The 53rd annual Drama Desk Awards were held May 18, 2008. The 39 Steps won for Unique Theatrical Experience and Kevin Adams won for Outstanding Lighting Design. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew that have made the show such a success!

View the entire list of winners.

The Drama Desk was founded in 1949 to explore key issues in the theater and to bring together critics and writers in an organization to support the ongoing development of theater in New York. The organization began presenting its awards in 1955, and it is the only critics organization to honor achievement in the theater with competition between Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions in the same categories.

Alfred Hitchcock’s classic original 1935 film The 39 Steps will air on Turner Classic Movies on Monday, May 12 at 8:00 PM Eastern.

TCM host Robert Osborne will introduce the film and discuss the hit Broadway production of The 39 Steps, which just reopened on May 8 at the Cort Theatre following a very successful run at the Roundabout Theatre. Check local listings for channel information.

The hit play is based loosely on the movie.

The acclaimed Project Shaw series will continue May 19 with a starry reading of The Devil’s Disciple.

The evening at the Players Club will begin at 7 PM. Featured in the cast will be The 39 Steps‘ Charles Edwards and Jennifer Ferrin as well as Edward Hibbert, John Bolton, Mary Beth Peil, John Martello, Euan Morton, Dan Truman and Emily Young. Howard Kissel will narrate.

The Devil’s Disciple, according to press notes, is “a thrilling comedy that employs the unlikely backdrop of the American Revolution. Some of Shaw’s most iconographic characters fill out this story of revolt: of one country against another, as well as of the inexhaustible battle of the human spirit – how we choose to create and define ourselves in the face of societal expectations. In this play, we find ourselves in 1777 New Hampshire where Dick Dudgeon opens his heart to life. Along the way, everyone else goes through profound changes of discovery, hope and strength.” more….

The Players Club is located in Manhattan at 16 Gramercy Park South. Tickets, priced $20, will be available by calling (212) 352-3101 beginning May 1. For more information visit www.projectshaw.com.

BroadwayWorld.com has a terrific video preview of ‘The 39 Steps.’ If you’re thinking about going to the play and want to know more about it, here’s a terrific sneak peek at what you will see.

For Jennifer Ferrin fans, especially those that are unable to attend the play because of not being in the area, it is a must see! It’s a very different role than the dramatic roles we are used to seeing her in. It looks like she is fabulous in it! It sure makes me want to go see it!

Watch the video HERE!

Now that the move to the Cort Theatre has been announced for The 39 Steps. there are some new great ticket deals available. A limited number of seats will be available for $39 for each performance. These will be orchestra and mezzanine seats that normally cost $98.50. Purchase tickets for this great deal online from BroadwayOffers.com.

And that’s not the only deal available!

There’s also a second offer with a promotional code for discounted tickets of $49 for Tuesday-Thursday performances, and $59 for Friday-Sunday shows. The promo code for this level of discounted ticket is 39TCX39. To use the promo code, click here (the code has already been entered) and then click on find tickets — the popup will show it is searching for $49/$59 tickets. Or you can call 212-947-8844 and mention the code 39TCX39.

For all these discounts, they are available for seats through performances of July 6th. Sales on these are final and they have no refund/exchange.

Great news for Jennifer Ferrin and the entire cast of The 39 Steps! The play is a definite hit! Over the last few weeks this play has been one of the brightest spots at the Broadway box offices and as a result the run has been extended!

The 39 Steps will have to leave the American Airlines Theatre to make room for the nonprofit theater’s next attraction, a revival of “Les Liaisons Dangereuses,” which starts performances there April 12.

The 39 Steps will move to the Cort Theatre for performances beginning April 29 and officially reopen May 8, producer Bob Boyett announced Monday. It will give its final performance at the American Airlines Theatre March 29. All tickets for its first preview at the Cort will be $39.

The Cort Theatre is part of the Shubert Organization. It is located at 138 West 48th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in New York City. It was built in 1912 and seats 1082. Tickets are available now through Telecharge.

THE 39 STEPS stars Charles Edwards and Jennifer Ferrin will be featured on NY1’s “On Stage” this weekend beginning Saturday, February 23rd on channel 1 and repeated six times throughout the weekend. Charles and Jennifer sit down with NY1’s Patrick Pacheco to discuss their critically acclaimed and popular Broadway play The 39 Steps.

NY1 News is a 24-hour local newschannel in New York City. Available exclusively on Time Warner Cable, NY1 covers the city’s five boroughs with more than 30 full-time reporters. NY1 News first went on the air on September 8, 1992. The channel is the product of Time Warner Corporate that sought to fill the information needs of New Yorkers that were not being addressed elsewhere.

On Stage airs Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m., and again from 7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. It also airs Tuesdays from 12:30 a.m – 1:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

If you get a chance to see the program, please post your comments here!

This week on Broadway Beat catch Opening Night of The 39 Steps and rehearsals for Passing Strange!

Broadway Beat is the popular weekly television program for and about the theatre world, right on the internet. Each week, the show’s popular and knowledgeable host, Richard Ridge, takes you behind-the-scenes for a look at the very best of New York Theatre – on Broadway, and beyond.

This week the topic is opening night for The 39 Steps. There are some terrific interviews with the 4 cast members, including Jennifer Ferrin, as well as Maria Aitken and Patrick Barlow. And there are also some great clips of the production. You don’t want to miss this!

Click Here to Play!

The New York Times has a terrific slide show in their theater section entitled Lens: ‘The 39 Steps.’ There are some terrific photographs by Sara Krulwich taken behind the scenes at the Broadway play. They show quick costume changes like the picture here of Jennifer getting a quick wig change. It shows how they do some of the shadow puppets and even Jennifer Ferrin peaking out at the audience at the intermission. Really fun photos! Check it out HERE!

In attendance at the opening night of The 39 Steps, was Margaret Colin, pictured on the left, as she arrived at the theater. Margaret played the role of Margo Montgomery Hughes on As the World Turns from 1981 to 1983. Not only was that well before Jennifer Ferrin’s time on the show, but Jennifer’s character, Jennifer Munson would not be born until 1990 either. (Yes she was rapidly aged as so often happens on soaps.) No word yet if any of the current cast of As the World Turns has attended yet to see their former costar Jennifer Ferrin in her Broadway debut. My guess is some of them will attend if they haven’t already.