The awards took place Sunday night, May 22^nd , at LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center. Unlike the Tony Awards, which honor only Broadway shows, the Drama Desk Awards consider all shows in New York ranging from Broadway to Off and Off Off Broadway, from “Spamalot” to “Slava’s Snowshow.” The event was preceded by a cocktail reception at Typhoon Restaurant and followed by a post-ceremony reception at Compass Restaurant.

“The Light in the Piazza,” the new Lincoln Center musical about an American family visiting Florence in the 1950’s, won five awards including Outstanding Actress and Music. “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” however, won the ultimate prize of Outstanding New Musical.

Brian O’Bryne accepts the award for Outstanding Actor in a Play
Photo by Matt Windman

“Doubt,” Broadway’s hit drama about a priest who may or may not have molested a young child, was the big winner of the 2005 Drama Desk Awards, taking home five awards including Outstanding Play, Director, Actor, Actress, and Featured Actress.

“To be so honored for a play that was entirely a pleasure from start to finish is like frosting on the cake,” said Doug Hughes, who won Outstanding Director of a Play for “Doubt.” “If I have one other experience that’s just as joyous in my career, I’ll be a profoundly lucky man.”

Brian F. O'Byrne, Cherry Jones ("Doubt").
Photo by Barry Gordin Agency

Michael Stuhlbarg, accepting an award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for “The Pillowman”
Photo by Matt Windman

Adam Guettel accepts the award for Best Music for “The Light in the Piazza”
Photo by Matt Windman

“The awards come as kind of a shock to us,” said Adam Guettel, who won Outstanding Music for “The Light in the Piazza.” “We were still working on the show till recently, so there was no time to worry about what would happen on nights like this.”

Victoria Clark ("The Light In The Piazza"), Patrick Christiano.
Photo by Barry Gordin Agency

The Roundabout revival of “Twelve Angry Men,” which closed last week, beat out other worthy contenders like “Glengarry Glen Ross” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?” for Outstanding Revival of a Play.

Cast of “Glengarry Glen Ross” accepts an award for Outstanding Ensemble Cast
Photo by Matt Windman

“La Cage Aux Folles,” the Jerry Herman musical comedy that recently added Robert Goulet to its cast, defeated “Sweet Charity” for Outstanding Revival of a Musical.

"La Cage Aux Folles" Producer Marty Richards and Maria Teresa Fauci.
Photo by the Barry Gordin Agency


Janine LaManna and Kyra DaCosta, who performed “Baby Dream Your Dream” from “Sweet Charity”
Photo by Matt Windman

“It’s a great honor and I’m sure I said a lot of nothing onstage,” Jerry Mitchell said after he accepted his award for Outstanding Choreography for “La Cage Aux Folles.” “I have fourteen incredible dancers that I should have thanked who split for me and do everything else humanly possible.”

Robert Goulet, starring in La Cage Aux Folles, appeared as a presenter
Photo By Barry Gordin Agency

Oskar Eustis and Mara Manus, who accepted an award in honor of the Public Theater
Photo by Matt Windman

Below is a full list of winners:

Outstanding Orchestrations
Steven M. Alper, The Immigrant
Larry Hochman, Monty Python's Spamalot
Doug Katsaros & Lynne Shankel, Altar Boyz
Kim Scharnberg, Little Women
*Ted Sperling, Adam Guettel, Bruce Coughlin, The Light in the Piazza
Harold Wheeler, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Nell Benjamin and Laurence O'Keefe, Cam Jensen
Kevin Del Aguila, Altar Boyz
Mark Harelik, The Immigrant
Eric Idle, Monty Python's Spamalot
Jeffrey Lane, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
*Rachel Sheinkin, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Outstanding Lyrics
Gary Adler & Michael Patrick Walker, Altar Boyz
Douglas J. Cohen, Children's Letters to God
Rick Crom, Newsical
William Finn, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
*Eric Idle, Monty Python's Spamalot
David Yazbek, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Outstanding Music
Gary Adler & Michael Patrick Walker, Altar Boyz
Terry Davies, Play Without Words
William Finn, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Stephen Flaherty, Dessa Rose
*Adam Guettel, The Light in the Piazza
David Yazbek, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Unique Theatrical Experience
all wear bowlers
Belle Epoque
The Mysteries
Play Without Words
*Slava's Snowshow

Outstanding Revue
Absolutely Fascinating
*Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit
Newsical

Billy Crystal accepting award for Outstanding Solo Performance
Photo by Barry Gordin Agency

Outstanding Solo Performance
*Billy Crystal, 700 Sundays
Dave Gorman, Dave Gorman's Googlewhack! Adventure
Barry Humphries, Dame Edna: Back with a Vengeance
Jackie Mason, Jackie Mason: Freshly Squeezed
Tim Miller, Us
James Urbaniak, Thom Pain (based on nothing)

Outstanding Costume Design
Lez Brotherston, Play Without Words
*Tim Hatley, Monty Python's Spamalot
William Ivey Long, La Cage aux Folles
Jeff Mahshie, Hurlyburly
Anthony Ward, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Catherine Zuber, The Light in the Piazza

Outstanding Lighting Design
Christopher Akerlind, Belle Epoque
*Christopher Akerlind, The Light in the Piazza
Mark Henderson, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Donald Holder, Gem of the Ocean
R. Lee Kennedy, The Audience
James Japhy Weideman, Frankenstein

Outstanding Sound Design
ACME Sound Partners, The Light in the Piazza
*Paul Arditti, The Pillowman
Jill B.C. DuBoff, Miss Julie
Jill B.C. DuBoff, Spatter Pattern (Or, How I Got Away With It)
Jeff Lorenz, Frankenstein
Darron L. West, Hot 'n' Throbbing

Outstanding Set Design of a Play
Robert Brill, Streetcar Named Desire
Marisa Frantz, Frankenstein
Nathan Heverin, Outward Bound
Richard Hoover, After the Fall
David Korins, Orange Flower Water
*Santo Loquasto, Glengarry Glen Ross

Outstanding Set Design of a Musical
Lez Brotherston, Play Without Words
Tim Hatley, Monty Python's Spamalot
Scott Pask, Sweet Charity
David Rockwell, All Shook Up
Anthony Ward, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
*Michael Yeargan, The Light in the Piazza

Jerry Mitchell (nominated for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels & La Cage Aux Folles), Randie Levine-Miller
Photo by Barry Gordin Agency

Outstanding Choreography
Matthew Bourne, Play Without Words
Christopher Gattelli, Altar Boyz
Barry McNabb, Sailor's Song
Jerry Mitchell, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
*Jerry Mitchell, La Cage aux Folles
Casey Nicholaw, Monty Python's Spamalot

Outstanding Director of a Play
Joshua Carlebach, Frankenstein
Scott Elliott, Hurlyburly
Scott Ellis, Twelve Angry Men
Edward Hall, Rose Rage
*Doug Hughes, Doubt
Joe Mantello, Glengarry Glen Ross

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Matthew Bourne, Play Without Words
Jack Cummings III, The Audience
Mark Dornford-May, The Mysteries
*James Lapine, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Mike Nichols, Monty Python's Spamalot
Bartlett Sher, The Light in the Piazza

Adriene Lenox (Doubt)
Photo by Barry Gordin Agency

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Julie Halston, White Chocolate
*Adriane Lenox, Doubt
Portia, McReele
Lily Rabe, Steel Magnolias
Lee Roy Rogers, Orson's Shadow
Mary Testa, String of Pearls

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Sarah Uriarte Berry, The Light in the Piazza
Joanna Gleason, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Kecia Lewis, Dessa Rose
*Jan Maxwell, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Maureen McGovern, Little Women
Jennifer Simard, Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Philip Bosco, Twelve Angry Men
Larry Bryggman, Romance
Jeff Goldblum, The Pillowman
Josh Hamilton, Hurlyburly
Paul Sparks, Orange Flower Water
*Michael Stuhlbarg, The Pillowman

Robert Blume, Christina Applegate (Sweet Charity)
Photo by Barry Gordin Agency

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Christian Borle, Monty Python's Spamalot
Gregory Jbara, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Norm Lewis, Dessa Rose
Tyler Maynard, Altar Boyz
Michael McGrath, Monty Python's Spamalot
*Denis O'Hare, Sweet Charity

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Adam Arkin, Brooklyn Boy
John Cullum, Sin (A Cardinal Deposed)
Bill Irwin, Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
*Brian F. O'Byrne, Doubt
Jeremy Piven, Fat Pig
John Turturro, Souls of Naples

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Hank Azaria, Monty Python's Spamalot
Mike Burstyn, On Second Avenue
*Norbert Leo Butz, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Matthew Morrison, The Light in the Piazza
David Hyde Pierce, Monty Python's Spamalot
Bill Thompson, God Hates the Irish: The Ballad of Armless Johnny

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Veanne Cox, Last Easter
*Cherry Jones, Doubt
Judy Kaye, Souvenir
Laura Linney, Sight Unseen
Frances Sternhagen, Echoes of the War
Kathleen Turner, Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Christina Applegate, Sweet Charity
*Victoria Clark, The Light in the Piazza
Sutton Foster, Little Women
LaChanze, Dessa Rose
Sherie Rene Scott, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Rachel York, Dessa Rose

Outstanding Revival of a Play
Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Glengarry Glen Ross
Hurlyburly
Outward Bound
Pullman Car Hiawatha
*Twelve Angry Men

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES
Photo by Barry Gordin Agency

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death
*La Cage aux Folles
On Second Avenue
Sweet Charity

Outstanding Play
Democracy (Michael Frayn)
*Doubt (John Patrick Shanley)
Pentecost (David Edgar)
The Pillowman (Martin McDonagh)
Sailor's Song (John Patrick Shanley)
Sin (A Cardinal Deposed) (Michael Murphy)

The Altar Boyz, Photo by Barry Gordin Agency

Outstanding Musical
Altar Boyz
The Audience
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
The Light in the Piazza
* Monty Python's Spamalot
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

The following photos represent additional celebrity sightings at this glamorous event. These following photos appear courtesy of the Barry Gordin Agency.