The Drama League shares Gratitude Awards nominations

The Gratitude Awards Spring 2020 will be presented online on Thursday, April 30 at 7:30pm (ET).

As previously reported, The Gratitude Awards Spring 2020, a one-time-only pre-recorded digital fundraiser, will be presented by the Drama League online on Thursday, April 30 at 7:30pm (ET). Designed as a public outlet for members of the New York theater community to show gratitude for each other, the League has now shared the nominations from ten top Broadway stars.

The video nominations have been submited by a theater dream team that includes Moulin Rouge! star Aaron Tveit, Tina star and Tony Award nominee Adrienne Warren, four-time Tony Award nominee Condola Rashad, Jagged Little Pill standout Elizabeth Stanley, Tony Award winner Idina Menzel, Tony Award winner Kelli O'Hara, Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth, Company director and two-time Tony Award winner Marianne Elliott, Tony Award nominee Megan Hilty, and three-time Tony Award winner Nathan Lane.

Check out the vignettes here to find out who these Broadway stars want to give thanks to...

The Gratitude Awards Spring 2020 broadcast is also set to include a special appearance by two-time Tony Award-winning Broadway legend Patti LuPone, as well as the nominations announcement for The 86th Annual Drama League Artistic Awards by Beetlejuice favorites Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer and two-time Tony Award nominee Alex Brightman.

In addition, the New York Theatre Guide would like to congratulate James Lapine, who has now been named as the 2020 recipient of the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award. Mr. Lapine has provided the books for a handful of top Broadway musicals and is a prolific director to boot. His many Broadway credits in the musical genre include Tony Award wins for Into the Woods (1988), Falsettos (1992), and Passion (1994), and a Tony nomination for Sunday in the Park with George (1984). This season he was set to be represented by the Broadway premiere of Flying Over Sunset at Lincoln Center Theater, providing the book and direction, but the current Broadway lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic was enforced on the day of the first scheduled preview at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.

Mr. Lapine joins the previously reported 2020 Special Award recipients Marianne Elliott (who will receive The Founders Award for Excellence in Directing) and the late great playwright Terrence McNally (who will be honored with The Unique Contribution to Theater Award).