An intriguing mix of new and established artisans fills out the design categories for this year’s Drama Desk nominations, which were announced today at a press conference at the Friar's Club in Manhattan. Thoroughly Modern Millie led the pack with 12 nominations, followed by Sweet Smell of Success with 11 and Oklahoma! with nine.
Thoroughly busy David Gallo received two nods, for outstanding set design in a play (Wonder of the World) and musical (Thoroughly Modern Millie). In the play category, he will compete with such veterans as John Lee Beatty (Morning’s At Seven) and Derek McLane (The Women) as well as with newcomers Michael Brown (World of Mirth) and the UK’s Tim Hatley (Private Lives). In the musical category, Gallo vies with vets Bob Crowley (Sweet Smell of Success), and Doug Schmidt (Into The Woods), as well as tyro Beowulf Boritt (The Last Five Years).
Crowley was also nominated in the costume design category for Sweet Smell of Success; he’s up against Susan Hilferty for Into the Woods and “newcomer” Isaac Mizrahi for The Women. In the lighting design category, newcomer TJ Gerckens (Metamorphoses) will face off against the legendary David Hersey (Oklahoma!) and the always-busy Natasha Katz (Sweet Smell of Success).
The Drama Desk, bless them, also has an outstanding sound design category: Dan Moses Schreier will be as nervous as his wife Natasha Katz at the ceremony; he was nominated for his rare foray into musicals with Into The Woods. He'll compete with former EDDY Award winner David van Tieghem for The Glory of Living and newcomers John Collins, Geoff Abbas, and Jim Dawson for To You, The Birdie!
In addition, veteran hair and makeup designer Paul Huntley will receive a special lifetime achievement award.
The Drama Desk Awards ceremony will be held on May 19 at 9pm at the F.H. LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center. Rue McClanahan will host.
The complete list of nominees follows:
PLAY:
Franny's Way by Richard Nelson
The Goat by Edward Albee
Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman
The Shape of Things by Neil LaBute
Thief River by Lee Blessing
Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks
MUSICAL:
The Last Five Years
Sweet Smell of Success
Thoroughly Modern Millie
tick, tick...BOOM!
REVIVAL (PLAY):
The Crucible
Cymbeline
Morning's at Seven
Noises Off
Private Lives
The Seagull
REVIVAL (MUSICAL):
Into the Woods
Oklahoma!
ACTOR (PLAY):
Alan Bates, Fortune's Fool
Liam Neeson, The Crucible
Bill Pullman, The Goat
Alan Rickman, Private Lives
Dallas Roberts, Nocturne
Jeffrey Wright, Topdog/Underdog
ACTRESS (PLAY):
Robin Barlett, Everett Beekin
Lindsay Duncan, Private Lives
Anna Paquin, The Glory of Living
Sarah Jessica Parker, Wonder of the World
Mercedes Ruehl, The Goat
Meryl Streep, The Seagull
ACTOR (MUSICAL):
Nobert Leo Butz, The Last Five Years
Raul Esparza, tick, tick... BOOM!
Brian D'Arcy James, Sweet Smell of Success
John Lithgow, Sweet Smell of Success
Patrick Wilson, Oklahoma!
ACTRESS (MUSICAL):
Laura Benanti, Into the Woods
Sutton Foster, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Garrett Long, Spitfire Grill
Louise Pitre, Mamma Mia!
Sherie Rene Scott, The Last Five Years
Vanessa Williams, Into the Woods
FEATURED ACTOR (PLAY):
Frank Langella, Fortune's Fool
Will LeBow, Nocturne
Brian Murray, The Crucible
Keith Nobbs, Four
Sam Robards, The Man Who Had All the Luck
David Warner, Major Barbara
FEATURED ACTRESS (PLAY):
Jennifer Coolidge, The Women
Kathleen Doyle, Kilt
Linda Emond, Homebody/Kabul
Katie Finneran, Noises Off
Elizabeth Franz, Morning's at Seven
Kathleen Widdoes, Franny's Way
FEATURED ACTOR (MUSICAL):
Justin Bohon, Oklahoma!
Norbert Leo Butz, Thou Shalt Not
Jerry Dixon, tick, tick...BOOM!
Gregg Edelman, Into the Woods
Shuler Hensley, Oklahoma!
Marc Kudisch, Thoroughly Modern Millie
FEATURED ACTRESS (MUSICAL):
Liz Callaway, The Spitfire Grill
Harriet Harris, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Judy Kaye, Mamma Mia!
Andrea Martin, Oklahoma!
Karen Mason, Mamma Mia!
Kerry O'Malley, Into the Woods
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY:
Howard Davies, Private Lives
Richard Eyre, The Crucible
Carl Forsman, The Voice of the Turtle
Neil LaBute, The Shape of Things
Bartlett Sher, Cymbeline (Theater for a New Audience)
Mary Zimmerman, Metamorphoses
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL:
Nicholas Hytner, Sweet Smell of Success
James Lapine, Into the Woods
Michael Mayer, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Trevor Nunn, Oklahoma!
Scott Schwartz, tick, tick...BOOM!
George C. Wolfe, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY:
Rob Ashford, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Susan Stroman, Oklahoma!
Christopher Wheeldon, Sweet Smell of Success
OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL:
John Guare, Sweet Smell of Success
John Lahr, Elaine Stritch, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
Jonathan Larson, David Auburn tick, tick…BOOM!
Richard Morris, Dick Scanlan Thoroughly Modern Millie
OUTSTANDING MUSIC:
Jason Robert Brown, The Last 5 Years
Marvin Hamlisch, Sweet Smell of Success
Jonathan Larson, tick, tick…BOOM!
Jeanine Tesori, Thoroughly Modern Millie
OUTSTANDING LYRICS:
Jason Robert Brown, The Last 5 Years
Craig Carnelia, Sweet Smell of Success
Jonathan Larson, tick, tick…BOOM!
Kevin Murphy, Reefer Madness
Dick Scanlan, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Ben Schatz, Dragapella Starring The Kinsey Sicks
OUTSTANDING ORCHESTRATIONS:
Doug Besterman, Ralph Burns, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Jason Robert Brown, The Last 5 Years
Jonathan Tunick, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
OUTSTANDING MUSIC IN A PLAY:
Crispin Cioe, True Love
Nona Hendryx, Blue
Peter John Still, Cymbeline (Theatre for a New Audience)
Willy Schwarz, Metamorphoses
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN OF A PLAY:
John Lee Beatty, Morning's at Seven
Michael Brown, World of Mirth
David Gallo, Wonder of the World
Tim Hatley, Private Lives
Derek McLane, The Women
Douglas Stein, Ruppert Bohle, 36 Views
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN OF A MUSICAL:
Beowulf Boritt, The Last 5 Years
Bob Crowley, Sweet Smell of Success
David Gallo, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Douglas W. Schmidt, Into the Woods
Anthony Ward, Oklahoma!
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN:
Jenny Beaven, Private Lives
Bob Crowley, Sweet Smell of Success
Susan Hilferty, Into the Woods
Dick Magnanti, Reefer Madness
Isaac Mizrahi, The Women
Martin Pakledinaz, Thoroughly Modern Millie
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN:
Frances Aronson, Psych
TJ Gerckens, Metamorphoses
David Hersey, Oklahoma!
Natasha Katz, Sweet Smell of Success
Peter Mumford, Private Lives
Kenneth Posner, Monster
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN:
John Collins, Geoff Abbas, Jim Dawson, To You, The Birdie!
Mark Huang, Cressida Among the Greeks
Scott Lehrer, Franny's Way
Dan Moses Schreier, Into the Woods
Matthew Spiro, 36 Views
David Van Tieghem, The Glory of Living
OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE:
Simon Callow, The Mystery of Charles Dickens
Dave Gorman, Are You Dave Gorman?
Charles Nelson Reilly, Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly
Reno, Rebel Without a Pause
T. Ryder Smith, Underneath the Lintel
Elaine Stritch, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
SPECIAL AWARDS:
Paul Huntley, hair and wig designer, for Lifetime Achievement
Billy Rosenfield, record producer, for his contributions to the preservation of musical theatre recordings
The Mint Theatre Company for presenting and preserving little-known classics
The Worth Street Theater Company for its Stage Door Canteen shows for workers at Ground Zero