Drama Desk Award Nominations 2019
The theatre awards season kicks into high gear with the announcement of the 64th annual Drama Desk nominations. Unlike the Tony Awards, which only recognize Broadway productions, the Drama Desk considers all New York City theatre: Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off. There are also additional categories, including Outstanding Solo Show, Puppet Design and Unique Theatrical Experience. Below are the nominees for the 2018-2019 season, plus links to the articles we’ve written about them at TDF Stages. Winners will be announced at a ceremony at Town Hall on Sunday, June 2 hosted by Michael Urie.
Note that because Hadestown, Choir Boy and Torch Song all had recent Off-Broadway runs in previous seasons, the nominating committee only considered those shows in categories where the work presented was new. Translation: That’s why these productions did not receive nominations for Outstanding Musical, Play or Revival respectively. Also of note: The nominees include Ali Stroker, the first performer in a wheelchair to receive this honor. That’s groundbreaking!
Outstanding Play
Fairview at Soho Rep – Read our interview with star MaYaa Boateng
The Ferryman on Broadway
Lewiston/Clarkston at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
Usual Girls at Roundabout Theatre Company
What the Constitution Means to Me at New York Theatre Workshop and on Broadway – Read our interview with director Oliver Butler
Outstanding Musical
Be More Chillon and Off-Broadway
The Hello Girlspresented by Prospect Theater Company
The Promon Broadway
Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Futureat Ars Nova – Read our interview with creator and star Andrew R. Butler
Tootsieon Broadway
Outstanding Revival of a Play
Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undineat Signature Theatre – Read our interview with star Cherise Boothe
Henry VI: Shakespeare’s Trilogy in Two Partspresented by the National Asian American Theatre Company – Read our interview with NAATCO artistic director Mia Katigbak
Our Lady of 121st Streetat Signature Theatre
Summer and Smokepresented by Classic Stage Company and Transport Group – Read our interview with director Jack Cummings III
The Waverly Galleryon Broadway – Read our interview with cast member David Cromer
Uncle Vanyaat Hunter Theater Project
Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Carmen Jonesat Classic Stage Company – Read our interview with director John Doyle
Fiddler on the Roofpresented by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
Kiss Me, Katepresented by Roundabout Theatre Company on Broadway
Merrily We Roll Alongpresented by Fiasco Theater and Roundabout Theatre Company
Oklahoma!presented by Bard Summerscape/St. Ann’s Warehouse and on Broadway
Outstanding Actor in a Play
Jeff Biehl in Life Sucks
Edmund Donovan in Lewiston/Clarkston
Raúl Esparza in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui – Read our interview with Esparza
Russell Harvard in I Was Most Alive With You
Jay O. Sanders in Uncle Vanya – Read our interview with Sanders
Outstanding Actress in a Play
Midori Francis in Usual Girls
Zainab Jah in Boesman and Lena – Read our interview with Jah
Elaine May in The Waverly Gallery
Laurie Metcalf in Hillary and Clinton
Heidi Schreck in What the Constitution Means to Me
Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas in The Prom
Andrew R. Butler in Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future – Read our interview with Butler
Damon Daunno in Oklahoma!
Santino Fontana in Tootsie
Steven Skybell in Fiddler on the Roof – Read our interview with Skybell
Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Stephanie J. Block in The Cher Show
Beth Leavel in The Prom – Read our interview with Leavel
Rebecca Naomi Jones in Oklahoma!
Anika Noni Rose in Carmen Jones
Stacey Sargeant in Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Charles Browning in Fairview
Arnie Burton in Lewiston/Clarkston
Hampton Fluker in All My Sons – Read our interview with Fluker
Tom Glynn-Carney in The Ferryman
Brandon Uranowitz in Burn This
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Harriett D. Foy in The House That Will Not Stand
Megan Hill in Eddie and Dave
Celia Keenan-Bolger in To Kill A Mockingbird
Ruth Wilson in King Lear
Alison Wright in Othello
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Corbin Bleu in Kiss Me, Kate
André De Shields in Hadestown
Sydney James Harcourt in Girl From the North Country
George Salazar in Be More Chill
Patrick Vaill in Oklahoma!
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Stephanie Hsu in Be More Chill – Read our interview with Hsu
Leslie Kritzer in Beetlejuice
Soara-Joye Ross in Carmen Jones
Sarah Stiles in Tootsie
Ali Stroker in Oklahoma! – Read our interview with Stroker
Mary Testa in Oklahoma!
Outstanding Director of a Play
Sarah Benson for Fairview
Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin for The Jungle
Sam Mendes for The Ferryman
Tyne Rafaeli for Usual Girls
Taylor Reynolds for Plano
Jeff Wise for Life Sucks
Outstanding Director of a Musical
Noah Brody for Merrily We Roll Along
Rachel Chavkin for Hadestown
Scott Ellis for Tootsie
Daniel Fish for Oklahoma!
Joel Grey for Fiddler on the Roof
Outstanding Choreography
Camille A. Brown for Choir Boy
Warren Carlyle for Kiss Me, Kate
Denis Jones for Tootsie
Lorin Latarro for Twelfth Night
Rick and Jeff Kuperman for Alice by Heart
David Neumann for Hadestown
Outstanding Music
Andrew R. Butler for Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Joe Iconis for Be More Chill
Peter Mills for The Hello Girls
Mark Sonnenblick for Midnight at the Never Get
Shaina Taub for Twelfth Night – Read our feature on Twelfth Night
David Yazbek for Tootsie
Outstanding Lyrics
Chad Beguelin for The Prom
Andrew R. Butler for Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Joe Iconis for Be More Chill
Peter Mills for The Hello Girls
David Yazbek for Tootsie
Outstanding Book of a Musical
Scott Brown and Anthony King for Beetlejuice
Andrew R. Butler for Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Robert Horn for Tootsie
Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin for The Prom
Dominique Morisseau for Ain’t Too Proud – Read our interview with Morisseau
Outstanding Orchestrations
Larry Blank for Fiddler on the Roof
Simon Hale for Girl From the North Country
Daniel Kluger for Oklahoma!
Charlie Rosen for Be More Chill
Daryl Waters for The Cher Show
Outstanding Music in a Play
Paul Castles and Jongbin Jung for Wild Goose Dreams
Justin Ellington for Mrs. Murray’s Menagerie
Justin Ellington for The House That Will Not Stand
Nick Powell for The Lehman Trilogy
Jason Michael Webb and Fitz Patton for Choir Boy
Outstanding Set Design of a Play
Miriam Buether for The Jungle
Es Devlin for Girls & Boys
Maruti Evans for The Peculiar Patriot
Mimi Lien for Fairview
Matt Saunders for “Daddy”
Outstanding Set Design for a Musical
Rachel Hauck for Hadestown
Laura Jellinek for Oklahoma!
Laura Jellinek for Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
David Korins for Beetlejuice
Rae Smith for Girl From the North Country
Outstanding Costume Design for a Play
Dede M. Ayite for By the Way, Meet Vera Stark – Read our interview with Ayite
Dede M. Ayite for If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka
Ásta Bennie Hostetter for Mrs. Murray’s Menagerie
Toni-Leslie James for Bernhardt/Hamlet
Nicole Slaven for Henry VI: Shakespeare’s Trilogy in Two Parts
Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical
William Ivey Long for Beetlejuice
William Ivey Long for Tootsie
Bobby Frederick Tilly II for Be More Chill
Michael Krass for Hadestown
Bob Mackie for The Cher Show
Paloma Young for Alice by Heart
Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play
Amith Chandrashaker for Boesman and Lena
Amith Chandrashaker for Fairview
Jiyoun Chang for Slave Play
Jon Clark for The Jungle
Simon Cleveland for Spaceman
Yi Zhao for The House That Will Not Stand
Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical
Adam Honoré for Carmen Jones
Bradley King for Hadestown
Jamie Roderick for Midnight at the Never Get
Barbara Samuels for Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Scott Zielinski for Oklahoma!
Outstanding Projection Design
Peter England for King Kong
Katherine Freer for By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
Luke Halls for The Lehman Trilogy
Alex Basco Koch for Be More Chill
Peter Nigrini for Beetlejuice
Joshua Thorson for Oklahoma!
Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
Tyler Kieffer for Plano
Fitz Patton for Choir Boy
Nick Powell for The Ferryman
Jane Shaw for I Was Most Alive With You
Mikaal Sulaiman for Fairview
Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
Simon Baker for Girl From the North Country
Drew Levy for Oklahoma!
Brian Ronan for Tootsie
Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz for Hadestown
Mikaal Sulaiman for Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Outstanding Wig and Hair
Campbell Young Associates for Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Cookie Jordan for Eddie and Dave – Read our interview with Jordan
Paul Huntley for Tootsie
Charles G. LaPointe for Beetlejuice
Charles G. LaPointe for The Cher Show
Outstanding Solo Performance
Mike Birbiglia for The New One on Broadway
Carey Mulligan for Girls & Boys at Audible
Liza Jessie Peterson for The Peculiar Patriot at the National Black Theatre
Erin Treadway for Spaceman presented by Loading Dock Theatre – Read our feature on Spaceman
Phoebe Waller-Bridge for Fleabag
Unique Theatrical Experience
All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914by Theater Latté Da/Laura Little Theatrical Productions – Read our feature on All is Calm
Love’s Labor’s Lostby Shake & Bake
The B-Side: Negro Folklore from Texas State Prisonsby The Wooster Group
What to Send Up When it Goes Downby The Movement Theatre Company
Outstanding Fight Choreography
U. Jonathan Toppo for The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
Claire Warden for “Daddy”
Claire Warden for Slave Play
Outstanding Puppet Design
Michael Curry for Beetlejuice
Sonny Tilders for King Kong
Tschabalala Self for “Daddy”
Ensemble Award: Dance Nation
Sam Norkin Award: Costume designer Montana Levi Blanco, performer and NAATCO artistic director Mia Katigbak and Repertorio Español
Totals for Shows with More Than One Nomination:
Oklahoma! – 12
Tootsie– 11
Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future – 9
Be More Chill – 8
Beetlejuice – 7
Hadestown – 7
Fairview – 6
The Prom – 5
Carmen Jones – 4
Fiddler on the Roof – 4
Girl From the North Country – 4
The Cher Show – 4
The Ferryman – 4
Choir Boy – 3
“Daddy” – 3
Kiss Me, Kate – 3
Lewiston/Clarkston – 3
The Hello Girls – 3
The House That Will Not Stand – 3
The Jungle – 3
Usual Girls – 3
Alice by Heart – 2
Boesman and Lena – 2
By the Way, Meet Vera Stark – 2
Eddie and Dave – 2
Girls & Boys – 2
Henry VI: Shakespeare’s Trilogy in Two Parts – 2
I Was Most Alive with You – 2
King Kong – 2
Life Sucks – 2
Merrily We Roll Along – 2
Midnight at the Never Get – 2
Mrs. Murray’s Menagerie – 2
Plano – 2
Slave Play – 2
Spaceman – 2
The Lehman Trilogy – 2
The Peculiar Patriot – 2
The Waverly Gallery – 2
Twelfth Night – 2
Uncle Vanya – 2
What the Constitution Means to Me – 2
Top image: Ali Stroker and James Davis in Oklahoma! Photo (c) Little Fang Photo.