Drama Desk Awards (1998 New York)
Sponsor and online marketing for the Drama Desk Awards on May 17, 1998 at the Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse, New York.
The Drama Desk organization was formed in 1949 by a group of New York theater critics, editors, reporters and publishers, in order to make the public aware of the vital issues concerning the theatrical industry. They debuted the presentations of the Vernon Rice Awards in 1955.
The name honors the New York Post critic Vernon Rice, who had pioneered Off-Broadway coverage in the New York press.
The name was changed for the 1963–1964 awards season to the Drama Desk Awards. Broadway productions were included beginning with the 1968–69 award season. The awards are considered a significant American theater distinction.
The Drama Desk has more than 100 members, including theatre critics, reporters and editors who cover New York theater and vote on the awards.
The 1998 Drama Desk Awards recipients:
| Outstanding Play | The Beauty Queen of Leenane |
| Outstanding Musical | Ragtime |
| Outstanding Musical Revival | Cabaret |
| Outstanding Play Revival | A View from the Bridge |
| Outstanding One-Person Show | John Leguizamo, Freak |
| Unique Theatrical Experience | Quidam (Cirque du Soleil) |
| Best Actor in a Play | Anthony La Paglia, A View from the Bridge |
| Best Actress in a Play | Cherry Jones, Pride’s Crossing |
| Best Featured Actor in a Play | Alfred Molina, Art |
| Best Featured Actress in a Play | Allison Janney, A View from the Bridge |
| Best Actor in a Musical | Alan Cumming, Cabaret |
| Best Actress in a Musical | Natasha Richardson, Cabaret |
| Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Gregg Edelman, 1776 |
| Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Tsidii Le Loka, The Lion King |
| Best Director of a Play | Michael Mayer, A View from the Bridge |
| Best Director of a Musical | Julie Taymor, The Lion King |
| Best Choreography | Garth Fagan, The Lion King |
| Best Music | Stephen Flaherty, Ragtime |
| Best Lyrics | Lynn Ahrens, Ragtime |
As Founder and CEO of Theatre.com and BuyBroadway.com. The pioneer in moving the Broadway industry onto the internet. The theatre press branded me as “Toby is the man pushing theatre, kicking and screaming, into cyberspace.” What started in 1989 as a Broadway industry service called ShowCall via dialup BBS for members of the League of American Theatre Producers evolved onto the world wide web in the early 90’s, and shortly after this, the vast majority of Broadway shows (starting with my production of Victor/Victoria) and theatrical organizations followed. The “Super site of Broadway” became a publicly traded company, prior to my re-branding it as Theatre.com at the Minskoff Theatre.
Described by Variety Magazine as a “marketing powerhouse“, it was the single largest theatre community in the world with over 180,000 active members (in the 1990’s this was massive). From buying official Broadway tickets and souvenirs, providing detailed global show listings, interactive show study & educational guides, live streaming shows and events (including many Opening Nights live broadcasts), industry news from major theatre journalists, pictures and videos, games, messaging directly to Broadway cast’s backstage or even licensing a musical, theatre.com offered it all in a single, easy-to-use interface to theatregoers globally.