Welcome back to the final round of the 6th Annual Marco Awards, this time for Excellence in Theatre. Looking at this year’s nominees we are getting a valuable lesson in the mindset of Broadway theatre. These awards arose on 2020-2021 as a comforting mechanism for all of us to deal with the way Covid affected our lives, especially the way we viewed the arts. Streaming TV platforms popped up all over the place. Movies were available for immediate streaming in our home, or at least a few weeks instead of months or a year later. And Broadway, the one industry that came to a sudden halt, saw the wisdom of the producers of Hamilton who arranged a successful deal to stream a filmed version of the show for free on Disney+. Suddenly the self-important unions who have fought streaming for greedy profits, demanding top dollar for talent and stage managers and all other staff (who put no extra work into these production, just showed up for work and allowed video cameras to film already scheduled performances, and would get royalties for work they’re already doing) relinquished their “pay per” attitude and encouraged free streaming of their filmed shows in the spirit of “our fans need entertainment” (i.e., “we need attention”).
Mind you, London has gratefully filmed and released their productions forever, both in movie theatres and on streaming platforms. As a matter of fact, most of the free theatre that was streamed over the lockdown was previously filmed London. Well, for the last few years, with theatre back in pretty full swing, American theatre obviously feels no need to continue with free streaming. Their attention needs must be getting met again. Fortunately, for the most part exclusively to PBS Great Performances series, who gave us weekly professional theatre performances for the month of June, for the first time in years we have a pretty full slate of categories for streaming theatre again.
Ironically, actual live theatre has taken a tumble this year. The current Broadway season leading into next years awards is rather dim with the most attention going to revivals. And, as we all are sadly aware, our asshole president who doesn’t have enough on his plate running this country, and Venezuela, and a war in Gaza, and a war in Iran, and a sinking economy, and keeping airplanes in the sky, he has also made it his mission to destroy the Kennedy Center, both in programming and in physical structure. So with my national tours pretty much limited to Baltimore and the rare venture to the National or Philly, and nothing drawing me to New York, we may have the reverse situation next year. But this week the Supreme Court has come somewhat through and blocked his demolition of the White House (a little late), restored voting membership to members of the Kennedy Center Board he dismissed, and blocked his defunding of PBS and NPR. Now please block his demolition of the Arts and Save the Kennedy Center, before it ends up looking like Jackie’s Rose Garden.
What makes the Marcos unique is it is the only Awards that honor a mix of all professional theatre. Nowhere else does Broadway and Off-Broadway compete with national tours and regional theatres for an exciting combination of results. And it also is my rules and decisions, so we have non of the extremist Tony voters messing things up.
And with that, Welcome to the 6th Annual Marco Awards for Excellence in Theatre. Let the festivities begin…
The 6th Annual MARCO AWARDS 2026: THEATRE (LIVE and STREAMING)
BEST LIVE MUSICAL
Cabaret—The Tony winning revival has undergone several cast changes and each one seems to be an upgrade (until Billy Porter, that is, but that’s another story). The themes, warnings, and lessons have never been more relevant than they are today.
Damn Yankees—Arena Stage premiered a reworked, revised edition of the 50s classic about a devoted but frustrated Senators fan who sells his soul to the devil for a long ball hitter to beat the titular rival team. Relocated to 2006 Baltimore Orioles, some of the updates work, most backfire, but the new musical arrangements rock this song all the way to the pennant.
The Lion King—The Disney classic still wows with creative artistic vision by Julie Taymor
The Outsiders—The classic young adult novel and breakout 80s movie comes to stage with the story of the Soches and the Greasers battling in 1967 Tulsa Oklahomafeatures a cast, like the movie, of young Broadway stars-to-be.
Parade—The long-awaited revival toured and told the sad and powerful story of Leo Frank, framed for the murder of a young factory worker in racist, anti-Semetic Atlanta in the 20s.
Schmigadoon!—The Kennedy Center’s esteemed Broadway Center Stage series produces their first world premier with the hit Apple TV musical on stage. Spoofing the golden age of musical theatre, when a struggling couple of doctors attend a retreat to salvage their relationship they accidentally get lost and cross a bridge into a mystical land where life is a musical and they must find true love to get back out, while interacting with a slew of familiar classic musical tropes in the process. It’s a valentine to anyone who loves Rogers & Hammerstein et al.
Shucked—If there ever was a corny musical, this is it. A clever, fun-filled, pun-filled tale about a small town bride-to-be who leaves her world of corn to find a cure for the crops recent trouble and discovers so much about herself and her world along the way.
Sunset Boulevard—Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterpiece version of Billy Wilder’s quintessential Hollywood movie is re-envisioned by Jamie Lloyd with a stellar cast and breathtaking multi-media visuals.
WINNER: Sunset Boulevard. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterpiece is given grand new life by a vigorous reconception, and inspired some of the best musical salutes on the internet. Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis give new life to the classic characters and Broadway finally got to see this show in all the glory it has deserved from the controversial start. I’m not saying i don’t miss the grand staircase, but I got over it when the Scherzinger took center stage.
BEST LIVE PLAY
Ceilidh—A sweet US debut of a Scottish musical experience highlighting the practice of the celebratory Ceilidh, an evening of dance, live music, and story telling to preserve Scottish family legacy. A unique and deeply moving evening celebrating in group led traditional dances the friends you came with and the ones you met dancing.
Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty Sided Tavern—The National Tour of a fun off-Broadway show where the audience actually plays a live, fleshed-out game of the classic LARP game. Way more fun than it should be..
The Piano Lesson—August Wilson’s classic story of a prodigal son who wants to sell his sister’s family heirloom piano to pay for another ambitious business adventure to get ahead. Family drama with some otherworldy intervention. Everyman Theatre’s impressive entry in the 25-26 DC/Baltimore collaborative event to present the entire August Wilson cycle in its intirety
WINNER: The Piano Lesson. You can never go wrong with a well-executed version of Wilson’s masterful work.
BEST STREAMING MUSICAL
Frozen—A pro-shot from London of the new Disney classic starring Samantha Barks (Les Miserables) as Elsa plays well—and the close-up of the onstage dress change is awesome.
Girl From the North Country—A pro-shot of the original Broadway company of this production played with more sympathy than last year’s national tour. Thanks to PBS for their month of professional theatre last summer
Kiss Me Kate—The pro-shot from the London company starring Stephanie J. Block is a way better representation of Cole Porter’s genius than that pathetic Sutton Foster Anything Goes (which also aired this year but was not nominated)
Next to Normal—A pro-shot from the new London revival starring Caissie Levy and Jack Wolfe breathed new life into the peel into bipolarism.
Waitress—A pro-shot of the final weeks of the Broadway production starring composer Sarah Bareilles is worth the wait.
WINNER: Next to Normal. I have never liked this show. The always dependable Levy’s gut-wrenching performance changed my mind.
BEST STREAMING PLAY
Good Night and Good Luck—George Clooney brings his recent Broadway production based on his movie about TV anchor Edward R. Murrow taking on McCarthy’s red scare on the air at a risky point of his career.
Purlie Victorious—Ossie Davis’ classic story of a wiley preacher trying to save his Baptist church from the clutches of a greedy white landowner received an acclaimed and Tony winning revival last year.
Twelth Night—Shakespeare in the Park’s most recent production starring Sandra Oh and Peter Dinklage.
Yellow Face—Another entry in PBS’ month of theatre is the David Henry Hwang’s follow-up toM. Butterfly, telling a semi-autobiographical tale of how Huang, after leading a very public campaign smearing the original Broadway production of Miss Saigon for bringing Jonathan Pryce over from London to portray the central character of the French-Asian Engineer using eyelid prosthesis instead of casting an actual Asian actor finds himself in hot water when casting his next play and accidentally hiring an Asian passing white actor for the lead.
WINNER: Yellow Face. Hwang’s comic answer to white wash casting raises many other relevant cultural issues, not all entertainment related. A subplot involving his father, a successful banker, who had to gain his business loans from a questionable source in order to be able to provide loans for Asian customers no one else would bonds the two in his later years. Historical note: Huang’s fight with the Actor’s Equity was landmark and the compromise of allowing Pryce to recreate his London role (and changing a white supporting role to an African-American part in exchange), but all replacements forever were mandatory Asian in all future productions was the first major defense of yellow face casting in an industry that in the past has given us Russian Yul Brynner, Puerto Rican Rita Moreno to—the worst—Mickey Rooney and Emma Stone as Asian characters in the movies.
BEST ACTOR in a LIVE MUSICAL
Alex Brightman (Schmigadoon!)—The comic genius who is usually a tour de force of nature on Broadway plays the straight guy here who is stuck in a land of a live Broadway musical amidst the zaniness of Rogers & Hammerstein hell. He’s equally as funny here.
Max Chernin (Parade)—Ben Platt’s Broadway understudy takes the lead in the national tour and he’s mesmerizing giving a dignified performance as the framed and persecuted Leo Frank, a proud Jew who is a victim of a less talked-about Southern bigotry.
Jordan Donica (Damn Yankees)—Donica hits a home run as young Joe Hardy in the reinvisioned Damn Yankees, bringing a new vitality and his booming baritone voice to the golden aged role like it’s never been performend. After Lincoln Center hits as Freddy in My Fair Lady and Lancelot in Camelot, Donica is the new face of the golden age resurgence. Add his high profile role in The Gilded Age and he’s having quite a year.
Jordan Fischer (Moulin Rouge)—The former Disney kid has grown up to be a talented musical performer and a damned good charismatic actor. As the newest Christian, he brought a charm and ease to the role no other including genial Tony winner Aaron Tveit could.
Tom Francis (Sunset Boulevard)—Most other Joe Gillises who are not William Holden pale under Andrew Lloyd Webber’s grande dame Norma Desmond. Francis is the first exception, an actor who not only holds his own, but creates a new level for the role. Formerly, the face of the show was Norma and the grand staircase. Now it’s Francis’ title song walk through Schubert Alley that took over the internet and became a new iconic Broadway moment.
Tavis Kordell (Some Like it Hot)—On tour, Kordell was everything his arrogant Tony wnning predecessor Harrison Gee wasn’t—likeable, charming, and the breath of fresh air Daphne is supposed to be in the spirit of the delightful Jack Lemmon’s creaton of the role. Kordell single handedly rescues this show from the heavy-handed book and Gee’s angry, entitled, and utterly wrong interpretation of the role in New York.
Rob McClure (Damn Yankees)—Former Marco winner McClure (Mrs. Doubtfire) switches gears as the devil himself in the out-of-town tryout of Damn Yankees. The two roles couldn’t be more disparate and McClure is as flashy a villain as he is a hero (heroine?). McClure sells all the song and dance numbers along with this devilishly funny performance
WINNER: Tom Francis. The new British bombshell redefined the role of Joe Gillis as a true costar as it was intended, his vocals paralleled those of costar Scherzinger, and his iconic walk through Schubert Alley performing the title song every show rain or shine, is part of modern Broadway legend.
BEST ACTRESS in a LIVE MUSICAL
Cayleigh Capaldi (The Sound of Music)—As Maria von Trapp in the absolutely magical current tour of the perennial favorite, Capaldi won’t make anyone forget Julie Andrews, but she won’t make anyonc care that she doesn’t. Capaldi brings the necessary warmth to the role and is wonderful with a wouderful cast of children to make the role her own.
Gianna Harris (& Juliet)—The title character of the fun and fantastic new jukebox musical is a lovely central character to base the showstopping musical around
Audra McDonald (Gypsy)—The Queen of modern theatre tears the roof off the Majestic Theatre in a to the balcony performance of the classic Jule Styne study of ambition and madness. Out of her vocal element with a ton of head voice nobody wanted to hear, give McDonald credit for working to expand her style and pull more of her upper range into a belt to give the sound effected of the role by the time Tony season rolled around. If Audra does anything, she will work for you, the quintessential pro.
Eva Noblezado (Cabaret)—Noblezado has taken Broadway by storm after headlining the most recent Miss Saigon revival and Hadestown, and third string Sally Bowles opposite Peck is honestly the best interpretation I’ve ever seen on stage. And her rendition of the title song was amazing.
Nicole Scherzinger (Sunset Boulevard)—The former Pussycat Doll and Dancing With the Stars champion shows the rest of the world what a few of us has known for eyars: she’s an amazing classically trained vocalist who became Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most current muse after her performance of the the title song with four former Phantoms of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall celebration. We were supposed to see her stateside in the last Cats revival, but she got the British X Factor in the meantime and was replaced by Leona Lewis. But it was worth the wait to hear the Olivia-winning actress sing the big power ballads of Norma Desmond the way New Yorok has never heard them, like they were supposed to be sung. Scherzinger redefined the role for American audiences and brought Norma into a new century to make her comeback (even if she hates that word)
Talia Suskauer (Parade)—Last scene in the DMV in the week-before-Covid national tour of Wicked, Suskauer is heartbreaking as Leo Frank’s devoted wife who makes clearing his name her mission while he is imprisoned.
Ana Villafeña (Damn Yankees)—The rivival’s new Lola is a true triple threat leading lady. Villafeña (On Your Feet, In the Heights) has a blast revisiting Gwen Verdon’s immortal track with a new modern energy and easy sexuality that reflects the new arrangements.
WINNER: Nicole Scherzinger (Sunset Boulevard). You had to see Scherzinger to believe her. I’m tired of arguing with all the Broadway know-it-alls crying “Audra got robbed” just from watching the Tony performances showdown. The truth is McDonald was an amazing actor portraying Rose in Gypsy, but, early vocal struggles aside, she wasn’t the best and it wasn’t even her best work, no matter how much you felt she threw down on 3 minutes of TV. Scherzinger, on the other hand, was a creature of live theatre and her Norma Desmond revitalized the role and put it back in the singer’s body where the American production has belonged for 30 years. The vitality and energy she brought to the role, and the chemistry she created with Francis’ Joe Gillis was the Broadway performance of the year. Maybe the decade. And I’m sure Audra and her six Tonys are just fine with both mine and the Tony committee’s decisions.
BEST ACTOR in a LIVE PLAY
RJ Brown (The Piano Lesson)—Brown is the prodigal brother with a load of big dreams that never seem to work out, especially if his sister won’t part with the family heirloom piano.
R. Alex Murray (Dungeons & Dragons)—As the Dungeon Master for the evening’s game, Murray is engaging and funny as he manipulates the plays and the players as determined by the roll of the titular die.
Jefferson A. Russell (The Piano Lesson)—As Brown’s no-nonsense brother-in-law, Russell is the grounding force for the family’s limited resources.
WINNER: RJ Brown. Brown gives a strong and very sympathetic performance at the center of this strong ensemble cast.
BEST ACTRESS in a LIVE PLAY
Chinai Routte (The Piano Lesson). It was a male heavy year thus she’s the only nominee, but that takes nothing away from Routte’s ferocious performance. As the sister of the dreamer with big plans that never work out, Routte is a fiercely protective mother and guardian of the heirloom piano at the center of the family struggle
BEST ACTOR IN A STREAMING MUSICAL
Jamie Parker (Next to Normal)—As a husband who struggles with his wife’s mental illness, he devotes himself to keeping his marriage and family intact.
Jay O. Sanders (Girl from the North Country)—As a husband who struggles with his wife’s dementia and the Depression, he devotes himself to keeping his boarding house busniness and family intact.
WINNER: Jay O. Sanders. It’s a tight race, but Sanders edges Parker out for the amount of emotional baggage he carries the entire show.
BEST ACTRESS IN A STREAMING MUSICAL
Sarah Bareilles (Waitress)—Bareilles is heartwarming as the put-upon title character who finds herself pregnant in an abusive marriage, but finds hope in a not quite ethical relationship with her handsome new obstetrician.
Samantha Barks (Frozen)—Barks is nothing short of stellar as Disney queen Elsa as she navigates the agony of trying to control her mystical powers of cold and ice. And she sells “Let It Go”, a number that ironically fellow nominee Levy redefined as the New York original cast Elsa. (Idina who?)
Caissie Levy (Next to Normal)—Levy is mesmerizing as a bipolar wife and mother who struggles with the day to day life of those roles, as we explore the roots of her mental illness.
Mare Winningham (Girl from the North Country)—Winningham is heartbreaking as the wife and mother of a struggling Depression era family with dementia who has better and worse days when it matters.
WINNER: Caissie Levy. I have never liked this show. Alice Ripley’s Tony for the role was a joke. But then I saw a better production at the Kennedy Center’s Broadway Center Stage series staring Rachel Bay Jones (Dear Evan Hansen). But this production starring Levy is wonderful. I realized I didn’t dislike the show, I just hated what Alice Ripley’s crazy ass made it into. Levy runs all the emotions in this stellar performance. Side note: I swear Levy is another victim of the Mandela Effect, because just like those damn Jewish Bears, she was Cassie Levy from Hair through Frozen until the extra “i” popped up with her Ragtime revival last year.
BEST ACTOR IN A STREAMING PLAY
George Clooney (Good Night and Good Luck)—Clooney is excellent as TV anchor Edward R. Murrow who finds himself muddled in the 50s’ McCarthy era witch hunt. Clooney also produced this event based on his Oscar nominated movie and screenplay, and co-wrote this new adapted script.
Daniel Dae Kim (Yellow Face)—Kim (Lost, Hawaii Five-0) finds all the humor in a satirical story about when Henry David Hwang, a fierce proponent of Asian actors rights with a very vocal presence, accidentally cast a Asian-passing white man in his new play.
Telly Leung (Allegiance)—Leung is solid as George Takei’s younger self in his tale of Japanese Americans who were mistreated and held in interment camps during WWII. Add a subplot about the sister he’s estranged from and Leung is a sympathetic hero.
WINNER: Daniel Dae Kim, Kim is an exceptionally strong comic actor,which we’ve never been treated to before, yet, as expected, handles all the dramatic and tragic nuances of the role, Known as an accomplished actor on screen, he transitions nicely to the stage, which is not always the case, in a play that was 30 years before its time
BEST ACTRESS IN A STREAMING PLAY
Lupita Nyong’o—(Twelth Night)—Nyong’o carries the Shakespeare in the Park all-star cast as Viola, the young woman impersonating her twin brother. Again, the only show that features a nominable leading actress, Nyong’o would have most likely won either way.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR in a LIVE MUSICAL
Brent Comer (The Outsiders)—Comer is solid support in Patrick Swayze’s role as the sensible older brother who gave up is life to care for his younger brothers. He’s a pleasant contrast to all the youthful boistrousness of the rest of the great cast of unknowns as the voice of maturity.
Tyler Joseph Ellis (Shucked)—Ellis hijacks the entire national tour as a dim-witted idiot savant with the best jokes (and the best corn puns).
Pedro Garza (Cabaret)—As Cliff’s understudy, Garza gives the most solid core for the descending madness of 1933 Berlin to reflect upon.
Drew Gehling (& Juliet)—Gehling makes the most as the best Shakespeare to date in the updated comedy, equal parts genius and diva. He brings a new superiority and snarkiness to the role and his play against type is unexpected and hilarious
Andy Karl (Moulin Rouge)—Local hero made good Karl passed through the Moulin Rouge as the villainous Duke who becomes the patron of their new show while intending to buy leading lady Satine and take the institutiondown.
Orville Peck, (Cabaret)—The gay, South African country/western singer replaced a stellar Adam Lambert to give an even better performance—perhaps the best ever—as the satirical and sadistic Emcee of the seedy Kit Kat Klub. Somehow the gayest man to ever portray the androgynous role (until Billy Porter, who ruined everything and got the show closed down), he was actually the most manly and virile interpretation of the role ever and it worked incredibly in his favor.
Quinn Vanantwerp (Shucked)—As a shady Tampa strip mall con artist who intends to return with the heroine and hustle the small town rubes over their corn crisiss, Vanantwerp is slick, sleazy, and the smart fun of the show. A great villain.
WINNER: Orville Peck. In his Broadway debut, Peck is a natural and inhabits all the seedy aspects of the show’s host while delivering a string of powerful musical numbers. I thought Adam Lambert who preceded him was spectacular, but Peck put all before him to rest—from Grey to Cummings to Redmayne to Lambert, Peck redefined the role and gave us a new Emcee we’ve never seen, and he’s terrific.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS in a LIVE MUSICAL
Miki Abraham (Shucked)—Abraham had a hard act to follow stepping into powerhouse Alex Newell’s high profile, Tony-winning role in the audience favorite tour. She belts her “Independently Owned” number out of the park and has great comic timing and rapport with her costars, especially Vanantwerpen.
Alison Luff (& Juilet)—Luff steals the strong show in New York as Shakespeare’s wife Ann Hathaway (“not the actress”) who convinces (strong-arms?) him into changing the ending to his new work. Luff is the girl power behind Juliet’s girl power as she battles him to overcome his sexist and pretentious notions about women and art.
Breyhona Marie (Damn Yankees)—Marie is endearing as an especially heartwarming Meg Boyd, who desperately misses her absent husband, and finds solace in the presence of new neighbor Donica, who is him in an impressive new body. Her duet with Donica of “Talk to Me”, usually a throw away in the original version, is a master class in quiet dignity in song.
Emily Skinnner (Schmigadoon!)—Skinner has a ball filling Kristin Chenoweth’s role as the Bible thumping, overbearing villainess of a Mayor’s wife and holds court as she delivers her powerhouse solo” Tribulation” a hilarious send-up of Harold Hill’s “Trouble”. Skinner is one of t he most dependable leading ladies on business.
Joy Wood (Gypsy)—Wood has had a meteoric rise to Broadway stardom since being promoted from the girl group trio to the show’s first African-American Audrey in the new off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors. She gives us a similar trajectory here in her Tony-nominated performance of overlooked daughter Louise who finds her power evolving into legendary burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee.
WINNER: Joy Wood. Wood’s star is on the rise and she holds her own with the all-tome most honored Tony Award winner in history and comes out on top. Wood captures the complicated dynamics of her Louise’s relationship with not only her monstrous stage mother but her clearly favored sister and owns the audience’s heart by the end.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR in a LIVE PLAY
Louis E. Davis (The Piano Lesson)—Davis is a better sidekick to Boy Willie than he is leader in his schemes to make his mark.
Mack Leamon (The Piano Lesson)—As the mild mannered preacher with designs on sister Berniece, Leamon is a good natured butt of most jokes at his expense
R. Alex Murray (Dungeons & Dragons)—As the Dungeon Master’s Assistant who jumps in and out of all the side characters his leader, via the die, decides he will play, Murray injects a great amount of character humor into the immersive, improve play.
Kenyatta Rogers (The Piano Lesson)—Rogers owns all his scenes as hard drinking brother-in-law Wining Boy, bringing unusually big laughs to the show.
Diego F. Salinas (Dungeons & Dragons)—As the most memorable of the game prototype protagonist, Salinas brings humor and fun to his role as a dim-witted but strong battle dwarf in quest of the goal.
WINNER: Kenyatta Rogers. Rogers makes the biggest impact in a strong ensemble cast.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS in a LIVE PLAY
Sadly This was another male dominated year, and even though there were female leading actresses, the plays in contention either had no other female actors, or at least any that made any impact in the smaller parts. Hence, no award this year in this category.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A STREAMING MUSICAL
Hammed Animashaun & Nigel Lindsay (Kiss Me Kate)—Animashaun and Lindsay are perfect additions as the duo of gangsters who terrorize the wrong guy both on and off-stage. They’re good old-fashioned vaudevillian fun, nominated as a team.
Craig Bierko (Girl from the North Country)—Stage and screen vet Bierko is a dark presence as the father of a visiting family with a dark secret and abominable actions to hide.
Christopher Fitzgerald (Waitress)—Fitzgerald steals the show as an overly-adoring but persistent suitor to a guarded waitress who resists his advances
Craig Gallivan (Frozen)—Gallivan takes a role that can be too much in lesser hands and makes Olaf the snowman just plain goofy fun.
Drew Gehling (Waitress)—Gehling returns to recreate his Tony-nominated role as a charming but unethical obstetrician who attempts has an affair with Bareilles as he tries to save her from an abusive marriage. The character is really a heel, but Gehling is the only actor charming enough to make him somehow a hero, even movie doctor Nathan Fillion. He can even sing the cautionary song “It’s a very bad idea, me and you” and make it sound not so.
Jack Wolfe (Next to Normal)—As the imaginary teen son Gabe, Wolfe brings a strong voice and greta sympathy to the role
WINNER: Jack Wolfe. Wolfe brings another level of emotional sadness and sings the songs beautifully. Wolfe’s star is on the rise in New York as the current Orpheus in Hadestown.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A STREAMING MUSICAL
Chloe Bailey (Girl from the North Country)—Bailey is strong support as Saunders and Winningham’s adopted pregnant daughter who won’t divulge the father’s identity. She is also the character we root for as one of the few who actually have a chance of finding happiness in these dark times.
Charity Angel Dawson (Waitress)—As comic sidekick waitress Becky, Dawson gets great big laughs from her ample personality and big belt voice.
Eleanor Worthington-Cox (Next to Normal)—As the living daughter whose relationship with her mentally ill mother is eclipsed by the memory of her brother who died in infancy, Worthington-Cox takes a usually abrasive and poorly written role and brings sympathy to her.
WINNER: Charity Angel Dawson. Dawson lightens the darker themes of the show with her great comic timing and makes a memorable character spring to extra life, way more than overrated actress Cheryl Hines in the source movie.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A STREAMING PLAY
Peter Dinklage (Twelfth Night)—It’s hard for Dinklage to not be memorable but the Emmy winning actor brings his usual definitive presence to the role of servant Malvolio.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A STREAMING PLAY
Sandra Oh—(Twelfth Night)—Oh brings her comic strengths as the aristocratic and self-absorbed Olivia
BEST SCORE of a LIVE MUSICAL
& Juliet—music & lyrics by Max Martin
Damn Yankees—music & lyrics by Richard Adler & Jerry Ross
The Lion King—music by Elton John & lyrics by Tim Rice
Next to Normal—music by Tom Kitt, lyrics by Brian Yorkey
Gypsy—music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondhei
Schmigadoon—music and lyrics by Cinco Paul
Waitress—music &lyrucs by Sarah Barielles
WINNER: Jule Styne & Stephen Sondheim. Martin’s score is wall to wall bangers, but they were picked because of that. And Paul’s score is a flawless parody of other material. But Styne, love it or hate it, has given us a gift of a leading track for the ages with one belted gold standard after the other that has been hard to surpass. On to of that, I’m prone to give it to him just for the novelty showstopper, “You Gotta Get a Gimick” featuring a trio of old, washed-up, beat-down strippers walking home with the show in four minutes of strategic bumps and grinds to some of the best and most clever lyrics ever composed for one song.
BEST SCRIPT of a LIVE MUSICAL
Cabaret— by Joe Masteroff
Damn Yankees— adapted by Will Power & Doug Wright
Gypsy— by Arthur Laurents
Shucked— by Robert Horn
Schmigadoon— byCinco Paul & Ken Daurio
Waitress—by Jessie Nelson
Parade—by Alfred Uhry
WINNER: Robert Horn. In the company of giants, Laurents has written what many consider the best American musical script ever, Masteroff has given us a story that has proven to be eerily and sadly timeless, and Paul flawlessly sends up golden age musicals with a valentine of a book. But I have not laughed harder at Horn’s book (an marked improvement over his unfathomable Tony winning book wherein he destroyed the flawless comic screenplay of Tootsie), even if it is full of, pun intended, corn-y humor.
BEST SCRIPT of a LIVE PLAY
Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty Sided Tavern —book by David Carpenter, Michael Fell and Conner Marx
The Piano Lesson—by August Wilson
WINNER: August Wilson. Who else?
BEST LIVE THEATRICAL EVENT
Ceilidh—Scott Gilmour & Claire McKenzie provide a unique and thoroughly magical look inside the Scottish tradition of the Ceilidh, in which dancing, singing, story telling, and comradery are all combined for a memorable immersive and interactive celebration of the art form, in its American debut in Baltimore. if I had one under the radar experience this season I could recommend everyone , this would have been it.
BEST STREAMED ONE-PERSON SPECIAL EVENT
Mike Birbiglia, The Good Life—Birbiglia gives us another glimpse inside his world with his unique Everyman unlike every other man perspective, this time on fatherly advice and dealing with aging parents—with a stop at the local dispensary, which lends its name to the title.
Justin Willman, Magic Lover—Willman gives a fresh take on the old artform of magic, and brings an evening of various magic that culminates in the ultimate illusion that basically draws from every seemingly random event form every preceding act of the night for a mind-blowing finale.
WINNER: Magic Lover. I just have never seen an illusionist act that is so thorough, so well designed and so completely developed that the sum is greater than the whole, with minimal reliance on razzle dazzle special effects and more focus on Willman’s talent and charm
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A ONE-PERSON STREAMED SPECIAL EVENT
Mike Birbiglia, The Good Life—Birbiglia is engaging as ever.
Justin Willman, Magic Lover—Willman reinvents a cliched artform
WINNER—Justin Willman. For the reasons above. I’ve never seen an illusionist rely so little on glamour and distraction and yet be more engaging and impressive. Willman has a style like no other and actually makes magic cooler than it’s ever been.
Thanks for following and if you missed them, look for the Awards for and TV and Movies from the last two weeks’ post.
PAST WINNERS
BEST LIVE MUSICAL
2021 Mean Girls (National Tour, Kennedy Center)
2022 Six (Broadway)
2023 Sunset Boulevard (Kennedy Center, Broadway Center Stage)
2024 Into the Woods (National Tour, Kennedy Center)
2025 tie: The Cher Show (National Tour, Appell Center, York PA) and & Juliet (National Tour, Kennedy Center)
BEST LIVE PLAY
2021 To Kill a Mockingbird (National Tour, Hippodrome)
2022 Slave Play (Broadway)
2023 Change Agent (Arena Stage)
2024 The Play That Goes Wrong (National Tour, Kennedy Center)
2025 Life of Pi (National Tour, Kennedy Center)
BEST STREAMED MUSICAL2021 Miss Saigon
2022 Come From Away
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
2025 Allegiance
BEST STREAMED PLAY
2021 A Streetcar Named Desire
2022 [no category]
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
2025 Purlie Victorious
BEST ACTOR IN A LIVE MUSICAL
2021 Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice)
2022 Conrad Ricamora (Little Shop of Horrors)
2023 Derek Klena (Sunset Boulevard)
2024 RobMcClure (Mrs. Doubtfire)
2025 Adam Lambert (Cabaret)
BEST ACTRESS IN A LIVE MUSICAL
2021Taylor Louderman (Mean Girls)
2022 Heidi Blickenstaff (Jagged Little Pill)
2023 Stephanie J. Block (Sumset Boulevard)
2024 Stephanie J. Block (Into the eoods)
2025 Teal Wicks (& Juliet)
BEST ACTOR IN A STREAMED MUSICAL
2021 Jon Jon Briones (Miss Saigon)
2022 Matt Henry (Kinky Boots)
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
2025 [combined with streamed play]
BEST ACTRESS IN A STREAMED MUSICAL
2021[ combined with streamed play]
2022 Jenna de Waal (Diana)
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
2025 Stephanie J. Block (Kiss Me Kate)
BEST ACTOR IN A LIVE PLAY
2021 [combined with live musical]
2022 [combined with live musical]
2023 Jessie Williams (Take Me Out)
2024 Richard Thomas (To Kill a Mockingbird)
2025 Savidu Geevaratne (Life of Pi)
BEST ACTRESS IN A LIVE PLAY
2021 [combined with live musical]
2022 [combined with live musical]
2023 Andrea Abello (Change Agent)
2024 Melanie Moore (To Kill a Mockingbird)
2025 Michelle Elaine (Clue)
BEST ACTOR IN A STREAMED PLAY
2021 [combined with streamed musical]
2022 [combined with streamed musical]
2023 [no catgeory]
2024 [no category]
2025 Leslie Odom (Purlie Victorious)
BEST ACTRESS IN A STREAMED PLAY
2021 Gillian Anderson (A Streetcar Named Desire)
2022 [combined with streamed musical]
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
2025 [combined with streamed musical]
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A STREAMED MUSICAL
2021 Daveed Diggs (Hamilton)
2022 Cesar Samoya (Come From Away)
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
2025 George Takei (Allegiance)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A STREAMED MUSICAL
2021 Stephanie J. Block (Falsettos)
2022 Judy Kaye (Diana)
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
2025 Lea Salonga (Allegiance)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIVE MUSICAL
2021 [combined with live play]
2022 Daniel J. Watts (Tina)
2023 Jason Forback (Into the Woods)
2024 Gavin Creel (Into the Woods)
2025 Hugh Coles (Back to the Futture)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIVE MUSICAL
2021 Kate Rockwell (Mean Girls)
2022 Dawnn Lewis (Tina)
2023 Jonalynn Sacon (Mean Girls)
2024 Jinkxx Monsoon (Chicago)
2025 Carolee Carmello (Nine)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A STREAMED PLAY
2021 [combined with streamed musical]
2122 [combined with streamed musical]
2123 [no category]
2024 [no category]
2025 [combined with streamed musical]
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A STREAMED PLAY
2021 [combined with streamed musical]
2022 [combined with streamed musical]
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
2025 [combined with streamed musical]
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIVE PLAY
2021 Nick Robinson (To Kill a Mockingbird)
2022 [combined with live musical]
2023 Matthew Hydzik (Doubt)
2024 Yagel T. Welch (To Kill Mockingbird)
2025 John Schartzer (Clue)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIVE PLAY
2021 [combined with live musical]
2022 [combines with live musical
2023 Che Lyons (Doubt)
2024 Jacqueline Williams (To Kill a Mockingbird)
2025 Elizabeth Yancey (Clue)
BEST SCORE OF A LIVE MUSICAL
2021 Jeff Richmond & Nell Benjamin (Mean Girls)
2022 Toby Marlowe & Lucy Moss (Six)
2023 Andrew Lloyd Webber & Don Black, Christopher Hampton (SunsetBoulevard)
2024 Charlie Small (The Wiz)
2025 Pete Townsend (The Who’s Tommy)
BEST SCRIPT OF A LIVE MUSICAL
2021 Tina Fey (Mean Girls)
2022 Joe DiPietro (Diana)
2023 James Lapine (Into the Woods)
2024 William Brown & Amber Ruffin (The Wiz)
2025 tie: The Cher Show and & Juliet
BEST SCRIPT OF A LIVE PLAY
2021 Jeremy O. Harris (Slave Play)
2022 [no category]
2023 Joe DiPietro (Change Agent)
2024 Aaron Sorkin (To Kill a Mockingbird)
2025 Stefano Massini (The Lehman Trilogy)
BEST STREAMED ONE-PERSON SPECIAL EVENT
2021 What the Constitution Means to Me
2022 [no category]
2023 David Byrne’s Utopia
2024 The Old Man & The Pool
2025 Just for Us
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A ONE-PERSON SPECIAL EVENT
2021 John Leguizamo (Latin History for Morons)
2022 [no category]
2023 David Byrne (Utopia)
2024 Mike Birbiglia (The Old Man & The Pool)
2025 Alex Edelman (Just for Us)