Broadway may have the Tony Awards, but D.C. has the prestigious Helen Hayes Awards.
The 40th edition honored the best local theater in a ceremony on Monday night at The Anthem.
Judges considered 44 musicals and 107 plays, including 36 world premieres, from 151 eligible productions. The 41 categories were divided into 鈥淗elen鈥� 鈥� non-equity casts that are majority nonunion 鈥� and 鈥淗ayes鈥� 鈥� equity casts that are majority union.
On the union side, Outstanding Musical (Equity) went to Olney Theatre and Round House Theatre’s co-production of “Fela!” 鈥� a salute to Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti 鈥� defeating “Swept Away” by Arena Stage, 鈥淢onty Python鈥檚 Spamalot鈥� at the Kennedy Center, 鈥淪hout Sister Shout!鈥� by Ford鈥檚 Theatre and 鈥淩agtime” at Signature Theatre.
Outstanding Play (Equity) went to “My Mama and the Full-Scale Invasion” by Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, defeating 鈥淎ngels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches鈥� by Arena Stage, 鈥淔at Ham鈥� by Studio Theatre, 鈥淗ere There Are Blueberries鈥� by Shakespeare Theatre Company and 鈥淜ing of the Yees鈥� by Signature Theatre.
On the non-union side, Outstanding Musical (Non-Equity) went to “Seussical” by Keegan Theatre, defeating 鈥淚n the Heights鈥� by NextStop Theatre Company, 鈥淩ide the Cyclone鈥� by NextStop Theatre Company, 鈥淪omething Rotten鈥� by Toby鈥檚 Dinner Theatre and 鈥淪pring Awakening鈥� by Monumental Theatre Company.
Outstanding Play (Non-Equity) went to “La Salp锚tri猫re” by Taffety Punk Theatre Company, defeating 鈥淎greste (Drylands)鈥� at Spooky Action Theater, 鈥淗ow the Light Gets In鈥� at 1st Stage, 鈥淭he Honey Trap鈥� at Solas Nua, 鈥淭he Tell-Tale Heart鈥� at Synetic Theater and 鈥淭he Last Match鈥� at 1st Stage.
Overall, Keegan Theatre won the most total awards with six (all for “Seussical”), tied with the six wins by Arena Stage (three for “Swept Away,” two for “Angels in America: Part One” and one for “Exclusion”). Olney Theatre Center won the second most with five (all for 鈥淔ela!鈥�).
Arena Stage entered the evening with the most total nominations with 32, followed by Signature Theatre with 20.
The ceremony also presented the Helen Hayes Tribute Award to longtime Washington Post theater critic Peter Marks, who recently stepped down after serving in the role for 21 years.
Named for the iconic D.C. native actress, the Helen Hayes Awards has honored excellence in professional theater throughout our region for four decades.
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