Chita Rivera Receives Distinguished Performance Award from Drama League at Star Studded Ceremony
by Jeanne Lieberman
photos by John Barrett, Jeanne Lieberman and MLO
Ever the elegant, the 81st Annual Drama League Awards never fail to scintillate. The membership made up of audience members and industry professionals shared the event with a huge community of theater luminaries – new and veteran, on and off-Broadway, who gathered at the Marriott Marquis in the Grand Ballroom where they were feted to a private VIP cocktail party and then marched with full musical pomp and circumstance through the crystal chandeliered room to be seated, yes, all 42 of them, onstage, all competing for one only one award : The Distinguished Performance Award, that can only be won once in a life time and never repeated.
Hosted by Steven Boyer from Hand To God, the event took place at the Marriott Marquis Times Square. (Boyer had a tell tale bandage on his infamous left hand, a mishap from the often out of control behavior of Tyrone)
The seating arrangement divided into three wing to wing rows was in sort of alphabetical order. This had some interesting unplanned theatrical touches:
A bevy of Brits – Helen Mirren, Bill Nighy,
Jim Dale and Rosemary Harris (if she isn’t British she certainly
sounds like one) sat side by side
as did rivals for best actress in a musical –
,
Christen Chenoweth,
next to Kelli O’Hara
next to Renee Fleming
theater veteran Julie White
next to the novice boy wonder Alex Sharp
–
who remarked “last year I was still in school”.
John Douglas Thompson noted he was in the oldest play Tamburlaine, Parts I
and II from the 1600’s to the longest play – the 5 hour Iceman
Cometh ,
dancer Leanne Cope on opposite end from her partner Robert
Fairchild, who sat next to his rival, Tony Yazbek –
Lyn-Manual Miranda rapped a poem he wrote as a young man to his
crush Helen Mirren,
seated on the other side of the speaker, which had Chita Rivera
jump our of her seat and wave her napkin in salute
Zhivago import Tam Mutu said “I just opened and closed my first
Broadway show”
to which Douglas Sills later replied “Its a badge if honor to close early” and revealed how Renee Fleming would not stop rehearsing to take a call from Yitzhak Pearlman – or how she introduced the Japanese Ambassador backstage to Sills while he was in his shorts. “She brought the classical world to Broadway” –
Bryce Pinkham seated next to co-star
Elizabeth Moss called her his “goddess”.
Andy Carl similarly paid homage to Chenoweth for carrying “all
of us”,
Ruthie Ann Miles gave a teary vote of gratitude to her co-star
Kelli O’Hara,
Roger Reese stood up and simply repeated Chita’s name three times
in tribute,
Stephen McKinley Henderson said “losing is not too bad in this
great company – but winning means you don’t have to do it again”.
Lisa Howard, from It Shoulda Been You, said she felt like
she was at “the strangest, coolest wedding party”
Joel
Grey , who received the Distinguished Achievement in Musical
Theatre, concluded his acceptance speech by singing “Wilkomen” from Cabaret,
and Chita Rivera got the sole standing ovation from the crowd winning the
coveted Distinguished Performance Award.
Held May 15th At The Marriott Marquis Times Square
The Drama League
Announces Winners Of 81st Annual Awards
“An American In Paris”
Named Distinguished Musical
“The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time”
Named Distinguished Play
“The King And I”
Named Distinguished Revival Of A Musical
“You Can’t Take It With You”
Named Distinguished Revival Of A Play
