What do the Drama Desk Awards have that the Outer Criticle Circle Awards don't have? Parties.
The DD is probably right under the Tonys for the most prestigious theater award. Otherwise, there's also the Outer Critics Circe Awards, the Obies, the Theater World Awards and the Theater League Awards.
Unfortunately, this year's parties were much less successful than those of last year, where there was far more space, and far more food at both the pre- and post-parties.
As for the award ceremony itself, it ran insanely late this year, to almost 1am. (Maybe it should start at 8pm, not 9pm? Would that interfere with throwing the pre-party? Maybe we should instead have a really great post-party instead?)
As for the awards themselves, I thought the results were pretty fair. I particularly loved how Audra McDonald and Donna Murphy shared the award for Best Actress in a Musical.
As a host, Kristen was wonderful, as expected.
Outstanding Play: The Coast of Utopia by Tom Stoppard
Outstanding Musical: Spring Awakening
Outstanding Revival of a Play: Journey’s End by R.C. Sherriff
Outstanding Revival of a Musical: Company by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth
Outstanding Actor in a Play: Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)
Outstanding Actress in a Play: Eve Best (A Moon for the Misbegotten)
Outstanding Actor in a Musical: Raul Esparza (Company)
Outstanding Actress in a Musical: TIE Audra McDonald (110 in the Shade) and
Donna Murphy (LoveMusik)
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: Boyd Gaines (Journey’s End)
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Martha Plimpton (The Coast of Utopia)
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Gavin Lee (Mary Poppins)
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Debra Monk (Curtains)
Outstanding Director of a Play: Jack O’Brien (The Coast of Utopia)
Outstanding Director of a Musical: Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening)
Outstanding Choreography: Andy Blankenbuehler (In The Heights)
Outstanding Music: Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening)
Outstanding Lyrics: Steven Sater (Spring Awakening)
Outstanding Book of a Musical Rupert Holmes and Peter Stone (Curtains)
Outstanding Music for a Play Mark Bennett (The Coast of Utopia)
Outstanding Orchestrations: TIE Mary Mitchell Campbell (Company) and
Jonathan Tunick (LoveMusik)
Outstanding Set Design of a Play: Bob Crowley and Scott Pask (The Coast of Utopia)
Outstanding Set Design of a Musical: Bob Crowley (Mary Poppins)
Outstanding Costume Design: Catherine Zuber (The Coast of Utopia)
Outstanding Lighting Design: Kenneth Posner, Brian MacDevitt, Natasha Katz
(The Coast of Utopia)
Outstanding Sound Design: Gregory Clarke (Journey’s End)
Outstanding Solo Performance: Vanessa Redgrave (The Year of Magical Thinking)
Unique Theatrical Experience: Edward Scissorhands
In addition, the following non-competitive awards were presented:
Outstanding Ensemble Performances: The cast of In The Heights
The cast of Lebensraum