Wicked Tops Touring Broadway Awards, Given May 8

The smash-hit musical Wicked took home three top prizes at the Touring Broadway Awards including Best New Musical, Best Production Design and Best Musical Score. The awards, which are presented annually by The League of American Theatres and Producers, were awarded on May 8, 2006, at a special ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Times Square in New York City.

The Touring Broadway Awards, established in 2001, are the first national awards to recognize Touring Broadway. League presenters representing nearly 140 markets act as a blue-ribbon panel to select award recipients from their Broadway Series.

The 2006 awards ceremony is sponsored by Chase.

The complete list of winners in the 2006 Touring Broadway Awards is as follows:

Best New Musical
Wicked
Producers: Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone

Best Play
Golda's Balcony
Author: William Gibson
Producers: David Fishelson, Jerome L. Stern, Julia Amster Fishelson, Tony Cacciotti, Milton Maltz, Stephen E. Herman, Paul Lisak, Morton Swinsky, Jerry & Cindy Benjamin, Bernard L. Tansey

Best Production Design
Wicked
Scenic Design: Eugene Lee
Costume Design: Susan Hilferty
Lighting Design: Kenneth Posner

Best Musical Score
Wicked
Music and Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz

Best Direction
Jack O'Brien
Hairspray

Best Choreography
Ann Reinking
Chicago

Best Long-Running Musical (shows that have been on the road for over three years)
Les Miserables
Producer: Cameron Mackintosh

Touring Broadway Achievement Award (recognizing a performer, individual or organization that has shown exceptional dedication to Touring Broadway)
Clark Transfer – a full-service international theatrical transportation and logistics service

"Touring Broadway plays a significant role in the cultural life of North America, entertaining and engaging audiences in 140 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada," commented Jed Bernstein, President of The League of American Theatres and Producers. "We are proud to recognize the achievements of these productions and individuals with this year's Touring Broadway Awards."

The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc., founded in 1930, is the national trade organization for the Broadway industry, operating under the Live Broadway® trademark. With over 500 members, including theatre owners, operators, producers, and presenters of Broadway productions in New York and in 140 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada, the League and its members help bring Broadway to close to 30 million people annually.

Additional information about the awards is available at www.touringbroadwayawards.com. Visit www.livebroadway.com for more on the League of American Theatres and Producers.