NEW YORK—The Drama Desk Awards celebrated the best of Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway theater at The Town Hall in New York City on Sunday, May 17, 2026. Hosted by Titanique star Marla Mindelle, the ceremony marked the awards’ return to the historic venue for the first time since the 2020 shutdown.

Outstanding Play

• Caroline, by Preston Max Allen
• Cold War Choir Practice, by Ro Reddick
• Meet the Cartozians, by Talene Monahon
• Prince Faggot, by Jordan Tannahill
• WINNER: The Balusters, by David Lindsay-Abaire
• The Porch on Windy Hill, by Sherry Stregack Lutken, Lisa Helmi Johanson, Morgan Morse, and David M. Lutken
• Well, I’ll Let You Go, by Bubba Weiler

Outstanding Musical

• Beau the Musical
• Mexodus
• WINNER: Schmigadoon!
• The Seat of Our Pants
• Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Outstanding Revival of a Play

• Becky Shaw
• Ceremonies in Dark Old Men
• WINNER: Death of a Salesman
• Los Soles Truncos
• Titus Andronicus
• You Got Older

Outstanding Revival of a Musical

• Amahl and the Night Visitors
• Chess
• WINNER: Ragtime
• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• The Baker’s Wife
• The Rocky Horror Show

Additional Categories

The awards also honored performances, direction, choreography, design, music, orchestrations, adaptations, and special theatrical experiences. Productions receiving multiple awards included Ragtime, Death of a Salesman, Oedipus, Mexodus, and CATS: The Jellicle Ball.

Winner Count

5 Wins

• Ragtime

4 Wins

• Death of a Salesman
• Oedipus

3 Wins

• CATS: The Jellicle Ball
• Mexodus

2 Wins

• Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
• Kenrex
• Schmigadoon!
• The Lost Boys

1 Win

• About Time
• Amaze
• Becky Shaw
• Burnout Paradise
• Giant
• The Baker’s Wife
• The Balusters
• The Monsters
• The Porch on Windy Hill
• Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Special Awards

• A Letter To Lyndon B Johnson or God
• Initiative
• Marjorie Prime
• Masquerade
• Spread
• What If They Ate the Baby?

Source: dramadesks.com

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JOHN-ANDREW MORRISON TO JOIN JANE KRAKOWSKI IN ‘OH, MARY!’ OCT. 14, 2025

NEW YORK — Producers Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon and Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia announced today that Grammy and Emmy Award nominee Cheyenne Jackson and Tony Award nominee John-Andrew Morrison will join the cast of the Tony Award-winning hit comedy Oh, Mary!, beginning October 14, 2025. Jackson will play ‘Mary’s Teacher’ and Morrison will play ‘Mary’s Husband’, joining Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski as ‘Mary Todd Lincoln’ for a limited eight-week engagement through December 7, 2025.

Written by 2025 Tony Award-winner Cole Escola and directed by 2025 Tony Award winner Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary! opened on Broadway on July 11, 2024 at the Lyceum Theatre, where it became the first show in the theater’s 121-year history to gross more than $1,000,000 in a single week. Oh, Mary! has since broken its own box office record twelve times, became the first show of the 2024-25 Broadway season to recoup its investment and won two 2025 Tony Awards. Originally meant to be a limited 12-week Broadway engagement, tickets for Oh, Mary! are now on sale through July 5, 2026.

The current cast of Oh, Mary! includes Jinkx Monsoon as ‘Mary Todd Lincoln,’ Jenn Harris as ‘Mary’s Chaperone,’ Martin Landry as ‘Mary’s Husband’s Assistant/Kyle,’ Kumail Nanjiani as ‘Mary’s Husband’ and Michael Urie as ‘Mary’s Teacher. Julian Manjerico, Jackie Sanders, and Sean Peter Forte complete the company. Harris will remain with the cast alongside Krakowski, Jackson, and Morrison, and Landry will play ‘Mary’s Husband’ until original company member Tony Macht returns on November 18, 2025. As previously announced, Monsoon, Nanjiani and Urie will play their final performances on September 28, 2025. From Tuesday, September 30 through Sunday, October 12, original company member Hannah Solow will play the title role, alongside returning cast members Phillip James Brannon as ‘Mary’s Husband’ and James Scully as ‘Mary’s Teacher.’

Oh, Mary! is produced on Broadway by Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon and Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia with Bob Boyett, The Council, Jean Doumanian Productions, Nicole Eisenberg, Jay Marcus & George Strus, Irony Point, Richard Batchelder/Bradley Reynolds, Tyler Mount/Tommy Doyle, Nelson & Tao, Palomares & Rosenberg, and ShowTown Productions.

General tickets for Oh, Mary! begin at $58.00 (including fees) and are available now on Telecharge, in person at the Lyceum Box Office (149 West 45th Street), or by calling 212.239.6200. A digital lottery can be accessed at OhMaryPlay.com/lottery, with select tickets available at $47.00. ‍A limited number of in-person rush tickets are available at the Lyceum Theatre Box Office for $43.00, day-of, when the box office opens.

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‘MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG’: (Left to right): Lindsay Mendez, Daniel Radcliffe & Jonathan Groff
. Photo: Andy Henderson, 2023.

Rehearsals have started for the Broadway revival of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, which begins performances at Broadway’s Hudson Theatre (141 West 44^th Street) on Tuesday, September 19. Tickets are on sale now at https://merrilyonbroadway.com/

Directed by multi-Olivier Award^® winner Maria Friedman, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG features music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a book by George Furth, and is based on the original play by George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart.

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG will star Daniel Radcliffe as Charley Kringas, Jonathan Groff as Franklin Shepard, and Lindsay Mendez as Mary Flynn. The production will feature Krystal Joy Brown as Gussie Carnegie, Katie Rose Clarke as Beth Shepard, and Reg Rogers as Joe Josephson. The cast will also include Max Rackenberg, Brady Wagner, Sherz Aletaha, Maya Boyd, Leana Rae Concepcion, Morgan Kirner, Ken Krugman, Corey Mach, Talia Robinson, Amanda Rose, Jamila Sabares-Klemm, Brian Sears, Evan Alexander Smith, Christian Strange, Koray Tarhan, Vishal Vaidya, Natalie Wachen, and Jacob Keith Watson.

The production recently enjoyed a critically acclaimed and completely sold-out run at New York Theatre Workshop, after its sold-out runs at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory and the Olivier Award-winning West End transfer produced by Sonia Friedman Productions.

Spanning three decades in the entertainment business, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG charts the turbulent relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two lifelong friends — writer Mary and lyricist & playwright Charley. An inventive cult-classic ahead of its time, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG features some of Stephen Sondheim’s most celebrated and personal songs. Maria Friedman first directed the musical at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory – a production that subsequently transferred to the Harold Pinter Theatre, where it garnered the most five-star reviews in West End history before going on to win the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG is produced on Broadway by Sonia Friedman Productions, David Babani, Patrick Catullo, Jeff Romley, and New York Theatre Workshop. This production was originally produced at the Menier Chocolate Factory (Artistic Director David Babani) and subsequently produced in London’s West End by Sonia Friedman Productions, Menier Chocolate Factory, and Neal Street Productions.

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG also features choreography by Tim Jackson, orchestrations by Tony Award winner Jonathan Tunick, scenery and costume design by Soutra Gilmour, lighting design by Amith Chandrashaker, sound design by Kai Harada, hair and wig design by Cookie Jordan, casting by Jim Carnahan, CSA and Jason Thinger, CSA, music supervision by Catherine Jayes, music direction by Joel Fram, associate music supervision by Alvin Hough, Jr., and music coordination by Kristy Norter. Merrily We Roll Along was originally directed on Broadway by Harold Prince and originally produced on Broadway by Lord Grade, Martin Starger, Robert Fryer, and Harold Prince in association with Ruth Mitchell and Howard Haines.

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Loves Australia

Profits from the Broadway Performance on Australia Day, January 26^th

To Be Donated to Bushfire Relief

Moulin Rouge! The Musical & Friends Present

Make it Rain Rally

A Benefit for the Australian Bushfires on January 27^th

Featuring Ben Folds, Postmodern Jukebox & More!

www.MoulinRougeMusical.com

NEW YORK–As the world watches the devastating wildfires unfold in Australia, everyone at Moulin Rouge! The Musical on Broadway is heartbroken. The production’s roots in Australia run deep: the film was made in Australia, brought to life by the great Australian artists Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, and Nicole Kidman. The musical was brought to the stage by Australian-based producers Carmen Pavlovic, Gerry Ryan and their production company, Global Creatures. The Broadway musical features Australian actors in the cast.

The bohemian values of truth, beauty, freedom, and — above all — love, have inspired Moulin Rouge! The Musical to rally together to support the relief efforts currently underway down under.

Sunday, January 26^th is Australia Day. For that day’s performance of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, profits from the performance will be donated to support Australian wildfire relief efforts.

On Monday, January 27^th, Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Friends will present the “Make it Rain Rally” a benefit for the Australian bushfires at (Le) Poisson Rouge (LPR) at 158 Bleecker St in New York City. An initiative by Australian cast members Karli Dinardo and Reed Luplau, this special event is directed by Mr. Luplau and will feature performances by singer-songwriter Ben Folds; the band Postmodern Jukebox with Morgan James; cast members of Moulin Rouge! The Musical along with performers from other Broadway shows including Frozen, Hamilton and Tootsie; drag personality Alexis Michelle; and more to be announced. The event is produced by Mr. Luplau and Hayley Isaacson. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. #MakeItRainRally

All proceeds from the Australia Day performance of the Musical and the “Make it Rain Rally” will be donated to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund and WIRES Australian Wildlife Rescue. Those who cannot attend in person or are looking for more ways to help can donate directly to these charities by clicking here.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR OUR AUSSIE FRIENDS: Proceeds from the January 26 performance of ‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ will benefit Australian bushfire victims. A January 27 event featuring Postmodern Jukebox will raise even more funds. Photo: Courtesy of Make It Rain Rally

ABOUT AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS – RED CROSS DISASTER RELIEF AND RECOVERY

As bushfires affect communities across Australia on an unprecedented scale, Red Cross is right there, providing practical, local support where it’s needed to tens of thousands of people during and after the emergencies. It’s all thanks to people like you. Learn more about what Red Cross is doing and how your donations are helping in our regular updates. Your donation helps Red Cross give people the support they need in disasters, whenever and wherever they happen. We have decades of experience in caring for people affected by earthquakes, cyclones, floods, storms, fire, drought and other emergencies. This includes: recovery programs and emergency assistance in communities affected by disasters like bushfires, heat, floods cyclones and other emergencies; helping people and communities prepare for disasters and protect what matters most; training, equipment, logistics and coordination of our volunteers.

ABOUT WIRES AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE RESCUE

WIRES (NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Inc.) has been rescuing and caring for wildlife for over 30 years and is the largest wildlife rescue organization in Australia. We are passionate about supporting smaller volunteer organization in the wildlife sector with the same mission, as well as Universities, Veterinary Associations and other leading scientific and environmental groups. In the last 5 years WIRES has been working with WWF, National Parks Association, Humane Society International, The Wilderness Society, Nature Conservation Council, Birdlife, RSPCA, Animal Welfare League and IFAW and we thank these organizations for their significant ongoing contribution to the wildlife rehabilitation sector. While WIRES presence is mostly in NSW where we are responding to more than 90,000 rescues each year, we also receive around 170,000 calls to our 1300 WIRES line annually, including thousands of interstate calls where we provide rescue advice. WIRES also plays a major role in national community wildlife education. Normally WIRES has several hundred thousand unique visitors to our website annually but we have had over a million unique visitors in the last couple of days. Following these catastrophic fires WIRES is also very keen to pursue additional opportunities to help wildlife more broadly across Australia wherever possible, including partnering on projects to improve long-term outcomes for native animals. We will be announcing in the coming days our support for new projects to assist bushfire affected animals in all regions. We have over 2500 volunteers in 28 branches involved in the rescue and care of wildlife and we have a dedicated Rescue Office that operates 365 days a year assisting the community to help native animals in distress. WIRES helps tens of thousands of animals every year, receiving up to 95,000 requests for rescue advice and assistance every 12 months.

ABOUT MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL

Moulin Rouge! The Musical, directed by Tony Award nominee Alex Timbers and with a book by Tony Award winner John Logan, choreography by Sonya Tayeh and music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Justin Levine, is now playing on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 W. 45th Street, NYC). Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a theatrical celebration of truth, beauty, freedom, and — above all — love. Moulin Rouge! The Musical is more than a musical; it is a state of mind. As in the film, Moulin Rouge! The Musical celebrates some of the greatest popular music of the last 50 years. The stage musical features many of the iconic songs from the movie and also includes recent hits released since the movie premiered 18 years ago. Global Creatures (Carmen Pavlovic and Gerry Ryan OAM) serves as Lead Producer and Bill Damaschke is the executive producer. General management is by Foresight Theatrical.

ABOUT BEN FOLDS

Ben Folds is widely regarded as one of the major music influencers of our generation. The multi-platinum selling singer-songwriter has created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, and numerous collaborative records. His last album was a blend of pop songs and his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra that soared to #1 on both the Billboard classical and classical crossover charts. For over a decade he’s performed with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras, and currently serves as the first ever Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. In addition to solo rock and orchestral touring, Folds has recently written his critically-acclaimed memoir “A Dream About Lightning Bugs,” which debuted as a New York Times Best Seller, and is described as a collection of interrelated essays, anecdotes and what Folds refers to as “cheap lessons” about art, life, and music. He is also no stranger to television, having been featured for five seasons as a judge on NBC’s critically-acclaimed a capella show “The Sing Off.” He continues to appear in cameo roles on cable and network TV shows, and composes for film and TV. An avid photographer, Folds is a member of the prestigious Sony Artisans of Imagery, has worked as an assignment photo editor for National Geographic, and was featured in a mini-documentary by the Kennedy Center’s Digital Project on his photographic work. An outspoken champion for arts education and music therapy funding in our nation’s public schools, in 2016 Ben held the distinction as the only artist to appear at both national political conventions advocating for arts education, has served for over five years as an active member of the distinguished Artist Committee of Americans For The Arts (AFTA), and serves on the Board of AFTA’s Arts Action Fund. He is also Chairman of the Arts Action Fund’s ArtsVote2020 national initiative to advocate for a greater commitment to the nation’s creative economy through improved public policies for the arts and arts education, and hosts a podcast series of interviews on arts policies with current 2020 presidential candidates.

ABOUT POSTMODERN JUKEBOX (PMJ)

Started by Scott Bradlee in 2009, Postmodern Jukebox (PMJ) has gone on to amass over one billion YouTube views with 3.5 million subscribers, and have chalked up more than 1.7 million fans on Facebook. For the past half-decade, PMJ has toured the world, playing hundreds of shows to sold-out houses on six continents. They’ve also performed on shows like “Good Morning America,” topped iTunes and Billboard charts, and caught the attention of NPR Music, NBC News and a wide array of celebrity fans.

# # #

www.MoulinRougeMusical.com

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OF DAME GILLIAN LYNNE

MONDAY 2 JULY 2018

LONDON–Theatres across London’s West End will be dimming their lights at 19:00 tonight (2 July) in memory of the British choreographer Dame Gillian Lynne, who died on Sunday evening aged 92.

Before this evening’s performances begin, lights will be dimmed for one minute as a tribute by the theatre industry and audience members to the legendary choreographer, who began her career as a ballet dancer and went on to work on more than 60 shows across the West End and Broadway, including Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long-running musicals Cats and The Phantom of the Opera.

Dame Gillian received a Special Olivier Award in 2013 for her contribution to theatre. Last month, the New London Theatre (current home of Lloyd Webber’s School Of Rock The Musical) was renamed the Gillian Lynne Theatre – making her the first non-royal woman to receive this honour.

The tradition of dimming theatre lights has long been performed in the West End to pay respects to theatre’s most renowned contributors.

Julian Bird, Chief Executive of Society of London Theatre, said:

‘Dame Gillian Lynne’s contribution to theatre was inestimable. Her career, which spanned over seven decades, encompassed performance, choreography and directing. She worked across so many of the West End and Broadway’s top venues and productions, and won numerous awards and accolades. We are proud to celebrate her extraordinary legacy tonight in the West End.’

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published July 2, 2018

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