Scenes from the 2014 Drama League Awards

THE DRAMA LEAGUE

ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF

80^th ANNUAL AWARDS

“A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER”

NAMED DISTINGUISHED MUSICAL

“ALL THE WAY”

NAMED DISTINGUISHED PLAY

“HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH”

NAMED DISTINGUISHED REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

“THE GLASS MENAGERIE”

NAMED DISTINGUISHED REVIVAL OF A PLAY

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS

RECEIVES DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD

STAR STUDDED CEREMONY HELD MAY 16^TH

AT THE MARRIOTT MARQUIS TIMES SQUARE

New York, NY (May 16, 2014) – The Drama League (Executive Director, Gabriel Shanks) announced today the winners for the 80^th Annual Drama League Awards:  Distinguished Production of a  Musical, A Gentleman’s Guide To Love and Murder;  Distinguished Play,All The Way;  Distinguished Revival of a Musical, Hedwig and the Angry Inch;  Distinguished Revival of a Play, The Glass Menagerie; and Distinguished Performance, Neil Patrick Harris at a star-studded luncheon ceremony hosted by Jesse Tyler Fergusonat the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway).

In addition to the competitive categories, Kennedy Center Honoree, Tony®, and Grammy® Award nominee, Barbara Cook was honored with the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award in recognition of her contribution to the musical theatre;  Key Brand Entertainment/Broadway Across America: John Gore was honored with the Unique Contribution to the Theatre Award for the continuing efforts in promoting live theatre; and Tony®, Drama Desk and OBIE Award-winner John Tiffany was honored with The Founders Award for Excellence in Directing.

During the ceremony, director Michael Mayer introduced the 2014 Fellows of The Drama League Directors Project:  Zi Alikhan, Melissa Crespo, John Michael DiResta, Ellie Heyman, Lavina Jadhwani, Michael Leibenluft, Michael Osinki, Hannah Ryan, Teya Sugareva, Caitlin Sullivan, and Emma Weinstein.

The 80^th 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 16, 2014.  Drama League Board President Jano Herbosch was joined by Bonnie Comley as Co-Chair.  GenSpring Family Offices, National Life Group, PepsiCoand Financier Patisserie were the 2014 Sponsors of The 80th Annual Drama League Awards.

First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. They are the only major theatergoer awards chosen by audience members — specifically, by the thousands of Drama League members nationwide who attend Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.

The Drama League Awards honor distinguished productions, performances, and exemplary career achievements in musical theatre and directing. 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 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, Julie Harris, Helen Hayes, Jeremy Irons, Mary-Louise Parker, Sir Ian McKellen, Bernadette Peters, and Christopher Plummer.

2014 DRAMA LEAGUE AWARDS WINNERS

DISTINGUISHED PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL

A Gentleman’s Guide To Love And Murder

Walter Kerr Theatre

Book and Lyrics by Robert L.  Freedman, Music and Lyrics by Steven Lutvak

Directed by Darko Tresnjak

Joey Parnes, S.D. Wagner, John Johnson, 50 Church Street Productions, Joan Raffe and Jhett Tolentino,

Jay Alix and Una Jackman, Catherine and Fred Adler, Rhoda Herrick, Kathleen K. Johnson, Megan

Savage, Shadowcatcher Entertainment, Ron Simons, True Love Productions, Jamie deRoy, Four Ladies

& One Gent, John Arthur Pinckard, Greg Nobile, Stewart Lane and Bonnie Comley, Exeter Capital/Ted Snowdon, Ryan Hugh Mackey, Cricket-CTM Media/Mano-Horn Productions, Dennis Grimaldi/Margot Astrachan, Hello Entertainment/Jamie Bendell, Michael T. Cohen/Joe Strola, Joseph and Carson Gleberman/William Megevick, Green State Productions, Robert Greenblatt, producers in association

with Hartford Stage and The Old Globe

* * *

DISTINGUISHED PRODUCTION OF A PLAY

All The Way

Neil Simon Theatre

by Robert Schenkkan

Directed by Bill Rauch

Jeffrey Richards, Louise Gund, Jerry Frankel, Stephanie P. McClelland, Double Gemini Productions, Rebecca Gold, Scott M. Delman, Barbara H. Freitag, Harvey Weinstein, Gene Korf, William Berlind, Caiola Productions, Gutterman Chernoff, Jam Theatricals, Gabrielle Palitz, Cheryl Wiesenfeld, Will Trice, producers

* * *

DISTINGUISHED REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Belasco Theatre

Book by John Cameron Mitchell, Music and Lyrics by Stephen Trask

Directed by Michael Mayer

David Binder, Jayne Baron Sherman, Barbara Whitman, Latitude Link, Patrick Catullo, Raise The Roof,

Paula Marie Black, Colin Callender, Ruth Hendel, Saron Karmazin, Martian Entertainment, Stacey Mindich, Eric Schnall and The Shubert Organization, producers

* * *

DISTINGUISHED REVIVAL OF A PLAY

The Glass Menagerie

Booth Theatre

by Tennessee Williams

Directed by John Tiffany

Jeffrey Richards, John N. Hart Jr., Jerry Frankel, Lou Spisto/Lucky VIII, Infinity Stages,

Scott M. Delman, Jam Theatricals, Mauro Taylor, Rebecca Gold, Michael Palitz, Charles E. Stone,

Will Trice, Gfour Productions, producers

* * *

DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD

Neil Patrick Harris

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

* * *

DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSICAL THEATRE

Barbara Cook

* * *

UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO THE THEATRE

Key Brand Entertainment/Broadway Across America: John Gore

* * *

FOUNDERS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN DIRECTING

John Tiffany