Ben Vereen, Lea Salonga & More to Present at the Theatre World Awards, 6/3

Theatre World Award Alumni Courtney B. Vance, Anika Noni Rose, Ben Vereen, Christine Lahti, Tony Sheldon, Lea Salonga, Isabel Keating, Phillip Boykin, Jessie Mueller, Jackie Hoffman, Wesley Taylor, Patricia Elliott, Meg Bussert, Crystal A. Dickinson, with special guest Nathan Lane, have been announced as presenters and performers at the 69th Annual Theatre World Awards Ceremony on Monday evening, June 3, 2013 beginning at 6:45 p.m. at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street), home of the current Broadway revival of Pippin. Mother and daughter, RoseMary Harris and Jennifer Ehle, both Theatre World Award Alumni, are 2013 Honorary Co-Chairs.

Hosted annually by well-known theater journalist, Peter Filichia, the awards ceremony will be directed by Theatre World Award recipient John Tartaglia, with Board Members Mary K. Botosan and Erin Oestreich returning as producers of the annual event.

The 2013 Theatre World Award Honorees for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance include Bertie Carvel (Matilda The Musical), Carrie Coon (Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), Brandon J. Dirden (The Piano Lesson), Shalita Grant (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike), Tom Hanks (Lucky Guy), Valisia LeKae (Motown: The Musical), Rob McClure (Chaplin), Ruthie Ann Miles (Here Lies Love), Conrad Ricamora (Here Lies Love), Keala Settle (Hands on a Hardbody), Yvonne Strahovski (Golden Boy) and Tom Sturridge (Orphans). Jonny Orsini (The Nance) will receive the 5th Annual Dorothy Loudon Award, and Alan Alda will be honored with the newly established John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement.

First presented in 1945, the prestigious Theatre World Awards, founded by John Willis, the Editor-in-Chief of both Theatre World and its companion volume, Screen World, are the oldest awards given for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performances. TheTheatre World Awards are presented annually at the end of the theatre season to six actors and six actresses for their significant, reviewable, debut performances in a Broadway or Off-Broadway production. The ceremony is a private, invitation-only event followed by a party to celebrate the new honorees and welcome them to the Theatre World "family." In what has become a highly entertaining and often touching tradition, 12 previous winners serve as the presenters, and often relive moments from past ceremonies and share wonderful stories rarely heard at other theatrical awards.

The Theatre World Award winners were chosen by the Theatre World Awards Committee that includes David Cote (Time Out New York and "NY1"), Joe Dziemianowicz (New York Daily News), Peter Filichia (The Newark Star-Ledger, Emeritus) Harry Haun (Playbill),Matthew Murray (Talkin' Broadway), Frank Scheck (New York Post), and Linda Winer (Newsday).

The newly established John Willis Award is given for lifetime achievement in the theatre to honor the man who created and maintained the Theatre World tradition for 66 years, encouraging new talent in an often challenging business. The John Willis Award will be presented annually by the Theatre World Award Board of Directors to the man or woman whose lifetime achievements and personal generosity to the theatre community merit special recognition and acknowledgement.

Alan Alda has earned international recognition as an actor, writer and director. He has the distinction of being nominated for an Oscar, a Tony, and an Emmy - as well as publishing a bestselling book - all in the same year. In addition to receiving an Academy Award, he was also nominated for a British Academy Award and has received 7 EMMYs. In 1994 he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. On Broadway, he has received 3 Tony nominations, appearing in QED, ART, Glengarry Glen Ross, Neil Simon's Jake's Women, The Apple Tree, The Owl and the Pussycat, Purlie Victorious and Fair Game for Lovers for which he received a Theatre World Award.

Principal Funding for the 2013 John Willis Award graciously provided by Corey Brunish and Brisa Trinchero/Brunish Trinchero LLC. Mr. Brunish and Ms. Trinchero have partnered in helping to bring ten shows to Broadway and have garnered 3 Tony Award nominations and one Tony Award (The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess), and are nominated this year for the Broadway revival of Pippin. The Theatre World Award Board of Directors is grateful for the support from Brunish Trinchero LLC.

The Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theater honors an Outstanding Performance in a Broadway or Off-Broadway production. Dorothy Loudon, who had the unique talent of being able to make audiences laugh and cry, made her Broadway debut in Nowhere to Go But Up for which she received a Theatre World Award for her performance. She received a Tony Award for her incomparable performance as 'Miss Hannigan' in Annie, and went on to triumphs, originating roles in Noises Off, West Side Waltz, and Michael Bennett's Ballroom.

Dorothy Loudon enjoyed a very close friendship with the Theatre World Awards' founder John Willis. It is therefore especially meaningful to have the Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence presented in collaboration with the Theatre World Awards. The Theatre World Award Board of Directors is grateful for the continued support from the Dorothy Loudon Foundation.

The Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence is chosen by the Trustees of The Dorothy Loudon Foundation, Lionel Larner, Executive Director, together with recommendations from the Theatre World Awards Committee.

Previous winners who have won the prestigious Theatre World Award at the beginning of their careers include Meryl Streep, RoseMary Harris, Marlon Brando, Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Anne Bancroft, James Earl Jones, Liza Minnelli, Alan Alda, Zoe Caldwell, Christopher Walken, Alec Baldwin, Bernadette Peters, Audra McDonald, Al Pacino, Grace Kelly, and so many more.

The Theatre World Award Board of Directors is headed by Tom Lynch (President) with Dale Badway (Vice-President), Alden Fulcomer (Secretary), Tabitha Falcone (Treasurer), Mary K. Botosan, Kimothy Cruse, Michael Kostel, Erin Oestreich, Lisa Rothe andStephen Wilde.

The Theatre World Awards Board encourages theater lovers to "LIKE" the Theatre World Awards fan page on Facebook and follow on twitter at @TWAwards.

For additional information about the Theatre World Awards (including a list of past recipients), visit www.theatreworldawards.org.