Glenda Jackson, Bernadette Peters, and More to Present at the Theatre World Awards Ceremony

Broadway heads to the beach to celebrate the 74th Annual Theatre World Awards Ceremony on the set of the Tony Award-nominated Broadway Revival of the musical Once on This Island on Monday afternoon, June 4, 2018 beginning at 2:00 p.m at Circle in the Square (1633 Broadway, entrance on West 50th Street).

The attire for the afternoon event is 'Festive Island' wear. A TWA Island Party reception will follow the ceremony at The Copacabana Rooftop (268 West 47th Street). Circle in the Square Theatre is proud to host the only major theatrical award ceremony scheduled in a Broadway house, this season.

Hosted annually by well-known theater journalist Peter Filichia, the 74th Annual Theatre World Awards ceremony is produced by Theatre World Awards, Inc. Board of Directors headed by Dale Badway (President) with Tom Lynch (Vice-President), Stephen Wilde (Secretary), Honorable Ilene Zatkin-Butler (Treasurer), and Michael Kostel. Directed by Stephen Nachamie (She Loves Me), the afternoon's activities include a special performance by Tony Award-winner Phillip Boykin (Porgy & Bess).

Theatre World Alum Tony Award-winner Bernadette Peters (Hello, Dolly!) will bestow the John Willis Award on castmate Victor Garber, and the grand dame of theatre Glenda Jackson (Three Tall Women) will present the Dorothy Loudon Award to Ben Edelman. Presenters include Nicholas Barasch, Daniel N. Durant, Cynthia Erivo, Anita Gillette, Rodney Hicks, Marin Ireland, Baayork Lee, Lea Salonga, Wesley Taylor, and more.

The 2018 Theatre World Award Honorees for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance are Anthony Boyle (Harry Potter and The Cursed Child), Jamie Brewer (Amy and the Orphans), Noma Dumezweni (Harry Potter and The Cursed Child), Johnny Flynn (Hangmen), Denise Gough (Angels in America), Harry Hadden-Paton (My Fair Lady), Hailey Kilgore (Once on This Island), James McArdle (Angels in America), Lauren Ridloff (Children of a Lesser God), Ethan Slater (SpongeBob SquarePants), Charlie Stemp (Hello, Dolly!), and Katy Sullivan (Cost of Living).

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 and Off-Broadway Debut Performances. The Theatre 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.

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, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Cynthia Erivo, Danielle Brooks, Lupita Nyong'o, John Krasinski, and so many more.

The Theatre World Award winners were chosen by the Theatre World Awards Committee which is comprised of Roma Torre (NY1), David Cote (Time Out New York, Emeritus), Joe Dziemianowicz (New York Daily News), Peter Filichia (The Newark Star-Ledger, Emeritus) Harry Haun (The Observer), Elysa Gardner (USA Today, Emeritus), and Frank Scheck (The Hollywood Reporter).

The legendary Bernadette Peters will bestow upon her castmate and colleague, Theatre World Award Alum Victor Garber (Hello, Dolly!), the 6th Annual John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement In The Theatre, celebrating his 46th year on the Broadway stage, 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 is presented annually by the Theatre World Awards, Inc. Board of Directors to an individual whose lifetime achievements and personal generosity to the Theatre Community merit special recognition and acknowledgement. Previous recipients of the John Willis Award include Glenn Close, Bernadette Peters, Alan Alda, Christopher Plummer and Chita Rivera.

The Dorothy Loudon Foundation (Lionel Larner, Executive Director) has awarded Ben Edelman (Admissions) the 10th Annual Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theater honoring an Outstanding Performance in a Broadway or Off-Broadway production to be presented by the grand dame of theatre Glenda Jackson. 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, Westside Waltz, and Michael Bennett's Ballroom.

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. Past recipients include Katrina Lenk, Nicholas Barasch, Leanne Cope, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jonny Orsini, Susan Pourfar, Seth Numrich, Bobby Steggert, and Susan Louise O'Connor.

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