Nominations for the 2022-23 Drama Desk Awards – the only major NYC theater awards for which productions on Broadway, Off Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway compete in the same categories – were announced today at noon. Founded in 1949, the critics organization began presenting its awards in 1955, and, as they did for the first nineteen years, they will have gender-free performance categories this year, each with twice as many nominees as the former gendered categories. Voters will cast two votes for each category, and there will be two winners in each; in the case of a tie, there may be more than two winners in a category. Recipients will be announced the week of May 29.
The cutoff date for this year’s awards, voted on and bestowed by theater critics, journalists, editors, and publishers covering theater, was April 26; only shows with 21 or more performances were eligible. In determining the eligibility of productions with recent Off-Broadway runs in prior seasons, the nominating committee considered only those elements that constituted new work. Those productions are A Child’s Christmas in Wales, Ain’t No Mo’, Between Riverside and Crazy, Catch as Catch Can, Cost of Living, Dog Man: The Musical, Kimberly Akimbo, KPOP, The Thanksgiving Play, Wolf Play, and Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom. Additional productions on and off Broadway that were deemed ineligible, after being considered in their entirety in prior seasons, included A Sherlock Carol, Cheek to Cheek, Fiddler on the Roof, Hitler’s Tasters, Just for Us, Take Me Out, The Jungle, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Winnie the Pooh.
And the 2023 Drama Desk Awards nominees are:
Outstanding Play: A Case for the Existence of God, by Samuel D. Hunter, Signature Theatre; Fat Ham, by James Ijames, The Public Theater and National Black Theatre; Leopoldstadt, by Tom Stoppard; Love, by Alexander Zeldin, Park Avenue Armory; Prima Facie, by Suzie Miller; Wish You Were Here, by Sanaz Toossi, Playwrights Horizons
Outstanding Musical: & Juliet; Between the Lines; F*ck7thGrade, The Wild Project; Shucked; Some Like it Hot; White Girl in Danger, Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater
Outstanding Revival of a Play: A Raisin in the Sun, The Public Theater; Death of a Salesman; Endgame, Irish Repertory Theatre; The Piano Lesson; Ohio State Murders; Wedding Band, Theatre for a New Audience
Outstanding Revival of a Musical: A Man of No Importance, Classic Stage Company; Into the Woods; Merrily We Roll Along, New York Theatre Workshop; Parade; Sweeney Todd
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play: Hiran Abeysekera, Life of Pi; Kyle Beltran, A Case for the Existence of God, Signature Theatre; Will Brill, A Case for the Existence of God, Signature Theatre; Brittany Bradford, Wedding Band, Theatre for a New Audience; Jessica Chastain, A Doll’s House; Sharon D Clarke, Death of a Salesman; Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar; Denise Manning, Amani, National Black Theatre and Rattlestick Theater; Audra McDonald, Ohio State Murders; Wendell Pierce, Death of a Salesman; John Douglas Thompson, Endgame, Irish Repertory Theatre; Kara Young, Twelfth Night, The Classical Theatre of Harlem
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical: Annaleigh Ashford, Sweeney Todd; Nicholas Barasch, The Butcher Boy, Irish Repertory Theatre; Sara Bareilles, Into the Woods; Andrew Burnap, Camelot; Micaela Diamond, Parade; Andrew Durand, Shucked; Callum Francis, Kinky Boots, Stage 42; J. Harrison Ghee, Some Like it Hot; Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along, New York Theatre Workshop; Somi Kakoma, Dreaming Zenzile, New York Theatre Workshop; Lindsay Mendez, Merrily We Roll Along, New York Theatre Workshop; Anna Uzele, New York, New York
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play: Emily Bergl, Good Night, Oscar; Danielle Brooks, The Piano Lesson; Amelda Brown, Love, Park Avenue Armory; Ray Fisher, The Piano Lesson; K. Todd Freeman, Downstate, Playwrights Horizons; Francis Guinan, Downstate, Playwrights Horizons; Nick Holder, Love, Park Avenue Armory; Arian Moayed, A Doll’s House; Brian Quijada, Wolf Play, MCC Theater and Soho Rep; Miriam Silverman, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, Brooklyn Academy of Music; Brandon Uranowitz, Leopoldstadt; Kara Young, Cost of Living
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical: Kevin Cahoon, Shucked; Kevin Del Aguila, Some Like it Hot; Robyn Hurder, A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical; Mark Jacoby, A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical; Tarra Conner Jones, White Girl in Danger, Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater; Julia Lester, Into the Woods; Alex Newell, Shucked; Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along, New York Theatre Workshop; Phillipa Soo, Into the Woods; Mare Winningham, A Man of No Importance, Classic Stage Company
Outstanding Direction of a Play: Zi Alikhan, On That Day in Amsterdam, Primary Stages; Shayok Misha Chowdhury, Public Obscenities, Soho Rep and NAATCO; Miranda Cromwell, Death of a Salesman; Adam Meggido, Peter Pan Goes Wrong; Max Webster, Life of Pi; Alexander Zeldin, Love, Park Avenue Armory
Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Jeff Calhoun, Between the Lines; John Doyle, A Man of No Importance, Classic Stage Company; Maria Friedman, Merrily We Roll Along, New York Theatre Workshop; Thomas Kail, Sweeney Todd; Jack O’Brien, Shucked
Outstanding Choreography: Andy Blankenbuehler, Only Gold, MCC Theater; Tislarm Bouie, the bandaged place; Edgar Godineaux, The Harder They Come, The Public Theater; Casey Nicholaw, Some Like it Hot; Susan Stroman, New York, New York; Jennifer Weber, KPOP
Outstanding Music: Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, Shucked; Michael R. Jackson, White Girl in Danger, Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater; Tom Kitt and AnnMarie Milazzo (vocal designer), Almost Famous; Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, Between the Lines; The Kilbanes, Weightless, WP Theater
Outstanding Lyrics: Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, Shucked; Jonathan Hogue, Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical; Michael R. Jackson, White Girl in Danger, Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater; Adam Schlesinger and Sarah Silverman, The Bedwetter, Atlantic Theater Company; Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, Some Like it Hot
Outstanding Book of a Musical: Jonathan Hogue, Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical; Robert Horn, Shucked; Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, Some Like it Hot; Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli, and Tye Blue, Titanique; David West Read, & Juliet
Outstanding Orchestrations: Bruce Coughlin, A Man of No Importance, Classic Stage Company; Jason Howland, Shucked; Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter, Some Like it Hot; Kenny Seymour, The Harder They Come, The Public Theater; Daryl Waters and Sam Davis, New York, New York
Outstanding Music in a Play: Ben Edelman, Zane Pais, and Sinan Refik Zafar, Letters from Max, a ritual, Signature Theatre; Mauricio Escamilla, the bandaged place, Roundabout Theatre Company; Suzan-Lori Parks, Plays for the Plague Year, The Public Theater; Ian Ross, Wuthering Heights, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Wise Children, National Theatre; Daniel Schlosberg, Montag, Soho Rep
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play: Jason Ardizzone-West, Wedding Band, Theatre for a New Audience; Beowulf Boritt, Ohio State Murders; dots, Public Obscenities, Soho Rep and NAATCO; Tim Hatley, Life of Pi; Natasha Jenkins, Love, Park Avenue Armory; John McDermott, Chains, Mint Theater Company
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical: Beowulf Boritt, New York, New York; David Korins, Only Gold, MCC Theater; Scott Pask, Shucked; Walt Spangler and Brendan McCann (production props), Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical; Michael Yeargan, Camelot
Outstanding Costume Design of a Play: Kara Branch, According to the Chorus, New Light Theater Project; Enver Chakartash, Public Obscenities, Soho Rep and NAATCO; Qween Jean, Wedding Band, Theatre for a New Audience; Sarah Laux, Wish You Were Here, Playwright Horizons; Emilio Sosa, Ain’t No Mo’; Robert Surace, Peter Pan Goes Wrong
Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical: Gregg Barnes, Some Like it Hot; Tilly Grimes, Shucked; Jennifer Moeller, Camelot; Clint Ramos and Sophia Choi, KPOP; Anita Yavich, Only Gold, MCC Theater; Donna Zakowska, New York, New York
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play: Isabella Byrd, Epiphany, Lincoln Center Theater; Jiyoun Chang, The Far Country, Atlantic Theater Company; Natasha Chivers and Willie Williams (video), Prima Facie; Allen Lee Hughes, Ohio State Murders; Cha See, On That Day in Amsterdam, Primary Stages; Japhy Weideman, The Piano Lesson
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical: Ken Billington, New York, New York; Jeff Croiter, Only Gold, MCC Theater; Heather Gilbert, Parade; David Grill, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’; Natasha Katz, Sweeney Todd
Outstanding Projection and Video Design: Simon Baker, Wuthering Heights, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Wise Children, and National Theatre; Andrzej Goulding, Life of Pi; Caite Hevner, Between the Lines, Tony Kiser Theater; Josh Higgason, White Girl in Danger, Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater; Nicholas Hussong, On That Day in Amsterdam, Primary Stages; Johnny Moreno, Public Obscenities, Soho Rep and NAATCO
Outstanding Sound Design of a Play: Justin Ellington, Ohio State Murders; Tom Gibbons, Hamlet, Park Avenue Armory; Josh Anio Grigg, Love, Park Avenue Armory; Lee Kinney and Daniel Kluger, You Will Get Sick, Roundabout Theatre Company; Ben & Max Ringham, A Doll’s House; Mikaal Sulaiman, Fat Ham, The Public Theater and National Black Theatre
Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical: Peter Hylenski, Almost Famous; Scott Lehrer and Alex Neumann, Into the Woods; John Shivers, Shucked; Joanna Lynne Staub, Weightless, WP Theater; Jon Weston, Parade
Outstanding Wig and Hair: Campbell Young Associates, Almost Famous; Cookie Jordan, The Piano Lesson; Mia M. Neal, Ain’t No Mo’; Earon Nealey, Twelfth Night, The Classical Theatre of Harlem; Mitsuteru Okuyama, Chushingura 47 Ronin; Luc Verschueren, A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical
Outstanding Solo Performance: Jodie Comer, Prima Facie; David Greenspan, Four Saints in Three Acts, Lucille Lortel Theatre; Jessica Hendy, Walking With Bubbles, AMT Theater; Anthony Rapp, Without You; Tracy Thorne, Jack Was Kind, Irish Repertory Theatre
Unique Theatrical Experience: Asi Wind’s Inner Circle; Peter Pan Goes Wrong; Plays for the Plague Year, The Public Theater; Zephyr, Cirque Mechanics at The New Victory Theater
Outstanding Fight Choreography: B.H. Barry, Camelot; Rocio Mendez, Día Y Noche, LAByrinth Theater Company; Rocio Mendez, How to Defend Yourself, New York Theatre Workshop; Unkledave’s Fight-House, soft, MCC Theater
Outstanding Adaptation: A Doll’s House, by Amy Herzog; Arden of Faversham, by Jeffrey Hatcher and Kathryn Walat, Red Bull Theater; black odyssey, by Marcus Gardley, Classic Stage Company; Oresteia, by Robert Icke, Park Avenue Armory; Wuthering Heights, by Emma Rice, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Wise Children, National Theatre
Outstanding Puppetry: John Leader, Wuthering Heights, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Wise Children, National Theatre; James Ortiz (design), Kennedy Kanagawa (as Milky White), Into the Woods; Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, Life of Pi; Kirjan Waage, The Immortal Jellyfish Girl, Wakka Wakka and Nordland Visual Theatre at 59E59.
In addition to the competitive categories are the following Special Awards:
Harold Prince Lifetime Achievement Award: Stephen McKinley Henderson has been bringing in-depth, gripping portrayals of memorable characters to the stage for over four decades. With his return to Broadway this season as Pops in Between Riverside and Crazy, which the Drama Desk previously nominated in 2015, this year’s Harold Prince Lifetime Achievement Award marks Henderson’s role in this powerful production as a celebration of his brilliant career.
Ensemble Award: The cast of Soho Rep’s Public Obscenities – Tashnuva Anan, Abrar Haque, Golam Sarwar Harun, Gargi Mukherjee, NaFis, Jakeem Dante Powell, and Debashis Roy Chowdhury – embodied the transnational world of Shayok Misha Chowdhury’s bilingual play with memorable authenticity, remarkable specificity, and extraordinary warmth.
Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award: From his standout performance in american (tele)visions, to writing and performing the autobiographical Dark Disabled Stories, Ryan J. Haddad’s work this season has expanded on and interrogated what the idea of “accessibility” really means. Whether riding a shopping cart like a throne, or relating his experiences on a “gay, pink bus,” Haddad shared with audiences an unabashed queer fabulosity that was both unforgettable and deeply human.
Congratulations to the nominees and Special Awards recipients. The 67th Annual Drama Desk Awards will be presented on Tuesday, June 6, 3-6 pm, at Sardi’s Restaurant, 234 West 44th Street, NYC.
