HISTORY

The History of the Theatre World Awards Explained

1940s

The Beginning

In the beginning, the ceremony was a simple cocktail party among friends in Daniel Blum’s sumptuous apartment with Blum presenting the award. In the first two years alone, a nod was given to performances by Betty Comden, Judy Holliday, and John Raitt, joined the following year by Barbara Bel Geddes, Marlon Brando, and Burt Lancaster.

Carol Channing’s Influence

At the 1949 party, Carol Channing won. A couple of years later she said to other “Promising Personalities” winners who were all attending a cocktail party prior to the one at Daniel’s, “We’d better get over to Daniel’s and support that Award because otherwise no one is gonna know who we are sixty years from now.”

Inclusion of Off-Broadway

As Off-Broadway became a potent force in New York theatre life, performances there became eligible for recognition as well as Broadway. Later, special awards would occasionally be presented to an entire cast of a production, or to an individual or organization that had made an outstanding contribution to the theatre that season.

1960s

Call it the Theatre World Award

It wasn’t until 1969 that the award became known officially as the Theatre World Award. The first awards were a framed certificate and then a plaque. The beautiful bronze Janus Award, sculpted by internationally recognized sculptor Harry Marinsky, made its debut at the 1973 Theatre World Awards ceremony.

John Willis Inherits the Award

Upon Daniel Blum’s death in 1964, John Willis inherited the entire responsibility for the Award. For the next 30 years, with an occasional assistant, he single-handedly kept the Theatre World Awards alive by hosting the annual party, often with Carol Channing acting as the sole presenter as late as 1971. Then Robert Morse, Colleen Dewhurst, Julie Harris, and Rosemary Harris followed. At the 1976 ceremony, John invited twelve former winners and each in turn presented to a newcomer. And thus began the ritual of presenters entertaining the audience with anecdotes about how they won or what the Award had come to mean to them.

1970s-1990s

The Growth of the Ceremony

As the years went by and the number of former winners increased, the ceremony outgrew John’s apartment. It eventually moved to the Gotham Hotel in the 1970’s and the Hotel St. Regis ballroom in the 1980’s. In 1990 the ceremony was held at the Roundabout Theatre Company, whose home base then was the Union Square Theatre. The Roundabout housed several of the ceremonies through the next sixteen years, at their former home at the Criterion Center, and eventually at Studio 54, which served as the venue for the Awards from 2000–2006. In 2007 the ceremony was held at New World Stages, New York’s first Off-Broadway “multi-plex,” and the 2008 ceremony was held at the beautifully refurbished Helen Hayes Theatre.

The Evolution of the Ceremony

At the ceremony, the former winners who were selected to present for that year would gather at a long table on the stage and, one-by-one, present the awards to the winners. John Willis joined them at the table and served as host for the ceremonies until the mid 90s, creating a relaxed party atmosphere for the event. In recent years, the ceremony has included former winners returning to provide entertainment, sometimes singing a song from the show from which they won their Theatre World Award.

A Fancy Affair

As the Awards continued to grow, the need to invite members of the press and media became apparent. So, while remaining an intimate gathering for those in attendance, the outside world now gets a small peek at the event through various media and online outlets, including cable television’s Broadway Beat, New York 1’s On Stage, Broadwayworld.com, Theatremania, and Playbill. As the venue grew in size, winners were able to bring more family, friends, agents, and managers to witness the celebration of their induction to the Theatre World family.

The Family John Formed

John also instituted a tradition of beloved birthday cards, sending one to every winner each year. Every year presenters would mention how they cherished receiving it. One said, “John even found me when my own mother couldn’t. I was entertaining on a cruise ship in the Sea of Saipan!” The birthday cards secured John’s idea of the Theatre World Award winners being a family. Winners return year after year to the annual ceremony to see one another and to celebrate those newly honored.

Mid 1990s

50th Anniversary Ceremony

At the 50th Ceremony in 1994, Patricia Elliott (1973) was presenting. She and others, including Bernadette Peters (1968), Lonny Price (1980), and Walter Willison (1971) had been concerned for some time about preserving John Willis’ legacy as John would soon be 80 and was hoping to retire. Before presenting, Patricia suggested that the winners could give John one big “Birthday Card” with annual contributions to his legacy. The standing ovation for John eventually led to the formation of the current not-for-profit Theatre World Awards, Inc., formed by Patricia on May 17, 1997, with the help of Tom Lynch (Theatre World's current board member) and Marianne Tatum (1980).

Passing the Baton and Finding a Host

To find someone with John’s gentlemanly demeanor and elegant presence as host to the Awards was not so easy. On a tip from Walter Willison, Patricia called Peter Filichia, a theatre critic and an accomplished theatre archivist on his own. At the 54th ceremony in 1997, John passed his baton to Peter who, as host, has continued to match John’s personality, charming presence, wit, and love of the theatre.

Early 2000s-Today

The Legacy of the Theatre World Award

The contribution the Award has made to the theatre is incalculable. Winners through the years acknowledge that of all the awards, it is the one they most cherish because it is not a competition. It is freely given at a time when any kind of encouragement is welcome in an industry known more for rejection than reception. It is the award that often inspires one to “get up and go” when the going gets rough.

The Current Ceremony

The Theatre World Awards are now voted on by a committee that is chaired by Peter Filichia and other New York theatre critics. The Awards are administered by a board of directors who also serve as the producers and directors of the annual event. Any actor appearing in their first major reviewable performance in a lead or supporting role in a Broadway or Off-Broadway show is eligible for consideration, even if an actor has previously appeared in a show in an ensemble or as a swing. Every year the ceremony is supported by previous winners, producers, and friends who generously contribute time and funds to bring the ceremony to fruition.