2018 Drama Desk Winners: SpongeBob SquarePants, Admissions, Angels in America, My Fair Lady

 

SpongeBob SquarePants won best musical and Angels in America won best revival of a play in the 63rd annual Drama Desk Awards. Andrew Garfield and Glenda Jackson won outstanding actor and actress in a play, Ethan Slater and Jessie Mueller outstanding actor and actress in a musical.

Complete list of winners below,  in red with an * (Click on titles to get more information about the show.)

Those nominees with a heart mark (♥) are ones I voted for. (I’m a voting member of the Drama Desk.)

Outstanding Play

*Admissions, by Joshua Harmon, Lincoln Center Theater

Mary Jane, by Amy Herzog, New York Theatre Workshop

Miles for Mary, by The Mad Ones, Playwrights Horizons

People, Places & Things, by Duncan Macmillan, National Theatre/St. Ann’s Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong

School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, by Jocelyn Bioh, MCC Theater


Outstanding Musical

Desperate Measures, The York Theatre Company

KPOP, Ars Nova/Ma-Yi Theatre Company/Woodshed Collective

Mean Girls

Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2b Theatre Company/59E59

*♥ SpongeBob SquarePants


Outstanding Revival of a Play

*Angels in America

Hindle Wakes, Mint Theater Company

In the Blood, Signature Theatre Company

Three Tall Women

Travesties, Menier Chocolate Factory/Roundabout Theatre Company


Outstanding Revival of a Musical

Amerike-The Golden Land, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene

Carousel

*♥ My Fair Lady, Lincoln Center Theater

Once on This Island

Pacific Overtures, Classic Stage Company


Outstanding Actor in a Play

Johnny Flynn, Hangmen, Royal Court Theatre/Atlantic Theater Company

*Andrew Garfield, Angels in America

♥ Tom Hollander, Travesties, Menier Chocolate Factory/Roundabout Theatre Company

James McArdle, Angels in America

Paul Sparks, At Home at the Zoo, Signature Theatre Company


Outstanding Actress in a Play

Carrie Coon, Mary Jane, New York Theatre Workshop

Denise Gough, People, Places & Things, National Theatre/St. Ann’s Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong

*♥ Glenda Jackson, Three Tall Women

Laurie Metcalf, Three Tall Women

Billie Piper, Yerma, Young Vic/Park Avenue Armory


Outstanding Actor in a Musical

Jelani Alladin, Frozen

Harry Hadden-Paton, My Fair Lady

Joshua Henry, Carousel

Evan Ruggiero, Bastard Jones, the cell

*♥ Ethan Slater, SpongeBob SquarePants


Outstanding Actress in a Musical

Gizel Jiménez, Miss You Like Hell, The Public Theater

LaChanze, Summer

*Jessie Mueller, Carousel

♥ Ashley Park, KPOP, Ars Nova/Ma-Yi Theater Company/Woodshed Collective

Daphne Rubin-Vega, Miss You Like Hell, The Public Theater


Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play

♥ Anthony Boyle, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Ben Edelman, Admissions, Lincoln Center Theater

Brian Tyree Henry, Lobby Hero, Second Stage

* Nathan Lane, Angels in America

David Morse, The Iceman Cometh

Gregg Mozgala, Cost of Living, Manhattan Theatre Club


Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

Jocelyn Bioh, In the Blood, Signature Theatre

* Jamie Brewer, Amy and the Orphans, Roundabout Underground

♥ Barbara Marten, People, Places & Things, National Theatre/St. Ann’s Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong

Deirdre O’Connell, Fulfillment Center, Manhattan Theatre Club

Constance Shulman, Bobbie Clearly, Roundabout Underground


Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical

Damon Daunno, The Lucky Ones, Ars Nova

Alexander Gemignani, Carousel

Grey Henson, Mean Girls

*♥ Gavin Lee, SpongeBob SquarePants

Tony Yazbeck, Prince of Broadway, Manhattan Theatre Club


Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

*♥ Lindsay Mendez, Carousel

Kenita R. Miller, Once on This Island

Ashley Park, Mean Girls

Diana Rigg, My Fair Lady

Kate Rockwell, Mean Girls


Outstanding Director of a Play

Marianne Elliott, Angels in America

Jeremy Herrin, People, Places & Things, National Theatre/St. Ann’s Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong

♥ Joe Mantello, Three Tall Women

Lila Neugebauer, Miles for Mary, Playwrights Horizons

Simon Stone, Yerma, Young Vic/Park Avenue Armory

*John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child


Outstanding Director of a Musical

Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2b Theatre Company/59E59

Teddy Bergman, KPOP, Ars Nova/Ma-Yi Theater Company/Woodshed Collective

Jack O’Brien, Carousel

*♥ Tina Landau, SpongeBob SquarePants

Bartlett Sher, My Fair Lady


The LaDuca Award for Outstanding Choreography

Camille A. Brown, Once on This Island

Christopher Gattelli, SpongeBob SquarePants

Casey Nicholaw, Mean Girls

*♥ Justin Peck, Carousel

Nejla Yatkin, The Boy Who Danced on Air, Abingdon Theatre Company


Outstanding Music

The Bengsons, The Lucky Ones, Ars Nova/Piece by Piece Productions/Z Space

Ben Caplan, Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2b Theatre Company/59E59

*David Friedman, Desperate Measures, The York Theatre Company

♥ Erin McKeown, Miss You Like Hell, The Public Theater

Helen Park, Max Vernon, KPOP, Ars Nova/Ma-Yi Theater Company/Woodshed Collective


Outstanding Lyrics

Nell Benjamin, Mean Girls

♥ Quiara Alegría Hudes/Erin McKeown, Miss You Like Hell, Public Theatre

*Peter Kellogg, Desperate Measures, The York Theatre Company

Helen Park, Max Vernon, KPOP, Ars Nova/Ma-Yi Theater Company/Woodshed Collective


Outstanding Book of a Musical

*Tina Fey, Mean Girls

♥ Kyle Jarrow, SpongeBob Squarepants

Peter Kellogg, Desperate Measures, York Theatre Company

Hannah Moscovitch, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2B Theatre/59E59


Outstanding Orchestrations

Tom Kitt, SpongeBob SquarePants

Annmarie Milazzo and Michael Starobin (John Bertles and Bash the Trash, found instrument design) Once on This Island

Charlie Rosen, Erin McKeown, Miss You Like Hell, Public Theater

Jonathan Tunick, Pacific Overtures, Classic Stage Company

*♥ Jonathan Tunick, Carousel


Outstanding Music in a Play

*Imogen Heap, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

♥ Justin Hicks, Mlima’s Tale, Public Theatre

Amatus Karim-Ali, The Homecoming Queen, Atlantic Theater Company

Justin Levine, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Public Theater

Adrian Sutton, Angels in America


The Hudson Scenic Studio Award for Outstanding Set Design of a Play

*♥ Miriam Buether, Three Tall Women

Bunny Christie, People, Places & Things, St. Ann’s Warehouse/National Theatre/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong

Lizzie Clachan, Yerma, Young Vic/Park Avenue Armory

Maruti Evans, Kill Move Paradise, National Black Theatre

Louisa Thompson, In the Blood, Signature Theatre


Outstanding Set Design for a Musical

Louisa Adamson, Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2b Theatre Company/59E59

Beowulf Boritt, Prince of Broadway, Manhattan Theatre Club

Dane Laffrey, Once on This Island

♥ Santo Loquasto, Carousel

*David Zinn, SpongeBob SquarePants


Outstanding Costume Design for a Play

Dede M. Ayite, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, MCC Theater

* ♥ Jonathan Fensom, Farinelli and the King

Katrina Lindsay, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Ann Roth, Three Tall Women

Emilio Sosa, Venus, Signature Theatre


Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical

Gregg Barnes, Mean Girls

Clint Ramos, Once on This Island

David Zinn, SpongeBob SquarePants

*♥ Catherine Zuber, My Fair Lady, Lincoln Center Theater

Dede M. Ayite, Bella: An American Tall Tale, Playwrights Horizons


Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play

*♥ Neil Austin, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Natasha Chivers, 1984

Alan C. Edwards, Kill Move Paradise, National Black Theatre

Paul Gallo, Three Tall Women

Paul Russell, Farinelli and the King


Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical

Louisa Adamson, Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2B Theatre Company/59E59

Amith Chandrashaker, The Lucky Ones

*Jules Fisher, Peggy Eisenhauer, Once on This Island

Brian MacDevitt, Carousel

♥ Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, KPOP, Ars Nova, Ma-Yi Theater Company, Woodshed Collective


Outstanding Projection Design

David Bengali, Van Gogh’s Ear, Ensemble for the Romantic Century

Andrezj Goulding, People, Places & Things, National Theatre/St. Ann’s Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong

Peter Nigrini, SpongeBob SquarePants

♥ Finn Ross and Adam Young, Mean Girls

* Finn Ross and Ash J. Woodward, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child


Outstanding Sound Design in a Play

Brendan Aanes, Balls, One Year Lease Theater Company/Stages Repertory Theatre/59E59

*Gareth Fry, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Tom Gibbons, 1984

♥ Tom Gibbons, People, Places & Things, National Theatre/St. Ann’s Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong

Stefan Gregory, Yerma, Young Vic/Park Avenue Armory

Palmer Hefferan, Today is My Birthday, Page 73 Productions


Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical

*♥ Kai Harada, The Band’s Visit

Scott Lehrer, Carousel

Will Pickens, KPOP, Ars Nova, Ma-Yi Theatre Company, Woodshed Collective

Dan Moses Schreier, Pacific Overtures, Classic Stage Company


Outstanding Wig and Hair

Carole Hancock, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Campbell Young Associates, Farinelli and the King

Cookie Jordan, School Girls;, or The African Mean Girls Play, MCC Theater

*♥ Charles G. LaPointe, SpongeBob SquarePants

Josh Marquette, Mean Girls


Outstanding Solo Performance

*♥ Billy Crudup, Harry Clarke, Vineyard Theatre

David Greenspan, Strange Interlude, Transport Group

Jon Levin, A Hunger Artist, The Tank/Flint & Tinder

Lesli Margherita, Who’s Holiday!

Sophie Melville, Iphigenia in Splott, Sherman Theatre, Cardiff/59E59


The Chase Award for Unique Theatrical Experience

* Derren Brown: Secret, Atlantic Theater Company

Master, Foundry Theatre

Say Something Bunny!


Outstanding Fight Choreography

J. David Brimmer, Is God Is, Soho Rep

*Steve Rankin, Carousel

♥ Unkle Dave’s Fight House, Oedipus El Rey, The Public Theater/The Sol Project


Outstanding Puppet Design

Finn Caldwell, Nick Barnes, Angels in America

* ♥ Michael Curry, Frozen

Charlie Kanev, Sarah Nolan, and Jonathan Levin, A Hunger Artist, The Tank/Flint & Tinder

Vandy Wood, The Artificial Jungle, Theatre Breaking Through Barriers


SPECIAL AWARDS

To Sean Carvajal and Edi Gathegi of Jesus Hopped the A Train whose last-minute entrances into the Signature production of this powerful play ensured it had a happy real-life ending

Ensemble Award: To Nabiyah Be, MaameYaa Boafo, Paige Gilbert, Zainab Jah, Nike Kadri, Abena Mensah-Bonsu, Mirirai Sithole, and Myra Lucretia Taylor of School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play, whose characters learn the facts of life but whose portrayers taught us all a thing or two about the way things are.

Sam Norkin Award: To Juan Castano, whose varied performances this season in Oedipus El Rey, A Parallelogram, and Transfers not only make a complex statement about American life but also indicate great things to come for this talented performer.

 

Author: New York Theater

Jonathan Mandell is a 3rd generation NYC journalist, who sees shows, reads plays, writes reviews and sometimes talks with people.

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