Photos: Inside the 83rd Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony

Yesterday, May 19, Broadway's brightest gathered at the Marriott Marquis Times Square to celebrate this year's Drama League Awards nominees for Outstanding Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, and the much-coveted Distinguished Performance Award. BroadwayWorld caught the last of the red carpet arrivals and even got a sneak peek inside the ceremony ballroom.

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On May 19, the Drama League (Executive Director, Gabriel Stelian-Shanks) announced the winners at the 83rd Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony: Outstanding Production of a Musical, Dear Evan Hansen; Outstanding Production of a Play, Oslo; Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Hello, Dolly!; Outstanding Revival of a Play, Jitney; and Distinguished Performance Award, Ben Platt, becoming the youngest actor to have won the coveted award, at a star-studded luncheon ceremony hosted Broadway husband-and-wife royalty -- 6-time Tony® Award winner Audra McDonald and Tony® Award nominee Will Swenson at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway).

In addition to the competitive categories, Grammy® and Emmy® Award-winning, icon Bette Midler was honored with the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award; Bill Berloni was honored with the Unique Contribution to the Theater Award; and Michael Greif was honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing.

During the ceremony, Drama League Program Director Sherri Eden Barber introduced the 2017 Directing Fellows of The Drama League Directors Project: Michael Alvarez, Laura Brandel, Jillian Carucci, Tom Costello, Matt Dickson, Justin Emeka, Bonnie Gabel, Flordelino Lagundino, RebeccA Martinez, Kholoud Sawaf, and Gabriel Vega Weissman.

First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. The Drama League Awards recognize distinguished productions, performances, and exemplary career achievements. The first Drama League Award was presented to Katharine Cornell in 1935; since then, the Distinguished Performance Award has been accorded to a roster of theatre legends such as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Chita Rivera, Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Liam Neeson, Hugh Jackman, Patti LuPone, Glenn Close, Liev Schreiber, Sir John Gielgud, Harvey Fierstein, Cherry Jones, Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones, Helen Hayes, Jeremy Irons, Mary-Louise Parker, Sir Ian McKellen, Bernadette Peters, and Christopher Plummer.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride

Sam Gold