Michael Zam News

The Drama Desk Awards ceremony was hosted by Harvey Fierstein on May 23 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan Center. This year, for the first time, a 90-minute Highlights Special of the Drama Desk Awards Ceremony will be televised nationally on OVATION, the national cable network dedicated to presenting creative arts programming to national TV audiences. The ceremony will be given two primetime broadcasts plus four other airings between June 4 and June 19, 2011.

Last night, May 23, the 2011 Drama Desk Awards Ceremony took place at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan. The Book of Mormon, Anything Goes, War Horse and The Normal Heart were the night's big winners, with favorites Sutton Foster, Norbert Leo Butz, Bobby Cannavale, Frances McDormand, Laura Benanti, John Larroquette, Brian Bedford and Edie Falco taking home the evening's top performance honors. The Awards ceremony was hosted by Harvey Fierstein. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the evening's starry opening red carpet and brings you Part 2 of our complete photo coverage below!

The Awards ceremony was hosted by Harvey Fierstein last night at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan Center! BroadwayWorld was updating the winners list live throughout the evening.

Nominations for The 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced on Friday, April 29, 2011, at 9:30 AM at the New York Friars Club, 57 East 55th Street, in Manhattan. Amongst the shows with multiple nominations were THE BOOK OF MORMON with 12, ANYTHING GOES with 10, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE with 7, BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, SEE ROCK CITY & OTHER DESTINATIONS and WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN with 6.

The New Group honored Wallace Shawn and Fred Wistow with the fifth annual Michael Mendelson Award. Founded in 2005, this award recognizes individuals who show outstanding commitment to the theatrical community. Past recipients include Robyn Goodman, Ethan Hawke, Ruth and Stephen Hendel, Wendy Ettinger and Derek McLane. BroadwayWorld was on hand and brings you photo coverage below.

Nominations for The 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced on Friday, April 29, 2011, at 9:30 AM at the New York Friars Club, 57 East 55th Street, in Manhattan. Former Drama Desk Award winners Audra MacDonald and Liev Schreiber made the announcements. Other speakers included Isa Goldberg, President of the Drama Desk; Robert R. Blume, Executive Producer of the Drama Desk Awards; Barbara Siegel, chairperson of the Drama Desk Nominating Committee and Randie Levine-Miller, Director of Special Events for the Drama Desk, who has produced the nominations announcement ceremony at the NY Friars Club for the past 15 years.

This evening, the 2011 Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway were handed out to recipients in 14 categories and 3 special awards. This year's ceremony will benefit The Actors Fund. A full list of recipients follows below.

Last night, the 2011 Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway were handed out to recipients in 14 categories and 3 special awards. This year's ceremony will benefit The Actors Fund. BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture the special night including the winners, presenters and performers.

Last night, the 2011 Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway were handed out to recipients in 14 categories and 3 special awards. This year's ceremony will benefit The Actors Fund. BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture the special night including the red carpet arrivals.

The 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards, hosted by Harvey Fierstein, will be held Monday, May 23, at 9:00 PM at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan Center, 8th Avenue and 34th Street. This year, for the first time, a 90-minute Highlights Special of the Drama Desk Awards Ceremony will be televised nationally on OVATION, the national cable network dedicated to presenting creative arts programming to national TV audiences. The ceremony will be given two primetime broadcasts plus four other airings between June 4 and June 19, 2011.

The 2011 Lucille Lortel Awards, honoring the best of Off-Broadway will be held on May 1, 2011. A recption for nominees was held yesterday, April 11th. Check out photos from the event below

Nominations in 14 categories and 3 special awards were announced today by the Off-Broadway League for the 2011 Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway.

Nominations in 14 categories and 3 special awards were announced today by the Off-Broadway League for the 2011 Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway. This year's ceremony will benefit The Actors Fund. A list of nominees follows below.

The American Theatre Wing announced today that the recipients of the 2011 Jonathan Larson® Grants are Danny Larsen (Composer/Co-Lyricist) & Michelle Elliott (Bookwriter/Co-Lyricist), Cloaked; Marisa Michelson (Composer) & Joshua H. Cohen (Bookwriter/Lyricist), Tamar and the River; and Andy Monroe (Composer), Jack Lechner (Lyricist) & Michael Zam (Bookwriter), The Kid. The prestigious grants, totaling $10,000, will be presented on Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at a private event in New York City. The event will feature special performances of the recipients' work.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, announced today the nominees for its 22nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards. By recognizing and honoring media for outstanding images of the LGBT community, the GLAAD Media Awards serve as a benchmark for the media industry and complement GLAAD's work to bring LGBT images and stories to Americans.

The BMI-Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop announces its Winter Smoker, a semi-annual showcase for new songs from Workshop writers.

The BMI-Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop announces its Winter Smoker, a semi-annual showcase for new songs from Workshop writers.

The Off Broadway Alliance, the organization of Off Broadway producers, general managers, venue owners, press agents and marketing firms, will hold the fourth in its series of seminars focused on the culture, business and history of Off Broadway. The seminar, titled 'Off Broadway Financials: How To Raise Money and Where To Spend It', will feature producer/general manager Jamie Cesa (Wishful Drinking, Love Janis, 21 Dog Years), producer/general manager Ken Davenport (Oleanna, Blithe Spirit, Altar Boyz), Hugh Hysell, president of HHC Marketing, and producer/entertainment attorney Bruce Lazarus (Blue Man Group, The Lion King, Shakespeare's R&J).

The Off Broadway Alliance, the organization of Off Broadway producers, general managers, venue owners, press agents and marketing firms, will hold the fourth in its series of seminars focused on the culture, business and history of Off Broadway. The seminar, titled 'Off Broadway Financials: How To Raise Money and Where To Spend It', will feature producer/general manager Jamie Cesa (Wishful Drinking, Love Janis, 21 Dog Years), producer/general manager Ken Davenport (Oleanna, Blithe Spirit, Altar Boyz), Hugh Hysell, president of HHC Marketing, and producer/entertainment attorney Bruce Lazarus (Blue Man Group, The Lion King, Shakespeare's R&J).

Where there was plenty of opportunity to go over the top with The Kid -- the story chronicles the adoption process through the eyes of a sex columnist and his gay partner -- there was an overall sweetness to the show that left audiences feeling open to the idea of this whacky couple brining a child home...