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Bette Midler and Ben Platt win big at 83rd Annual Drama League Awards
MAY 19, 2017
BY KIM PESTALOZZI
MIDTOWN, New York– The Drama League announced today the winners at the 83rdAnnual Drama League Awards Ceremony: Outstanding Production of a Musical, Dear Evan Hansen; Outstanding Production of a Play, Oslo; Outstanding Revival of a Musical,Hello, Dolly!; Outstanding Revival of a Play, Jitney; and Distinguished Performance Award, Ben Platt, becoming the youngest actor to have won the coveted award, at a star-studded luncheon ceremony hosted Broadway husband-and-wife royalty — 6-time Tony® Award winner Audra McDonald and Tony® Award nominee Will Swenson at the Marriott Marquis Times Square.
In addition to the competitive categories, Grammy® and Emmy® Award-winning, icon Bette Midler was honored with the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award; Bill Berloni was honored with the Unique Contribution to the Theater Award; and Michael Greif was honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing.
During the ceremony, Drama League Program Director Sherri Eden Barber introduced the 2017 Directing Fellows of The Drama League Directors Project: Michael Alvarez,Laura Brandel, Jillian Carucci, Tom Costello, Matt Dickson, Justin Emeka, Bonnie Gabel,Flordelino Lagundino, Rebecca Martinez, Kholoud Sawaf, and Gabriel Vega Weissman.
The 83rd Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon included a nominees cocktail reception, luncheon, and awards presentation held at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in the Broadway Ballroom (1535 Broadway) on Friday, May 19, 2017.
Resolution Life is the proud Lead Season Sponsor of The Drama League. LIFEWTR, Host Sponsor of the 83rd Annual Drama League Awards. Delta Air Lines is the Official Airline of The Drama League. MAC Cosmetics is the Official Make-up Partner of The Drama League. The Drama League Awards Chairpersons are Bonnie Comley and Jano Herbosch.
First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. The Drama League Awards recognize distinguished productions, performances, and exemplary career achievements. The first Drama League Award was presented to Katharine Cornell in 1935; since then, the Distinguished Performance Award has been accorded to a roster of theatre legends such as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Chita Rivera, Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Liam Neeson, Hugh Jackman, Patti LuPone, Glenn Close, Liev Schreiber, Sir John Gielgud, Harvey Fierstein, Cherry Jones, Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones, Helen Hayes, Jeremy Irons, Mary-Louise Parker, Sir Ian McKellen, Bernadette Peters, andChristopher Plummer.
2017 DRAMA LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
Dear Evan Hansen
Music Box Theatre
Book by Steven Levenson
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Directed by Michael Greif
Produced by Stacey Mindich, Mickey Liddell, Hunter Arnold, Caiola Productions, Double Gemini Productions, Fakston Productions, Roy Furman,
Harris Karma Productions, On Your Marks Group, Darren Bagert, Roger & William Berlind, Bob Boyett, Colin Callender, Caitlin Clements, Freddy DeMann,
Dante Di Loreto, Bonnie & Kenneth Feld, FickStern Productions, Eric and Marsi Gardiner, Robert Greenblatt, Jere Harris and Darren DeVerna,
The John Gore Organization, Mike Kriak, Arielle Tepper Madover, David Mirvish, Eva Price, Zeilinger Productions, Adam Zotovich, Ambassador Theatre Group,
Independent Presenters Network and The Shubert Organization (Philip J. Smith: Chairman; Robert E. Wankel: President);
Produced in association with Arena Stage (Molly Smith, Artistic Director; Edgar Dobie, Executive Director)
and Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director);
Associate Producer: Jayne Hong and Rachel Weinstein
* * *
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
Oslo
Lincoln Center Theater
Written by J.T. Rogers
Directed by Bartlett Sher
Produced by Lincoln Center Theater
(André Bishop: Producing Artistic Director; Adam Siegel: Managing Director;
Hattie K. Jutagir, Executive Director of Development and Planning)
* * *
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Shubert Theatre
Book by Michael Stewart
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Directed by Jerry Zaks
Produced by Scott Rudin, Roy Furman, James L. Nederlander, Eli Bush,
Universal Stage Productions, Roger Berlind, William Berlind, Heni Koenigsberg,
Terry Allen Kramer, Seth A. Goldstein, The John Gore Organization, Daryl Roth, The Araca Group,
Len Blavatnik, Eric Falkenstein, Ruth Hendel, Independent Presenters Network, Peter May,
Jay Alix & Una Jackman, Jane Bergère, Scott M. Delman, Wendy Federman, Stephanie P. McClelland,
Anita Waxman, Al Nocciolino, Spring Sirkin, Barbara Freitag and John Mara, Jr. & Benjamin Simpson
* * *
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Jitney
Manhattan Theatre Club
Written by August Wilson
Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grove, Executive Producer);
Produced in association with Eric Falkenstein, Ron Simons, John Legend/Mike Jackson and Ken Wirth
* * *
DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD
Ben Platt
Dear Evan Hansen
* * *
DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSICAL THEATRE
Bette Midler
* * *
UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO THE THEATRE
Bill Berloni
* * *
FOUNDERS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN DIRECTING
Michael Greif
Note: The Drama League also wishes to acknowledge the 2017 recipient of the Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater, Bette Midler. As an honoree, Ms. Midler was ineligible for nomination for her performance in Hello Dolly! this year.
