Five Takeaways From The Drama Desk Awards: Is ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ the Tony Favorite?
by Chris Peterson
If the 2025 Drama Desk Awards are any indication, we might be getting a pretty clear preview of how the Tonys could shake out. Here are some key takeaways I got from the awards and what they mean for the Tonys on Sunday night.
Best Lead Actress in a Play is down to Laura Donnally and Sarah Snook
Both Donnelly and Sarah Snook delivered knockout performances this season, and each has already taken home the Drama Desk(They tied) and Outer Critics Circle Awards, putting them in a dead heat heading into Tony night. Donnelly’s work in The Hills of California is haunting and lived-in, while Snook’s turn in The Picture of Dorian Gray is a jaw-dropping solo feat. It’s anyone’s game.
Purpose is the front runner for Best Play
(Photo: Marc J. Franklin)
Branden Jacobs Jenkins’ Purpose feels like the one to beat for Best Play at this year’s Tonys. It’s already scored top honors from the Drama Desks and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle, and with a Pulitzer win in its pocket, the momentum is undeniable. With six Tony nominations, it’s not just buzz—it’s the real deal.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow will sweep the design awards for a play
While I think the design awards for musicals will be spread out this year, when it comes to plays, Stranger Things: The First Shadow has the Tonys pretty much sewn up. It won every Drama Desk award it was nominated for, as well as dominant wins at the Outer Critics Circle.
With Tony nominations across the board in scenic, costume, lighting, and sound design, plus a special award for its mind-blowing illusions, it’s hard to imagine another play coming close. In terms of technical achievement, nothing else this season is operating on the same level.
Is Jasmine Amy Rogers the Tony favorite for Best Actress in a Musical?
Jasmine Amy Rogers (Photo: Avery Brunkus)
At the start of the season, I would’ve put my money on Audra McDonald as the favorite because let’s be honest, when Audra is in a category, she’s usually the one to beat. But now? Jasmine Amy Rogers in Boop! is gaining real traction.
With wins from both the Drama Desk(she tied with Audra) and Outer Critics Circle, she’s riding a wave. And with potential vote splitting between Death Becomes Her’s two leads, not to mention Audra and Nicole Scherzinger possibly canceling each other out, Jasmine just might pull it off. Her performance is electric, wildly charming, vocally stunning, and totally impossible to take your eyes off, which Tony voters LOVE.
It feels like ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ will definitely have a happy ending
It really feels like Maybe Happy Ending is having its moment and it might just be its year at the Tonys. After sweeping the Drama Desk, New York Drama Critics’ Circle, and Outer Critics Circle awards, the momentum is undeniable. Yes, Dead Outlaw took home those same honors last year when it was off Broadway, so this isn’t exactly uncharted territory.
But the energy, the love, the buzz—it’s all tilting toward Maybe Happy Ending. This show has captured something special. It’s tender, inventive, beautifully staged, and has clearly resonated with both critics and audiences in a big, heartfelt way.