May 17, 2009 (New York City)- Billy Elliott The Musical blew away the competition at the 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards, winning 10 awards, including Best Musical, Best Director, Outstanding Featured Actor and Actress and Outstanding Music (Elton John).
Shrek The Musical was a distant second with three awards, including one for Brian d’Arcy James, who took home the honors as Outstanding Actor in a Musical. Other big winners included Lynn Nottage, who took Best Play honors for Ruined, The Norman Conquests, which won for Outstanding Revival of a Play and Hair, which won for Outstanding Revival of a Musical.
In the acting categories, Geoffrey Rush was named Outstanding Actor in a Play (The Norman Conquests), Janet McTeer was Outstanding Actress in a Play (Mary Stuart) and Allison Janney, of West Wing fame, took Best Actress in a Musical for her work in 9 to 5.
Other big-name winners included Angela Lansbury (Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play) and Stephen Sondheim (Outstanding Lyrics for Road Show).
Billy Elliott is now the dds-n favorite to dominate the upcoming Tony Awards.
THE WINNERS
Outstanding Play: Ruined by Lynn Nottage
Outstanding Musical: Billy Elliot The Musical
Outstanding Revival of a Play: The Norman Conquests
Outstanding Revival of a Musical: Hair
Outstanding Music in a Play: Dominic Kanza (Ruined)
Outstanding Actor in a Play: Geoffrey Rush (Exit the King)
Outstanding Actress in a Play: Janet McTeer (Mary Stuart)
Outstanding Actor in a Musical: Brian d’Arcy James (Shrek The Musical)
Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Allison Janney (9 to 5)
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: Pablo Schreiber (reasons to be pretty) off Broadway
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Angela Lansbury (Blithe Spirit)
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Gregory Jbara (Billy Elliot The Musical)
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Haydn Gwynne (Billy Elliot The Musical)
Outstanding Director of a Play: Matthew Warchus (The Norman Conquests)
Outstanding Director of a Musical: Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot The Musical)
Outstanding Choreography: Peter Darling (Billy Elliot The Musical)
Outstanding Music: Elton John (Billy Elliot The Musical)
Outstanding Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim (Road Show)
Outstanding Book of a Musical Lee Hall (Billy Elliot The Musical)
Outstanding Orchestrations: Martin Koch (Billy Elliot The Musical)
Outstanding Set Design of a Play: David Korins (Why Torture Is Wrong and the People
Who Love Them)
Outstanding Set Design of a Musical: Tim Hatley (Shrek The Musical)
Outstanding Costume Design: Tim Hatley (Shrek The Musical))
Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play: David Hersey (Equus)
Outstanding Sound Design: Paul Arditti (Billy Elliot The Musical)
Outstanding Solo Performance: Lorenzo Pisoni (Humor Abuse)
Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical: Rick Fisher (Billy Elliot The Musical)
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