Tootsie, Hadestown, and The Ferryman Lead 2019 Drama Desk Award Winners | Playbill

Awards Tootsie, Hadestown, and The Ferryman Lead 2019 Drama Desk Award Winners The June 2 ceremony saw big wins for popular titles, but a surprise twist for the top musical prize.
Santino Fontana Matthew Murphy

The 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards kicked off June 2 at The Town Hall, honoring the best of Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway for the 2018–2019 theatre season.

Tootsie and Hadestown led the pack for musicals. Tootsie took home awards for Outstanding Music and Outstanding Lyrics for David Yazbek, as well as Outstanding Book of a Musical for David Horn, and Outstanding Actor in a Musical for Santino Fontana. Hadestown took home statues for Outstanding Direction of a Musical for Rachel Chavkin, Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for André de Shields, as well as Outstanding Sound Design and Lighting Design. (Hadestown was only eligible for “those elements that constituted new work,” excluding its book and score, due to its previous Off-Broadway run in 2016.) However, in a twist, The Prom took home the top prize for Outstanding Musical—its sole win of the night.

For plays, The Ferryman led with four wins, including Outstanding Play.

Executive produced by Matt Britten of Broadway Brands and produced by Joey Parnes Productions, the Drama Desk Awards are once again hosted by Michael Urie, who starred in this season’s revival of Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song. Written by Bill Rosenfield, directed by Mark Waldrop, and music-directed by Dan Lipton, the night will featured performances from the shows and stars of the season.

See the full list below. (Winners are in bold and starred.)

Inside the 2019 Drama Desk Awards With Santino Fontana, Stephanie J. Block, and More

Outstanding Musical
*The Prom*
Be More Chill
The Hello Girls, Prospect Theater Company
Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future, Ars Nova
Tootsie

Outstanding Play
*The Ferryman, by Jez Butterworth*
Fairview, by Jackie Sibblies Drury, Soho Rep
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 and Broadway

Outstanding Revival of a Play
*The Waverly Gallery*
Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine, Signature Theatre
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

Outstanding Actress in a Play
*Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery*
Midori Francis, Usual Girls
Zainab Jah, Boesman and Lena
Laurie Metcalf, Hillary and Clinton
Heidi Schreck, What the Constitution Means to Me

Outstanding Actor in a Play
*Jay O. Sanders, Uncle Vanya*
Jeff Biehl, Life Sucks
Edmund Donovan, Lewiston/Clarkston
Raúl Esparza, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
Russell Harvard, I Was Most Alive With You

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
*Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show*
Beth Leavel, The Prom
Rebecca Naomi Jones, Oklahoma!
Anika Noni Rose, Carmen Jones
Stacey Sargeant, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
*Santino Fontana, Tootsie*
Brooks Ashmanskas, The Prom
Andrew R. Butler, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Damon Daunno, Oklahoma!
Steven Skybell, Fiddler on the Roof

READ: Tootsie Transforms for Broadway—In More Ways Than One

Outstanding Book of a Musical presented by Music Theatre International
*Robert Horn, Tootsie*
Scott Brown and Anthony King, Beetlejuice
Andrew R. Butler, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, The Prom
Dominique Morisseau, Ain't Too Proud

Outstanding Lyrics presented by Music Theatre International
*David Yazbek, Tootsie*
Chad Beguelin, The Prom
Andrew R. Butler, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Joe Iconis, Be More Chill
Peter Mills, The Hello Girls

Outstanding Music presented by Music Theatre International
*David Yazbek, Tootsie*
Andrew R. Butler, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Joe Iconis, Be More Chill
Peter Mills, The Hello Girls
Mark Sonnenblick, Midnight at the Never Get
Shaina Taub, Twelfth Night

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
*Ali Stroker, Oklahoma!*
Stephanie Hsu, Be More Chill
Leslie Kritzer, Beetlejuice
Soara-Joye Ross, Carmen Jones
Sarah Stiles, Tootsie
Mary Testa, Oklahoma!

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
*André De Shields, Hadestown*
Corbin Bleu, Kiss Me, Kate
Sydney James Harcourt, Girl from the North Country
George Salazar, Be More Chill
Patrick Vaill, Oklahoma!

Outstanding Choreography presented by LaDuca Dance Shoes
*Warren Carlyle, Kiss Me Kate*
Camille A. Brown, Choir Boy
Denis Jones, Tootsie
Lorin Latarro, Twelfth Night
Rick and Jeff Kuperman, Alice by Heart
David Neumann, Hadestown

Outstanding Fight Choreography
*Claire Warden, Slave Play*
U. Jonathan Toppo, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
Claire Warden, "Daddy"

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
*Fiddler on the Roof, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene and Off-Broadway*
Carmen Jones, Classic Stage Company
Kiss Me, Kate, Roundabout Theatre Company
Merrily We Roll Along, Fiasco Theater/Roundabout Theatre Company
Oklahoma!, Bard Summerscape/St. Ann's Warehouse and Broadway

Outstanding Orchestrations
*Daniel Kluger, Oklahoma!*
Larry Blank, Fiddler on the Roof
Simon Hale, Girl from the North Country
Charlie Rosen, Be More Chill
Daryl Waters, The Cher Show

Outstanding Music in a Play
*Jason Michael Webb and Fitz Patton, Choir Boy*
Paul Castles and Jongbin Jung, Wild Goose Dreams
Justin Ellington, Mrs. Murray's Menagerie
Justin Ellington, The House That Will Not Stand
Nick Powell, The Lehman Trilogy

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!

Outstanding Set Design for a Musical presented by Hudson Scenic
*David Korins, Beetlejuice*
Rachel Hauck, Hadestown
Laura Jellinek, Oklahoma!
Laura Jellinek, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Rae Smith, Girl from the North Country

Outstanding Set Design of a Play
*Matt Saunders, "Daddy"*
Miriam Buether, The Jungle
Es Devlin, Girls & Boys
Maruti Evans, The Peculiar Patriot
Mimi Lien, Fairview

Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical, presented by Production Resource Group
*Bradley King, Hadestown*
Adam Honoré, Carmen Jones
Jamie Roderick, Midnight at the Never Get
Barbara Samuels, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Scott Zielinski, Oklahoma!

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
Yi Zhao, The House That Will Not Stand

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
*Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, Hadestown*
Simon Baker, Girl from the North Country
Drew Levy, Oklahoma!
Brian Ronan, Tootsie
Mikaal Sulaiman, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
*Nick Powell, The Ferryman*
Tyler Kieffer, Plano
Fitz Patton, Choir Boy
Jane Shaw, I Was Most Alive with You
Mikaal Sulaiman, Fairview

Outstanding Wig and Hair Design
*Charles G. LaPointe, The Cher Show*
Campbell Young Associates, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Cookie Jordan, Eddie and Dave
Paul Huntley, Tootsie
Charles G. LaPointe, Beetlejuice

Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical
*Bob Mackie, The Cher Show*
William Ivey Long, Beetlejuice
William Ivey Long, Tootsie
Bobby Frederick Tilly II, Be More Chill
Michael Krass, Hadestown
Paloma Young, Alice by Heart

Outstanding Costume Design for a Play
*Toni-Leslie James, Bernhardt/Hamlet*
Dede M. Ayite, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
Dede M. Ayite, If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka
Ásta Bennie Hostetter, Mrs. Murray's Menagerie
Nicole Slaven, Henry VI: Shakespeare's Trilogy in Two Parts

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, Theater Latté Da/Laura Little Theatrical Productions/The Sheen Center*
Love's Labor's Lost, Shake & Bake
The B-Side: "Negro Folklore from Texas State Prisons," The Wooster Group
What to Send Up When It Goes Down, The Movement Theatre Company

Outstanding Puppet Design
*Sonny Tilders, King Kong*
Michael Curry, Beetlejuice
Tschabalala Self, "Daddy"

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
*Celia Keenan-Bolger, To Kill A Mockingbird*
Harriett D. Foy, The House That Will Not Stand
Megan Hill, Eddie and Dave
Ruth Wilson, King Lear
Alison Wright, Othello

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
*Tom Glynn-Carney, The Ferryman*
Charles Browning, Fairview
Arnie Burton, Lewiston/Clarkston
Hampton Fluker, All My Sons
Brandon Uranowitz, Burn This

Outstanding Director of a Musical
*Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown*
Noah Brody, Merrily We Roll Along
Scott Ellis, Tootsie
Daniel Fish, Oklahoma!
Joel Grey, Fiddler on the Roof

READ: Why Rachel Chavkin and Anaïs Mitchell Were Fated to Create Broadway’s Hadestown Together

Outstanding Director of a Play
*Sam Mendes, The Ferryman*
Sarah Benson, Fairview
Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, The Jungle
Tyne Rafaeli, Usual Girls
Taylor Reynolds, Plano
Jeff Wise, Life Sucks

Totals by show:
The Ferryman - 4
Hadestown - 4
Tootsie - 4
The Cher Show - 3
King Kong - 2
Oklahoma! - 2
The Waverly Gallery - 2
All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 - 1
Beetlejuice - 1
Bernhardt/Hamlet - 1
Boesman and Lena - 1
Choir Boy - 1
Daddy” - 1
Fiddler on the Roof - 1
Kiss Me, Kate - 1
The New One - 1
The Prom - 1
Slave Play - 1
To Kill a Mockingbird - 1
Uncle Vanya - 1

Previously announced Special Awards:

Ensemble Award: To the uncanny ensemble of Dance Nation for their pointed portrait of a dance troupe driven by competition but fused by the experiences of youth: Purva Bedi, Eboni Booth, Camila Canó-Flaviá, Dina Shihabi, Ellen Maddow, Christina Rouner, Thomas Jay Ryan, Lucy Taylor, and Ikechukwu Ufomadu.

Sam Norkin Award: To Montana Levi Blanco, who enriched this season with his vibrant and detailed costumes for Fairview, The House That Will Not Stand, Fabulation, Or the Re-Education of Undine, Eddie and Dave, "Daddy," and Ain't No Mo'. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a Blanco costume is worth considerably more, telling us a complete story about its wearer while giving us something fabulous to look at.

To Mia Katigbak, the backbone of the Off-Broadway scene, we acclaim her for her performances this season in Henry VI: Shakespeare's Trilogy in Two Parts, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, Peace for Mary Francis and Recent Alien Abductions. This award also recognizes her vital presence as the artistic director of NAATCO and her sustained excellence as a performer and mentor.

To Repertorio Español for presenting a year-round rotating repertory of new and classic Spanish-language plays in its intimate Gramercy venue. For the past 51 years, Repertorio has been an indispensable theater for Spanish-speaking audiences, while inviting non-Spanish-speaking theatergoers to discover the delights of the Spanish-language canon and introducing New York audiences to the work of actors like Zulema Clares and Germán Jaramillo.

 
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