Utopia Takes 7 Drama Desk Awards; Spring Awakening Named Top Musical

The Coast of Utopia and Spring Awakening continued to dominate the pre-Tony Awards events, taking home the Best Play and Best Musical trophies at the 52nd annual Drama Desk Awards on May 20. Coast won seven prizes in all, including Outstanding Featured Actress, Martha Plimpton, and Best Director, Jack O'Brien. Michael Mayer was honored for his direction of Spring Awakening, along with Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater for music and lyrics. The outstanding book prize went to Rupert Holmes and the late Peter Stone for Curtains. Journey's End and Company were honored as the year's best revivals.

The winners in the acting categories were spread among 10 different productions, led by leading actor and actress winners Raul Esparza Company, Donna Murphy LoveMusik and Audra McDonald 110 in the Shade, a tie with Murphy, Eve Best A Moon for the Misbegotten and Frank Langella Frost/Nixon. Tony favorite Christine Ebersole won the award last year for the off-Broadway production of Grey Gardens.

The Drama Desk Awards were presented at the concert hall of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts hosted by Drama Desk nominee Kristin Chenoweth. For a complete list of this year's nominees, click here.

A complete list of winners follows:

Outstanding Musical
Spring Awakening

Outstanding Play
The Coast of Utopia by Tom Stoppard

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Company

Outstanding Revival of a Play
Journey's End

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Raul Esparza, Company

Outstanding Actress in a Musical tie
Audra McDonald, 110 in the Shade
Donna Murphy, LoveMusik

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Eve Best, A Moon for the Misbegotten

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Gavin Lee, Mary Poppins

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Debra Monk, Curtains

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Boyd Gaines, Journey's End

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Martha Plimpton, The Coast of Utopia

Outstanding Solo Performance
Vanessa Redgrave, The Year of Magical Thinking

Unique Theatrical Experience
Edward Scissorhands

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening

Outstanding Director of a Play
Jack O'Brien, The Coast of Utopia

Outstanding Set Design of a Musical
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins

Outstanding Set Design of a Play
Bob Crowley & Scott Pask, The Coast of Utopia

Outstanding Sound Design
Gregory Clarke, Journey's End

Outstanding Lighting Design
Kenneth Posner, Brian MacDevitt & Natasha Katz, The Coast of Utopia

Outstanding Costume Design
Catherine Zuber, The Coast of Utopia

Outstanding Music
Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening

Outstanding Lyrics
Steven Sater, Spring Awakening

Outstanding Music for a Play
Mark Bennett, The Coast of Utopia

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Rupert Holmes & Peter Stone, Curtains

Outstanding Orchestrations tie
Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Company
Jonathan Tunick, LoveMusik

Outstanding Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, In the Heights

Special Award Winners
Outstanding Ensemble, In the Heights
Outstanding Ensemble, Lebensraum
John Kander and Fred Ebb
Austin Pendleton
Transport Group
National Yiddish Theatre Folksbeine

Number of Wins by Show
The Coast of Utopia - 7
Spring Awakening - 4
Company - 3
Journey's End - 3
Curtains - 2
LoveMusik - 2
Mary Poppins - 2
110 in the Shade - 1
A Moon for the Misbegotten - 1
Edward Scissorhands - 1
Frost/Nixon - 1
In the Heights - 1
The Year of Magical Thinking - 1