‘Hamilton’ Sweeps and ‘Curious Incident’ Conquers: An Overview of the 2015 Drama Desk Awards
By Bridget McCarthy ’17 / Emertainment Monthly Stage Editor
The 60th Annual Drama Desk Awards ceremony took place last night at The Town Hall in NYC, where Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway productions came together to honor an incredible year of theater in New York City. With Broadway star Laura Benanti as host for the second year in a row, there were a lot of laughs from the beginning, as Benanti brought her ‘co-star’ in from The Rockettes Spring Spectacular – The Easter Bunny (Rob McClure).
But all laughs aside it was a serious night of wins for Broadway-bound musical Hamilton. This innovative “hip-hopera” won a total of seven awards including Outstanding Musical, making this the first time that an Off-Broadway production has won the award over Broadway favorites since Little Shop of Horrors triumphed in 1983. Hamilton’s inventive visionary Lin-Manuel Miranda was also individually recognized for his creation, taking home Best Book, Music, and Lyrics, sweeping the competition.
As for the plays, it was also a successful night for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, leading the pack with six awards including Outstanding Play and Outstanding Actor for young Juilliard graduate Alex Sharp. Curious Incident also took home Outstanding Director of a Play (Marianne Elliot), and four well-deserved awards for Lighting Design (Paule Constable), Projection Design (Finn Ross), and Sound Design (Ian Dickinson).
Dame Helen Mirren was deservedly given the title of Outstanding Actress in a Play for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in The Audience, a character that Mirren is no stranger to. Kristin Chenoweth won for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her return to Broadway in On the Twentieth Century. Both Annaleigh Ashford (Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: You Can’t Take It With You), and Christian Borle (Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Something Rotten!), took home acting awards for comedic performances. Meanwhile, K. Todd Freeman was named Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for his serious and honest acting in Airline Highway.
Both Fun Home and Hand to God were not eligible because they were nominated last year in their previous runs off-Broadway. Even though Hamilton swept the night at the Drama Desk’s, their wins give no indication as to who will take home the Tony’s next week, since they are also not eligible because they are off-Broadway. However, if last night was at all a hint as to how the Tony’s will play out, it looks like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time will once again conquer.
For a complete list of winners at the 60th Annual Drama Desk Awards see below:
Outstanding Play
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Outstanding Musical
Hamilton
Outstanding Revival of a Play
The Elephant Man
Outstanding Revival of a Musical
The King and I
Outstanding Actor in a Play
Alexander Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Outstanding Actress in a Play
Helen Mirren, The Audience
Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Robert Fairchild, An American in Paris
Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Kristin Chenoweth, On the Twentieth Century
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Todd Freeman, Airline Highway
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Annaleigh Ashford, You Can’t Take It with You
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Christian Borle, Something Rotten!
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Renee Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Outstanding Director of a Play
Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Outstanding Director of a Musical
Thomas Kail, Hamilton
Outstanding Choreography
Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris
Outstanding Music
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Outstanding Lyrics
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Outstanding Book of a Musical
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Outstanding Orchestrations
Christopher Austin, An American in Paris
Outstanding Music in a Play
Arthur Solari & Jane Shaw, Tamburlaine the Great
Outstanding Set Design
Bob Crowley, An American in Paris
Outstanding Costume Design
Catherine Zuber, Gigi
For the complete list of Drama Desk Award nominations visit: http://dramadeskawards.com/2015-nominations/