Wicked is Tops at 2004 Drama Desk Awards
Wicked won a total of six 2004 Drama Desk Awards, which were announced on Sunday, May 16 at the Concert Hall at LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. Wicked received awards for its costume, set, lyrics, book, director and the show itself, netting the Outstanding Musical Drama Desk. Onstage it was announced that Wicked helmer Joe Mantello won the Outstanding Director of a Musical Award for his work on Assassins, but that has since been changed.
One of the most hotly contested battles of the year was the one for Outstanding Actress in a Musical and that award went to Wonderful Town's Donna Murphy, also a winner for last week's Outer Critics Circle Award. In addition, Wonderful Town won choreographer/director Kathleen Marshall the trophy for Outstanding Choreography.
There were few surprises during the ceremony. As expected, Hugh Jackman picked up Outstanding Actor in a Musical and A Raisin in the Sun's Phylicia Rashad and Audra McDonald won Outstanding Actress in a Play and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, respectively. Rashad tied for her award with Intimate Apparel's Viola Davis, the ceremony's only off-Broadway acting honoree.
Five awards went to closed productions, most notably, the Lincoln Center mounting of Henry IV, which received three Drama Desks, including Outstanding Revival of a Play. Raúl Esparza won Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for his work in the short-lived Taboo and Ned Beatty received the Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Award for the closed revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
A complete list of winners follows:
Outstanding Play: I Am My Own Wife by Doug Wright
Outstanding Musical: Wicked
Outstanding Revival of a Play: Henry IV Lincoln Center Theatre
Outstanding Revival of a Musical: Assassins
Outstanding Actor in a Play: Kevin Kline, Henry IV
Outstanding Actress in a Play: tie Viola Davis, Intimate Apparel and Phylicia Rashad, A Raisin in the Sun
Outstanding Actor in a Musical: Hugh Jackman, The Boy from Oz
Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Donna Murphy, Wonderful Town
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: Ned Beatty, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Audra McDonald, A Raisin in the Sun
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Raúl Esparza, Taboo
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Isabel Keating, The Boy from Oz
Outstanding Solo Performance: Jefferson Mays, I Am My Own Wife
Outstanding Ensemble Performance: The cast of The Distance from Here
Outstanding Director of a Play: Jack O'Brien, Henry IV
Outstanding Director of a Musical: Joe Mantello, Wicked
Outstanding Choreography: Kathleen Marshall, Wonderful Town
Outstanding Music: Jeanine Tesori, Caroline, or Change
Outstanding Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz, Wicked
Outstanding Book of a Musical: Winnie Holzman, Wicked
Outstanding Set Design of a Play: John Lee Beatty, Twentieth Century
Outstanding Set Design of a Musical: Eugene Lee, Wicked
Outstanding Costume Design: Susan Hilferty, Wicked
Outstanding Lighting Design: Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, Assassins
Outstanding Sound Design: Dan Moses Schreier, Assassins
Outstanding Orchestrations: Michael Starobin, Assassins
Unique Theatrical Experience: Toxic Audio in Loud Mouth
Special Awards: Dakin Matthews for his adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry IV, The Flea Theater and The Classical Theatre of Harlem
Totals By Show:
Wicked - 6
Assassins - 4
Henry IV - 3
A Raisin in the Sun - 2
I Am My Own Wife - 2
The Boy from Oz - 2
Wonderful Town - 2
Caroline, or Change - 1
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - 1
Intimate Apparel - 1
Taboo - 1
Toxic Audio in Loud Mouth - 1
Twentieth Century - 1
