Elton John, Angela Lansbury & Arthur Laurents Honored by Drama League

Elton John, Angela Lansbury, director Arthur Laurents and producer Herb Blodgett will be presented Special Recognition Awards at the 2009 Drama League Awards ceremony on May 15. The awards luncheon, which also includes competitive awards in five production and performance categories, will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis Hotel, hosted by Jeremy Irons and Cynthia Nixon.

Elton John, composer of the hit musical Billy Elliot, will receive the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award, presented by director Stephen Daldry. Angela Lansbury, star of the Broadway revival of Blithe Spirit, will receive the Unique Contribution to the Theatre Award, presented by Harold Prince. Arthur Laurents, director of the Broadway revival of West Side Story, will receive the Julia Hansen Award for Excellence in Directing. Broadway producer Herb Blodgett will receive the League’s 75th Anniversary Leadership Award, presented by Irv Welzer. Other presenters will be announced soon.

In addition to the Special Recognitions, the Drama League’s 3,000+ members vote on five other awards: Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical and The Distinguished Performance Award. Nominees, which will be announced on April 21, are seated at the luncheon on a dais that includes stars of Broadway and off-Broadway.