Annaleigh Ashford, Lear deBessonet, More Honored at 2023 Drama League Awards
The 2023 Drama League Awards, hosted by Emmy-winning NY1 reporter Frank DiLella, was held today, Friday, May 19, 2023 at The Ziegfeld Ballroom. Awards were presented by Audra McDonald, Ben Platt, Bebe Neuwirth, and Rachel Chavkin, along with Sara Bareilles, Sheryl Kaller, and Charles Flateman, Executive Vice President of the Shubert Organization.
Annaleigh Ashford won the Distinguished Performance Award for her work in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, an honor that can only be won once during the career of an actor. Leopoldstadt took home the Award for Outstanding Production of a Play, while A Doll’s House won for Outstanding Revival of a Play. Some Like It Hot and Into the Woods earned honors for Outstanding Production of a Musical and Outstanding Revival of a Musical, respectively. In the directing categories, Anne Kauffman took home the Outstanding Direction of a Play award for The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window and Lear deBessonet took home Outstanding Direction of a Musical for Into the Woods, making her a dual winner at the star-studded event; deBessonet was also honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing.
First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. They are the only major theatre awards chosen by a cross-section of the theater community —specifically, by the industry professionals, producers, artists, audiences, and critics who are Drama League Members nationwide.
The full list of nominations can be found below, with the winners in bold.
2023 DRAMA LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS
Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play
Leopoldstadt - Written by Tom Stoppard & Directed by Patrick Marber
The Bandaged Place
Cost of Living
Dark Disabled Stories
Downstate
Elyria
Fat Ham
Good Night, Oscar
Life of Pi
Peter Pan Goes Wrong
Prima Facie
Public Obscenities
Summer, 1976
Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play
A Doll’s House - Written by Henrik Ibsen; In a new version by Amy Herzog & Directed by Jamie Lloyd
Ohio State Murders
Hamlet/Oresteia
The Piano Lesson
A Raisin in the Sun
The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
The Thanksgiving Play
Topdog/Underdog
Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Blackand White
Wolf Play
Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical
Some Like It Hot - Book by Matthew López and Amber Ruffin; Music by Marc Shaiman; Lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman; Based on the screenplay “Some Like it Hot” by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond & Directed by Casey Nicholaw
& Juliet
A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical
Dreaming Zenzile
New York, New York
Shucked
Titanique
White Girl in Danger
Wise Children’s Wuthering Heights
Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical
Into the Woods - Music by Stephen Sondheim; Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; Book by James Lapine & Directed by Lear deBessonet
Bob Fosse’s Dancin’
Camelot
A Man of No Importance
Parade
1776
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Anne Kauffman, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
Jo Bonney, Cost of Living
Shayok Misha Chowdhury, Public Obscenities
Kenny Leon, Topdog/Underdog
Jamie Lloyd, A Doll’s House
David Mendizábal, the bandaged place
Awoye Timpo, Elyria and Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Black and White
Dustin Wills, Wolf Play
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Lear deBessonet, Into the Woods
Lileana Blain-Cruz, Dreaming Zenzile and White Girl In Danger
Thomas Kail, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot
Jack O’Brien, Shucked
Bartlett Sher, Camelot
Susan Stroman, New York, New York
Nominees for the Distinguished Performance Award
Annaleigh Ashford, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Topdog/Underdog
Hiran Abeysekera, Life of Pi
Sara Bareilles, Into the Woods
Stephanie Berry, the bandaged place
Brittany Bradford, Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story In Black And White
Danielle Brooks, The Piano Lesson
Rachel Brosnahan, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
Marylouise Burke, Epiphany
D’Arcy Carden, The Thanksgiving Play
Jessica Chastain, A Doll’s House
Sharon D Clarke, Death of a Salesman
Jodie Comer, Prima Facie
Jordan E. Cooper, Ain’t No Mo’
Lorna Courtney, &Juliet
Micaela Diamond, Parade
K. Todd Freeman, Downstate
J. Harrison Ghee, Some Like It Hot
Josh Groban, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Ryan J. Haddad, Dark Disabled Stories
Corey Hawkins, Topdog/Underdog
Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Between Riverside and Crazy
Oscar Isaac, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
Tarra Conner Jones, White Girl in Danger
Esco Jouléy, Wolf Play
Somi Kakoma, Dreaming Zenzile
David Krumholtz, Leopoldstadt
Linda Lavin, You Will Get Sick
Laura Linney, Summer, 1976
Jefferson Mays, A Christmas Carol
Patina Miller, Into the Woods
Marla Mindelle, Titanique
Arian Moayed, A Doll’s House
Gargi Mukherjee, Public Obscenities
Alex Newell, Shucked
Jeremy Pope, The Collaboration
Colton Ryan, New York, New York
Phillipa Soo, Camelot
Marcel Spears, Fat Ham
Katy Sullivan, Cost of Living
Will Swenson, A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical
John Douglas Thompson, Endgame
Anna Uzele, New York, New York
John David Washington, The Piano Lesson
Betsy Wolfe, &Juliet
David Zayas, Cost of Living
The Drama League also wishes to acknowledge the previous recipients of the Distinguished Performance Award who appeared in Broadway or Off-Broadway productions this season. As the Award can only be won once in a performer’s lifetime, they are ineligible to be nominated; however, their exemplary work is recognized and applauded.
Danny Burstein, Pictures From Home
Norbert Leo Butz, Cornelia Street
Kathleen Chalfant, The Year of Magical Thinking
Neil Patrick Harris, Peter Pan Goes Wrong
Nathan Lane, Pictures From Home
Audra McDonald, Ohio State Murders
Bebe Neuwirth, The Bedwetter
Ben Platt, Parade
As previously reported, this year’s honorees included Tony Award-winning Hadestown and Death of a Salesman star André De Shields, Into the Woods director and Encores! Artistic Director Lear deBessonet, The Drama Book Shop, and J.P Morgan Asset and Wealth Management CCO Darin Oduyoye. De Shields received the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award, presented by Rachel Chavkin, for his outstanding 50+ years of work on stage. Along with her win for Outstanding Direction of a Musical, deBessonet was honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing, presented by Sara Bareilles. The Drama Book Shop received the Contribution to the Theater Award, presented by Frank DiLella and accepted by Lin-Manuel Miranda on behalf of the group. Oduyoye was honored with the Gratitude Award, presented by Charles Flateman.
For a complete list of productions and performers that have won Drama League Awards in the event’s history, as well as all past honorees, visit dramaleague.org/awards.
