Are Cast Replacements Eligible for Drama Desk Awards?

The Drama Desk Awards, bestowed annually by a group of New York-based theater critics and journalists, honor both Broadway and off-Broadway productions. For that reason, musicals that begin off-Broadway one season and transfer to Broadway the following season receive nominations only for their original productions. Notable recent examples include Grey Gardens and In the Heights, which were cited by the Drama Desk for their off-Broadway mountings. But what if a major cast change takes place for the Broadway production?

That’s the question that arises from the Broadway production of Next to Normal, currently in previews at the Booth Theatre with J. Robert Spencer as Dan a leading role created last season by Shrek star Brian d’Arcy James. Second Stage’s off-Broadway production of Next to Normal drew two 2008 Drama Desk nominations for the leading performance of Alice Ripley and the music of Tom Kitt.

So, can the show get a Best Musical nomination in 2009? No. Will J. Robert Spencer be considered for a Best Actor nod? Yes. According to Drama Desk president William Wolf, “The Drama Desk rule is that if a show was considered the previous year, only new elements, such as a new member of the cast, are eligible.” Nominees for the 54th annual Drama Desk Awards will be announced on April 27, and the awards ceremony will be held on May 17 at F.H. LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center, hosted by Harvey Fierstein.