The awards, held at the Hudson Theatre in the Millennium Broadway Hotel in Times Square, honor individuals and organizations that have made contributions to theatre education and theatre history preservation. Dale was the master of ceremonies for the 2006 gala as well. The Theatre Museum Advisory Committee is a group of theatre professionals who provide advice and assist with projects. It includes such names as Theodore Bikel, Tovah Feldshuh, Jamie deRoy, William Ivey Long, Scott Ellis and Rocco Landesman.

Dale created the title role in Barnum, earning him the 1980 Tony Award. He also earned nominations for his turns in Joe Egg, The Threepenny Opera and Candide. Other credits include Scapino, Me and My Girl, Comedians and most recently Address Unknkown. Dale is also "The Voice of Harry Potter," as he provided voice for the audio recordings of all five "Harry Potter" books—which earned him a 2001 Grammy Award for "Best Children's Audio Book" and a Guinness World Record for having created and recorded 134 voices for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."

Founded in 2003, the Theatre Museum is a non-profit museum dedicated to the history of theatre. It does not have a permanent home, but presents exhibitions in collaboration with other cultural institutions.