Whoopi Goldberg, Liza Minnelli, Susan Stroman Get Special Recognitions from Drama League

The Drama League (Jano Herbosch, President; Gabriel Shanks, Executive Director) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2011 Special Recognitions, to be presented along with its five competitive production and performance awards at The 77th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Friday, May 20, 2011 (noon) in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square (1535 Broadway).

Whoopi Goldberg will receive the Unique Contribution to the Theatre Award, Liza Minnelli will be honored with the Distinguished Acheivement in Musical Theatre Award and Susan Stroman will receive the Julia Hansen Award for Excellence in Directing.

As previously announced, The 77th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon will be hosted by Academy Award nominee Kathleen Turner, who returns to Broadway this spring in Matthew Lombardo's new drama, High.

Long considered the theatre season's most festive award ceremony, The Drama League Awards pays tribute to the season's best performers by including the nominees of The Distinguished Performance Award on a dais. The 77th Annual Drama League Awards dais will feature approximately 50 stars from the 2010-11 Broadway and Off-Broadway season.

In addition to the Special Recognitions,The Drama League's 3,000+ members vote on five other annual awards: Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical and The Distinguished Performance Award. Nominations for these five awards will be announced on Monday, April 25.

Tickets for The 77th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon are now available by calling 212-244-9494.

For more information, please visit www.dramaleague.org.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos