2023 Drama Desk Award winners announced
Some Like It Hot and Life of Pi are the top winners of the 67th annual Drama Desk Awards.
The Drama Desk has announced the winners of the 67th annual Drama Desk Awards, recognizing excellence in Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-offBroadway productions during the 2022-23 season. The Drama Desk Awards ceremony, co-hosted by Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody, will take place on June 6 at Sardi’s Restaurant in New York City.
This year, all performance categories are gender-free and award two winners. A group of journalists, editors, and publishers covering theatre vote on the nominations put forth by a nominating committee. Top winners include Some Like It Hot with eight wins and Life of Pi with four.
In addition to the competitive awards, the Drama Desk bestowed the Harold Prince Lifetime Achievement Award to Stephen McKinley Henderson, the Ensemble Award to the cast of Soho Rep’s Public Obscenities, and the Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award to Ryan J. Haddad, for his writing and performing in Dark Disabled Stories and american (tele)visions.
Read the full list of 2023 Drama Desk Award winners and nominees below. The winners are denoted with an asterisk.
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Outstanding Play
- A Case for the Existence of God, by Samuel D. Hunter
- Fat Ham, by James Ijames
- Leopoldstadt by Tom Stoppard *
- Love by Alexander Zeldin
- Prima Facie by Suzie Miller
- Wish You Were Here by Sanaz Toossi
Outstanding Musical
Outstanding Revival of a Play
- A Raisin in the Sun
- Death of a Salesman
- Endgame
- The Piano Lesson *
- Ohio State Murders
- Wedding Band
Outstanding Revival of a Musical
- A Man of No Importance
- Into the Woods
- Merrily We Roll Along
- Parade
- Sweeney Todd
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play
- Hiran Abeysekera: Life of Pi
- Kyle Beltran: A Case for the Existence of God
- Will Brill: A Case for the Existence of God
- Brittany Bradford: Wedding Band
- Jessica Chastain: A Doll’s House *
- Sharon D. Clarke: Death of a Salesman
- Sean Hayes: Good Night, Oscar *
- Denise Manning: Amani
- Audra McDonald: Ohio State Murders
- Wendell Pierce: Death of a Salesman
- John Douglas Thompson: Endgame
- Kara Young: Twelfth Night
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical
- Annaleigh Ashford: Sweeney Todd *
- Nicholas Barasch: The Butcher Boy
- Sara Bareilles: Into the Woods
- Andrew Burnap: Camelot
- Micaela Diamond: Parade
- Andrew Durand: Shucked
- Callum Francis: Kinky Boots
- J. Harrison Ghee: Some Like It Hot *
- Jonathan Groff: Merrily We Roll Along
- Somi Kakoma: Dreaming Zenzile
- Lindsay Mendez: Merrily We Roll Along
- 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
- Ray Fisher: The Piano Lesson
- K. Todd Freeman: Downstate
- Francis Guinan: Downstate
- Nick Holder: Love
- Arian Moayed: A Doll’s House
- Brian Quijada: Wolf Play
- Miriam Silverman: The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window *
- 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
- Julia Lester: Into the Woods
- Alex Newell: Shucked *
- Daniel Radcliffe: Merrily We Roll Along
- Phillipa Soo: Into the Woods
- Mare Winningham: A Man of No Importance
Outstanding Direction of a Play
- Zi Alikhan: On That Day in Amsterdam
- Shayok Misha Chowdhury: Public Obscenities
- Miranda Cromwell: Death of a Salesman
- Adam Meggido: Peter Pan Goes Wrong
- Max Webster: Life of Pi *
- Alexander Zeldin: Love
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
- Jeff Calhoun: Between the Lines
- John Doyle: A Man of No Importance
- Maria Friedman: Merrily We Roll Along
- Thomas Kail: Sweeney Todd *
- Jack O’Brien: Shucked
Outstanding Choreography
- Andy Blankenbuehler: Only Gold
- Tislarm Bouie: the bandaged place
- Edgar Godineaux: The Harder They Come
- 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
- Tom Kitt and AnnMarie Milazzo (vocal designer): Almost Famous
- Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson: Between the Lines
- The Kilbanes: Weightless
Outstanding Lyrics
- Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally: Shucked
- Jonathan Hogue: Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical
- Michael R. Jackson: White Girl in Danger
- Adam Schlesinger and Sarah Silverman: The Bedwetter
- 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
- Jason Howland: Shucked
- Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter: Some Like It Hot *
- Kenny Seymour: The Harder They Come
- 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
- Mauricio Escamilla: the bandaged place
- Suzan-Lori Parks: Plays for the Plague Year *
- Ian Ross: Wuthering Heights
- Daniel Schlosberg: Montag
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play
- Jason Ardizzone-West: Wedding Band
- Beowulf Boritt: Ohio State Murders
- dots: Public Obscenities
- Tim Hatley: Life of Pi *
- Natasha Jenkins: Love
- John McDermott: Chains
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical
- Beowulf Boritt: New York, New York *
- David Korins: Only Gold
- 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
- Enver Chakartash: Public Obscenities
- Qween Jean: Wedding Band
- Sarah Laux: Wish You Were Here
- Emilio Sosa: Ain’t No Mo’ *
- Roberto 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
- Donna Zakowska: New York, New York
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play
- Isabella Byrd: Epiphany
- Jiyoun Chang: The Far Country
- Natasha Chivers and Willie Williams (video): Prima Facie *
- Allen Lee Hughes: Ohio State Murders
- Cha See: On That Day in Amsterdam
- Japhy Weideman: The Piano Lesson
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical
- Ken Billington: New York, New York
- Jeff Croiter: Only Gold
- Heather Gilbert: Parade
- David Grill: Bob Fosse’s Dancin’
- Natasha Katz: Sweeney Todd *
Outstanding Projection and Video Design
- Simon Baker: Wuthering Heights
- Andrzej Goulding: Life of Pi *
- Caite Hevner: Between the Lines
- Josh Higgason: White Girl in Danger
- Nicholas Hussong: On That Day in Amsterdam
- Johnny Moreno: Public Obscenities
Outstanding Sound Design of a Play
- Justin Ellington: Ohio State Murders
- Tom Gibbons: Hamlet
- Josh Anio Grigg: Love
- Lee Kinney and Daniel Kluger: You Will Get Sick
- Ben & Max Ringham: A Doll’s House *
- Mikaal Sulaiman: Fat Ham
Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical
- Peter Hylenski: Almost Famous
- Scott Lehrer and Alex Neumann: Into the Woods *
- John Shiver: Shucked *
- Joanna Lynne Staub: Weightless
- 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
- 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
- Jessica Hendy: Walking With Bubbles
- Anthony Rapp: Without You
- Tracy Thorne: Jack Was Kind
Unique Theatrical Experience
- Asi Wind’s Inner Circle
- Peter Pan Goes Wrong *
- Plays for the Plague Year
- Zephyr
Outstanding Fight Choreography
- B.H. Barry: Camelot *
- Rocio Mendez: Día Y Noche
- Rocio Mendez: How to Defend Yourself
- Unkledave’s Fight-House: soft
Outstanding Adaptation
- A Doll’s House by Amy Herzog *
- Arden of Faversham by Jeffrey Hatcher and Kathryn Walat
- black odyssey by Marcus Gardley
- Oresteia by Robert Icke
- Wuthering Heights by Emma Rice
Outstanding Puppetry
- John Leader: Wuthering Heights
- 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
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