Below are the nominations for the five competitive categories in the 14th annual Off Broadway Alliance Awards. The winners will be announced June 2.
The Alliance has also announced special awards.
The Legend of Off-Broadway Awards are going to David Greenspan (who’s getting a lot of love these days; he was also given a special citation by the New York Drama Critics Circle) and Scott Morfee.
William Finn, Morgan Jenness, and Linda Lavin will be posthumously inducted into the Off Broadway Hall of Fame.
The Friend of Off-Broadway Award will be presented to Helen Shaw, theatre critic and writer at The New Yorker.
Biographies of the six honorees are quoted below the nominations.
Check out my New York Theater Awards Calendar and Guide 2025
BEST MUSICAL
All the World’s a Stage
Drag the Musical
Forbidden Broadway
Music City
The Big Gay Jamboree
BEST PLAY
Becoming Eve
Here There Are Blueberries
Table 17
The Light and the Dark
The Welkin
BEST REVIVAL
Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Ceremonies in Dark Old Men
Ghosts
Hold On to Me Darling
Orlando
BEST SOLO PERFORMANCE
300 Paintings
Grandiloquent
Hold Me in the Water
I’m Assuming You Know David Greenspan
Vanya
BEST UNIQUE THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE
Ain’t Done Bad
Mama, I’m A Big Girl Now!
Mindplay
My First Ex-Husband
Odd Man Out· Morgan Jenness
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Honorees
LEGEND OF OFF BROADWAY
“David Greenspan is an Obie-winning playwright, performer, and singular voice in American theater. Known for his boundary-defying works like The Myopia, She Stoops to Comedy, and Go Back to Where You Are, Greenspan merges classical themes with experimental forms. A fixture at institutions like The Public Theater, Transport Group, and Target Margin, he continues to challenge conventions and explore queer identity, memory, and language through his theatrical storytelling.”
“Scott Morfee, the veteran Off-Broadway producer, has nurtured some of New York’s most daring theatrical voices. As founder of Barrow Street Theatre, he produced one groundbreaking and critically acclaimed new play after another, from Killer Joe to Bug to Under the Lintel, to No Child…, together with thrilling contemporary revivals of Cymbeline and Our Town. His producing credits reflect a commitment to inventive and innovative storytelling that reminds us of what Off Broadway is for and what remarkable things it can do. “
OFF BROADWAY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
“Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist William Finn’s deeply personal musicals redefined modern musical theater. Known for Falsettos, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and A New Brain, his work examined illness, love, family, and identity with humor and heart. Finn’s melodic innovations and lyrical candor left a lasting imprint, and his contributions continue to influence generations of musical theater artists and audiences alike.”
“Morgan Jenness was a visionary dramaturg, literary manager, and advocate for social change through theater. She held influential roles at the Public Theater and New York Theatre Workshop and championed a wide range of playwrights, often focusing on underrepresented voices. Jenness approached dramaturgy as activism, blending political insight with deep artistic curiosity to support boundary-pushing new work across the American theater landscape.”
“Linda Lavin was a Tony and Golden Globe-winning actress who brought warmth, complexity, and humor to every role she took on. She lit up the stage from her Off Broadway debut in Wet Paint in 1965, through a career that spanned an astonishing seven decades, delighting Off Broadway, Broadway, and television audiences each step of the way. She starred in the hit sitcom Alice and earned acclaim for her work in The Mad Show, Little Murders, Collected Stories, and Broadway Bound. She was loved and admired by audiences, critic, and artists alike, and her work has left an indelible mark on American theatre.”
FRIEND OF OFF BROADWAY
“Helen Shaw is one of contemporary theater’s most insightful critics, known for her poetic and intellectually rigorous writing in The New Yorker, Vulture, and Artforum. Her reviews reflect a deep appreciation for both avant-garde innovation and traditional craft. With a gift for contextualizing work within a broader cultural conversation, Shaw has become a trusted voice who champions bold theatrical storytelling while holding the field to its highest artistic standards.”
