It was DC theatre’s night to show up and show out.
The 2023 Helen Hayes Awards brought over 1,600 theatre-makers and supporters to The Anthem to showcase the region’s vibrant professional theatre scene, recognizing work from 131 eligible productions presented last calendar year alone with awards in 41 categories.
Notable performance artists Naomi Jacobson, Erika Rose, Holly Twyford, and Christopher Michael Richardson hosted the evening, joined by a showcase ensemble of Quadry Brown, Carolyn Burke, Drake Leach, and Kanysha Williams and special guest star Michael Urie, with additional performances by Frenchie Davis and Solomon Parker III.
GALA Hispanic Theatre topped the list of theatres receiving Helen Hayes accolades for its 2022 year, taking home eleven total awards — including nine for their production of ON YOUR FEET! La historia de Emilio y Gloria Estefan ¡En español! (Musical, Helen), one for REVOLTOSA (The troublemaker) (Musica, Helen), and one for La casa de la laguna (The House on the Lagoon) (Play, Helen).
Signature Theatre also received strong attention, going home with four awards for The Color Purple (Musical, Hayes) and two awards for She Loves Me (Musical, Hayes).
And Olney Theatre Center received three awards for Meredith Willson’s The Music Man and one each for The Joy That Carries You (Play, Hayes) and A.D. 16 (Musical, Hayes).
Named for actor Helen Hayes – a Washington native and American theatre legend – the Helen Hayes Awards has honored excellence in professional theatre throughout the Washington region for more than three decades. The 2023 event also paid tribute to Bonnie Nelson Schwartz, a Tony and Emmy-nominated producer of Broadway theatre, television, and concerts and Founder of the Helen Hayes Awards.
A complete list of 2023 Helen Hayes Award recipients is available at these links:
All Recipients (alpha by first name)
Recipients by Production (count)
Recipients by Production (alpha)
