News, views and reviews about the multi-talented women of the musical theatre and the concert/cabaret stage.

News, views and reviews about the multi-talented women of the musical theatre and the concert/cabaret stage.

Hairspray was the big winner at the 2003 Drama Desk Awards. It won ten prizes including Outstanding Musical, Actor, Actress, Featured Actor, Direction, Lyrics, Music, Book, Costume Design and Orchestrations.

The Drama Desk Award nominations for the 2002-03 season were announced 10 AM May 1 at the New York Friars Club. The Broadway musical Hairspray led the pack with 14 nods.

Emmy winner Debra Messing, who can be seen on the NBC musical series "Smash," and Tony and Emmy winner David Hyde Pierce, back on Broadway in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, co-host the 79th Annual Drama League Awards May 17 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square.

The winners of the 79th Annual Drama League Awards were announced May 17 at a gala ceremony and luncheon at the Marriott Marquis Times Square hosted by Emmy winner Debra Messing and Tony and Emmy winner David Hyde Pierce.

Emmy winner Debra Messing, who can currently be seen on the NBC musical series "Smash," will join the previously announced Tony and Emmy winner David Hyde Pierce to co-host the 79th Annual Drama League Awards, which will be held May 17 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square.

Patina Miller (Pippin) and Michael Urie (Buyer and Cellar) announced the 2013 Drama League nominees for Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical and Distinguished Performance Award April 23 at Sardi’s.

Winners of the 78th Annual Drama League Awards were announced May 18 at a ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Times Square hosted by Tony Award winners Stockard Channing and John Larroquette.

Tony Award winners Stockard Channing and John Larroquette host the 78th Annual Drama League Awards ceremony May 18 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square. Winners will be announced on Playbill.com the afternoon of May 18.

Broadway newcomer Raven-Symoné (Sister Act), Drama League nominee Megan Hilty (9 to 5, "Smash") and Justin Long (Seminar) announced the nominees for the 78th Annual Drama League Awards April 24 at Sardi's.

We listen to the first-time-on-CD releases of the 1959 Jones Beach cast recording of the Wright & Forrest (& Grieg) Song of Norway and the original London cast album of Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella.

We listen to the first-time-on-CD releases of the 1959 Jones Beach cast recording of the Wright & Forrest (& Grieg) Song of Norway and the original London cast album of Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella.

Last Thursday, Feb. 28, was a big day of birthdays on Broadway: A Chorus Line's Tony Award-winning Kelly Bishop ("Daddy always thought that he married beneath him…), Tony Award-winning composer William Finn, Tony Award-winning beltress Bernadette Peters, Tony Award-winning actor-director Tommy Tune and Tony Award-watching…me.

Schedule subject to change.

Schedule subject to change.

Here is the schedule of upcoming Broadway openings. Schedule subject to change.

This month's column features David Hasselhoff and composer Frank Wildhorn and TV and stage actress Betsy Palmer.

Schedule subject to change.

Hello, diva lovers. I'd like to dedicate today's column to one of the most gifted comedic actresses of her time, Madeline Kahn, who lost her battle with ovarian cancer last week. Kahn, who received a Tony Award for her riotous portrayal of Dr. Gorgeous Teitelbaum in Wendy Wasserstein's The Sisters Rosensweig, was equally at home on the stage or on screen, earning Tony nominations for her work in In the Boom Boom Room, On the Twentieth Century and Born Yesterday while meriting Academy Award nominations for such screen roles as "Blazing Saddles" and "Paper Moon." Though difficult to choose from her eclectic array of characters, I think my favorite Kahn performance was in the aforementioned "Paper Moon" as the good-bone-structured Trixie Delight, opposite the father-and-daughter team of Ryan and Tatum O'Neill. The operatically-trained performer had the ability to make you laugh with a simple inflection of the voice, and she could also move you in both song and the spoken word. This unique, multi-talented actress will be much missed. In lieu of flowers, Kahn's family asks that donations be made to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (One Penn Plaza, Suite 1610, New York, NY 10001).