'Hamilton' Sweeps and 'Curious Incident' Conquers: An Overview of the 2015 Drama Desk Awards

By Bridget McCarthy ’17 / Emertainment Monthly Stage Editor

The 60^th 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/

Missed the ceremony last night? Check out the entire 60th Annual Drama Desk Awards here.