The 2019 Drama Desk Award Nominations, Predictions, and Winners

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Oklahoma!, Bard Summerscape/St. Ann’s Warehouse and Broadway

The 2019 Drama Desk Award Nominations, Predictions, And Winners

In the exciting last week of the 2019 theatrical season, as shows lined up to open before the Tony deadline, the nominations for the 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced to great fanfare. Oklahoma! Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Futureand Lewiston/Clarkston scored big, but To Kill a Mockingbird basically died on the steps of the Drama Desk, surprising many, but I’m thrilled for Celia. Very deserved.
Last night, June 2nd, the Winners of the 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced, and see below how well I did with predictions. All and all, I’m very pleased. Especially for The Prom!
In keeping with the Drama Desk’s mission, nominators considered shows that opened on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway during the 2018-2019 New York theater season.  The 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards, hosted by the adorable Michael Urie, took place on Sunday, June 2, 2019, at 8:00 PM at The Town Hall in Manhattan
TootsieSantino FontanaPhoto by Matthew Murphy.
The full list of nominees is available below.
👉 is my prediction
🤞 is my hope
🏆 is the winner

2019 DRAMA DESK WINNERS & NOMINATIONS:

Edmund Donovan and Heidi Armbruster in CLARKSTON, part of LEWISTON _ CLARKSTON at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater - Photo by Jeremy Daniel
Lewiston/Clarkston, by Samuel D. Hunter, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
Outstanding Play
Fairview, by Jackie Sibblies Drury, Soho Rep
🏆👉The Ferryman, by Jez Butterworth
🤞Lewiston/Clarkston, by Samuel D. Hunter, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
Usual Girls, by Ming Peiffer, Roundabout Theatre Company
What the Constitution Means to Me, by Heidi Schreck, New York Theatre Workshop andBroadway

The Prom

Outstanding Musical
The Hello Girls, Prospect Theater Company
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Our Lady of 121st Street, Signature Theatre
Outstanding Revival of a Play
Henry VI: Shakespeare’s Trilogy in Two Parts, National Asian American Theatre Company
Our Lady of 121st Street, Signature Theatre
🤞Summer and Smoke, Classic Stage Company/Transport Group
Uncle Vanya, Hunter Theater Project
The company of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish(c) Matthew Murphy
Steven Skybell (center) and the cast. Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish. Photo by Matthew Murphy.
Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Carmen Jones, Classic Stage Company
🏆🤞Fiddler on the Roof, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene and Off-Broadway
Kiss Me, Kate, Roundabout Theatre Company
Merrily We Roll Along, Fiasco Theater/Roundabout Theatre Company
👉Oklahoma!, Bard Summerscape/St. Ann’s Warehouse and Broadway
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Mallory Portnoy & Damon Daunno Oklahoma! (c) Little Fang Photo.
 
Outstanding Actor in a Play
Jeff Biehl, Life Sucks
🤞Edmund Donovan, Lewiston/Clarkston
Russell Harvard, I Was Most Alive With You
🏆Jay O. Sanders, Uncle Vanya
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Lucas Hedges, Elaine May. The Waverly Gallery Photo by Brigitte Lacombe.
Outstanding Actress in a Play
Midori Francis, Usual Girls
🤞Zainab Jah, Boesman and Lena
🏆👉Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery
Laurie Metcalf, Hillary and Clinton
Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, The Prom
🤞Damon Daunno, Oklahoma!
🏆👉Santino Fontana, Tootsie
Steven Skybell, Fiddler on the Roof

[3964]_HALSTON, MOYE, FONTANA, COOPER, BEHLMANN in TOOTSIE, Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2019

 
Outstanding Actress in a Musical
🏆🤞👉Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show
Beth Leavel, The Prom
Rebecca Naomi Jones, Oklahoma!
Anika Noni Rose, Carmen Jones
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Charles Browning, Fairview
🤞Arnie Burton, Lewiston/Clarkston
Hampton Fluker, All My Sons
🏆Tom Glynn-Carney, The Ferryman
👉Brandon Uranowitz, Burn This
WEB-Celia-Keenan-Bolger-c-Julieta-Cervantes
Celia Keenan-Bolger. To Kill A Mockingbird Photo by Julieta Cervantes.
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Megan Hill, Eddie and Dave
🏆🤞👉Celia Keenan-Bolger, To Kill A Mockingbird
Ruth Wilson, King Lear
Alison Wright, Othello
Ruth-Wilson-Glenda-Jackson-John-Douglas-Thomp…tte-Lacombe-
Ruth Wilson, Glenda Jackson, John Douglas Thompson. King Lear Photo by Brigitte Lacombe.
 
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Corbin Bleu, Kiss Me, Kate
🏆🤞👉André De Shields, Hadestown
Sydney James Harcourt, Girl from the North Country
George Salazar, Be More Chill
Patrick Vaill, Oklahoma!
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Ali Stroker & James Davis Oklahoma! (c) Little Fang Photo.
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Stephanie Hsu, Be More Chill
🤞Leslie Kritzer, Beetlejuice
Soara-Joye Ross, Carmen Jones
Sarah Stiles, Tootsie
🏆🤞👉Ali Stroker, Oklahoma!
Mary Testa, Oklahoma!
Outstanding Director of a Play
Sarah Benson, Fairview
Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, The Jungle
🏆🤞👉Sam Mendes, The Ferryman
Tyne Rafaeli, Usual Girls
Taylor Reynolds, Plano
Jeff Wise, Life Sucks
The FerrymanBy Jez Butterworth Directed By Sam Mendes
Justin Edwards [holding Pierce The Bunny], Carla Langley (hidden), Willow McCarthy, Brooklyn Shuck, Matilda Lawler, and Rob Malone. The Ferryman Credit: © 2018 Joan Marcus.
Outstanding Director of a Musical
🏆🤞👉Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown
Scott Ellis, Tootsie
Daniel Fish, Oklahoma!
 
Outstanding Choreography
presented by LaDuca Dance Shoes
Camille A. Brown, Choir Boy
🏆👉Warren Carlyle, Kiss Me, Kate
Denis Jones, Tootsie
Lorin Latarro, Twelfth Night
Rick and Jeff Kuperman, Alice by Heart
🤞David Neumann, Hadestown
PUBLIC WORKS Musical Adaptation of William Shakespeare'sTWELFTH NIGHT Conceived by Kwame Kwei-Armah and Shaina Taub Music and Lyrics by Shaina Taub Choreography by Lorin Latarro Directed by Oskar Eustis and Kwame Kwei-Armah Featuring Kim Blanck (Femal
PUBLIC WORKS Musical Adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night Andrew Kober (center) with the BLUE community ensemble rotating cast. Photo by Joan Marcus.
 
Outstanding Music
presented by Music Theatre International
Joe Iconis, Be More Chill
Peter Mills, The Hello Girls
Mark Sonnenblick, Midnight at the Never Get
Shaina Taub, Twelfth Night
🏆👉David Yazbek, Tootsie
The Prom
 
Outstanding Lyrics
presented by Music Theatre International
Chad Beguelin, The Prom
Joe Iconis, Be More Chill
Peter Mills, The Hello Girls
🏆👉David Yazbek, Tootsie

[0806]_SARAH STILES in TOOTSIE, Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2019

Outstanding Book of a Musical
presented by Music Theatre International
Scott Brown and Anthony King, Beetlejuice
🏆🤞👉Robert Horn, Tootsie
Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, The Prom
Dominique Morisseau, Ain’t Too Proud
 
Outstanding Orchestrations
Larry Blank, Fiddler on the Roof
🏆🤞👉Daniel Kluger, Oklahoma!
Charlie Rosen, Be More Chill
Daryl Waters, The Cher Show
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Peter Kim (center) and the company of Wild Goose Dreams, written by Hansol Jung and directed by Leigh Silverman, running at The Public Theater. Photo credit: Joan Marcus.
Outstanding Music in a Play
Paul Castles and Jongbin Jung, Wild Goose Dreams
Justin Ellington, Mrs. Murray’s Menagerie
👉Nick Powell, The Lehman Trilogy
🏆Jason Michael Webb and Fitz Patton, Choir Boy
 
Outstanding Set Design of a Play
👉Miriam Buether, The Jungle
Es Devlin, Girls & Boys
Maruti Evans, The Peculiar Patriot
Mimi Lien, Fairview
🏆🤞Matt Saunders, “Daddy”

[0637]_BRIGHTMAN, MCCLURE, BUTLER, CARUSO, KRITZER, DANNHEISSER in BEETLEJUICE, Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2018

 
Outstanding Set Design for a Musical
presented by Hudson Scenic
Rachel Hauck, Hadestown
Laura Jellinek, Oklahoma!
🏆🤞👉David Korins, Beetlejuice
Outstanding Costume Design for a Play
Dede M. Ayite, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
Ásta Bennie Hostetter, Mrs. Murray’s Menagerie
🏆👉🤞Toni-Leslie James, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Nicole Slaven, Henry VI: Shakespeare’s Trilogy in Two Parts

0462_Dylan Baker, Jason Butler Harner, Janet McTeer, Matthew Saldivar in BernhardtHamlet, Photo by Joan Marcus, 2018

Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical
William Ivey Long, Beetlejuice
William Ivey Long, Tootsie
Bobby Frederick Tilly II, Be More Chill
Michael Krass, Hadestown
🏆🤞👉Bob Mackie, The Cher Show
Paloma Young, Alice by Heart
Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play
🏆🤞Amith Chandrashaker, Boesman and Lena
Amith Chandrashaker, Fairview
Jiyoun Chang, Slave Play
👉Jon Clark, The Jungle
Simon Cleveland, Spaceman
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Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada Hadestown Photo credit: Matthew Murphy.
Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical
presented by Production Resource Group
Adam Honoré, Carmen Jones
🏆🤞👉Bradley King, Hadestown
Jamie Roderick, Midnight at the Never Get
Scott Zielinski, Oklahoma!
Outstanding Projection Design
🏆👉Peter England, King Kong
Katherine Freer, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
Luke Halls, The Lehman Trilogy
Alex Basco Koch, Be More Chill
🤞Peter Nigrini, Beetlejuice
Joshua Thorson, Oklahoma!
I Was Most Alive with YouWritten by Craig Lucas Directed by Tyne Rafaeli Director of Artistic Sign Language, Sabrina Dennison
I Was Most Alive With You (L to R) Marianna Bassham (Astrid), Michael Gaston (Ash), Russell Harvard (Knox), Tad Cooley (Farhad). Photo by Joan Marcus.
Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
Tyler Kieffer, Plano
Fitz Patton, Choir Boy
🏆👉Nick Powell, The Ferryman
Mikaal Sulaiman, Fairview
Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
🤞Drew Levy, Oklahoma!
Brian Ronan, Tootsie
🏆👉Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, Hadestown
Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes
Julie White. Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus Photo by Julieta Cervantes.
Outstanding Wig and Hair Design
Campbell Young Associates, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Cookie Jordan, Eddie and Dave
Paul Huntley, Tootsie
Charles G. LaPointe, Beetlejuice
🏆🤞👉Charles G. LaPointe, The Cher Show
B&G
Carey Mulligan in Girls & Boys.
Outstanding Solo Performance
🏆Mike Birbiglia, The New One
👉Carey Mulligan, Girls & Boys
Liza Jessie Peterson, The Peculiar Patriot, National Black Theatre/Hi-Arts
Erin Treadway, Spaceman, Loading Dock Theatre
🤞Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag
Unique Theatrical Experience
All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914
In determining eligibility of the Broadway productions of HadestownTorch Song and Choir Boywhich had recent Off-Broadway runs in previous seasons, the nominating committee considered only those elements that constituted new work. For the productions of Be More Chill, What the Constitution Means to Me, Oklahoma!, and The New Onewhich had both Off-Broadway and Broadway runs during the season, both productions were considered together by the nominators.
The 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards, hosted by Michael Urie, will take place on Sunday, June 2, 2019, at 8:00 PM at The Town Hall in Manhattan. Matt Britten, Broadway Brands CEO, will serve as executive producer and Joey Parnes Productions will produce the ceremony, as it has since 2012. The show will be written by Bill Rosenfield (46 Beacon, True Fans, Sunshine and Shadow), returning for his seventh year; directed by Mark Waldrop (Not That Jewish, Howard Crabtree’s When Pigs Fly, Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends), marking his fourth year; and music-directed by Dan Lipton (The Band’s Visit, The Last Ship), making his fifth appearance.
The 2018-2019 Drama Desk Nominating Committee is composed of: Martha Wade Steketee(The Clyde Fitch Report, Dramatics, HowlRound), Chair; Linda Buchwald (American Theatre, TDF Stages, Theatre is Easy, Jewish Telegraphic Agency); Peter Filichia (Broadway Select; Broadway Radio; books including Strippers, Showgirlsand Sharks, St. Martin’s Press); Helen Shaw (4Columns, Time Out New York, American Theatre); 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.
Follow the Drama Desk Awards: @DramaDeskAwards on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for updates,

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