Sunday, June 1, 2025, Manhattan, NY – The 2025 Drama Desk Awards at NYU Skirball Center offered a sneak peek into who might be taking home a Tony. NYC VIBE was on the red carpet, chatting with Broadway’s biggest stars, writers, producers, and directors, capturing all the excitement, nerves, and candid thoughts of theater’s elite.

The Drama Desk Awards are unique, bringing together Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions to compete head-to-head, with all performance categories being gender-free. Voted on by theater critics, journalists, editors, and publishers, these awards celebrate every facet of New York’s vibrant professional theater scene.

Highlights of the Night:

Kara Young made history, winning Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play for Purpose. She’s now the first Black performer, and only the second person ever, to receive four consecutive Tony nominations! Young shared her passion for telling stories that spark conversation, a theme central to Purpose, a powerful three-hour drama directed by Phylicia Rashad about a prominent Black family deeply rooted in the American civil rights movement.

Sarah Snook took home the award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play for The Picture of Dorian Gray. She spoke with NYC VIBE about the challenges and triumphs of this technologically innovative production.

Next up: Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis of Sunset Boulevard await their fate at the Tony Awards. Will their grand performances earn them Broadway’s top honors?

#DramaDeskAwards #Broadway #TheaterAwards #NYCVIBE #TonyAwards #KaraYoung #PurposePlay #SarahSnook #PictureOfDorianGray #NicoleScherzinger #TomFrancis #SunsetBoulevard #NYCTheater #OffBroadway #NewYorkCity #TheaterCommunity