LISTEN, as I said, I’ve been busier than EVAH! As president of the Boston Theater Critics Association I usually emcee THE ELLIOT NORTON AWARDS as all of us on the BTCA present the ENA awards at a big, live, in-person ceremony at a downtown theater. Well, this year– that wasn’t happening. But there was NO WAY the ten of us who comprise the BTCA were NOT going to recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of Boston area theater artists, who are among the hardest hit by this pandemic.

SO WE’RE PUTTING ON A SHOW–VIRTUALLY!!! This MONDAY NIGHT May 11 at 7pm go to ElliotNortonAwards.com and WATCH all the critics– from their homes to yours –give out more than 30 awards recognizing the outstanding work done this season by our brilliant theater community.  There will be clips from nominated musicals, and a special tribute to the late, great Johnny Lee Davenport this year’s recipient of The Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence. It will be high drama and lowdown fun!

See the list of nominees here! Then grab some champagne and be prepared to toast one and all as we celebrate this resilient, creative, never-say-die theater community who give it up every night for us on stages all across greater Boston and beyond and make this region the cultural juggernaut that it is!

The Elliot Norton Awards are presented annually by The Boston Theater Critics Association (Don Aucoin, Jared Bowen, Terry Byrne, Carolyn Clay (Secretary), Christopher Ehlers (Treasurer), Iris Fanger, Nancy Grossman, Joyce Kulhawik (President), Kilian Melloy, Bob Nesti and Ed Siegel) to honor the outstanding productions, directors, designers and performers that audiences have seen on greater Boston stages throughout the season.

Special and honored guests at the awards in past years comprise a Who’s Who of distinguished artists whose work has appeared on Boston’s stages, including: Melinda Lopez, Randy Rainbow, Cherry Jones, Lea DeLaria, Mary Louise Wilson, Olympia Dukakis, Chita Rivera, Tommy Tune, Al Pacino, Edward Albee, Brian Dennehy, August Wilson, Julie Harris, Sir Ian McKellen, Lynn Redgrave and Jason Robards Jr.