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2013 Drama Desk Award Winners

Great night for theater in the Big Apple tonight. The 2013 Drama Desk Awards were presented and can I say – excellence all around!

Personal happiness here for the fab Billy Porter, who won tonight for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (KINKY BOOTS).

AND the brilliant Cicely Tyson in her return to Broadway in 30 years for Outstanding Actress in a Play (THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL); Judith Light for Featured Actress in a Play (THE ASSEMBLED PARTIES); AND congrats to Chet Walker & Gypsy Snider for their inspired choreography for the revival of PIPPIN.

Here’s a complete list of nominees and winners (indicated by the **):

Outstanding Play

Annie Baker, The Flick
Christopher Durang, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike **
Joe Gilford, Finks
Richard Greenberg, The Assembled Parties
Amy Herzog, Belleville
Deanna Jent, Falling
Richard Nelson, Sorry

Outstanding Musical

A Christmas Story: The Musical
Giant
Hands on a Hardbody
Here Lies Love
Matilda **
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
The Other Josh Cohen

Outstanding Revival of a Play

Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? **
Golden Boy
Good Person of Szechwan
The Piano Lesson
The Trip to Bountiful
Uncle Vanya

Outstanding Revival of a Musical or Revue

Passion
Pippin **
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
The Golden Land
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Working: A Musical

Outstanding Actor in a Play

Reed Birney, Uncle Vanya
Daniel Everidge, Falling
Tom Hanks, Lucky Guy
Shuler Hensley, The Whale
Nathan Lane, The Nance
Tracy Letts, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? **

Outstanding Actress in a Play

Maria Dizzia, Belleville
Amy Morton, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Julia Murney, Falling
Vanessa Redgrave, The Revisionist
Miriam Silverman, Finks
Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful **

Outstanding Actor in a Musical

Eric Anderson, Soul Doctor
Brian d’Arcy James, Giant
Jim Norton, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Billy Porter, Kinky Boots **
Steve Rosen, The Other Josh Cohen
Ryan Silverman, Passion
Anthony Warlow, Annie

Outstanding Actress in a Musical

Kate Baldwin, Giant
Stephanie J. Block, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Carolee Carmello, Scandalous
Lindsay Mendez, Dogfight
Donna Murphy, Into the Woods
Laura Osnes, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella **
Jenny Powers, Donnybrook!

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play

Chuck Cooper, The Piano Lesson
Peter Friedman, The Great God Pan
Richard Kind, The Big Knife **
Aaron Clifton Moten, The Flick
Brian F. O’Byrne, If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet
Tony Shalhoub, Golden Boy

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

Tasha Lawrence, The Whale
Judith Light, The Assembled Parties **
Kellie Overbey, Sleeping Rough
Maryann Plunkett, Sorry
Condola Rashad, The Trip to Bountiful
Laila Robins, Sorry

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical

Stephen Bogardus, Passion
John Bolton, A Christmas Story: The Musical
Keith Carradine, Hands on a Hardbody
Bertie Carvel, Matilda **
John Dossett, Giant
Andy Karl, The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

Annaleigh Ashford, Kinky Boots
Melissa Errico, Passion
Andrea Martin, Pippin **
Jessie Mueller, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Christiane Noll, Chaplin: The Musical
Keala Settle, Hands on a Hardbody
Kate Wetherhead, The Other Josh Cohen

Outstanding Director of a Play

Lear deBessonet, Good Person of Szechwan
Sam Gold, Uncle Vanya
Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, Restoration Comedy
Pam MacKinnon, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? **
Lynne Meadow, The Assembled Parties
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, The Piano Lesson

Outstanding Director of a Musical

Andy Blankenbuehler, Bring It On: The Musical
Rachel Chavkin, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
John Doyle, Passion
Diane Paulus, Pippin **
Emma Rice, The Wild Bride
Alex Timbers, Here Lies Love
Matthew Warchus, Matilda

Outstanding Choreography

Andy Blankenbuehler, Bring It On: The Musical
Warren Carlyle, A Christmas Story: The Musical
Peter Darling, Matilda
Josh Rhodes, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Sergio Trujillo, Hands on a Hardbody
Chet Walker and Gypsy Snider, Pippin **

Outstanding Music

Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green, Hands on a Hardbody
David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, Here Lies Love **
Michael John LaChiusa, Giant
Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, A Christmas Story: The Musical
David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, The Other Josh Cohen

Outstanding Lyrics

Amanda Green, Hands on a Hardbody
Amanda Green and Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bring It On: The Musical
Michael John LaChiusa, Giant
Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Tim Minchin, Matilda **
David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, The Other Josh Cohen

Outstanding Book of a Musical

Dennis Kelly, Matilda **
Sybille Pearson, Giant
Joseph Robinette, A Christmas Story: The Musical
David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, The Other Josh Cohen
Jeff Whitty, Bring It On: The Musical
Doug Wright, Hands on a Hardbody

Outstanding Orchestrations

Trey Anastasio and Don Hart, Hands on a Hardbody
Larry Blank, A Christmas Story: The Musical
Bruce Coughlin, Giant
Larry Hochman, Chaplin: The Musical
Steve Margoshes, Soul Doctor
Danny Troob, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella **

Outstanding Music in a Play

Cesar Alvarez with The Lisps, Good Person of Szechwan
Jiri Kaderabek, Mahir Cetiz, and Ana Milosavljevic, Act Before You Speak: The Tragical
History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Glen Kelly, The Nance **
Eugene Ma, The Man Who Laughs
Steve Martin, As You Like It
Jane Wang, Strange Tales of Liaozhai

Outstanding Revue

Forbidden Broadway: Alive & Kicking!
Old Hats **
Old Jews Telling Jokes

Outstanding Set Design

Rob Howell, Matilda **
Mimi Lien, The Whale
Santo Loquasto, The Assembled Parties
Anna Louizos, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Michael Yeargan, Golden Boy
David Zinn, The Flick

Outstanding Costume Design

Amy Clark and Martin Pakledinaz, Chaplin: The Musical
Dominique Lemieux, Pippin
William Ivey Long, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella **
Chris March, Chris March’s The Butt-Cracker Suite! A Trailer Park Ballet
Loren Shaw, Restoration Comedy
Paloma Young, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Outstanding Lighting Design

Ken Billington, Chaplin: The Musical
Jane Cox, Passion
Kenneth Posner, Pippin
Justin Townsend, Here Lies Love Daniel Winters, The Man Who Laughs **
Scott Zielinski, A Civil War Christmas

Outstanding Projection Design

Jon Driscoll, Chaplin: The Musical
Wendall K. Harrington, Old Hats
Peter Nigrini, Here Lies Love **
Darrel Maloney, Checkers
Pedro Pires, Cirque du Soleil: Totem
Aaron Rhyne, Wild With Happy

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical (3-WAY TIE)

Steve Canyon Kennedy, Hands on a Hardbody **
Scott Lehrer and Drew Levy, Chaplin: The Musical **
Tony Meola, The Mystery of Edwin Drood **
Brian Ronan, Bring It On: The Musical
Brian Ronan, Giant
Dan Moses Schreier, Passion

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play

Ien DeNio, The Pilo Family Circus
Steve Fontaine, Last Man Club
Christian Frederickson, Through the Yellow Hour
Lindsay Jones, Wild With Happy
Mel Mercier, The Testament of Mary **
Fergus O’Hare, Macbeth

Outstanding Solo Performance

Joel de la Fuente, Hold These Truths
Kathryn Hunter, Kafka’s Monkey
Bette Midler, I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers
Julian Sands, A Celebration of Harold Pinter
Holland Taylor, Ann
Michael Urie, Buyer & Cellar **

Unique Theatrical Experience

Bello Mania
Chris March’s The Butt-Cracker Suite! A Trailer Park Ballet
Cirque du Soleil: Totem **
That Play: A Solo Macbeth
The Fazzino Ride
The Man Who Laughs

Read more about SPECIAL COVERAGE: All the 2013 Drama Desk Award Winners – MATILDA, VANYA AND SONIA, PIPPIN, VIRGINIA WOOLF and More! by broadwayworld.com

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ABC News’ Jonathan Karl regrets errors made in Benghazi

ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, whose “exclusive” story on emails regarding talking points for the Benghazi tragedy, expressed “regret” over admitted inaccuracies in his reporting via a statement on Sunday:

Karl, the network’s White House correspondent, recently provoked controversy after his exclusive report that quoted emails which allegedly showed the Obama administration made numerous edits to, and scrubbed information from the talking points on Benghazi.

He said that ABC News had reviewed emails in question, but it was later revealed that the quotes were actually from a source claiming to have summarized the emails, and were misleading.

On Sunday’s “Reliable Sources,” Howard Kurtz relayed a statement from the ABC News correspondent: “Clearly, I regret the email was quoted incorrectly and I regret that it’s become a distraction from the story, which still entirely stands. I should have been clearer about the attribution. We updated our story immediately.”

Guest David Shuster came down hard on Karl on Sunday, telling Kurtz, “The story was wrong. The attribution was wrong. And he’s still not characterizing the source as a Republican source, even though other news organizations are already doing that. So I just think the problems continue for ABC News in all of this.”

(source)

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Big surprise: Sarah Palin mangles “umbrella” metaphor

Let’s see: Three Republicans – Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.  One Democrat – President Obama. 

Is Sarah Palin, the former half-term governor of Alaska, as upset that the Republican presidents had someone hold an umbrella for them as she is about President Obama…?

 
Oh, and speaking of Americans who’ve had someone hold their umbrella for them:
 

Gee, Sarah – those were the days.  Weren’t they?

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Single ticket holder in Florida wins largest Powerball lottery ever

A single winning ticket for a record Powerball lottery jackpot worth $590.5 million was sold in Florida, organizers said late on Saturday, but there was no immediate word about who won one of the largest jackpots in U.S. history.

The winning numbers from Saturday night’s drawing were: 10, 13, 14, 22 and 52, with a Powerball number of 11. The odds of winning were put at 1 in 175 million.

The winning ticket was sold at a Publix supermarket in Zephyrhills, a suburb of Tampa, according to the Florida Lottery.

The largest jackpot in U.S. history stands at $656 million, won in the Mega Millions lottery of March 2012. That prize was split between winners in Maryland, Kansas and Illinois.

Can you imagine being the lone winner? What would you do with the winnings? Comment below…

(source)

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SNL season finale – Weekend Update “Farewell for Stefon” featuring Anderson Cooper

With castmembers Bill Hader and Seth Meyers leaving the show, Hader’s club-kid “Stefon” married Meyer’s “Weekend Update” host. But first Meyers had to chase Stefon through the streets of New York and prevent him from marrying Anderson Cooper.

Plus, in an effort to help those about to face fabulous gay weddings, there is now “New Xanax for gay summer weddings.”

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NYC: Candlelight vigil held in West Village for shooting victim of anti-gay hate crime

All photos via JMG

Late last night, hundreds attended a candlelight vigil in Greenwich Village to remember Mark Carson, who was shot and killed in a hate crime just hours earlier. Speaker after speaker exhorted the crowd: “Say his name! Mark Carson, Mark Carson, MARK CARSON!”

The event was organized by Adam Feldman and speakers included activists Eugene Lovendusky, Robert Pinter, and Brendan Fay. Among the local politicos in attendance were state Sen. Brad Hoylman, state Assemblyman Micah Kellner, and City Council candidate Corey Johnson.

According to Joe Jervis at JoeMyGod, speaker after speaker exhorted the crowd: “Say his name!” Everybody: “Mark Carson, Mark Carson, MARK CARSON!”

On Monday there will be a rally at the LGBT Community Center at 5:30PM, followed by a march to the scene of the murder.

CNN has named the alleged suspect in custody. He reportedly confessed to the NYPD early this morning.

Around 4 a.m., a police officer, responding to a radio alert of the shooting, came across the alleged gunman and apprehended him. The suspect turned over a silver Taurus .38-caliber six-shot revolver, according to police.

Police later identified the suspect as Elliot Morales, 33. Police said the suspect had forged identification and they used facial recognition technology to determine his true identity.

Morales faces a charge of second-degree murder as a hate crime, authorities said. The identities of the suspect’s two companions — at least one of whom Kelly said left the suspect before the shooting — are still not known.

(from JMG)

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NYC: More details emerge in hate-crime shooting of 32 year old gay man

The NY Daily News has published the name and photo of last night’s victim of the fatal anti-gay hate crime last night in Greenwich Village.

Mark Carson, 32, was confronted, harrassed, then stalked and shot in the face by an as-yet unidentified assailant. The shooter was with two friends when he first approached Carson and his friend on Sixth Ave. about midnight, police said.

From the Daily News:

Sources said Carson and his 31-year-old friend were dressed in tank tops and cut-off shorts with boots. “Look at these faggots,” one of the suspect’s crew barked at the pair. “What are you, gay wrestlers?” The two groups exchanged words, but Carson and his pal decided it was better to walk away.

But as they turned the corner, the suspect and one of his cohorts confronted the pair again and taunted them by shouting “faggott” and “queer,” Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. One of the bigots got nervous and ran away as the suspect asked the two gay men, “Do you want to die here?” Kelly said. Suddenly, the suspect whipped out a silver .38-caliber revolver and shot Carson in the face. The shooter ran away as Carson collapsed on the sidewalk.

As emergency crews rushed Carson to Beth Israel Hospital, rookie cop Henry Huot was responding to the job and spotted the gunman at W. Third and MacDougal Sts. — where he ordered the suspect to stop.

The suspect was cuffed as Carson died on arrival at the hospital.

There will be a candle light vigil held at the scene of the crime tonight at midnight.

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France: President Hollande signs marriage equality into law

Francois Hollande signed a bill on Friday legalizing such nuptials.

The Constitutional Council affirmed Hollande’s signing and the bill is now law.  The new legislation  will take effect on May 29.  France becomes the 14th nation to legalize marriage equality.

Leading up to Hollande’s signing, violent demonstrations for and against marriage equality rocked the country.  Anti-gay protesters have another protest against marriage equality planned for May 26.

LGBT people were also routinely attacked during the weeks leading up to the votes in the French legislature.

(source)