The New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards Were Presented to the Public for the First Time in History on STARS IN THE HOUSE

Stars in The House continued Wednesday night (8pm) for the 85th Annual New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards with Will Arbery, David Byrne, Adam Feldman, Jeremy O. Harris, Michael R. Jackson, Brian Stokes Mitchell, John Mulaney, Deirdre O'Connell, Heidi Schreck and Michael Shannon.

Presented by Adam Feldman, the show began with his remarks. "It's one night a year when critics and artists can put aside the tensions that sometimes exist between them. The sometimes perceived friction that can sometimes exist and just come together in the spirit of community and celebration to honor some of the best work in the year that has just past. Even this season which has been as we all know, an abbreviated one."

John Mulaney presented the first award of the evening to David Burns for AMERICAN UTOPIA. "The show is especially poignant right now because everything is poignant right now but also because this show is a story. It tells a story...of moving from isolation to community."

Jeremy O. Harris later presented an award to Michael R. Jackson for A STRANGE LOOP. "Michael R. Jackson's A STRANGE LOOP accomplishes the impossible because he gave an usher named Usher his very own musical. He made the invisible visible for all of us...He's working class, he's black, he's gay, he's fat, and he ascribes to the belief espoused by Bell Hooks that Beyonce is a terrorist."

Michael R. Jackson accepted the award with remarks, "I come to this award like pretty gobsmacked. This is the first kind of award like this that I've ever won...I feel like I'm on an episode of QUANTUM LEAP and I keep transporting through all these dimensions and coming back to theater as home where I can really express myself and tell stories and write songs...whenever we get to the other side of whatever this is...it will still be home for me."

The final award of the night was a special citation to the New York theatre community as a whole to its perseverance in the face of loss during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Brian Stokes Mitchell accepted the award on behalf of the community. "I am so honored to be here...The collective heart of our entire community I know goes out to everyone who has had a show running or a show about to open...and to everybody, cast, crew, musicians, producers, directors, choreographers, stage/company management, theater owners, everyone involved. A Broadway show is an amazing occasion to celebrate and to have that cut short or not allowed to happen at all is earth-shattering to so many lives on so many levels. This too shall pass. We don't know when or how yet and that's what makes this so hard but please know that this too shall pass."

Click HERE to watch the full episode!

New shows will be produced DAILY at the traditional theater times of 2pm and 8pm ET, featuring performances by stars of stage and screen, in conversation and song with Rudetsky and Wesley.

Current and past episodes can be found on the website starsinthehouse.com, as well as a donate button linking viewers to The Actors Fund.