Tony winner Sutton Foster, back on Broadway this season opposite fellow Tony winner Hugh Jackman in the revival of The Music Man, won the career-achievement honor of the Distinguished Performance Award at the 88th Annual Drama League Awards, celebrating productions on and Off-Broadway during the 2021-2022 season.
Previous Drama League Award winner Patti LuPone, also back on Broadway in the revival of Company, presented Foster with her award at the May 23 ceremony hosted by Frank DiLella at the Ziegfeld Ballroom.
The Drama League’s inaugural prizes for Outstanding Director were awarded to Marianne Elliott (Outstanding Director of a Musical for Company) and Kate Whoriskey (Outstanding Director of a Play for Clyde’s). Encores! Into the Woods director Lear deBessonet presented both awards.
See photos from the red carpet below!
Lynn Nottage, Uzo Aduba, and Kate Whoriskey
Lynn Nottage
Lynn Nottage
Randy Graff
Billy Crystal
Shoshana Bean and Billy Crystal
Chasten Harmon, David Paymer, Shoshana Bean, Billy Crystal, Randy Graff, Jordan Gelber, Mylinda Hull, and Brian Gonzales
Jayne Houdeyshell, Warren Carlyle, Sutton Foster, Hugh Jackman, Kate Horton, and Shuler Hensley
Jesse Williams
Jesse Williams
Hugh Jackman
Jayne Houdeyshell, Hugh Jackman, and Sutton Foster
Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman
Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman
Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman
Jayne Houdeyshell and Hugh Jackman
Jayne Houdeyshell and Hugh Jackman
Jayne Houdeyshell
Victoria Clark
Victoria Clark
Elizabeth Marvel
David Morse
David Morse
Kevin McCollum
Will Swenson
LaChanze
LaChanze
LaChanze
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Michael Oberholtzer
Michael Oberholtzer
Sutton Foster
Kate Horton
Shuler Hensley
Warren Carlyle
Shoshana Bean
Shoshana Bean
Lance Roberts
Rob McClure
Lear deBessonet
Gabby Beans
Gabby Beans
Lileana Blain-Cruz
Lileana Blain-Cruz
Ben Vereen
Camille A. Brown
Camille A. Brown
Kenita R. Miller
Taylor Mac
Myles Frost
Myles Frost
Saheem Ali
Joaquina Kalukango
Joaquina Kalukango
Rachel Dratch
Rachel Dratch
Julie White
Lynette Howell Taylor and Greg Nobile
Taylor Reynolds
Jamie Armitage
Adrianna Hicks
Brittney Mack
Carole Rothman and Khady Kamara
Ebony Marshall-Oliver
Stephen Brackett
Barbara Whitman
Antwayn Hopper
Antwayn Hopper
Michael R. Jackson
Michael R. Jackson
James Jackson, Jr.
James Jackson, Jr.
John-Andrew Morrison
John-Andrew Morrison
L Morgan Lee
L Morgan Lee
Jared Grimes
Jane Lynch
Beanie Feldstein
Jocelyn Bioh
Jocelyn Bioh
Uzo Aduba
Uzo Aduba
Matt Doyle
Matt Doyle
Jennifer Simard
Jennifer Simard
Jennifer Simard
Matt Wall
Claybourne Elder
Catherine Schreiber
Chris Harper and Marianne Elliott
Deirdre O'Connell
Artuto Luis Soria
Leigh Silverman
Matthew Dunster and Alfie Allen
Willette Murphy Klausner
Willette Murphy Klausner and Manuel S. Klausner
Lia Vollack
Nelle Nugent and Kenneth Teaton
Shaina Taub
Shaina Taub
Susanna Jaramillo, Ibi Owolabi, Andrew Coopman, Jessica Natalie Smith, Emily Hartford, and Kendra Ware
Michelle Wilson
Michelle Wilson
Antwayn Hopper, James Jackson, Jr., Michael R. Jackson, John-Andrew Morrison, Stephen Brackett, and Barbara Whitman
Frank DiLella
Bonnie Comley
The other major award winners were The Lehman Trilogy for Outstanding Production of a Play, A Strange Loop for Outstanding Production of a Musical, Take Me Out for Outstanding Revival of a Play, and Company for Outstanding Revival of a Musical.
The 2022 Special Recognition Award Recipients honored at the ceremony were Tony winner Hugh Jackman, recipient of the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award, presented by Foster; director Lileana Blain-Cruz, honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing, presented by Drama League-nominated The Skin of Our Teeth star Gabby Beans; Tony winner Billy Crystal, presented with the Contribution to the Theater Award by his Drama League-nominated Mr. Saturday Night co-star Shoshana Bean; and Tony winner Willette Murphy Klausner, who received the Gratitude Award, presented by Tony winner Ben Vereen.
First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. Visit DramaLeague.org.
