joey served as the Coordinating Producer of the Tony Awards from 2001 to 2008 and has produced the Drama Desk Awards since 2012.

www.DramaDeskAwards.com
Link http:// www.DramaDeskAwards.com
reply to this message


re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
Last Edit: mikem 02:52 pm EDT 04/21/20
Posted by: mikem 02:45 pm EDT 04/21/20
In reply to: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED - Official_Press_Release 02:30 pm EDT 04/21/20

As anticipated, there is a massive skew towards off-Broadway. Only 3 of the 18 shows nominated for Best Musical/Play/Revival are Broadway shows: The Inheritance, A Soldier's Play, and West Side Story. Of the 21 nominations for acting in plays, there are 3 for The Inheritance, 1 for A Soldier's Play, and 17 for off-Broadway shows. Similar for musicals: 2 for Jagged Little Pill, 1 for Tina, 1 for West Side Story, 16 for off-Broadway shows.

That being said, Danny Burstein for Moulin Rouge is the only surprising Broadway acting omission for me, although I think Ian Barford was great in Linda Vista (but didn't have much buzz). I'm surprised that Betrayal didn't get any nominations at all, though.

Francis Jue gets two noms in Lead: Soft Power and Cambodian Rock Band.

Very happy to see Paul Hilton, Edmund Donovan, and Conrad Ricamora get recognized.
reply to this message


re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
Last Edit: WaymanWong 04:38 pm EDT 04/22/20
Posted by: WaymanWong 04:32 pm EDT 04/22/20
In reply to: re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED - mikem 02:45 pm EDT 04/21/20

Taking a deeper dive into the Drama Desk nominations ...

Congrats to David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori's ''Soft Power.'' Their satirical musical about East-West relations topped the list with 11.

But it's baffling to see Conrad Ricamora put in the Featured Actor category, while Francie Jue is placed in Leading Actor. As Xue Xing, the Chinese producer, Conrad had more stage time and more songs to sing than Francis (who played DHH, a fictionalized version of Hwang). Xue Xing is the show's romantic leading man and does duets with Hillary Clinton (!). Variety raved that Conrad gave ''a star-making performance.'' Interestingly, the Lucille Lortel Awards nominated both Conrad and Francis for Leading Actor. But I still believe Francis, who was also wonderful, belongs in Featured.

Anyway, ''Soft Power'' will be one of the five Off-Broadway shows vying for Best Musical. In the 45-year history of the Drama Desks, this is the first time the nominators have shut out Broadway. A Broadway show has always won this category, except twice: ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (1983) and ''Hamilton'' (2015). Given that critics usually sneer at jukebox musicals, it's probably no surprise that the Drama Desk panel stiffed ''Moulin Rouge!,'' ''Jagged Little Pill'' and ''Tina'' for the big prize. Last year, there was ''Ain't Too Proud,'' the Temptations bio-musical. At the Tonys, it nabbed 11 nominations, including Best Musical. At the Drama Desk, it was not only shut out of Best Musical, it got only one nomination: for its Book.

Before Broadway shut down, there was only one new musical on the Great White Way with an original score, ''The Lightning Thief.''

It was rounded panned by critics. But Off-Broadway, ''The Lightning Thief'' got 3 Drama Desk nominations, including Best Musical. Go figure.
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re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
Posted by: lowwriter 03:57 pm EDT 04/21/20
In reply to: re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED - mikem 02:45 pm EDT 04/21/20

Yes, the omission of Betrayal seems glaring. Also Jane Alexander gave one of my favorite performances in the past season.
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re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
Posted by: manchurch03104 05:44 pm EDT 04/21/20
In reply to: re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED - lowwriter 03:57 pm EDT 04/21/20

happy to see BETRAYAL unrecognized.
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re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
Posted by: Ann 03:44 pm EDT 04/21/20
In reply to: re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED - mikem 02:45 pm EDT 04/21/20

I'm happy to see Chris Dwan recognized for his performance in Enter Laughing.
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Ditto on Chris Dwan!
Posted by: gad90210 04:09 pm EDT 04/21/20
In reply to: re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED - Ann 03:44 pm EDT 04/21/20

He was wonderful, and that production was a hoot from beginning to end.
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re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
Posted by: jjhbb340 04:01 pm EDT 04/21/20
In reply to: re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED - Ann 03:44 pm EDT 04/21/20

And what about Darling Grenadine and Judith Ivey!
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re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
Posted by: Stagebuff718 04:36 pm EDT 04/21/20
In reply to: re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED - jjhbb340 04:01 pm EDT 04/21/20

I agree about Darling Grenadine. I thought Jay Armstrong Johnson was even better in that than in Scotland, PA, and several other elements deserved notice.
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re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
Posted by: Ann 07:26 am EDT 04/22/20
In reply to: re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED - Stagebuff718 04:36 pm EDT 04/21/20

I wonder if the nominators were able to get in for Darling Grenadine (I know they restricted press access for reviews, citing the size of the theatre and the short length of the run), or if, since most voters wouldn't be able to see it, they gave more weight to other shows.

I agree that several elements were notable.
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to answer your question
Posted by: oddone 02:36 am EDT 04/23/20
In reply to: re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED - Ann 07:26 am EDT 04/22/20

Drama Desk nominators are invited to Roundabout Underground shows, so they would have gotten in to see Darling Grenadine.

They AREN'T invited to LCT3 shows (which seems like a parallel venue/budget/etc. to me). So you won't see LCT3 shows getting any DD nominations, unless this changes.

But in years past the Drama Desk has nominated Roundabout Underground shows.

(Voters, however, are not generally invited to Roundabout Underground shows, because of the size of the theatre. A few get in as reviewers, but most probably didn't get to see it.)
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re: to answer your question
Posted by: WaymanWong 02:56 am EDT 04/24/20
In reply to: to answer your question - oddone 02:36 am EDT 04/23/20

The Lortel Awards nominated Aaron Yoo from ''The Headlands,'' a LCT3 show, for Best Actor in a Play, so apparently their nominators were invited.
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Question about JUDGMENT DAY at Park Avenue Armory
Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 06:19 am EDT 04/23/20
Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 06:17 am EDT 04/23/20
In reply to: to answer your question - oddone 02:36 am EDT 04/23/20

Because of the virus, I only made 3 trips to New York this season (from 11/12/2019 through 3/01/2020) and saw only 32 shows. That's probably not enough to have a comprehensive view about what should and what should not have been nominated in the various categories.

However, I was surprised that Judgment Day was not among the nominees for Best Revival -- it was easily one of the best productions of any kind that I saw. Of course, this is just my opinion. Was it not eligible for some reason? Is Drama Desk not invited to shows at the Park Avenue Armory?
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re: Question about JUDGMENT DAY at Park Avenue Armory
Posted by: oddone 04:36 am EDT 04/24/20
In reply to: Question about JUDGMENT DAY at Park Avenue Armory - BroadwayTonyJ 06:17 am EDT 04/23/20

The Park Avenue Armory invites Drama Desk nominators, but not voters.
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re: Question about JUDGMENT DAY at Park Avenue Armory
Posted by: writerkev 07:02 am EDT 04/23/20
In reply to: Question about JUDGMENT DAY at Park Avenue Armory - BroadwayTonyJ 06:17 am EDT 04/23/20

It was nominated among the Best Adaptation category.
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re: Question about JUDGMENT DAY at Park Avenue Armory
Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 08:13 am EDT 04/23/20
In reply to: re: Question about JUDGMENT DAY at Park Avenue Armory - writerkev 07:02 am EDT 04/23/20

Thanks for that information. I must have scrolled past the Adaptation category. I'm glad that Judgment Day got some recognition. I thought it was incredibly powerful.
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Scotland, Pa...
Posted by: Chazwaza 12:36 am EDT 04/22/20
In reply to: re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED - Stagebuff718 04:36 pm EDT 04/21/20

I'm sorry to be such a b*tch, but was anyone "good" in that show? Even the actors I've loved before, including Jay Armstrong Johnson and Alysha Umphress, didn't get to shine under bad writing and bad direction. I supposed JAJ did what he could and gave a strong performance considering, but I was honestly shocked at how even that cast couldn't bring this show to a higher level.
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re: Scotland, Pa...
Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 06:24 am EDT 04/23/20
In reply to: Scotland, Pa... - Chazwaza 12:36 am EDT 04/22/20

Yeah, I mostly agree with you. Pretty much a silly musical, more gross than funny. However, I did like the performance of Will Meyers as Malcolm. I think "Why I Like Football" is an excellent song and the one bright spot in the show for me.
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re: Scotland, Pa...
Last Edit: Chazwaza 02:55 pm EDT 04/23/20
Posted by: Chazwaza 02:54 pm EDT 04/23/20
In reply to: re: Scotland, Pa... - BroadwayTonyJ 06:24 am EDT 04/23/20

Agreed!

Sad that the bright spot of the score is a song that could easily be cut and you'd lose nothing from telling the actual story or exploring the main themes of the show, if I remember correctly. (EX: You could easily cut The Miller's Son, but it's crucial to exploring that show's themes)
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Yesenia Ayala in WEST SIDE STORY
Posted by: TheHarveyBoy 06:35 pm EDT 04/21/20
In reply to: re: 65th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED - Stagebuff718 04:36 pm EDT 04/21/20

They're nominating the part (Anita) not the actress. Compared to the other Broadway Anitas I've seen, plus Rita in the movie, I thought she was least impressive.
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A girl like that ... usually gets nominated
Last Edit: WaymanWong 02:30 am EDT 04/22/20
Posted by: WaymanWong 02:09 am EDT 04/22/20
In reply to: Yesenia Ayala in WEST SIDE STORY - TheHarveyBoy 06:35 pm EDT 04/21/20

''They're nominating the part (Anita) not the actress.''

There seem to be certain showy roles that are awards magnets, and Anita's one of them.

Rita Moreno won the Oscar; Karen Olivo won the Tony, and Debbie Allen got nominated. (Oddly, Chita Rivera, who originated it, wasn't nominated.)

In this latest ''West Side Story'' cast, Isaac Powell seemed to get the most attention, but the Drama Desk nominators skipped over him. But then again, no actor who's played Tony in the movie or on Broadway has ever been Oscar- or Tony-nominated. It's often a thankless part.

It just comes down to the tastes of the nominators. The 8 Drama Desk nominators nominated Tammy Blanchard from ''Little Shop of Horrors,'' but not her co-star, Jonathan Groff. But the Lucille Lortel Awards nominators nominated Jonathan, but not Tammy.

Sometimes, performers don't get nominated by the Drama Desk, like Patina Miller (in ''Pippin'') or Kelli O'Hara (in ''The King and I''), but still win a Tony.
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