55th DRAMA DESK AWARDS Winners (and Surprises)

The 55th Drama Desk Awards handed a bevy of awards to the best in New York theatre last night.  An unusal award, the Drama Desk Awards combine Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway together to arrive at the nominations for the best in the theatre as a whole.

Hosted by legendary singer and Tony-winner, Patti LuPone, the awards were shown live online via TheatreMania.com.  A running joke throughout the night began with an innocent comment of Mitzi Gaynor complementing Martha Plimpton's shoes, which snowballed to Matthew Modine supposedly complimenting women on their Spanx.

And the Musical Theatre (and Music oriented) winners are...


Outstanding Musical:
American Idiot
Everyday Rapture
**Memphis ** WINNER
The Addams Family
The Scottsboro Boys
Yank!

Outstanding Revival of a Musical:
A Little Night Music
Finian's Rainbow
**La Cage Aux Folles** WINNER
Promises, Promises
Ragtime

Outstanding Actor in a Musical:
Brandon Victor Dixon, The Scottsboro Boys
**Douglas Hodge, La Cage Aux Folles ** WINNER
Cheyenne Jackson, Finian's Rainbow
Chad Kimball, Memphis
Nathan Lane, The Addams Family
Bobby Steggert, Yank!

Outstanding Actress in a Musical (tie):
Kate Baldwin, Finian's Rainbow
**Montego Glover, Memphis ** WINNER
Jayne Houdyshell, Coraline
Christiane Noll, Ragtime
Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture
**Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music** WINNER

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical:
Kevin Chamberlin, The Addams Family
Robin De Jesus, La Cage Aux Folles
Jeffry Denman, Yank!
**Christopher Fitzgerald, Finian's Rainbow** WINNER
Jeremy Morse, Bloodsong of Love
Bobby Steggert, Ragtime

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical:
Carolee Carmello, The Addams Family
Carrie Cimma, Lizzie Borden
**Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises ** WINNER
Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music
Kenita Miller, Langston in Harlem
Terri White, Finian's Rainbow

Outstanding Director of a Musical:
Warren Carlyle, Finian's Rainbow
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Ragtime
Igor Goldin, Yank!
Terry Johnson, La Cage Aux Folles
**Michael Mayer, American Idiot ** WINNER
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Outstanding Choreography:
Warren Carlyle, Finian's Rainbow
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Ragtime
Lynne Page, La Cage Aux Folles
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys
**Twyla Tharp, Come Fly Away** WINNER
Sergio Trujillo, Memphis

Outstanding Music:
**David Bryan, Memphis** WINNER
Michael Friedman, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Joe Iconis, Bloodsong of Love
John Kander & Fred Ebb, The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Lippa, The Addams Family
Joseph Zellnik, Yank!

Outstanding Lyrics:
Rick Crom, Newsical The Musical
Kevin Del Aguila, Click, Clack, Moo
**John Kander & Fred Ebb, The Scottsboro Boys** WINNERS
Dillie Keane and Adèle Anderson, Fascinating Aïda Absolutely Miraculous!
Andrew Lippa, The Addams Family
David Zellnik, Yank!

Outstanding Book of a Musical:
Joe DiPietro, Memphis
Joe Iconis, Bloodsong of Love
Dick Scanlan & Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture
David Thompson, The Scottsboro Boys
**Alex Timbers, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson** WINNER
David Zellnik, Yank!

Outstanding Orchestrations:
Larry Hochman, The Scottsboro Boys
Tom Kitt, American Idiot
Tom Kitt, Everyday Rapture
John Oddo, All About Me
**Daryl Waters & David Bryan, Memphis** WINNERS

Outstanding Musical Revue:
Fascinating Aïda: Absolutely Miraculous!
Million Dollar Quartet
Newsical The Musical
Simon Green: Traveling Light
**Sondheim on Sondheim** WINNER

Outstanding Music in a Play:
Adam Cochran, A Play on War
Adam Cork, Red
Gaines, A Lie of the Mind
Philip Glass, The Bacchae
Hem, Twelfth Night
**Branford Marsalis, Fences** WINNER

Outstanding Set Design:
Sandra Goldmark, The Boys in the Band
**Phelim McDermott, Julian Crouch & Basil Twist, The Addams Family ** WINNERS
Derek McLane, Ragtime
Christopher Oram, Red Jay Rohloff, Underground
Karen Tennent, Hansel and Gretel

Outstanding Costume Design:
Antonia Ford-Roberts & Bob Flanagan, The Emperor Jones
Clint Ramos, So Help Me God!
Bobby Frederick Tilley II, Lizzie Borden
**Matthew Wright, La Cage Aux Folles ** WINNER
David Zinn, In the Next Room or the vibrator play

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical:
**ACME Sound Partners, Ragtime ** WINNER
Jonathan Deans, La Cage Aux Folles
Ashley Hanson, Kurt Eric Fischer & Brian Ronan, Everyday Rapture
Peter Hylenski, The Scottsboro Boys
Scott Lehrer, Finian's Rainbow
Brian Ronan, Promises, Promises

http://www.dramadesk.com/

BWAY: LA CAGE announces Nat'l Tour for 2011

The production team of the smash Broadway hit, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, has announced a national tour based on the current revival to be launched in 2011.  Currently nominated for 11 Tony Awards, this morning brought news that LA CAGE had garnered 4 Outer Critics Circle Awards, tying with MEMPHIS, for most wins.  Composer Jerry Herman has been named the recipient of a special Drama Desk Award for his career as a Musical Theatre composer.

The original Broadway production of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES opened on August 21, 1983 at the Palace Theatre, wowing audiences with its daring material.  That production won 4 Tony Awards in 1984 and went on to become a staple in regional theatres.

Casting and design details will be forthcoming on the main LA CAGE website, and for more information on national tours, go to http://www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.

OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE announces 2009-2010 awards

The Outer Critics Circle has announced the recipients of the 2009-10 Awards.  MEMPHIS and LA CAGE AUX FOLLES both won in 4 categories, with a shocking 3 unprecedented ties in the categories for "New Off-Broadway Musical," "Actress in a Musical," and "Choreographer. 

Movie stars Denzel Washington and Catherine Zeta-Jones won trophies for their work in FENCES and A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, respectively.

With history-making wins and lots of surprises, the winners are... 

NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL
* Memphis
 

NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
* Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
* The Scottsboro Boys
 

 NEW SCORE - (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
* Memphis
 

REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL - (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
* La Cage aux Folles
 

 DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
* Terry Johnson  - La Cage aux Folles
 

 CHOREOGRAPHER
* Bill T. Jones - Fela!
* Sergio Trujillo - Memphis

SET DESIGN - (Play or Musical)
* Phelim McDermott & Julian Crouch - The Addams Family
 

COSTUME DESIGN - (Play or Musical)
* Matthew Wright - La Cage aux Folles
 

LIGHTING DESIGN - (Play or Musical)
* Kevin Adams - American Idiot
   

ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
* Douglas Hodge - La Cage aux Folles

ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
* Montego Glover - Memphis
* Catherine Zeta-Jones - A Little Night Music
 

FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
* Levi Kreis - Million Dollar Quartet
 

FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
* Katie Finneran - Promises, Promises

Source:  http://www.outercritics.org/

GUEST: West End's CLARE BURT, March 7 @ 5 pm EST

London West End's incomparable leading lady, Clare Burt, will be a guest on "Musical Theatre Talk with Trish Causey" on March 7, 2010, at 5 p.m. EST/ 4 p.m. CST.

To listen live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/musical_theatre_talk or call in: 347-237-5224.

BIO:

CLARE BURT - the acclaimed West End stage star who helped introduce London audiences to shows like Nine, Into The Woods, Sunday In The Park With George, Passion and more - will make her New York performance debut next month. Her show "Now You Know" will have an exclusive week-long run at the Metropolitan Room from Tuesday, March 9, through Saturday, March 13. "Now You Know" features theater songs by composers such as Stephen Sondheim ("Now You Know"), Jerry Herman ("Best In The World" from A Day In Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine), Jule Styne ("Cornet Man"), Scott Frankel & Michael Corie ("Another Winter In A Summer Town") and Adam Guettel ("Fable"), in additional to international favorites popularized by Charles Aznavour ("And I In My Chair'), Edith Piaf ("Padam Padam") and Antonio Carlos Jobim ("One Note Samba").

Musical Director and arranger Nigel Lilley- Musical Director for the London productions of Spring Awakening, Sweet Charity and the acclaimed Broadway-bound revival of La Cage Aux Folles -will lead a trio of musicians.

When this show debuted at London's Pizza On The Park in 2009, Mark Shentonin, What's On Stage, raved that Clare displays "the sort of intensity thatmarks out the truly great performers". Her New York debut will help celebrate the release of her debut solo CD recorded live in concert lastyear. A regular at London's famed Donmar Warehouse, Burt starred in the David Leveaux's production of Nine: The Musical that inspired the Tony Awardwinning Broadway revival. Her portrayal of Carla, which Jane Krakowski performed to much acclaim in New York, was hailed as "a major star turn" by The Spectator. She was called "superb" by the London Independent and "highlytalented and extremely glamorous" by The Guardian. According to the London Daily Express, "gorgeous, pouting Clare Burt wrapped in nothing but a towel gives Marilyn Monroe a run for her money." As "The Witch" in John Crowley'sproduction of Into The Woods at the Donmar, she was called "splendidly malicious" by The Times of London and "intelligent, powerful andfascinatingly equivocal" by What's On.

Other West End credits include "Susan" in the Sam Mendes production of Company at the Donmar, "Maggie" in A Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, "Rose" in Aspects of Love, "Grizabella" in Cats and "Fosca" in Passion. Ms. Burt has also worked extensively in film and television and was last seen playing the role of "Nurse Hulme" in BAFTA Award winning "Criminal Justice." Most recently,Clare has appeared at the Royal National Theatre as "Mrs. Milcote" in Coram Boy and "Jean Shehan" in The Miracle. Ms. Burt divides her time between London, England and Normandy, France.

Show times are Tuesday at 7:00PM; Wednesday at 7:30 PM; Thursday at 9:45 PM; and Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM. Please call (212)206-0440 or purchase tickets online at http://www.metropolitanroom.com/.