The 76th Annual Theatre World Awards, hosted by theatre journalist Peter Filichia, are presented June 6 at 7 PM at Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre.
This year's honorees for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance follow:
Patrick J. Adams, Take Me Out
Yair Ben-Dor, Prayer for the French Republic
Kearstin Piper Brown, Intimate Apparel
Sharon D Clarke, Caroline, Or Change
Enrico Colantoni, Birthday Candles
Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo
Crystal Finn, Birthday Candles
Gaby French, Hangmen
Myles Frost, MJ The Musical
Jaquel Spivey, A Strange Loop
Shannon Tyo, The Chinese Lady
Kara Young, Clyde's
Michael Oberholtzer, currently appearing in the Broadway revival of Take Me Out, will be honored with the 13th Annual Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theater, and four-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein will receive the 9th Annual John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.
The evening also features the presentation of the Outstanding Ensemble Award to the 21 cast members making their Broadway debuts in the current revival of The Music Man starring Tony winners Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster. Cast members being honored include Nick Alvino, Jordan Beall, Ronnie S. Bowman Jr, Audrey Cardwell, JT Church, William Thomas Colin, Gino Cosculluela, Emma Crow, Kammie Crum, Aydin Eyikan, Carlee Flanagan, Ethen Green-Younger, Emily Jewel Hoder, Ethan Lafazan, Kayla LaVine, Drew Minard, Benjamin Pajak, Tanner Quirk, Daniel Patrick Russell, Kayla Teruel, and Mitchell Tobin.
Guest presenters include Phillip Boykin, Matthew Broderick, Geneva Carr, André De Shields, Brandon J. Dirden, Rosemary Harris, Jayne Houdyshell, Daniel K. Isaac, Jefferson Mays, Bonnie Milligan, Karen Pittman, and Brenda Vaccaro with performances by De Shields and Andrea McArdle.
The ceremony is directed by Tom D’Angora and Michael D’Angora.
The Theatre World Award honorees are chosen by the Theatre World Awards Committee: Linda Armstrong (Amsterdam News), David Cote (The Observer), Joe Dziemianowicz (New York Daily News, Emeritus), Peter Filichia (The Newark Star-Ledger, Emeritus), David Finkle (New York Stage Review), Elysa Gardner (USA Today, Emeritus), Harry Haun (The Observer), Cary Wong (Freelance), and Frank Scheck (The Hollywood Reporter).
The Theatre World Awards, Inc. Board of Directors, who produce the ceremony, is headed by Dale Badway (President) with Tom Lynch (Vice-President), Michael Koste (Vice-President), Stephen Wilde (Secretary), The Honorable Ilene Zatkin-Butler (Treasurer), James Sheridan, and Karen Johnston.
First presented in 1945, the awards, founded by John Willis, are the oldest given for Outstanding Broadway and Off-Broadway Debut Performances. The ceremony is a private, invitation-only event followed by a party to celebrate the new honorees.