"9 to 5" nets record 15 Drama Desk nominations

By David Sheward

NEW YORK (Back Stage) - "9 to 5," the musical version of the 1980 hit movie comedy, received a generous stimulus package from the Drama Desk on Monday, netting a record 15 nominations from the organization of New York-based theater critics, reporters and editors for its annual awards.

Other top nominees included "Shrek the Musical" with 12, "Billy Elliot" with 10, "Irving Berlin's White Christmas" with six and the "Hair" revival with eight.

The previous record for the most nominations was 14, shared by five shows -- "The Secret Garden" (1991), "Ragtime" (1998), "The Producers" (2001), "Hairspray" (2003) and "The Drowsy Chaperone" (2006).

"9 to 5" opened March 30, on the same night as Roundabout Theater Company's revival of "Waiting for Godot," which received two nominations. Those are the last two productions of the 2007-08 Broadway season.

There were several unexpected inclusions and omissions in the nomination list. "The Story of My Life," the two-character musical that received mixed to bad reviews and barely eked out a week's run at the Booth Theater, garnered four nominations, while highly touted productions such as "All My Sons," "Irena's Vow," "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" and "Rock of Ages" were shut out.

Also missing were such noted performances as Tovah Felshuh in "Irena's Vow," Harriet Walter in "Mary Stuart," Kristin Scott Thomas in "The Seagull" and Nathan Lane in "Waiting for Godot."

Unlike the Tony Awards, the Drama Desk honors consider Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway equally in all categories. The nominations were determined by a seven-member committee. The winners will be voted on by the membership and presented on May 17 in a ceremony at the LaGuardia Concert Hall in Lincoln Center.

Special awards will be presented to Liza Minnelli for her career and her performance in "Liza's at the Palace"; "Forbidden Broadway," which recently concluded a nearly three-decade run off-Broadway; the Atlantic Theater Company; TADA! Youth Theater; and to the casts of the revivals of "The Cripple of Inishmaan" and "The Norman Conquests" for ensemble performance.