The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Following the 1964 renaming as the Drama Desk Awards, Broadway productions were included beginning with the 1968–69 award season. The awards are considered a significant American theater distinction.
Broadway theatre, or Broadway, is a theater genre that consists of the theatrical performances presented in 41 professional theaters, each with 500 or more seats, in the Theater District and Lincoln Center along Broadway, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Broadway and London's West End together represent the highest commercial level of live theater in the English-speaking world.
David Norman Yazbek is an American writer, musician, composer, and lyricist. He wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals The Full Monty (2000), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (2010), The Band's Visit (2017), Tootsie (2019), and Dead Outlaw (2025). He also consulted on the musical Buena Vista Social Club.
The Drama League Awards, created in 1922, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. Each May, the awards are presented by The Drama League at the Annual Awards Luncheon with performers, directors, producers, and Drama League members in attendance. The Drama League membership comprises the entire theater community, including award-winning actors, designers, directors, playwrights, producers, industry veterans, critics and theater-going audiences from across the U.S.
Second Stage Theater is a non-profit theater company that presents work by living American writers both on and off Broadway. It is based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and is affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres.
The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers by special arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Foundation, with additional support from the Theatre Development Fund.
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in musical theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City.
Rachel Chavkin is an American stage director best known for directing the musicals Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812 and Hadestown, receiving nominations for a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for both and winning for Hadestown in 2019.
Patriots is a dramatic stage play by British playwright Peter Morgan. The play follows the life of billionaire Russian businessman Boris Berezovsky through the decline of the Soviet Union and the rise of the Russian oligarchs.
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City.
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City.
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City.
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City.
The 77th Tony Awards were held on June 16, 2024, to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2023–24 season. The ceremony was held at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater in New York City, and aired on CBS. Ariana DeBose hosted for the third year in a row.
Kecia Lewis, also credited as Kecia Lewis-Evans is an American singer and actress, known primarily for her work on the stage. Lewis made her Broadway debut as a replacement in the musical Big River (1985). She has since returned to Broadway in the musicals Once on This Island (1990), Leap of Faith (2012), and Hell's Kitchen (2024), the later of which earned her the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
Primary Trust is a dramatic stage play written by American playwright Eboni Booth. The production premiered Off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre in 2023 and starred William Jackson Harper who received the Obie Award. The play was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2024.
Daniel Max Aukin is a British-American theater director. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play in 2024 for Stereophonic.
Anna K. Jacobs is an Australian composer, lyricist, and book writer living in Brooklyn, NY. She is best known for composing the music and co-writing the book for the musical Teeth.
Erik Della Penna is an American musician, composer, and lyricist. He is known for co-composing the musical Dead Outlaw with David Yazbek, and for being the principal guitarist for pop singer Natalie Merchant. In 2024 he was nominated for three Drama Desk Awards, winning one, for Outstanding Lyrics.
