New York Drama Critics Award Explained

New York Drama Critics' Award
Awarded For:Excellence in Broadway Theater
Presenter:Variety
Country:United States New York City

The New York Drama Critics Awards (formed 1943) are awarded through the composite opinion of a sample of New York Drama Critics to recognize Excellence in Broadway Theater. Awards are given each season for Best Performance by an Actor, Best Performance by an Actress, Best Male Performance in a Musical, Best Femme Performance in a Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Most Promising Young Actor, Most Promising Young Actress, Best Directing Job, Best Scene-Designing Job, and Best Musical Score (further specified to Composer/Lyric Writer/Librettist). An award for Best Dance Director or Choreographer was added in the 1944–1945 season. Two new categories, most promising new playwright and best new director, were added for the 1946–1947 season.

1942-1943 season

scope=row Best Performance by an Actor:Alfred Lunt (Pirate)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actress:Tallulah Bankhead (The Skin of Our Teeth)
scope=row Best Male Performance in a Musical:Alfred Drake (Oklahoma!)
scope=row Best Femme Performance in a Musical: Ethel Merman (Something for the Boys)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:Rhys Williams (Harriet)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:Aline MacMahon (Eve of Saint Mark)
scope=row Most Promising Young Actor:Skippy Homeier (Tomorrow The World)
scope=row Most Promising Young Actress:Joan Caulfield (Kiss and Tell)
scope=row Best Direction:Elia Kazan (The Skin of Our Teeth)
scope=row Best Scene-Designing Job:Lem Ayres (Pirate and Oklahoma!)
scope=row Best Musical Score:Richard Rodgers (Oklahoma!)
[1]

1943–1944 season

scope=row Best Performance by an Actor:Elliott Nugent (Voice of the Turtle)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actress:Margaret Sullavan (Voice of the Turtle)
scope=row Best Male Performance in a Musical:Bobby Clark (Mexican Hayride)
scope=row Best Femme Performance in a Musical: Mary Martin (One Touch of Venus)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:José Ferrer (Othello)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:Terry Holmes (Manhattan Nocturne)
scope=row Most Promising Young Actor:Montgomery Clift (Searching Wind)
scope=row Most Promising Young Actress:Terry Holmes (Manhattan Nocturne)
scope=row Best Direction:Moss Hart (Winged Victory)
scope=row Best Scene-Designing Job:Stewart Chaney (Voice of the Turtle)
scope=row Best Musical Score: Kurt Weill (One Touch of Venus)
[2]

1944-1945 season

scope=row Best Performance by an Actor:Frank Fay (Harvey)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actress:Laurette Taylor (The Glass Menagerie)
scope=row Best Male Performance in a Musical:John Raitt (Carousel)
scope=row Best Femme Performance in a Musical: Beatrice Lillie (Seven Lively Arts)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:Frederick O'Neal (Anna Lucasta)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:Josephine Hull (Harvey)
scope=row Most Promising Young Actor:Richard Basehart (Hasty)
scope=row Most Promising Young Actress:Joan Tetzel (I Remember Mama)
scope=row Best Direction:John Van Druten (I Remember Mama)
scope=row Best Scene-Designing Job:George Jenkins (Moon, I Remember Mama, Ground)
scope=row Best Musical Score:Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (Carousel)
[3]

1945-1946 season

scope=row Best Performance by an Actor:Laurence Olivier (Old Vic)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actress:Betty Field (Dream Girl)
scope=row Best Male Performance in a Musical:Ray Bolger (Three to Make Ready)
scope=row Best Femme Performance in a Musical: Ethel Merman (Annie Get Your Gun)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:Marlon Brando (Truckline Cafe)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:Barbara Bel Geddes (Deep are the Roots)
scope=row Most Promising Young Actor:Marlon Brando (Truckline Cafe)
scope=row Most Promising Young Actress:Barbara Bel Geddes (Deep are the Roots)/Joyce Redman (Henry VII part II)/Mildred Natwick (Candida) tie
scope=row Best Direction:Michael Gordon (Home of the Brave)/ Alfred Lunt (O Mistress Mine)/ Bretaigne Windust (State of the Union) tie
scope=row Best Dance-Director or Choreographer:Helen Tamiris (Show Boat, Annie Get Your Gun)
scope=row Best Scene-Designing Job:Joe Mielziner (Annie Get Your Gun, Dream Girl)/ Robert Edmond Jones (Lute Song) tie
scope=row Best Composer:Irving Berlin (Annie Get Your Gun)
scope=row Best Lyric Writer:Harold Rome (Call Me Mister)
scope=row Best Librettist:Herbert and Dorothy Fields (Annie Get Your Gun)
[3]

1946-1947 season

scope=row Best Performance by an Actor:Dudley Digges (The Iceman Cometh)/Fredric March (Years Ago) tie
scope=row Best Performance by an Actress:Ingrid Bergman (Joan of Lorraine)
scope=row Best Male Performance in a Musical:Bobby Clark (Sweethearts)
scope=row Best Femme Performance in a Musical: Marion Bell (Brigadoon)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:Tom Ewell (John Loves Mary)/David Wayne (Finian's Rainbow) tie
scope=row Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:Margaret Phillips (Another Part of the Forest)
scope=row Most Promising Young Actor:Arthur Kennedy (All my Sons)
scope=row Most Promising Young Actress:Patricia Neal (Another Part of the Forest)
scope=row Best Direction:John Gielgud) (The Importance of Being Earnest)/ Elia Kazan (All my Sons) tie
scope=row Best Dance-Director or Choreographer:Agnes De Mille (Brigadoon)/Michael Kidd (Finian's Rainbow) tie
scope=row Best Scene-Designing Job:Joe Mielziner (Another Part of the Forest)
scope=row Best Composer:Frederick Loewe (Brigadoon)
scope=row Best Lyric Writer: E. Y. Harburg (Finian's Rainbow)
scope=row Best Librettist: Alan Jay Lerner (Brigadoon)
scope=row Most Promising New Playwright: Arthur Miller (All my Sons)
scope=row Most Promising New Director:Lillian Hellman (Another Part of the Forest)
[4]

1947-1948 season

scope=row Best Performance by an Actor:Paul Kelly (Command Decision)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actress:Judith Anderson (Medea)
scope=row Best Male Performance in a Musical:Bobby Clark (Sweethearts)
scope=row Best Femme Performance in a Musical: Beatrice Lillie (Inside USA)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:Karl Malden (A Streetcar Named Desire)
scope=row Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:Kim Hunter (A Streetcar Named Desire)
scope=row Most Promising Young Actor:Marlon Brando (A Streetcar Named Desire)
scope=row Most Promising Young Actress:Meg Mundy (Respectful Prostitute)
scope=row Best Direction:Joshua Logan (Mister Roberts)
scope=row Best Dance-Director or Choreographer:Jerome Robbins (High Button Shoes)
scope=row Best Scene-Designing Job:Joe Mielziner (A Streetcar Named Desire)
scope=row Best Composer:Jerome Moross (Ballads)
scope=row Best Lyric Writer: John Latouche (Ballads)
scope=row Best Librettist: John Latouche (Ballads)
scope=row Most Promising New Playwright: William W. Haines (Command Decision)
scope=row Most Promising New Director:Mary Hunter (Respectful Prostitute)
[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Variety (May 1943). 1943.
  2. Web site: Variety (May 1946). 1946.
  3. Web site: Variety (May 1945). 1945.
  4. Web site: Variety (May 1947). 1947.