GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics celebrated the finest achievements in theater with the second annual Dorian Theater Awards, honoring Broadway and Off-Broadway productions of the 2023-24 season. The awards, presented by the theater wing’s 39 members, highlighted an array of productions from mainstream hits to LGBTQ+ narratives. The standout winners of the night were “Illinoise” “Merrily We Roll Along” and “Oh, Mary!”
Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s “Merrily We Roll Along” secured four Dorian Awards, including Outstanding Broadway Musical Revival. The revival’s cast shone brightly, with Jonathan Groff winning Best Lead Performance in a Musical and Daniel Radcliffe taking home two awards: Best Featured Performance in a Musical and the Broadway Showstopper Award for his performance of “Franklin Sheppard, Inc.”
David Adjmi’s “Stereophonic”, a portrayal of a rock band’s rise to fame in the 1970s, won both Outstanding Broadway Play and Outstanding Broadway Ensemble. In a tie for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Broadway Play, Sarah Pidgeon of “Stereophonic” shared the honor with Kara Young from “Purlie Victorious.”
“Illinoise,” a dance musical directed by Justin Peck and written by Jackie Sibblies Drury, earned the title of Outstanding Broadway Musical. Inspired by Sufjan Stevens’ semi-autobiographical album, the production tells the story of a young gay man dealing with trauma. Illinoise also won Outstanding LGBTQ Broadway Production.
Sarah Paulson added another Dorian to her collection, winning Outstanding Lead Performance in a Broadway Play for her role in Appropriate. Branden Jacob-Jenkins’s play, which delves into the legacy of a Southern family, was also named Outstanding Broadway Play Revival. Paulson’s performance captured the complexities of confronting a painful family history.
Off-Broadway, Cole Escola’s Oh, Mary! was a dominant force, winning Outstanding Production, Outstanding LGBTQ Production, and both lead and featured performance categories. Escola was also honored as LGBTQ Theater Artist of the Season, the inaugural recipient of this award.
The LGBTQ Theater Trailblazer Award went to esteemed playwright Paula Vogel, celebrated for her enduring contributions to American theater and her advocacy for the LGBTQ community. Vogel’s illustrious career includes a Pulitzer Prize for How I Learned to Drive and a Tony nomination for Indecent. Her latest work, Mother Play, received four Dorian nominations this year.
2024 Dorian Theater Awards — Key Winners:
Outstanding Broadway Musical
- Illinoise
Outstanding Broadway Play
- Stereophonic
Outstanding Broadway Musical Revival
- Merrily We Roll Along
Outstanding Broadway Play Revival
- Appropriate
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Broadway Musical
- Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Broadway Play
- Sarah Paulson, Appropriate
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Broadway Musical
- Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Broadway Play
- Sarah Pidgeon, Stereophonic
- Kara Young, Purlie Victorious
Outstanding LGBTQ Broadway Production
- Illinoise
Outstanding Broadway Ensemble
- Stereophonic
Broadway Showstopper Award
- Merrily We Roll Along, “Franklin Shepard, Inc.”
Outstanding Off-Broadway Production
- Oh, Mary!
Outstanding LGBTQ Off-Broadway Production
- Oh, Mary!
Outstanding Lead Performance in an Off-Broadway Production
- Cole Escola, Oh, Mary!
Outstanding Featured Performance in an Off-Broadway Production
- Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary!
LGBTQ Theater Artist of the Season
- Cole Escola
LGBTQ Theater Trailblazer Award
- Paula Vogel
GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics and its Dorian Awards honor the best in film, television and, under its theater wing, Broadway and Off-Broadway.