Cook, Cerveris, Ehle Among Theatre World Award Presenters

The Theatre World Awards for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut performances during the 2006-2007 theatrical season will be presented by a number of former Theatre World Award-winners.

Presenters include Michael Cerveris (The Who's Tommy, 1993), Barbara Cook (Plain and Fancy, 1955), Jennifer Ehle (The Real Thing, 2000), Patricia Elliott (A Little Night Music, 1973), Raul Esparza (The Rocky Horror Show, 2001), Boyd Gaines (A Month in the Country, 1980), Rosemary Harris (Climate of Eden, 1953), and John McMartin (Little Mary Sunshine, 1960).

As previously announced, the 2006-07 Theatre World Award winners are: Fantasia, The Color Purple; Eve Best, A Moon for the Misbegotten; Mary Birdsong, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me; Erin Davie, Grey Gardens; Xanthe Elbrick, Coram Boy; Johnny Galecki, The Little Dog Laughed; Jonathan Groff, Spring Awakening; Gavin Lee, Mary Poppins; Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights; Bill Nighy, The Vertical Hour; Stark Sands, Journey's End; and Nilaja Sun, No Child…

The Theatre World Awards presentation will be held at New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, in an invitation-only ceremony, Tuesday, June 5, 2007 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.  Peter Filichia will host, Barry Keating will direct, and Kati Meister, Scott Denny, and Erin Oestreich are the event's producers.  John Willis, founder of the Theatre World Awards, will be in attendance.  A special award to The Actors' Fund, in honor of its 125th anniversary, will also be presented at the ceremony.  Actors' Fund President and Theatre World Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell (Mail, 1988) will accept the award on behalf of the organization.

First presented in 1945, the prestigious Theatre World Awards are the oldest awards given for Broadway and Off-Broadway debut performances, and are among the oldest honors given to stage performers.  The Theatre World Award winnershave been chosen by the Theatre World Awards committee, currently comprised of Peter Filichia (Theatermania), Harry Haun (Playbill), Matthew Murray (Talkin' Broadway), Frank Scheck (New York Post), Michael Sommers (Newhouse Newspapers), Doug Watt (Critic Emeritus, New York Daily News), and Linda Winer (New York Newsday).

"Theatre World is the authoritative annual pictorial and statistical record of the American theatre, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway, regional, national touring companies, actors' biographies, and major drama awards.  Theatre World Volume #61: 2004-2005 (Applause Books) is now on sale," state press notes.

The Theatre World Awards Board of Directors is:  Leigh Giroux, President; Kati Meister, Vice President; Erin Oestreich, Secretary; Scott Denny, Treasurer; Tom Lynch, founding Board member; and Barry Keating.

For more information about the Theatre World Awards (including a listing of past recipients) please visit: www.theatreworldawards.org.

Photo of Michael Cerveris by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.