The native Texan began his career as a dancer in Broadway shows before he won a featured actor Tony Award for Seesaw. He would ascend to be a major Broadway star, choreographer and director (The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, My One and Only, A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, Grand Hotel, The Will Rogers Follies and Nine).

Previous Helen Hayes Tribute recipients include Edward Albee, Derek Jacobi, James Earl Jones, Mary Martin, Angela Lansbury, Jason Robards, Chita Rivera, August Wilson, Jerry Herman, Terrence McNally, Frances Sternhagen, and the artistic directors of Washington area theatres.

Additional 2011 special award recipients in the Helen Hayes Awards are:

The Washington Post Award for Innovative Leadership in the Theatre Community
Ford's Theatre "History on Stage" and "History on Foot" programs

The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company
Factory 449: A Theatre Collective
And
No Rules Theatre Company

The 27th Helen Hayes Awards will be presented at the historic Warner Theatre on April 25. For the Washington, DC, 2010 year in theatre, 156 theatre artists, ensembles and productions were nominated in 26 categories.

Read Playbill.com's earlier story about the Helen Hayes nominees.  

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Helen Hayes (1900-93) was a Washington, DC, native who became a major American theatre actress in the 20th century.