Theater News

Gifford, Hamlisch, Jacobi, Redgrave Set for Helen Hayes Awards

Kathie Lee Gifford
(© Joseph Marzullo/Retna)
Kathie Lee Gifford
(© Joseph Marzullo/Retna)

Kathie Lee Gifford, Marvin Hamlisch, Sir Derek Jacobi, and Lynn Redgrave will be among the presenters at this year’s Helen Hayes Awards, honoring the best of Washington D.C.-area theater, to be held at 8pm on Monday, April 16 at the Warner Theater.

The event will be hosted by Jason Kravits, one of the stars of the Broadway production of The Drowsy Chaperone. The show will be directed by Karma Camp, with musical direction by Glenn Pearson.

In addition to 24 awards for outstanding achievement in professional theater, a special award will be given to actress Frances Sternhagen. On the regular awards front, Arena Stage led the pack with 27 nominations, including 10 nods for its production of Cabaret. The Shakespeare Theatre Company received 21 nominations while the Folger Theatre earned 11 nominations.

The national tour of Spamalot received a nod for Best Resident Production as well as nominations for performers Michael Siberry, Tom Deckman, Jeff Dumas, Rick Holmes, and David Turner. The Kennedy Center also earned nods for Best Resident Production for The Light in the Piazza — which earned acting nods for Christine Andreas, David Burnham, Elena Shaddow, and Laura Griffith — and for Twelve Angry Men. In addition, its production of The Subject Was Roses earned acting nominations for stars Judith Ivey, Steve Kazee, and Bill Pullman.

For a complete list of nominees, visit www.helenhayes.org/sub/nr.cfm.