Matilda and Pippin won top honors at the 2013 Drama Desk Awards, which were presented on May 19 at a ceremony at Town Hall. Matilda won five Drama Desks, including Oustanding Musical, and Pippin took home four awards, including Outstanding Revival. Christopher Durang’sVanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike won for Outstanding Play and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf was named Outstanding Revival of a Play.
A special ensemble award was given to the cast of Working and special awards were given to the New York Musical Theatre Festival, Wakka Wakka puppet theater, actress Jayne Houdyshell, playwright Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale) and lighting designer Maruti Evans.
The Drama Desk, an organization of New York City-based critics and theater journalists, considers productions that opened on Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off Broadway. As usual, however, Broadway productions dominated the awards. A complete list of winners follows:
Outstanding Musical: Matilda
Outstanding Play: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Outstanding Revival of a Musical: Pippin
Outstanding Revival of a Play: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Laura Osnes, Cinderella
Outstanding Actor in a Musical: Billy Porter, Kinky Boots
Outstanding Actress in a Play: Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful
Outstanding Actor in a Play: Tracy Letts, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Andrea Martin, Pippin
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Bertie Carvel, Matilda
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Judith Light, The Assembled Parties
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: Richard Kind, The Big Knife
Outstanding Director of a Musical: Diane Paulus, Pippin
Outstanding Director of a Play: Pam MacKinnon, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Outstanding Choreography: Chet Walker and Gypsy Snider, Pippin
Outstanding Music: David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, Here Lies Love
Outstanding Lyrics: Tim Minchin, Matilda
Outstanding Book of a Musical: Dennis Kelly, Matilda
Outstanding Orchestrations: Danny Troub, Cinderella
Outstanding Music in a Play: Glen Kelly, The Nance
Outstanding Revue: Old Hats
Outstanding Set Design: Rob Howell, Matilda
Outstanding Costume Design: William Ivey Long, Cinderella
Outstanding Lighting Design: Justin Townsend, Here Lies Love
Outstanding Projection Design: Peter Nigrini, Here Lies Love
Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical: (three way tie) Steve Canyon Kennedy, Hands on a Hardbody, Scott Lehrer and Drew Levy, Chaplin, Tony Meola, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Outstanding Sound Design in a Play: Mel Mercier, The Testament of Mary
Outstanding Solo Performance: Michael Urie, Buyer & Cellar
Unique Theatrical Experience: Cirque Du Soleil's Totem
Productions With Multiple Wins:
Matilda: 5
Pippin: 4
Cinderella: 3
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: 3
Here Lies Love: 2