Musicals “Soft Power” and “The Wrong Man” top the list of legit productions nominated for the 65th annual Drama Desk Awards.
This year’s awards eligibility period began in late May 2019 with the start of the traditional Broadway season and ended on March 11, the week before legit stages in New York City shuttered quickly against the threat of the coronavirus pandemic. The original cutoff for eligibility would have been April 23. The Drama Desk kudos recognize Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions.
Nominations were selected among productions that opened this season before March 11. The Public Theater’s “Soft Power” claimed 11 bids, including noms for best musical, best actor in a musical (Francis Jue) and featured actor and actress in a musical (Conrad Ricamora and Alyse Alan Louis).
“Wrong Man” followed with nine mentions, including best musical, actor in a musical (Joshua Henry) and featured actor in a musical (Ryan Vasquez). The most-nommed play of the shortened season was “Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven” by Stephen Adly Guirgis with eight bids.
Both Ruth Negga (“Hamlet”) and Rose Byrne (“Medea”) were nominated for outstanding actress in a play. David Alan Grier is also up for an award for his performance in “A Soldier’s Play,” which also scored a nod for outstanding revival of a play and one for choreography.
“The Unsinkable Molly Brown” earned seven nods for categories including outstanding revival of a musical, best actor in a musical (David Aron Damane), actress in a musical (Beth Malone) and director of a musical (Kathleen Marshall). “The Secret Life of Bees” also raked in seven nods including outstanding musical, actress in a musical (Saycon Sengbloh), music, lyrics and book of a musical.
As for “The Inheritance,” the play scored six nominations, including outstanding play, best actor in a play (Kyle Soller), featured actress in a play (Lois Smith), and outstanding director of a play (Stephen Daldry).
The revival of “West Side Story” also earned six nominations including best revival of a musical, outstanding featured actress in a musical (Yesenia Ayala) and outstanding orchestrations.
Broadway hit musical “Moulin Rouge!” raked in five nods, including best costume design, scenic design, lighting design and choreography.
Details about the May 31 awards ceremony will come in the next few weeks.
Click here for a complete list of Drama Desk Award nominations.