The 35th annual Helen Hayes Awards honored local theater Monday night at The Anthem.
As always, the winners were broken down into two umbrella categories, “Hayes” for Equity casts in larger productions and “Helen” for non-Equity casts in smaller productions.
Shakespeare Theatre Company’s “Camelot” won the top prize of Outstanding Musical, while Woolly Mammoth Theatre’s “Gloria” won Outstanding Play among Equity productions.
For non-equity shows, 1st Stage’s “Fly By Night” won Outstanding Musical, while Constellation Theatre’s “Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce” won Outstanding Play.
Arena Stage emerged with the most wins with seven, including several for “Anything Goes.”
The winners were selected by 40 judges who considered 2,866 productions, including 51 musicals and 157 plays, of which 54 were world premieres.
Here is the list of winners in the major categories:
Hayes Awards (Equity):
Outstanding Production in a Musical – Hayes
“Anything Goes” – Arena Stage
“Camelot” – Shakespeare Theatre **WINNER*
“Cinderella” – Imagination Stage
“Dave” – Arena Stage
“The Wiz” – Ford’s Theatre
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical – Hayes
Corbin Bleu – Anything Goes – Arena Stage **WINNER**
Ken Clark – Camelot – Shakespeare Theatre Company
Drew Gehling – Dave – Arena Stage
David Schlumpf – Elf: The Musical – Olney Theatre Center
Douglas Sills – Dave – Arena Stage
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical – Hayes
Nancy Anderson – Billy Elliot – Signature Theatre
Natascia Diaz – Passion – Signature Theatre **WINNER**
Tracy Lynn Olivera – On the Town – Olney Theatre Center
Bryonha Marie Parham – Dave – Arena Stage
Awa Sal Secka – Cinderella – Imagination Stage
Outstanding Production in a Play – Hayes
“Botticelli in the Fire” – Woolly Mammoth Theatre
“Familiar” – Woolly Mammoth Theatre
“Gloria” – Woolly Mammoth Theatre **WINNER**
“Indecent” – Arena Stage
“The Wolves” – Studio Theatre
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play – Hayes
Carson Elrod – The Comedy of Errors – Shakespeare Theatre Company
Glenn Fitzgerald – The Remains – Studio Theatre
Eugene Lee – Two Trains Running – Arena Stage **WINNER**
Jon Hudson Odom – Botticelli in the Fire – Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Jack Willis – The Great Society – Arena Stage
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play – Hayes
Stephanie Berry – Gem of the Ocean – Round House Theatre
Julia Coffey – Labour of Love – Olney Theatre Center
Veanne Cox – The Comedy of Errors – Shakespeare Theatre Company
Naomi Jacobson – Becoming Dr. Ruth – Theater J
Erika Rose – Queens Girl in Africa – Mosaic Theatre Company of DC **WINNER**
Helen Awards (Non-Equity)
Outstanding Production in a Musical – Helen
“Brooklyn The Musical” – Monumental Theatre Company
“Chicago” – The Keegan Theatre
“Disney’s The Little Mermaid” – Toby’s Dinner Theatre
“Fly by Night” – 1st Stage **WINNER**
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical – Helen
Aaron Bliden – Fly by Night – 1st Stage
Jimmy Mavrikes – Girlfriend – Signature Theatre **WINNER**
Lukas James Miller – Girlfriend – Signature Theatre
Solomon Parker – Pippin – Monumental Theatre Company
DeCarlo Raspberry – Brooklyn The Musical – Monumental Theatre Company
Jamie Smithson – Fly by Night – 1st Stage
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical – Helen
Jessica Bennett – Chicago – The Keegan Theatre
Debora Crabbe – As You Like It – The Keegan Theatre **WINNER**
Abby Middleton – The Little Mermaid – Toby’s Dinner Theatre
Maria Rizzo – Chicago – The Keegan Theatre **WINNER**
Shayla S. Simmons – Aida – Constellation Theatre Company
Taylor Washington – Brooklyn The Musical – Monumental Theatre Company
Outstanding Production in a Play – Helen
“The Events” – Theater Alliance
“The Farnsworth Invention” – 1st Stage
“The Lathe of Heaven” – Spooky Action Theater
“Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce” – Constellation Theatre Company **WINNER**
“Swimming With Whales” – 1st Stage
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play – Helen
Josh Adams – The Events – Theater Alliance **WINNER (TIE)***
Sam Ludwig – The Farnsworth Invention – 1st Stage
Sasha Olinick – Secrets of the Universe – Hub Theatre & Jewish Community Center of NoVa
Jonathan Lee Taylor – The Farnsworth Invention – 1st Stage
Matthew R. Wilson – Swimming With Whales – 1st Stage **WINNER (TIE)***
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play – Helen
Regina Aquino – The Events – Theater Alliance ***WINNER**
Tonya Beckman – The Skin of Our Teeth – Constellation Theatre Company
Lolita Marie – Secrets of the Universe – Hub Theatre & Jewish Community Center of NoVa
Billie Krishawn – Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce – Constellation Theatre Company
Madeline Mooney – The Frederick Douglass Project – Solas Nua
See the full list of winners in all categories here.
