Heading to the 2024 Great New York State Fair? There are plenty of attractions and rides, but don’t sleep on two stages of free live music each day!
The Great New York State Fair was founded in 1832 by a group of local farmers for agriculture and local fairs, The Great New York State Fair became a musical showcase in the 1950s and 1960s. A variety of artists perform at the fair, including popular and up-and-comers.
Performances can be found on the Chevy Court Stage and Suburban Park. Both stages are free with the price of admission.
Martin Bisi, the producer, instrumentalist, and songwriter behind legendary albums by Sonic Youth, Brian Eno, the Dresden Dolls, the Swans, Helmet, Lydia Lunch, and Herbie Hancock’s genre-busting “Rockit,” will be coming to Woodstock on September 12 for his only Hudson Valley appearance.
The event will occur at The Mothership, a unique performance space/art gallery at 6 Sgt. Richard Quinn Drive.
Bisi will perform selections from his 40-year career and his newest album, Your Ultimate Urban Fantasy, with an ensemble including Dan Kaufman (of Barbez, John And Dan), Dan Gitlin, Vern Woodhead, and Heather Elle (of Weeping Icon, Flossing, formerly Bodega). He has recorded over a dozen solo projects since the early ‘80s.
In 1981, Bisi started BC Studio with producers Bill Laswell and Brian Eno. From this humble factory building, he recorded much of the No Wave, avant-garde, and hip-hop of the early 1980s, including Lydia Lunch, Live Skull, Fred Frith, and Afrika Bambaataa. In 1982, Bisi recorded the instruments for Whitney Houston’s first song as a lead singer, “Memories.” off of Material’s One Down LP. Soon after recording Herbie Hancock‘s “Rockit“, Bisi dissolved his partnership with Laswell but continued working from BC Studio until the present time, with a specialty in loud, dense, often noisy sound, with a focus on local NYC music such as White Hills (band), Clone and Weeping Icon.
In 2014, Sara Leavitt and Ryan Douglass’s documentary Sound & Chaos: The Story Of BC Studio examined Bisi’s adventurous career. The film follows his path through the recording space, the changing music scene, and the gentrifying of his Brooklyn neighborhood, which continues to threaten his studio’s existence. The documentary can be seen free on TubiTV.
Bisi and company will be supported at the concert by Spaghetti Eastern Music, a critically-acclaimed ensemble led by the sonic-minded guitarist and NYSMusic.com contributor Sal Cataldi, now featuring bassist Jeff Keithline and percussionist Mark Peritz. Spaghetti Eastern’s latest release is Drone Girl: The Soundtrack Sessions, an EP featuring the improvised score for a short film by Charles Dennis created with Keithline and Peritz.
Doors ppen at 5:30 pm for a suggested donation of $15–20.
Martin Bisi and company will move on from Woodstock to two more shows in New York State, September 13 at Neem Fest in Homer, and September 15 at 75 Stutson Street in Roche
Asbury Park, New Jersey’s Dogs In A Pile have announced a slate of tour dates for the Fall. The tour begins with two shows at Philadelphia’s Brooklyn Bowl on October 25 and 26 and will see the band touring extensively throughout the Midwest and Southeast as they continue their upwards ascent in the jamband music scene. A presale for tickets is currently underway with the general on sale date set for Friday, August 10 with VIP packages available for some shows.
(Art by: Joe Winograd)
This Fall Tour announcement comes on the heels of a busy summer for Dogs In A Pile that saw them headline multiple shows in Colorado, play several festivals, and jump on the road with Andy Frasco & The U.N. and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. The band will now continue to surge forward with more Colorado shows scheduled before ending the tour in the Southeast in late November. They’re scheduled to play Asheville NC’s Salvage Station on November 19, Nashville TN’s Basement East on November 21, and the show at Atlanta GA’s Terminal West on November 22 is set to be the tour closer.
As a burgeoning musical act beginning to gain nationwide notoriety, Dogs In A Pile is making a conscious effort to develop their fan base and build a unique culture around the band by organizing pre-show meetups for their beloved fanbase, the Dog Pound. So far, significant gatherings have occurred in cities like their hometown of Asbury Park, Denver (CO), Vail (CO), Austin (TX), and Woodstock (NY). A running schedule of future meetups can be found at dogsinapileofficial.com/dogpound.
Dogs In A Pile at The Mishawaka in Bellvue, CO on June 19, 2024 (Photo: Joe Lugo)
In addition to adding to their busy 2024 tour schedule, the band has also made a concerted effort this year to significantly bolster their YouTube channel with video livestreams and archival full-show releases. Consistent soundboard releases have accompanied their video efforts and most often have appeared on trusted streaming platforms nugs.net and Bandcamp within 24-hours of a show ending.
See the full listing of Dogs In A Pile Fall Tour dates below and for tickets and to and learn more, visit dogs-tour.com.
DOGS IN A PILE FALL TOUR
10/25 – Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia 10/26 – Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia 10/29 – St. Louis, MO – Atomic Cowboy 10/31 – Oklahoma City, OK – Beer City Music Hall 11/1 – Dallas, TX – Deep Ellum Art Co. 11/2 – Dallas, TX – Deep Ellum Art Co. 11/6 – Buena Vista, CO – Surf Hotel 11/8 – Fort Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre 11/9 – Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
11/12 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown 11/13 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line 11/15 – Milwaukee, WI – Vivarium 11/16 – Chicago, IL – Chop Shop 11/17 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Stache 11/19 – Asheville, NC – Salvage Station 11/21 – Nashville, TN – Basement East 11/22 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
While the origin of Phish is firmly rooted in Vermont, the band’s history in neighboring New York runs almost as deep. The band made the slow and natural progression from private parties and gigs at frat houses, to small clubs and theaters, later graduating to full scale amphitheaters, to now selling out Madison Square Garden on a regular basis. Phish may have been born and raised in the Green Mountain State, but its more recent history is firmly entrenched in the Empire State.
photo by Dave Decrescente
It took a few years after the band’s inception, but Phish finally waded into New York waters in 1987 with a now-legendary show at Ian McLean’s Farm in Hebron, NY on August 21, 1987 with three sets of music that included the first known performance of their cover of “Hold Your Head Up.” Phish would continue to make New York a regular part of their touring schedule in the early ’90s, with 1992 featuring more NY shows than any other year to date.
Lower show totals would follow in the late ’90s and early aughts as the band started to tour globally and play shows all throughout the country. But the “3.0” era of Phish has seen an influx of NY shows, primarily due to the renovations done to Madison Square Garden which has made The World’s Most Famous Arena the band’s preferred choice for multiple night New Year’s Eve runs. And the modern day pinnacle was set in 2017 with Phish’s legendary Baker’s Dozen Run of thirteen shows over three weeks which served as the foundation for “17 (shows) in ’17” at MSG which also included a 4-night New Year’s run.
In 2023, Phish came fairly close to matching this number with 14 shows spread throughout New York State which included another 11 at MSG. To date, Phish has played 288 total shows in The Empire State, so NY show #300 is certainly on the horizon.
Photo via Marshall Chasan, frame via phrames.com
To showcase this long-standing and still evolving relationship between Phish and New York, NYS Music presents our own reference guide, a map of every show the band has played in the Empire State. In the same vein as our Grateful Dead Map, this will link to each and every article published here with our own take on the show or appearance.
Big thanks to Alex Grosby of the Phishsonian Institute for helping us map out all of the New York venues and locations you see below.
Fresh on the heels of their wildly successful Why We Dance Tour and its ongoing follow up tour, The Disco Biscuits are keeping the momentum going and have announced a run of shows in the Fall.
The shows will take place predominantly in the Northeast, but feature a Halloween run at The Caverns in Tennessee. The band will play Brooklyn Steel on November 9 with the next show scheduled for Bearsville Theatre in Woodstock on November 13.
The Fall Tour also includes The Disco Biscuits making return appearances to The Palladium in Worcester, MA on November 15 and the State Theatre in Portland, ME on November 16. The tour also rolls through Connecticut twice with shows in both Norwalk (November 14) and Hartford (November 20-21). And New York continues to get plenty of attention as well as the tour concludes with the final three shows here. The band will play Rome Capitol Theatre for the first time on November 22 before concluding the tour with two shows at Buffalo’s Town Ballroom where the band never seems to disappoint.
Both General Admission and VIP tickets for the Fall Tour go on sale tomorrow at 12 pm ET. The VIP package for this set of shows includes early entry to each venue with early access to merch, a pre-show private soundcheck an group photo with the band as well as a commemorative show ticket instead of the usual poster and a laminate. There’s also still one yet to be announced show for this tour on November 7 that falls between ones at Ram’s Head Live in Baltimore and the aforementioned Brooklyn Steel show. For tickets and more information on the band’s 2024 plans, visit discobiscuits.com.
Disco Biscuits Fall Tour Schedule
10/30 – Madison Theater – Covington, Ky. 10/31-11/2 – The Caverns – Pelham, Tenn. 11/3 – French Broad River Brewery – Asheville, N.C. 11/6 – Rams Head Live – Baltimore 11/7 – TBA 11/9 – Brooklyn Steel – Brooklyn, N.Y. 11/13 – Bearsville Theatre – Woodstock, N.Y. 11/14 – District Music Hall- Norwalk, Conn. 11/15 – The Palladium – Worcester, Mass. 11/16 – State Theatre – Portland, Maine 11/17 – Paramount Theatre – Rutland, Vt. 11/20-21 – Infinity Hall – Hartford, Conn. 11/22 – Rome Capitol Theatre – Rome, N.Y. 11/23-24 – Town Ballroom – Buffalo, N.Y.
This fall, Live from New York, Saturday Night Liveâs 50th anniversary will be celebrated, with season 50 of SNL airing on September 28.
With an election year on tap, SNL50 will bring out plenty of sketches lampooning the presidential race, likely calling back former cast members for cameos, if not outright regular roles (we’re looking at you Maya Rudolph as VP Kamala Harris).
An Election Special is slated for November, along with other specials around the holidays, plus a documentary series, a multi-part music specials series, and a comedy special at Radio City Music Hall. All this is part of a “seven-month long party” that celebrates the NBC institution.
Saturday Night Live premiered on October 11, 1975, with George Carlin hosting, and musical guests Billy Preston and Janis Ian. The upcoming film, SNL 1975, directed by Jason Reitman, takes a look at what was unfolding behind-the-scenes in the moments leading up to SNL’s first broadcast.
The actual anniversary episode will air in on Sunday, February 16, 2025 from 8-11pm, when the red carpet will be rolled out for current and former Saturday Night Live cast members as they arrive at Studio 8H to take part in the SNL50 Primetime Special.
Ever wondered how you could search Netflix a bit easier for hard to find movies, or fresh recommendations? Well, there are a series of Netflix codes that can help you unlock a cache of content on Netflix using these hidden codes.
John Mulaney relayed stories from his childhood and his time at SNL in his 2018 Netflix comedy special Kid Gorgeous.
First, use this link in your browser – www.netflix.com/browse/genre/XXXX – but you’ll change the XXXX to one of the codes below, corresponding to the genre you want to watch. This huge list below has all the categories and sub-categories of movies you could ever wish for.
Well, the instruments are packed up, the chairs are empty. But the spirit of Geneva Music Festival lingers on. For 14 years, musicians have come to Geneva for three weeks of the early summer to collaborate, perform together, and share their talents with audiences from across the Finger Lakes.
This season presented a beautiful circle, with opening band Biriba Union concluding their electric concert with an Appalachian fiddle tune, and The Brothers Blue closing out the festival season with their homegrown fiddle music.
photo by Jan Regan
The Night and Day resident artists’ finale was a gem in an already excellent themed season. It was also the most visually descriptive, with the musicians introducing their pieces with imagery like water over the sea and light through leaves, in a poetic synesthesia that remains with you even after the music has faded.
A highlight of this season was the world premiere of a Mark Olivieri piece, “Artifacts of a Valiant Past”, commissioned by Director Geoffry Herd specifically for the concert theme this year. Olivieri, composer and associate professor of music at HWS, said that he wanted to play with the idea of consciousness and memory as encompassing the theme of light and dark, and commented after the Thursday night concert, “That was just one of the most intuitive and energetic performances that I’ve had the pleasure of to hear, and I was very excited for them to be performing my piece. I look forward to working with them again in the future.”
The final concert also featured an intellectually challenging modern piece, “Light and Matter”, composed by Kaija Saariaho. Less approachable than the shimmering Haydn “Sunrise” string quartet earlier that evening, it presented a different form of light – light that is harsh, competing with darkness, struggling as it fades in and out of existence.
And it would be remiss not to mention Anna Petrova’s stunning piano solo at Night and Day. Since GMF is primarily a chamber music festival, there are generally few solos on the program. Petrova’s rendition of Scriabin’s Sonata No. 2, which was performed entirely from memory with a breathtaking finesse during the first movement and a tightly controlled passion that made the entire piano shake during the second, was an incredible treat. She received an immediate standing ovation both nights.
After the performance on Thursday night, Mark Gearan, President of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, commented, “I think as a Genevan, for 14 years this festival … every year … gets bigger, longer, more interesting, with a brilliant theme. We’re just so fortunate to be in these intimate settings and to have the musicians share their talent, describe it – the way they describe the music is such a highlight. Hobart and William Smith is proud to have it on our campus, but I think for everyone here the range of talent and musicians coming from literally all over the world, it’s great for Geneva.”
After the emotional intensity of the violin on Thursday and Friday night, it was a delight to finish out the season with the violin’s down-home brother for some danceable fiddle music outdoors.
The local bluegrass band The Brothers Blue brings home the special sense of place that the Finger Lakes offers – where else are you likely to hear bluegrass singers mention “glacial till” nostalgically in their music? Even a passing shower Sunday afternoon couldn’t dampen the audience’s enthusiasm, with attendees dancing through the rain. “These guys are awesome, I’ve seen them three or four other places. I’m very much a fan of this event and the whole [GMF] series, it’s incredible, absolutely incredible.” Said Dresden resident Donna Rae Sutherland.
Geneva Music Festival notes the following sponsoring organizations this year:
• Rochester Area Community Foundation • Nelson B. Delavan Foundation • Max and Marian Farash Foundation • Brenda & Dave Rickey Family Foundation • Williams Family Foundation • Wyckoff Family Foundation • New York State Council on the Arts • National Endowment for the Arts
The Geneva Music Festival was founded in 2011 by Geneva, New York violinist Geoffrey Herd as a weekend of chamber music in his hometown. The festival has grown over its fourteen years to a nearly month-long event that draws thousands of attendees from across the Finger Lakes region. Each year, the Festival continues its mission of inspiring people with world-class chamber music and engaging diverse audiences in its outreach programs. All concerts are wheelchair accessible. To learn more, and to purchase tickets, visit: https://genevamusicfestival.com/
The 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame 53rd Annual Induction and Awards Dinner once again took New York City by storm on the evening of June 13, 2024.
Opening with remarks by SHOF Board Member and Show Committee Chair Evan Lamberg, the Gala recognized and honored the immeasurable impact of some of the most legendary songwriters of our time.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 13: Carrie Underwood speaks onstage during the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala at New York Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 13, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by L. Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)
The evening was a dazzling spectacle as musical icons Hillary Lindsey, Timothy Mosley p/k/a Timbaland, Dean Pitchford, Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe p/k/a R.E.M., and Walter Becker and Donald Fagan p/k/a Steely Dan were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Master songwriter and multi-award-winner Diane Warren received the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award, and 4X GRAMMY award-winning recording artist SZA received the Hal David Starlight Award. The night also followed the posthumous induction of legendary country songwriter Cindy Walker to the SHOF for her remarkable contributions to the world of music in a special tribute held at a SHOF Master Session in Nashville.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 13: Trey Anastasio performs onstage during the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala at New York Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 13, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)
The Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner, year after year, is a stunning night full of spectacular moments honoring the art of songwriting. The evening kicked off with a special performance of Irena Cara’s “Fame,” performed by 2024 Abe Olman Scholarship recipients Rodney Chrome, Molly Kate Kestner, Sierra “Spirit” Kihega, Ava Liv Mabry, and Matilda Marigolds. 4X GRAMMY award-winning recording artist Deniece Williams then took the stage to begin the induction of Oscar-winning and multi-GRAMMY and Tony-nominated songwriter Dean Pitchford. Williams performed her 1984 hit “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” of Footloose fame, which had the whole crowd clapping to the rhythm. Multi-award-winning actor Kevin Bacon and musician Michael Bacon, who together form The Bacon Brothers, then continued the party, bringing the house to their feet for an electrifying performance of “Footloose” that put Kevin Back in the dancing shoes of his former role. The brothers then inducted Dean, saying his writing has “inspired all of us to reach for our dreams.” Following his induction, Dean performed “Once Before I Go,” a piano-backed, emotional retrospective, fitting for such a momentous occasion.
Renowned manager Irving Azoff began the honors for Steely Dan, naming them “among the best bands ever” and claiming that “their records will be recognized as iconic for the rest of time.” Singer-songwriter and lead guitarist of Phish, Trey Anastasio, then took the stage to perform a medley of Steely Dan hits. The funk-infused “Kid Charlemagne” blended seamlessly into the famous riffs of the timeless, swinging groove of “Reelin’ In the Years.” Trey then inducted Donald Fagan and Walter Becker, stating that together, “they created a body of work that defied categorization – masterful, thought-provoking, elegantly melodic songs filled with beautifully flawed, deeply human and believable characters.”
Songwriters Hall of Fame Chairman, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, and 6X GRAMMY award-winning musician Nile Rodgers took the stage next to honor SZA with the Hal David Starlight Award, which is presented to young songwriters making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs. Nile praised her abilities as a composer, which “manage the amazing feat of being ethereal and keeping it real at the same time.” The 4X GRAMMY award-winning recording artist then performed an intimate, acoustic performance of her hit “Snooze” from her breakthrough sophomore album SOS, and claimed that receiving this award “validates [her] entire career.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 13: (L-R) Carrie Underwood, Clive Davis and Diane Warren attend the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala at New York Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 13, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by L. Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)
Next to the stage was 8X GRAMMY award-winning country superstar Carrie Underwood who kicked off the induction for Hillary Lindsey with a powerful performance of “Jesus Take the Wheel” from her debut album Some Hearts. Carrie bestowed the title “queen of modern Nashville songwriting” to Hillary and 4X GRAMMY-winning musician Keith Urban joined her on stage for the induction. Hillary then performed a stripped down medley of the songs she penned, with a rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Million Reasons” which turned into a duet with Keith Urban joining her for “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” his electric guitar perfectly complimenting her bared-down acoustic melodies.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 13: Timbaland speaks onstage during the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala at New York Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 13, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)
4X GRAMMY-winner and SHOF inductee Missy Elliot took the stage next to induct her frequent collaborator and friend Timbaland, crediting the fellow 4X GRAMMY-winning rapper and producer with “changing the cadence of hip-hop.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 13: Timbaland conducts onstage during the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala at New York Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 13, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by L. Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)
On his induction, Timbaland claimed it to be the “best award [he] could ever get,” before he performed a victory lap of the hits that brought him here, energizing the room with a medley of “Big Pimpin’,” “Pony,” “SexyBack,” “Get Your Freak On,” “Drunk in Love,” “Promiscuous,” and “Suit & Tie.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 13: (L-R) Mike Mills, Michael Stipe, Bill Berry and Peter Buck, of R.E.M., perform onstage during the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala at New York Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 13, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)
R.E.M. had the last induction of the evening, led by 6X GRAMMY award-winning singer, songwriter, and actor Jason Isbell who performed the band’s 1987 song “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” With his guitar in overdrive, the high energy, quick-flying alternative rocker lit up the room. The band then performed for the first time together in 15 years, playing their multi-GRAMMY award -winning hit “Losing My Religion,” which enthralled the audience with a mesmerizing, mandolin-driven performance.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 13: Michael Stipe, of R.E.M., perform onstage during the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala at New York Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 13, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)
The program neared the finale with the presentation of the Johnny Mercer Award to Diane Warren, the highest honor bestowed by Songwriters Hall of Fame. Multi-award-winning songwriter, SHOF inductee, and Johnny Mercer Award recipient Paul Williams presented the award, claiming “A.I. worries about Diane Warren.” GRAMMY and EMMY award-winning singer and songwriter Andra Day put on a rousing performance of her Oscar-nominated song “Stand Up for Something” from the 2017 film Marshal, with her soaring vocals giving the evening wings.
On accepting her award, Diane stated “songwriting isn’t something I do, it’s who I am and what I live and breathe for every day of my life.” 5X GRAMMY award nominee El Debarge then closed out the evening, performing “Rhythm of the Night,” Diane’s first hit song,coinciding with the song’s 40th anniversary and bringing the room to their feet, stomping and clapping as the ceremony closed with a bang.
Winners for the 2024 Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced on Monday, June 10 at NYU Skirball Center with Tony Award Winners Sutton Foster and Aaron Tveit hosting the evening’s ceremony.
In keeping with the Drama Desk’s mission, the nominators considered shows that opened on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway during the 2023-2024 season for this year’s awards. Shows were eligible with 21 or more unique live performances.
The Drama Desk Awards are the only major New York City theater awards for which productions on Broadway, Off Broadway, and Off Off Broadway compete against each other in the same categories. David Barbour and Charles Wright are The Drama Desk co-presidents.
As was the case last year, all performance categories are gender-free. The updated gender-free categories are: Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, and Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical. Thus, each of these categories had twice as many nominees as the former gendered categories and these categories have two winners each.
What sets the Drama Desk Awards apart is that they are voted on and bestowed by critics, journalists, editors, and publishers covering theater, honoring all aspects of New York’s professional theater.
The Drama Desk was founded in 1949 to explore key issues in the theater and to bring together critics and writers in an organization to support the ongoing development of theater in New York. The organization began presenting its awards in 1955, and it is the only critics’ organization to honor achievement in the theater with competition among Broadway, Off Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway productions in the same categories.
2024 DRAMA DESK WINNERS:
(winners are highlighted and starred)
Outstanding Play
Infinite Life, by Annie Baker, Atlantic Theater Company
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, by Jocelyn Bioh, Manhattan Theatre Club
Mother Play, by Paula Vogel, Second Stage Theater
***Stereophonic, by David Adjmi, Playwrights Horizons
Swing State, by Rebecca Gilman, Goodman Theatre
The Ally, by Itamar Moses, The Public Theater
Outstanding Musical
***Dead Outlaw
Illinoise, Park Avenue Armory
Lizard Boy, Prospect Theater Company
Teeth, Playwrights Horizons
The Connector, MCC Theater
The Outsiders
Outstanding Revival of a Play
***Appropriate, Second Stage Theater
Doubt: A Parable, Roundabout Theatre Company
Philadelphia, Here I Come!, Irish Repertory Theatre
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Uncle Vanya, OHenry Productions
Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Gutenberg! The Musical!
***I Can Get It for You Wholesale, Classic Stage Company
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play
Nicole Cooper, Macbeth (an undoing), Theatre for a New Audience, Rose Theatre, and Royal
Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
William Jackson Harper, Primary Trust, Roundabout Theatre Company
***Jessica Lange, Mother Play, Second Stage Theater
Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane, Manhattan Theatre Club
Tobias Menzies, The Hunt, St. Ann’s Warehouse and Almeida Theatre
Leslie Odom, Jr., Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
***Sarah Paulson, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater
A.J. Shively, Philadelphia, Here I Come!, Irish Repertory Theatre
Juliet Stevenson, The Doctor, Park Avenue Armory
Michael Stuhlbarg, Patriots
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical *(There are 3 winners in this category as it includes a tie)*
Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw
Santino Fontana, I Can Get It for You Wholesale, Classic Stage Company
Brody Grant, The Outsiders
***Brian d’Arcy James, Days of Wine and Roses, Atlantic Theater Company
***Maleah Joi Moon, Hell’s Kitchen
***Kelli O’Hara, Days of Wine and Roses, Atlantic Theater Company
Liam Pearce, How to Dance in Ohio
Gayle Rankin, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Ben Levi Ross, The Connector, MCC Theater
Ricky Ubeda, Illinoise, Park Avenue Armory
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play
Brittany Adebumola, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Manhattan Theatre Club
Marylouise Burke, Infinite Life, Atlantic Theater Company
Michael Esper, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater
Marin Ireland, Uncle Vanya, OHenry Productions
Will Keen, Patriots
***Celia Keenan-Bolger, Mother Play, Second Stage Theater
Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary!
Sheila Tousey, Manahatta, The Public Theater
Bubba Weiler, Swing State, Goodman Theatre
***Kara Young, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical
Shoshana Bean, Hell’s Kitchen
Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club, Atlantic Theater Company
Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical *(3-way tie)*
Jason Crystal, Suffs
Kai Harada and Joshua Millican, Dead Outlaw
***Nick Lidster for Autograph, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
***Cody Spencer, The Outsiders
***Walter Trarbach, Water for Elephants
Outstanding Wig and Hair
J. Jared Janas and Cassie Williams, Sally & Tom, The Public Theater
Charles G. LaPointe, Suffs
***Nikiya Mathis, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Manhattan Theatre Club
Nikiya Mathis, The Harriet Holland Social Club Presents The 84th Annual Star-Burst Cotillion in
the Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel, New Georges and The Movement Theatre Company
Robert Pickens and Katie Gell, Stereophonic, Broadway Production
Outstanding Solo Performance
Michael Cruz Kayne, Sorry for Your Loss
Madeleine MacMahon, Breathless, Theatre Royal Plymouth
Wade McCollum, Make Me Gorgeous!, The True Story of Kenneth “Mr. Madam” Marlowe,triangle productions!
Robert Montano, SMALL, Penguin Rep Theatre
***Patrick Page, All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain
Unique Theatrical Experience
A Eulogy for Roman, Through the Tollbooth Co.
A Simulacrum, Atlantic Theater Company
ADRIFT: A Medieval Wayward Folly, Happenstance Theater
I Love You So Much I Could Die, New York Theatre Workshop
***Grenfell: in the words of survivors, St. Ann’s Warehouse, National Theatre, and KPPL Productions
Outstanding Fight Choreography
Michael G. Chin, Warrior Sisters of Wu, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre
***Cha Ramos, Water for Elephants
Steve Rankin, The Who’s Tommy
Outstanding Adaptation
***An Enemy of the People, by Amy Herzog
Macbeth (an undoing), by Zinnie Harris, Theatre for a New Audience, Rose Theatre,
and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
The Comedy of Errors, by Rebecca Martínez and Julián Mesri, The Public Theater Mobile Unit
The Doctor, by Robert Icke, Park Avenue Armory
The Hunt, by David Farr, St. Ann’s Warehouse and Almeida Theatre
The Whole of Time, by Romina Paula, Joben Studios
Outstanding Puppetry
Matt Acheson, Hotel Happy, Houses on the Moon Theater Company
Adrian Kohler and Handspring Puppet Company, Life & Times of Michael K, St. Ann’s Warehouse,
Baxter Theatre Centre, and Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus
***Ray Wetmore, JR Goodman, and Camille Labarre, Water for Elephants
David Valentine, Poor Yella Rednecks, Manhattan Theatre Club
SPECIAL AWARDS
Ensemble Award
The cast of Stereophonic – Will Brill, Andrew R. Butler, Juliana Canfield, Eli Gelb, Tom Pecinka, Sarah Pidgeon, and Chris Stack – who execute David Adjmi’s hypernaturalistic text with extraordinary care and precision, while also performing Will Butler’s music with the freshness and life that makes us believe we are witnessing, first-hand, the creation of a new American classic.
Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award
Cole Escola, who both wrote and stars in one of this season’s biggest hits Off Broadway, Oh, Mary! Following in the long legacy of queer artists who write themselves into American history, Escola’s new “gay fantasia on national themes” is a hilarious reminder of why we must continue to interrogate our past.
ADDITIONAL SPECIAL AWARDS
How to Dance in OhioAuthentic Autistic Representation Team – Sammi Cannold, Nicole D’Angelo, Becky Leifman, Ava Xiao-Lin Rigelhaupt, Liz Weber, and Jeremy Wein – for their steadfast support of autistic theatermakers, and their strides toward true accessibility for neurodiverse individuals both on and offstage.
Lighting designer Isabella Byrd, whose self-described technique as a “darkness designer” has earned her a cache of nominations and awards in the United States and abroad. During this season, Byrd illuminated two Broadway shows done in the round, An Enemy of the People and Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. Off Broadway, her spotlight on quiet, small-scale stories both enchanted us in Primary Trust and mesmerized us in Infinite Life, with a parking-lot sky that marked the passage of time.
Lady Irene Gandy, for career achievement. A press agent extraordinaire for over five decades, Lady Irene has always demonstrated her passion, dedication, and love for theater. A Broadway producer and Sardi’s honoree, she is a zealous advocate for inclusion, diversity, and equity in the arts.
SHOWS WITH MULTIPLE WINS
(*notates a show that received a special Drama Desk Award, which is part of the win count)
7 *Stereophonic 4 Water for Elephants 3 Appropriate, *Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Dead Outlaw, Hell’s Kitchen 2 *An Enemy of the People, Days of Wine and Roses, Mother Play, Suffs, The Outsiders
