Winners of the 2023 Drama Desk Awards

Outstanding Play

A Case for the Existence of God, by Samuel D. Hunter, Signature Theatre
Fat Ham, by James Ijames, The Public Theater and National Black Theatre
WINNER – Leopoldstadt, by Tom Stoppard
Love, by Alexander Zeldin, Park Avenue Armory
Prima Facie, by Suzie Miller
Wish You Were Here, by Sanaz Toossi, Playwrights Horizons

Outstanding Musical

& Juliet
Between the Lines
F*ck7thGrade, The Wild Project
Shucked
WINNER – Some Like it Hot
White Girl in Danger
, Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater

Outstanding Revival of a Play

A Raisin in the Sun, The Public Theater
Death of a Salesman
Endgame
, Irish Repertory Theatre
WINNER – The Piano Lesson
Ohio State Murders
Wedding Band
, Theatre for a New Audience

Outstanding Revival of a Musical

A Man of No Importance, Classic Stage Company
Into the Woods
Merrily We Roll Along
, New York Theatre Workshop
WINNER – Parade
Sweeney Todd

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play

Hiran Abeysekera, Life of Pi
Kyle Beltran, A Case for the Existence of God, Signature Theatre
Will Brill, A Case for the Existence of God, Signature Theatre
Brittany Bradford, Wedding Band, Theatre for a New Audience
WINNER – Jessica Chastain, A Doll’s House
Sharon D Clarke, Death of a Salesman
WINNER – Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar
Denise Manning, Amani, National Black Theatre and Rattlestick Theater
Audra McDonald, Ohio State Murders
Wendell Pierce, Death of a Salesman
John Douglas Thompson, Endgame, Irish Repertory Theatre
Kara Young, Twelfth Night, The Classical Theatre of Harlem

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical

WINNER – Annaleigh Ashford, Sweeney Todd
Nicholas Barasch, The Butcher Boy, Irish Repertory Theatre
Sara Bareilles, Into the Woods
Andrew Burnap, Camelot
Micaela Diamond, Parade
Andrew Durand, Shucked
Callum Francis, Kinky Boots, Stage 42
WINNER – J. Harrison Ghee, Some Like it Hot
Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along, New York Theatre Workshop
Somi Kakoma, Dreaming Zenzile, New York Theatre Workshop
Lindsay Mendez, Merrily We Roll Along, New York Theatre Workshop
Anna Uzele, New York, New York

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play

Emily Bergl, Good Night, Oscar
Danielle Brooks, The Piano Lesson
Amelda Brown, Love, Park Avenue Armory
Ray Fisher, The Piano Lesson
K. Todd Freeman, Downstate, Playwrights Horizons
Francis Guinan, Downstate, Playwrights Horizons
Nick Holder, Love, Park Avenue Armory
Arian Moayed, A Doll’s House
Brian Quijada, Wolf Play, MCC Theater and Soho Rep
WINNER – Miriam Silverman, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, Brooklyn Academy of Music
WINNER – Brandon Uranowitz, Leopoldstadt
Kara Young, Cost of Living

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical

Kevin Cahoon, Shucked
WINNER – Kevin Del Aguila, Some Like it Hot
Robyn Hurder, A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical
Mark Jacoby, A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical
Tarra Conner Jones, White Girl in Danger, Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater
Julia Lester, Into the Woods
WINNER – Alex Newell, Shucked
Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along, New York Theatre Workshop
Phillipa Soo, Into the Woods
Mare Winningham, A Man of No Importance, Classic Stage Company

Outstanding Direction of a Play

Zi Alikhan, On That Day in Amsterdam, Primary Stages
Shayok Misha Chowdhury, Public Obscenities, Soho Rep and NAATCO
Miranda Cromwell, Death of a Salesman
Adam Meggido, Peter Pan Goes Wrong
WINNER – Max Webster, Life of Pi
Alexander Zeldin, Love, Park Avenue Armory

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

Jeff Calhoun, Between the Lines
John Doyle, A Man of No Importance, Classic Stage Company
Maria Friedman, Merrily We Roll Along, New York Theatre Workshop
WINNER – Thomas Kail, Sweeney Todd
Jack O’Brien, Shucked

Outstanding Choreography

Andy Blankenbuehler, Only Gold, MCC Theater
Tislarm Bouie, the bandaged place
Edgar Godineaux, The Harder They Come, The Public Theater
WINNER – Nicholaw, Some Like it Hot
Susan Stroman, New York, New York
Jennifer Weber, KPOP

Outstanding Music

WINNER – Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, Shucked
Michael R. Jackson, White Girl in Danger, Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater
Tom Kitt and AnnMarie Milazzo (vocal designer), Almost Famous
Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, Between the Lines
The Kilbanes, Weightless, WP Theater

Outstanding Lyrics

Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, Shucked
Jonathan Hogue, Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical
Michael R. Jackson, White Girl in Danger, Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater
Adam Schlesinger and Sarah Silverman, The Bedwetter, Atlantic Theater Company WINNER – Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, Some Like it Hot

Outstanding Book of a Musical

Jonathan Hogue, Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical
Robert Horn, Shucked
WINNER – Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, Some Like it Hot
Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli, and Tye Blue, Titanique
David West Read, & Juliet

Outstanding Orchestrations

Bruce Coughlin, A Man of No Importance, Classic Stage Company
Jason Howland, Shucked
WINNER – Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter, Some Like it Hot
Kenny Seymour, The Harder They Come, The Public Theater
Daryl Waters and Sam Davis, New York, New York

Outstanding Music in a Play

Ben Edelman, Zane Pais, and Sinan Refik Zafar, Letters from Max, a ritual, Signature Theatre
Mauricio Escamilla, the bandaged place, Roundabout Theatre Company
WINNER – Suzan-Lori Parks, Plays for the Plague Year, The Public Theater
Ian Ross, Wuthering Heights, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Wise Children, National Theatre
Daniel Schlosberg, Montag, Soho Rep

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play

Jason Ardizzone-West, Wedding Band, Theatre for a New Audience
Beowulf Boritt, Ohio State Murders
dots, Public Obscenities, Soho Rep and NAATCO WINNER – Tim Hatley, Life of Pi
Natasha Jenkins, Love, Park Avenue Armory
John McDermott, Chains, Mint Theater Company

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical

WINNER – Beowulf Boritt, New York, New York
David Korins, Only Gold, MCC Theater
Scott Pask, Shucked
Walt Spangler and Brendan McCann (production props), Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical
Michael Yeargan, Camelot

Outstanding Costume Design of a Play

Kara Branch, According to the Chorus, New Light Theater Project
Enver Chakartash, Public Obscenities, Soho Rep and NAATCO
Qween Jean, Wedding Band, Theatre for a New Audience
Sarah Laux, Wish You Were Here, Playwright Horizons
WINNER – Emilio Sosa, Ain’t No Mo’
Roberto Surace, Peter Pan Goes Wrong

Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical

WINNER – Gregg Barnes, Some Like it Hot
Tilly Grimes, Shucked Jennifer Moeller, Camelot
Clint Ramos and Sophia Choi, KPOP
Anita Yavich, Only Gold, MCC Theater
Donna Zakowska, New York, New York

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play

Isabella Byrd, Epiphany, Lincoln Center Theater
Jiyoun Chang, The Far Country, Atlantic Theater Company
WINNER – Natasha Chivers and Willie Williams (video), Prima Facie
Allen Lee Hughes, Ohio State Murders
Cha See, On That Day in Amsterdam, Primary Stages
Japhy Weideman, The Piano Lesson

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical

Ken Billington, New York, New York
Jeff Croiter, Only Gold, MCC Theater
Heather Gilbert, Parade
David Grill, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’
WINNER – Natasha Katz, Sweeney Todd

Outstanding Projection and Video Design

Simon Baker, Wuthering Heights, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Wise Children, and National Theatre
WINNER – Andrzej Goulding, Life of Pi
Caite Hevner, Between the Lines, Tony Kiser Theater
Josh Higgason, White Girl in Danger, Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater Nicholas Hussong, On That Day in Amsterdam, Primary Stages
Johnny Moreno, Public Obscenities, Soho Rep and NAATCO

Outstanding Sound Design of a Play

Justin Ellington, Ohio State Murders
Tom Gibbons, Hamlet, Park Avenue Armory
Josh Anio Grigg, Love, Park Avenue Armory
Lee Kinney and Daniel Kluger, You Will Get Sick, Roundabout Theatre Company
WINNER – Ben & Max Ringham, A Doll’s House
Mikaal Sulaiman, Fat Ham, The Public Theater and National Black Theatre

Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical

Peter Hylenski, Almost Famous
WINNER – Scott Lehrer and Alex Neumann, Into the Woods
John Shivers, Shucked
Joanna Lynne Staub, Weightless, WP Theater
Jon Weston, Parade

Outstanding Wig and Hair

Campbell Young Associates, Almost Famous
Cookie Jordan, The Piano Lesson
WINNER – Mia M. Neal, Ain’t No Mo’
Earon Nealey, Twelfth Night, The Classical Theatre of Harlem Mitsuteru Okuyama, Chushingura 47 Ronin
Luc Verschueren, A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical

Outstanding Solo Performance

WINNER – Jodie Comer, Prima Facie
David Greenspan, Four Saints in Three Acts, Lucille Lortel Theatre
Jessica Hendy, Walking With Bubbles, AMT Theater
Anthony Rapp, Without You
Tracy Thorne, Jack Was Kind, Irish Repertory Theatre

Unique Theatrical Experience

Asi Wind’s Inner Circle
WINNER – Peter Pan Goes Wrong
Plays for the Plague Year
, The Public Theater
Zephyr, Cirque Mechanics at The New Victory Theater

Outstanding Fight Choreography

WINNER – B.H. Barry, Camelot Rocio Mendez, Día Y Noche, LAByrinth Theater Company Rocio Mendez, How to Defend Yourself, New York Theatre Workshop Unkledave’s Fight-House, soft, MCC Theater

Outstanding Adaptation

WINNER – A Doll’s House, by Amy Herzog
Arden of Faversham, by Jeffrey Hatcher and Kathryn Walat, Red Bull Theater
black odyssey, by Marcus Gardley, Classic Stage Company
Oresteia, by Robert Icke, Park Avenue Armory
Wuthering Heights, by Emma Rice, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Wise Children, National Theatre

Outstanding Puppetry

John Leader, Wuthering Heights, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Wise Children, National Theatre
James Ortiz (design), Kennedy Kanagawa (as Milky White), Into the Woods
WINNER – Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, Life of Pi
Kirjan Waage, The Immortal Jellyfish Girl,
Wakka Wakka and Nordland Visual Theatre at 59E59

SPECIAL AWARDS Harold Prince Lifetime Achievement Award

Stephen McKinley Henderson has been bringing in-depth, gripping portrayals of memorable characters to the stage for over four decades. With his return to Broadway this season as Pops in Between Riverside and Crazy, which the Drama Desk previously nominated in 2015, this year’s Harold Prince Lifetime Achievement Award marks Henderson’s role in this powerful production as a celebration of his brilliant career.

Ensemble Award

The cast of Soho Rep’s Public Obscenities – Tashnuva Anan, Abrar Haque, Golam Sarwar Harun, Gargi Mukherjee, NaFis, Jakeem Dante Powell, and Debashis Roy Chowdhury – embodied the transnational world of Shayok Misha Chowdhury’s bilingual play with memorable authenticity, remarkable specificity, and extraordinary warmth.

Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award

From his standout performance in american (tele)visions, to writing and performing the autobiographical Dark Disabled Stories, Ryan J. Haddad‘s work this season has expanded on and interrogated what the idea of “accessibility” really means. Whether riding a shopping cart like a throne, or relating his experiences on a “gay, pink bus,” Haddad shared with audiences an unabashed queer fabulosity that was both unforgettable and deeply human.

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