2024 Drama Desk Award Winners Announced

The winners of the  2024 Drama Desk Awards were announced last night in New York City. The Drama Desk Award nominators considered shows that opened on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway during the 2023-2024 New York theater season that ended on April 25, 2024. Productions must run for 21 or more live performances to be considered eligible. The acclaimed play Stereophonic won for Outstanding Play, and the new musical Dead Outlaw won Outstanding Musical. I’m especially happy to see two stars of the recent Broadway musical Days of Wine and Roses – Kelli O’Hara and Brian D’Arcy James – honored for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical along with Maleah Joi Moon (Hell’s Kitchen) in a 3-way tie. As I wrote in my review of the show, Kelli and Brian delivered two of the strongest performances I’ve seen on Broadway in many years.

Journey To The Bottom Of The Bottle – “Days Of Wine And Roses” https://t.co/FZvE9ee1Cj #Broadway pic.twitter.com/fEFc9ejyYf

— The Randy Report ️‍ (@randyslovacek) March 9, 2024

Here are just some of those honored by the 2024 Drama Desk Awards (winners noted by asterisks). You can find the complete list over at  Broadway World: Outstanding Play Infinite Life, by Annie Baker, Atlantic Theater Company Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, by Jocelyn Bioh, Manhattan Theatre Club Mother Play, by Paula Vogel, Second Stage Theater **Stereophonic, by David Adjmi, Playwrights Horizons** Swing State, by Rebecca Gilman, Goodman Theatre The Ally, by Itamar Moses, The Public Theater Outstanding Musical **Dead Outlaw** Illinoise, Park Avenue Armory Lizard Boy, Prospect Theater Company Teeth, Playwrights Horizons The Connector, MCC Theater The Outsiders Outstanding Revival of a Play **Appropriate, Second Stage Theater** Doubt: A Parable, Roundabout Theatre Company Philadelphia, Here I Come!, Irish Repertory Theatre Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch Uncle Vanya, OHenry Productions Outstanding Revival of a Musical Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club Gutenberg! The Musical! **I Can Get It for You Wholesale, Classic Stage Company** Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play Nicole Cooper, Macbeth (an undoing), Theatre for a New Audience, Rose Theatre, and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh William Jackson Harper, Primary Trust, Roundabout Theatre Company **Jessica Lange, Mother Play, Second Stage Theater** Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane, Manhattan Theatre Club Tobias Menzies, The Hunt, St. Ann’s Warehouse and Almeida Theatre Leslie Odom, Jr., Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch **Sarah Paulson, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater** A.J. Shively, Philadelphia, Here I Come!, Irish Repertory Theatre Juliet Stevenson, The Doctor, Park Avenue Armory Michael Stuhlbarg, Patriots Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw Santino Fontana, I Can Get It for You Wholesale, Classic Stage Company Brody Grant, The Outsiders **Brian d’Arcy James, Days of Wine and Roses, Atlantic Theater Company** **Maleah Joi Moon, Hell’s Kitchen** **Kelli O’Hara, Days of Wine and Roses, Atlantic Theater Company** Liam Pearce, How to Dance in Ohio Gayle Rankin, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club Ben Levi Ross, The Connector, MCC Theater Ricky Ubeda, Illinoise, Park Avenue Armory Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play Brittany Adebumola, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Manhattan Theatre Club Marylouise Burke, Infinite Life, Atlantic Theater Company Michael Esper, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater Marin Ireland, Uncle Vanya, OHenry Productions Will Keen, Patriots **Celia Keenan-Bolger, Mother Play, Second Stage Theater** Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary! Sheila Tousey, Manahatta, The Public Theater Bubba Weiler, Swing State, Goodman Theatre **Kara Young, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch** Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical Shoshana Bean, Hell’s Kitchen Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club, Atlantic Theater Company Dorian Harewood, The Notebook Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Monty Python’s Spamalot **Kecia Lewis, Hell’s Kitchen** **Bebe Neuwirth, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club** Steven Pasquale, Teeth, Playwrights Horizons Maryann Plunkett, The Notebook Thom Sesma, Dead Outlaw Emily Skinner, Suffs Outstanding Direction of a Play **Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic, Playwrights Horizons** Rupert Goold, The Hunt, St. Ann’s Warehouse and Almeida Theatre Kenny Leon, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch Lila Neugebauer, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater Ciarán O’Reilly, Philadelphia, Here I Come!, Irish Repertory Theatre Outstanding Direction of a Musical David Cromer, Dead Outlaw Rebecca Frecknall, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club Daisy Prince, The Connector, MCC Theater **Jessica Stone, Water for Elephants** Danya Taymor, The Outsiders Outstanding Choreography Camille A. Brown, Hell’s Kitchen Graciela Daniele and Alex Sanchez, The Gardens of Anuncia, Lincoln Center Theater Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman, The Outsiders (includes fight choreography) Lorin Latarro, The Heart of Rock and Roll **Justin Peck, Illinoise, Park Avenue Armory** Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, Water for Elephants (includes circus choreography) Outstanding Music Jason Robert Brown, The Connector, MCC Theater Justin Huertas, Lizard Boy, Prospect Theater Company Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, The Outsiders **Shaina Taub, Suffs** David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, Dead Outlaw Outstanding Lyrics Rachel Bloom, Eli Bolin, and Jack Dolgen, Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Show Jason Robert Brown, The Connector, MCC Theater Michael R. Jackson, Teeth, Playwrights Horizons Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, The Outsiders **David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, Dead Outlaw** Outstanding Book of a Musical Justin Huertas, Lizard Boy, Prospect Theater Company Michael R. Jackson and Anna K. Jacobs, Teeth, Playwrights Horizons Michael John LaChiusa, The Gardens of Anuncia, Lincoln Center Theater Rebekah Greer Melocik, How to Dance in Ohio **Itamar Moses, Dead Outlaw**