Theater News

Shuffle Along, The Humans, and More Take Home 2016 Drama Desk Awards

Find out who else earned top prizes at this year’s ceremony.

Shuffle Along, directed by George C. Wolfe, won the 2016 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical.
Shuffle Along, directed by George C. Wolfe, won the 2016 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical.
(© Julieta Cervantes)

The 2016 Drama Desk Awards, hosted by two-time Drama Desk winner Michael Urie, were held earlier this evening at Town Hall. Stephen Karam's The Humans and Shuffle Along were named the Outstanding Play and Musical of the New York theater season, with a number of awards also going to Broadway's Fiddler on the Roof, She Loves Me, and The Color Purple. Read the complete list of winners below.

Winners are preceded by an asterisk.

Hyperlinked shows are currently running.

Outstanding Play
The Christians, Playwrights Horizons
*The Humans, Roundabout Theatre Company

John, Signature Theatre
King Charles III
The Royale, Lincoln Center Theater

Outstanding Musical
First Daughter Suite, Public Theater
Daddy Long Legs
School of Rock
*Shuffle Along

Waitress

Outstanding Revival of a Play
Cloud Nine, Atlantic Theater Company
Death of a Salesman, New Yiddish Rep
Henry IV, Donmar Warehouse at St. Ann’s Warehouse
Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Roundabout Theatre Company
*A View From the Bridge

Women Without Men, Mint Theater Company

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
The Color Purple
The Golden Bride, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
Fiddler on the Roof
*She Loves Me, Roundabout Theatre Company

Spring Awakening

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Andrew Garman, The Christians, Playwrights Horizons
Avi Hoffman, Death of a Salesman
*Frank Langella, The Father, Manhattan Theatre Club

Tim Pigott-Smith, King Charles III
Mark Strong, A View From the Bridge

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Georgia Engel, John, Signature Theatre
Mamie Gummer, Ugly Lies the Bone, Roundabout Underground
Marin Ireland, Ironbound, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater/Women’s Project Theater
*Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Nicola Walker, A View From the Bridge

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
*Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof

Robert Creighton, Cagney, York Theatre Company
Michael C. Hall, Lazarus, New York Theatre Workshop
Zachary Levi, She Loves Me
Benjamin Walker, American Psycho

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Laura Benanti, She Loves Me
Carmen Cusack, Bright Star
*Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple

Jessie Mueller, Waitress
Annette O’Toole, Southern Comfort, Public Theater

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Bill Camp, The Crucible
David Furr, Noises Off, Roundabout Theatre Company
Matt McGrath, The Legend of Georgia McBride, MCC Theater
Richard Thomas, Incident at Vichy, Signature Theatre
*Michael Shannon, Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Brooke Bloom, Cloud Nine
Megan Hilty, Noises Off
Kellie Overbey, Women Without Men
*Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed, Public Theater

Jeanine Serralles, Gloria, Vineyard Theatre

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Nicholas Barasch, She Loves Me
*Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress

Baylee Littrell, Disaster!
Paul Alexander Nolan, Bright Star
A.J. Shively, Bright Star

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Alison Fraser, First Daughter Suite
Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen, Second Stage
*Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me

Mary Testa, First Daughter Suite

Outstanding Director of a Play
Rachel Chavkin, The Royale
Sam Gold, John
Rupert Goold, King Charles III
Joe Mantello, The Humans
Jenn Thompson, Women Without Men
*Ivo van Hove, A View From the Bridge

Outstanding Director of a Musical
(tie)
Michael Arden, Spring Awakening
*John Doyle, The Color Purple

Rupert Goold, American Psycho
*Bartlett Sher, Fiddler on the Roof

Bryna Wasserman, Motl Didner, The Golden Bride

Outstanding Choreography
Joshua Bergasse, Cagney
Spencer Liff, Spring Awakening
Lynne Page, American Psycho
Randy Skinner, Dames at Sea
*Savion Glover, Shuffle Along

Outstanding Book of a Musical
*John Caird, Daddy Long Legs

Michael John LaChiusa, First Daughter Suite
Jessie Nelson, Waitress

Outstanding Music
Sara Bareilles, Waitress
Michael John LaChiusa, First Daughter Suite
Andrew Lloyd Webber, School of Rock
The Lobbyists, SeaWife, Naked Angels
*Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Bright Star

Outstanding Lyrics
Sara Bareilles, Waitress
*Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Dear Evan Hansen

Glenn Slater, School of Rock
Michael John LaChiusa, First Daughter Suite

Outstanding Orchestrations
August Eriksmoen, Bright Star
*Larry Hochman, She Loves Me, Roundabout Theatre Company

Joseph Joubert and Catherine Jayes, The Color Purple
Andrew Lloyd Webber, School of Rock
Michael Starobin and Bruce Coughlin, First Daughter Suite

Outstanding Music in a Play
Billie Joe Armstrong, These Paper Bullets!, Atlantic Theatre Company
Estelle Bajou, Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, One Year Lease Theater Company
Shaun Davey, Pericles, Theatre for a New Audience
*Philip Glass, The Crucible

Tom Kitt, Cymbeline, Public Theater

Outstanding Set Design for a Play
Riccardo Hernandez, Red Speedo, New York Theatre Workshop
Mimi Lien, John
G.W. Mercier, Head of Passes, Public Theater
*Christopher Oram, Hughie

Derek McLane, Fully Committed

Outstanding Set Design for a Musical
Es Devlin, American Psycho
Emily Orling, Matt Saunders, Eric Farber, Futurity, Soho Rep/Ars Nova
*David Rockwell, She Loves Me

Outstanding Costume Design for a Play
Jessica Ford, These Paper Bullets!
Martha Hally, Women Without Men
Constance Hoffman, Pericles
William Ivey Long, Shows for Days, Lincoln Center Theater
*Anita Yavich, The Legend of Georgia McBride

Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical
Jane Greenwood, Bright Star
Katrina Lindsay, American Psycho
Jeff Mahshie, She Loves Me
Alejo Vietti, Allegiance
*Ann Roth, Shuffle Along

Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play
Neil Austin, Hughie
Mark Barton, John
Bradley King, Empanada Loca, Labyrinth Theater Company
Tyler Micoleau, Antlia Pneumatica, Playwrights Horizons
*Justin Townsend, The Humans

Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical
Jane Cox, The Color Purple
Jake DeGroot, SeaWife
Ben Stanton, Spring Awakening
*Justin Townsend, American Psycho

Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, Shuffle Along

Outstanding Projection Design 
Nicholas Hussong, These Paper Bullets!
Darrel Maloney, Tappin’ Thru Life
Peter Nigrini, Dear Evan Hansen
*Finn Ross, American Psycho

Tal Yarden, Lazarus

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
Fitz Patton, An Act of God
*Fitz Patton, The Humans

Mikhail Fiksel and Miles Polaski,, Fulfillment, The Flea Theatre
Bray Poor, John
Ryan Rumery, Empanada Loca

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
Mick Potter, School of Rock
Brian Ronan, Lazarus
Nevin Steinberg, Bright Star
*Dan Moses Schreier, American Psycho

Scott Lehrer, Shuffle Along

Outstanding Wig and Hair
David Brian Brown, She Loves Me
Jason Hayes, The Legend of Georgia McBride
Robert-Charles Vallance, Women Without Men
Charles G. LaPointe, The School for Scandal, Red Bull Theater
*Mia M. Neal, Shuffle Along

Outstanding Solo Performance
Simon Callow, Tuesdays at Tesco’s, 59E59
Kathleen Chalfant, Rose, Nora’s Playhouse
James Lecesne, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
Daphne Rubin-Vega, Empanada Loca
*Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Fully Committed

Unique Theatrical Experience
ADA/AVA, Manual Cinema/3LD/The Tank
Antigona – Soledad Barrio/Noche Flamenca
*That Physics Show

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show
YOUARENOWHERE – 3LD/The Tank