By: Maria Esteves – May 22, 2012

The 57th Annual 2012 Village Voice OBIE Awards honoring theatrical excellence and achievements in Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway commenced Monday, May 21, 8:00 pm at the legendary Webster Hall ballroom, New York. The ceremony featured performance by Joshua Henry and Sumayya Ali from ten-time Tony Award nominated Broadway musical The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, David Patrick Kelly from eleven-time Tony Award nominated Broadway ONCE, and Ethan Lipton & His Orchestra’s NO PLACE TO GO. OBIES 2012 gala preceded the awards ceremony with live performance by The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn. Attendees at the sold out event included industry professionals,
producers, performing artists, recording artists, stage actors,
sponsors, celebrities and guests.

This year’s OBIES award presenters were Eric McCormack, Grace Gummer, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce, Leslie Odom Jr., Michael McKean, Tonya Pinkins, and others.

57th Village Voice OBIE Lifetime Achievement Award
winner CARIDAD SVICH.

57th Village Voice OBIE Awards: OBIE performers Joshua Henry
and Sumayya Ali, The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess Broadway musical.

57th Village Voice OBIE Ross Wetzsteon Award winners,
left to right, William Carden, Graeme Gillis, and R.J. Tolan,
YOUNGBLOOD ensemble studio theatre.

57th Village Voice OBIE Playwriting Award winner, KIRSTEN
GREENIDGE, “Milk Like Sugar,” left, and OBIES
presenter Tony Award winning actress Tonya Pinkins.

57th Village Voice OBIE Grant winners, from left-right,
Paul Thureen, Hannah Bos, and Oliver Butler,
THE DEBATE SOCIETY theatre company.

57th Village Voice OBIE Lifetime Achievement Award winner CARIDAD SVICH, center, with OBIES presenters award-winning actress Grace Gummer, left, and award-winning actor/writer/composer/musician Michael McKean.

57th Village Voice OBIE Performance Award winner,
CHERISE BOOTHE, left, and OBIE Playwriting Award
winner KIRSTEN GREENIDGE, “Milk Like Sugar.”

57th Village Voice OBIE Awards: OBIES presenters
stage actors Leslie Odom Jr., Leap of Faith
Broadway musical, left, and Hugh Dancy,
Venus in Fur on Broadway.

57th Village Voice OBIE Awards, actor David Patrick Kelly
accepted the OBIE awards for cast members, ONCE
Broadway musical.

57th Village Voice OBIE Awards: OBIES presenter
international acclaimed award-winning actor
Jonathan Pryce.

57th Village Voice OBIE Special Citations Award winner
ERIN COURTNEY, “A Map of Virtue.”

57th Village Voice OBIE Performance Award winner,
LINDA LAVIN, “The Lyons " on Broadway.

57th Village Voice OBIE Sustained Excellence Award winner,
artistic director John Collins, ELEVATOR REPAIR SERVICE
(ERS) ensemble.

57th Village Voice OBIE Grant winners, Joel Allain and
Sue Kessler, THE BUSHWICK STARR theater.

57th Village Voice OBIE Special Citations Award winners, LISA
PETERSON and DENIS O’HARE, “An LLiad.”