Liza Minnelli and Ralph Fiennes Join Presenters for Theatre World Award Ceremony

By Ernio Hernandez
31 May 2006

Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes
Photo by Aubrey Reuben

Liza Minnelli and Ralph Fiennes join Jonathan Pryce and other former Theatre World Award winners to present the 2005-2006 honors at a June 6 ceremony.

The awards bestowed upon performers making their first major New York stage appearance (Broadway or Off-Broadway debuts) will be held at Studio 54 at 2 PM.

Minnelli will be on hand to present Harry Connick, Jr. his award with other former award winners including Lucie Arnaz, Maxwell Caulfield, Ralph Fiennes, Harry Groener, Patricia Neal, Ken Page, John Rubinstein and Jonathan Pryce.

Several presenters will also perform songs from the shows for which they received their award. Rubinstein will sing "Corner of the Sky" from Pippin and Page will belt the Guys & Dolls showstopper "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat."

The 2006 Theatre World winners (announced May 12) are:

  • Harry Connick, Jr., The Pajama Game
  • Felicia P. Fields, The Color Purple
  • Maria Friedman, The Woman in White
  • Richard Griffiths, The History Boys
  • Mamie Gummer, Mr. Marmalade
  • Jayne Houdyshell, Well
  • Bob Martin, The Drowsy Chaperone
  • Ian McDiarmid, Faith Healer
  • Nellie McKay, The Threepenny Opera
  • David Wilmot, The Lieutenant of Inishmore
  • Elisabeth Withers-Mendes, The Color Purple
  • John Lloyd Young, Jersey Boys

    First presented in 1945, the Theatre World Awards are among the oldest theatrical awards. Traditionally, a committee of theatre writers choose six men and six women. On occasion, the awards bestow a Special Theatre World Award on "performers, casts or others who have made a particularly lasting impression on the New York theatre scene," as stated on the website.

    This year's winners were chosen by a committee that included Playbill's own Harry Haun, Peter Filichia (Theatremania), Matthew Murray (Talkin' Broadway), Frank Scheck (The New York Post), Michael Sommers (Newhouse Papers), Doug Watt (The New York Daily News) and Linda Winer (New York Newsday).

    For more on the Theatre World Awards, including an archives of past winners, visit them on the web at www.theatreworldawards.org.