DRAMA DESK AWARDS PRE-CEREMONY
VIP RECEPTION TO BE HELD AT HISTORIC RUSSIAN TEA ROOM
The Russian Tea Room, where many of New York’s defining cultural moments have taken place for the past 80 years, will continue this tradition by hosting a gala VIP reception for some of the theater world’s shining luminaries on Sunday, May 20, 5:30 to 8:00 PM, immediately preceding the 52nd Annual Drama Desk Awards being held later that night at 9:00 PM at the FH LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center. The Reception will be hosted by Robert R. Blume, Executive Producer of the Drama Desk Awards, and all of the nominees, celebrity presenters and numerous New York theater world professionals, including past Drama Desk Award winners, are invited to the reception.
Many of the guests come straight from the awards show rehearsals which take place all that weekend. Buses, provided by Grey Lines, will transport party guests from the Russian Tea Room to the LaGuardia Concert Hall starting at 7:00 PM.The reception was arranged by Drama Desk Associate Producer Corine Dana Cohen.
“We are delighted that the Russian Tea Room has agreed to host this very special event that provides an elegant start to a thrilling evening,” said Blume, who has been executive producer of the Drama Desk Awards since 1999. “The reception in the spacious and beautifully decorated third floor of the historic Russian Tea Room provides theater aficionados with a rare opportunity to mingle with some of the entertainment world’s major stars and creative personnel.”
Ever since members of the Russian Imperial Ballet founded the restaurant in 1927, the Russian Tea Room has been a second home for bold-faced names and the intellectual elite – an exclusive enclave where actors, writers, politicians and business executives gather to fete their friends’ latest Carnegie Hall performances or, as in this case, exceptional theatrical achievements. The restaurant, operated for years by Faith Gordon and later by Warner LeRoy, was recently reopened by The RTR Funding Group, Inc., which retained the best of its history, authenticity and architecture while offering culinary masterworks and a menu of 40 vodkas including many new to the United States.
“We are honored to welcome the theater community back to the Russian Tea Room for such an exciting evening,” said Ken Biberaj, spokesperson of The Russian Tea Room. “We are happy to be part of this important theatrical event.”
This year’s 52nd Annual Drama Desk Awards, hosted by the multi-award-winning Broadway musical star Kristin Chenoweth, who recently starred in the successful Broadway revival of The Apple Tree, will be taped and a two-hour edited version will be broadcast nationally on PBS stations. In New York, the telecast will be aired by Thirteen/WNET on Sunday, May 27, 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM. NYC TV 25 will broadcast the awards special on Thursday, May 24, at 8:00 PM and on Saturday, May 26, at 10:00 PM. The awards ceremony will also be webcast live on May 20 by Theatermania.com.
The Drama Desk, which has presented its awards annually since 1955, is the only organization of working theater critics, writers and editors, that honors excellence in all sectors of New York theater, including the Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway and not-for-profit.
Robert R. Blume is Executive Producer of the 52nd Annual Drama Desk Awards. Lauren Class Schneider is Producer and Jeff Kalpak is Director. The show is being written by Terry Berliner. Associate Producers are Jacki Barlia Florin, Corine Dana Cohen, Margot Astrachan and Les Schecter who is also Director of Publicity and Promotions. Elias EL-Hage is the General Manager. Randie Levine-Miller is Special Events Director for the Drama Desk. For television, Terry Rohnke is Production Consultant and Roy A. Somlyo is Consulting Producer.
