2005-6 Theatre World Awards Announces 12 Winners!

Twelve performers have won 2005-06 Theatre World Awards for Outstanding Broadway and Off-Broadway Debut Performances. The winners are:

Harry Connick, Jr., The Pajama Game; Felicia P. Fields, The Color Purple; Maria Friedman, The Woman in White; Richard Griffiths, The History Boys; Mamie Gummer, Mr. Marmalade; Jayne Houdyshell, Well; Bob Martin, The Drowsy Chaperone; Ian McDiarmid, Faith Healer; Nellie McKay, The Threepenny Opera; David Wilmot, The Lieutenant of Inishmore; Elisabeth Withers-Mendes, The Color Purple and John Lloyd Young, Jersey Boys.

The Awards will be presented on Tuesday, June 6, 2006 at 2:00pm in a ceremony at Studio 54, 254 W. 54th St.

The twelve awards will be presented by former award winners, including Lucie Arnaz (They're Playing Our Song, 1979), Maxwell Caulfield (Class Enemy, 1980), Harry Groener (revival, Oklahoma!, 1977), Ken Page (revival, Guys and Dolls, 1977), Patricia Neal (Another Part of the Forest, 1947), John Rubinstein (Pippin, 1973), and Jonathan Pryce (Comedians, 1977). Several presenters will perform songs they introduced from the shows for which they received their award, including John Rubinstein ("Corner of the Sky" from Pippin) and Ken Page ("Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" from Guys & Dolls).

Winners were chosen by the Theatre World Awards committee, comprised of Peter Filichia (Theatermania.com), Harry Haun (Playbill), Matthew Murray (TalkinBroadway.com), Frank Scheck (New York Post), Michael Sommers (Newhouse Papers), Doug Watt (Critic Emeritus, New York Daily News) and Linda Winer (Newsday), and coordinated by Peter Filichia.

The awards ceremony will be written and hosted by Peter Filichia. Walter Willison (Two by Two, 1971) is director; Ben Hodges and Kati Meister are co-executive producers.

The Theatre World Awards are the oldest awards given for Broadway and Off-Broadway debut performances, as well as one of the oldest awards bestowed on New York actors.

The invitation only award ceremony will be held on Tuesday, June 6, 2006 at 2:00pm at Studio 54, 254 W.54th St. (between Broadway & 8th Avenues). For further information, visit theatreworldawards.org