The 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards for excellence in New York theater were presented tonight at a gala awards ceremony at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan Center, hosted by Harvey Fierstein, and the results reflected the diversity and excellence of this past year’s New York theater scene.

Presenters at the 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards ceremony included (in alphabetical order): Ellen Barkin, T.V. Carpio, Tyne Daly, Jennifer Damiano, Montego Glover, Jonathan Groff, Katie Holmes, Cheyenne Jackson, Larry Kramer, Marsha Mason,  Karen Olivo, David Hyde Pierce, Colin Quinn, Daniel Radcliffe, Liev Schreiber,  Annabella Sciorra, Christian Siriano,  Holland Taylor and Tom Wopat.

THE BOOK OF MORMON and ANYTHING GOES each won five Drama Desk Awards to lead the parade of winners, followed by the plays ‘The Normal Heart’ and ‘Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo’ which won two awards each.

The new musical created by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez y Matt Stone, THE BOOK OF MORMON, was voted Outstanding Musical. The show has also won for Outstanding Director (Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker), Outstanding Music (Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone), Outstanding Lyrics (Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone) and Outstanding Orchestrations (Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus).

Whereas the acclaimed revival of ANYTHING GOES was voted Outstanding Revival of a Musical. And has also received the awards for Outstanding Choreography (Kathleen Marshall), Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Sutton Foster), Outstanding Set Design (Derek McLane) and Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical (Brian Ronan).

No other  musical production has won more than one award. So, the other musical shows that have received an award are: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (Outstanding Actor in a Musical: Norbert Leo Butz), WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A BREAKDOWN (Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Laura Benanti), HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING (Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: John Larroquette), SEE ROCK CITY & OTHER DESTINATIONS (Outstanding Book of a Musical: Adam Mathias) and PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT (Outstanding Costume Design).

Each year the Drama Desk votes special awards to recognize excellence and significant contributions to the theater. These awards were voted by the nominating committee and have been presented by the Drama Desk at tonight’s awards ceremony. The only special award related with musical theatre has been for the Outstanding Ensemble Performances, that have been shared by the ensemble of the Off-Broadway musical IN TRANSIT and the one of the play ‘The Normal Heart’.

The complete list of the musical theatre winners of the Drama Desk Awards 2011 is:
     
Outstanding Musical
IN TRANSIT
PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT: THE MUSICAL
SEE ROCK CITY & OTHER DESTINATIONS
SISTER ACT
THE BOOK OF MORMON
THE KID

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
ANYTHING GOES
HELLO AGAIN
HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Colin Donnell, ANYTHING GOES
Daniel Radcliffe, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING
Andrew Rannells, THE BOOK OF MORMON
Tony Sheldon, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT: THE MUSICAL
Christopher Sieber, THE KID

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Sutton Foster, ANYTHING GOES
Beth Leavel, BABY IT’S YOU!
Patina Miller, SISTER ACT
Donna Murphy, THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE
Sherie Rene Scott, WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Adam Godley, ANYTHING GOES
John Larroquette, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING
Brian Stokes Mitchell, WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
Rory O´Malley, THE BOOK OF MORMON
Bob Stillman, HELLO AGAIN
Tom Wopat, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Laura Benanti, WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
Kerry Butler, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Victoria Clark, SISTER ACT
Jill Eikenberry, THE KID
Nikki M. James, THE BOOK OF MORMON
Patti LuPone, WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
Laura Osnes, ANYTHING GOES

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Rob Ashford, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING
Joe Calarco, IN TRANSIT
Jack Cummings III, HELLO AGAIN
Jack Cummings III, SEE ROCK CITY & OTHER DESTINATIONS
Kathleen Marshall, ANYTHING GOES
Casey Nicholaw y Trey Parker, THE BOOK OF MORMON

Outstanding Choreography
Rob Ashford, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING
Scott Grahamand and Steven Hoggett, ‘Beautiful Burnout’
Steven Hoggett, ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’
Kathleen Marshall, ANYTHING GOES
Casey Nicholaw, THE BOOK OF MORMON
Siudy, ‘Between Worlds’

Outstanding Music
Brad Alexander, SEE ROCK CITY & OTHER DESTINATIONS
Alan Menken, SISTER ACT
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone, THE BOOK OF MORMON
Marc Shaiman, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Mike Stoller and Artie Butler, THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE
David Yazbek, WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN

Outstanding Lyrics
Rick Crom, NEWSICAL THE MUSICAL - FULL SPIN AHEAD
Jack Lechner, THE KID
Adam Mathias, SEE ROCK CITY & OTHER DESTINATIONS
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone, THE BOOK OF MORMON
Glenn Slater, SISTER ACT
Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan and Sara Wordsworth, IN TRANSIT
Iris Rainer Dart, THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE
Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT: THE MUSICAL
Adam Mathias, SEE ROCK CITY & OTHER DESTINATIONS
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone, THE BOOK OF MORMON
Michael Zam, THE KID

Outstanding Orchestrations
Mary-Mitchell Campbell, HELLO AGAIN
Bruce Coughlin, THE BURNT PART BOYS
Simon Hale, Jim Abbott and David Yazbek, WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, THE BOOK OF MORMON
Marc Shaiman and Larry Blank, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Lynne Shankel, THE EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY

Outstanding Musical Revue
‘Fyvush Finkel Live!’
NEWSICAL THE MUSICAL - FULL SPIN AHEAD
‘Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles on Broadway’

Outstanding Set Design
Rachel Hauck, ‘Orange, Hat & Grace’
David Korins and Zachary Borovay (projection design), ‘Lombardi’
Derek McLane, ‘Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo’
Derek McLane, ANYTHING GOES
Tony Straiges, ‘Treasure Island’
Mark Wendland, ‘The Merchant of Venice’

Outstanding Costume Design
Tim Chappel y Lizzy Gardiner, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT: THE MUSICAL
Desmond Heeley, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’
Ann Hould-Ward, ‘A Free Man of Color’
Martin Pakledinaz, ANYTHING GOES
Ann Roth, THE BOOK OF MORMON
Paloma Young, ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’

Outstanding Lighting Design
Jean Kalman, ‘John Gabriel Borkman’
R. Lee Kennedy, SEE ROCK CITY & OTHER DESTINATIONS
David Lander, ‘Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo’
Laura Mroczkowski, ‘Spy Garbo’
Ben Stanton, ‘The Whipping Man’
David Weiner, ‘A Small Fire’

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
Lindsay Jones, THE BURNT PART BOYS
Michael Rasbury, HELLO AGAIN
Brian Ronan, ANYTHING GOES
Brian Ronan, THE BOOK OF MORMON
Jon Weston, IN TRANSIT