"South Pacific," "Osage Cty" top Drama Desk awards
By Chris Michaud
NEW YORK (Reuters) - An acclaimed revival of the classic musical "South Pacific" topped the 53rd annual Drama Desk awards on Sunday, winning five honours, while Pulitzer Prize-winning "August: Osage County" led the competition among plays.
The best musical prize went to the off-beat "Passing Strange."
The awards for the Broadway shows set them up as strong contenders for next month’s Tony Awards, the New York theatre world’s top honours.
Veteran musical star Patti LuPone was named outstanding actress in a musical for her turn as Mama Rose in a well-received revival of "Gypsy," while Deanna Dunagan won the Drama Desk for her work in "Osage County," Tracy Letts’ play about a beyond-dysfunctional family in small town America which also won best director for Anna Shapiro.
Actor honours went to Paulo Szot for "South Pacific" and Mark Rylance for "Boeing-Boeing," while Laurence Fishburne received the outstanding solo performance award for his portrayal of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in "Thurgood."
Shut out of the honours was Mel Brook’s "Young Frankenstein," a colossal show which received at-best middling reviews and was also snubbed in the Tony award nominations but for a few minor categories.
"South Pacific," the .....continued below
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first Broadway revival of the Rodgers & Hammerstein 1949 musical about culture-spanning love on a South Seas island, also won for director Bartlett Sher, as well as sound and set design for a musical."Gypsy" took both featured musical performer honours, which went to Boyd Gaines and Laura Benati, while the 1960s comedy about flight attendants, "Boeing-Boeing," was named best revival of a play.
The awards for music and lyrics in a new show went to Stew, who goes by one name, for "Passing Strange," as well as Heidi Rodewald who shared with Stew the best music honour for the show, which chronicles a man’s worldly search for his identity through music ranging from blues to gospel, rock and pop. The prize for book of a musical went to Douglas Carter Beane for the surprise hit "Xanadu," the stage version of the reviled 1980 Olivia Newton John film.
Best featured actor in a play was won by Conleth Hall for "The Seafarer," while veteran Linda Lavin took home the featured actress in a play award for "The New Century."
The new musical "Cry Baby," based on the John Waters film of the same name, managed only one award, for choreography, while a revival of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" won for sets and costumes. "The 39 Steps," a comedy based on the Hitchcock film, won for lighting as well as "unique theatrical experience."
Honorary awards for achievement in the theatre were presented to playwright Edward Albee and actor James Earl Jones. The cast of "The Homecoming" and "The Dining Room" received awards for outstanding ensemble performances.
The Drama Desk is the only critics association that bestows awards on Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off Broadway shows.
(Editing by Eric Walsh)
By Chris Michaud
NEW YORK (Reuters) - An acclaimed revival of the classic musical "South Pacific" topped the 53rd annual Drama Desk awards on Sunday, winning five honours, while Pulitzer Prize-winning "August: Osage County" led the competition among plays.
The best musical prize went to the off-beat "Passing Strange."
The awards for the Broadway shows set them up as strong contenders for next month’s Tony Awards, the New York theatre world’s top honours.
Veteran musical star Patti LuPone was named outstanding actress in a musical for her turn as Mama Rose in a well-received revival of "Gypsy," while Deanna Dunagan won the Drama Desk for her work in "Osage County," Tracy Letts’ play about a beyond-dysfunctional family in small town America which also won best director for Anna Shapiro.
Actor honours went to Paulo Szot for "South Pacific" and Mark Rylance for "Boeing-Boeing," while Laurence Fishburne received the outstanding solo performance award for his portrayal of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in "Thurgood."
Shut out of the honours was Mel Brook’s "Young Frankenstein," a colossal show which received at-best middling reviews and was also snubbed in the Tony award nominations but for a few minor categories.
"South Pacific," the first Broadway revival of the Rodgers & Hammerstein 1949 musical about culture-spanning love on a South Seas island, also won for director Bartlett Sher, as well as sound and set design for a musical.
"Gypsy" took both featured musical performer honours, which went to Boyd Gaines and Laura Benati, while the 1960s comedy about flight attendants, "Boeing-Boeing," was named best revival of a play.
The awards for music and lyrics in a new show went to Stew, who goes by one name, for "Passing Strange," as well as Heidi Rodewald who shared with Stew the best music honour for the show, which chronicles a man’s worldly search for his identity through music ranging from blues to gospel, rock and pop. The prize for book of a musical went to Douglas Carter Beane for the surprise hit "Xanadu," the stage version of the reviled 1980 Olivia Newton John film.
Best featured actor in a play was won by Conleth Hall for "The Seafarer," while veteran Linda Lavin took home the featured actress in a play award for "The New Century."
The new musical "Cry Baby," based on the John Waters film of the same name, managed only one award, for choreography, while a revival of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" won for sets and costumes. "The 39 Steps," a comedy based on the Hitchcock film, won for lighting as well as "unique theatrical experience."
Honorary awards for achievement in the theatre were presented to playwright Edward Albee and actor James Earl Jones. The cast of "The Homecoming" and "The Dining Room" received awards for outstanding ensemble performances.
The Drama Desk is the only critics association that bestows awards on Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off Broadway shows.
(Editing by Eric Walsh)
© 2008 Reuters Click for restrictions
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