Billy Elliott Captures 10 Drama Desk Awards, Including Outstanding Musical

May 17, 2009 (New York City)- Billy Elliott The Musical blew away the competition at the 54^th Annual Drama Desk Awards, winning 10 awards, including Best Musical, Best Director, Outstanding Featured Actor and Actress and Outstanding Music (Elton John).

Shrek The Musical was a distant second with three awards, including one for Brian d’Arcy James, who took home the honors as Outstanding Actor in a Musical. Other big winners included Lynn Nottage, who took Best Play honors for Ruined, The Norman Conquests, which won for Outstanding Revival of a Play and Hair, which won for Outstanding Revival of a Musical.

In the acting categories, Geoffrey Rush was named Outstanding Actor in a Play (The Norman Conquests), Janet McTeer was Outstanding Actress in a Play (Mary Stuart) and Allison Janney, of West Wing fame, took Best Actress in a Musical for her work in 9 to 5.

Other big-name winners included Angela Lansbury (Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play) and Stephen Sondheim (Outstanding Lyrics for Road Show).

Billy Elliott is now the dds-n favorite to dominate the upcoming Tony Awards.

THE WINNERS

Outstanding Play:                                                Ruined by Lynn Nottage

Outstanding Musical:                                          Billy Elliot The Musical

Outstanding Revival of a Play:                         The Norman Conquests  

Outstanding Revival of a Musical:                    Hair

Outstanding Music in a Play:                             Dominic Kanza (Ruined)

Outstanding Actor in a Play:                              Geoffrey Rush  (Exit the King)

Outstanding Actress in a Play:                          Janet McTeer (Mary Stuart)

Outstanding Actor in a Musical:                        Brian d’Arcy James (Shrek The Musical)

Outstanding Actress in a Musical:                    Allison Janney (9 to 5)

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play:             Pablo Schreiber (reasons to be pretty) off Broadway

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play:         Angela Lansbury (Blithe Spirit)

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical:       Gregory Jbara (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical:   Haydn Gwynne (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Director of a Play:                         Matthew Warchus (The Norman Conquests)

Outstanding Director of a Musical:                   Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Choreography:                              Peter Darling (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Music:                                             Elton John (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Lyrics:                                             Stephen Sondheim (Road Show)

Outstanding Book of a Musical                         Lee Hall (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Orchestrations:                              Martin Koch (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Set Design of a Play:                   David Korins (Why Torture Is Wrong and the People

                                                                                                          Who Love Them)

Outstanding Set Design of a Musical:             Tim Hatley (Shrek The Musical)

Outstanding Costume Design:                         Tim Hatley (Shrek The Musical))

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play:           David Hersey (Equus)

Outstanding Sound Design:                              Paul Arditti (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Solo Performance:                       Lorenzo Pisoni (Humor Abuse)

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical:     Rick Fisher (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Unique Theatrical Experience:                        Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words