Marian Seldes / Three Tall Women (Off Broadway)
Unable to single out one performance, I love everything I have ever seen Marian perform. Her grace, charisma and deeply-felt emotion were unparalleled. That said, the first time I had the honor of working with her was Three Tall Women Off-Broadway. I was so moved by both her generosity of spirit and what was truly a transcendent performance.
Philip Seymour Hoffman / Defying Gravity
One of the first roles he played onstage Off-Broadway was an engineer who realized his own culpability in the Challenger disaster. I was deeply moved watching this force of nature onstage and every production that he performed in. It was obvious this was a great actor. I will never forget either it or him.
Ian McKellen / A Knight Out
This play will always have a special place in my heart because I took my son Jordan as a young teenager to see this show. It was Sir Ian's own reminiscence of his parallel lives as an actor and a gay man. Sharing this play with Jordan, sitting side by side, was our unspoken bond of support.
The Ensemble / The Normal Heart
Producing this amazing play was one of the highlights of my career, and the work of the entire ensemble will stay with me forever. Their fearless, magnificent and fiercely acted performances broke my heart every single night. It was truly a labor love for all involved.
Kathleen Chalfant and Judith Light / Wit
The character of Professor Bearing was played in the initial production by Kathy Chalfant, who brought her stately wisdom and strong intellect to the role, touching us all with her strength and dignity. Then Judith Light took over the role, returning to theatre after many years, making the part her own by infusing her warmth and heart.
Mary-Louise was mesmerizing in Proof. She had an amazing combination of strength and fragility, which made us want to believe in her and her intellect, and take that journey with her. Her emotional connection to her father was also very personally meaningful to me.
Bernadette Peters / Into the Woods
Bernadette singing "Children Will Listen" has been seared in my memory for over 25 years. Hers was such a haunting, poignant and tender performance, and the song has become an anthem for me.
Tonya Pinkins / Caroline, or Change
Magnificent in every way, this was one of the most honest, heartfelt and deeply moving performances in which she showed both the warmth and strength of character needed to make us understand her journey and pain.
Vanessa Redgrave / The Year of Magical Thinking
This was such an intensely painful story, and Vanessa gently let us into her sadness and heartbreak, allowing us to feel her compassion and ultimately her healing. It was a triumphant performance.
Cherry Jones / The Glass Menagerie
Always remarkable, in this particular performance playing such a complex mother as Amanda, what came through was how passionately and unabashedly she cared about her daughter and that she just wanted to help her have a happier life.
