The annual Broadway League Awards, honoring excellence and achievement for Touring Broadway, were announced today during the Broadway League’s 2019 Spring Road Conference. First presented in 1992, the Broadway League Awards recognize the contributions of those who have displayed exemplary service to the Broadway industry and are considered innovators of their craft.

DISTINGUISHED LIFETIME SERVICE AWARD 

TERRENCE MCNALLY has had a remarkably far-ranging career, including at least one new work on Broadway in each of the last six decades. A revival of his play Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune starring Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon will open on Broadway on May 30.  In 2018 he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He is a recipient of the 2019 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Lucille Lortel Lifetime Achievement Award. He has won four Tony Awards for his plays Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class and his musical books for Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime. He has written a number of TV scripts, including “Andre’s Mother,” for which he won an Emmy Award. He has received two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Rockefeller Grant, four Drama Desk Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards, two Obie Awards, and three Hull-Warriner Awards from the Dramatists Guild. In 1996 he was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. He wrote the libretto for the operas Great Scott and Dead Man Walking, both with music by Jake Heggie. Other plays include Mothers and Sons; Lips Together, Teeth Apart; The Lisbon Traviata; A Perfect Ganesh; The Visit; The Full Monty; Corpus Christi; Bad Habits; Next; The Ritz; Anastasia; It’s Only a Play; Where Has Tommy Flowers Gone?; and The Stendhal Syndrome.

“Terrence McNally is a master dramatist whose long and prolific career shows no signs of abating. Smart, funny and wise, his works move seamlessly from plays to musicals and from dramas to comedies. He brings to the stage witty and heart-felt explorations of humanity’s deepest fears and joys in a way that has resonated with audiences in New York and across North America for more than half a century,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League. “We are thrilled to present the award for Distinguished Lifetime Service to a brilliant author whose work has captured the American experience while continuing to entertain, provoke, and move generations of theatregoers.”

THE AWARDS

“Broadway is a vital national industry. League members worked tirelessly this season to bring Broadway shows to over 200 cities across the U.S. and Canada. Touring Broadway contributes $3.2 billion to local economies across the U.S.  Coupled with the $12.6 billion economic impact for New York City, it is clear that Broadway and Touring Broadway Series create real value to our country’s economy,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League. “We couldn’t do it without the enormous support that our awardees, the donors and volunteers – both corporate and private - give to promote and enrich the Broadway Series in their hometowns.”

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN PRESENTER MANAGEMENT

Samuel J. L’Hommedieu Award

JOSH LABELLE is the Executive Director of Seattle Theater Group (STG). Under his leadership Broadway series attendance continues to reach record numbers and doubled from the 2016-2017 season to the 2017-2018 season. Josh has worked tirelessly to make the Paramount “The Peoples Theatre” for the Seattle and Wester Washington Community through public outreach programs, educational events, and Broadway shows. During his tenure with the organization, the STG hosted 260 education and community programs that reached over 55,000 people. In addition, 14,036 tickets were provided to low-income families and students. Josh helped the city of Seattle recognize the Seattle Theatre District with the Paramount, Moore 5^th Avenue, ACT, and Town Hall theatres. He continues to work closely with legislators in Washington State to regulate and stop ticket scalping practices and to outlaw ticket bots.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN ROAD MARKETING & PRESS

ANN SHEEHAN is the Director of Public Relations and Community Relations at Broadway In Boston, part of the Broadway Across America network. Ann has been with Broadway In Boston since its inception in the Boston market and has been fortunate to be part of the company’s dynamic evolution throughout the years. During her 20-year tenure, Ann has led publicity and public relations campaigns for approximately 250 national tours and has managed public affairs and community relations initiatives in the Boston market. In addition, Ann has played a leading role in some of the city’s most memorable milestones and events that have been spearheaded by Broadway In Boston, including the restoration and reopening of the historic Boston Opera House, the 100th Anniversary celebration of the iconic Colonial Theatre and the 175th Anniversary of the Charles Playhouse. Prior to stepping into the bright lights of Broadway, Ann enjoyed a season with the internationally acclaimed Boston Ballet and spent nine years working at Fenway Park for the Boston Red Sox, which catalyzed her career path.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT

DANIEL HAHN is the VP of Community Engagement and Education at Playhouse in the Square in Cleveland Ohio. As part of his work at Playhouse Square, he runs the Dazzle Awards, Disney Musicals in School, and their Children’s Theater Series. He spearheads their sensory-friendly initiatives and is working to create other initiatives to serve the hearing-impaired and refugee communities as well as children in foster care. He served as supervisor of Great Lakes Theater’s (GLT) School Residency Program for four years where he worked as an actor-teacher during the 1995-96 season. Daniel is an actor, playwright and director. As a playwright he has written three educational touring plays for GLT: Before the Storm, which he also directed; Seeing Red; and Twice-Told Tales of the Decameron. Since 2017, Daniel has served on the Audience Engagement Committee of The Broadway League.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN ROAD GROUP SALES 

GEMMA MULVIHILL is the Executive Director of Sales at Broadway In Chicago. She has been with Broadway In Chicago since its inception 19 years ago and with the Nederlander Organization since 1992. Gemma has spent the last 20 years building Broadway In Chicago’s Group Sales Department into one of the largest Group Sales Operations in the county and has helped shape Chicago as a tourism destination for theatre. She has worked on shows such as Chicago to record breaking long runs and returns of Wicked, Jersey Boys, The Color Purple, The Lion King, Hamilton and over 500 other shows.

GEORGE MACPHERSON ROAD AWARD

DENNY DANIELLO is a theatre veteran who has built a distinguished career as a Company Manager. His many Touring Broadway credits include: Anastasia, The Humans, Cabaret, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, Anything Goes, West Side Story, Grease, The Drowsy Chaperone, Sweet Charity, Little Women, The Exonerated, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

STAR OF TOURING BROADWAY AWARDS

The Star of Touring Broadway Awards were created to honor board members, government officials, donors and volunteers who have given support to promote and enrich the Broadway Series in their hometowns.

BREMER BANK is an active leader in supporting the vibrancy and vitality of the Saint Paul community. The bank started their partnership with the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in 2015 and its commitment has grown since then. As a presenting musical sponsor and as the Ordway Broadway Series sponsor for the past three seasons, Bremer Bank has contributed over $1 million in support of Ordway theatrical programming from 2016-2021. Their support brought in popular tours including Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An American in Paris, and Kinky Boots. Their multi-year commitments have been critical in allowing the Ordway to develop long-term vision for the Broadway Series. The 2019-2020 Broadway Series, sponsored by Bremer Bank will include Once on This Island, the revival of The Color Purple, and Mike Birbiglia’s The New One.

HOWARD & RO JACOBSON have been longtime season subscribers and devoted donors contributing greatly to the Starlight Theatres success and both have been visiting the theater since they were children with their parents. Howard and Ro have served multiple years on the Starlight Board of Directors. They have given generously to multiple fundraising efforts and have financially supported the Starlight STARS of Tomorrow youth performance troupe, giving hundreds of Kansas City high school students the opportunity to hone their musical theatre skills through professional training and performance. Their commitment to keeping arts accessible to all, particularly to young people across Kansas City has created a Starlight legacy.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION (SDCCU) has been the title sponsor for Broadway San Diego for over 13 years, acting as a community ambassador for the touring Broadway Productions, and was a big contributor of the inaugural Kids’ Night on Broadway in San Diego. Additionally, in just the last four years, they have donated over $40,000 back to the San Diego County community using Broadway San Diego’s Group Sales programs for fundraising, most recently with Cats and the Humane Society. SDCCU really stands out in its support of The Broadway San Diego Awards, the local arm of the National High School Theatre Awards® (The Jimmy Awards®). Each season they offer a special Drama Teacher of the Year Awards, which is voted on by the San Diego Community and includes a grand price of an all-expenses paid trip to New York to experience The Jimmy Awards first-hand.