68th Annual Theatre World Awards.

Brian Stokes Mitchell singing at the 68th Annual Theatre World Awards.

What a pleasure it was to attend the Theatre World Awards, the warmest awards show in town.. We had tickets for the balcony, but we're too big to sit in most Broadway seats very comfortably, so Jim said, "Let's sneak into a box."

Normally, I hate box seats. I want to be out front. You hardly see the actors' faces in a box seat. So, like a scene from a Lucy Show, we crawled into the closest box seat to the stage. The Belasco Theater looked like this from our vantage point:



And then this was posted to Facebook:

Jim Brochu & Steve Schalchlin at the Theatre World Awards.
Photo posted by Xanthe Elbrick on Facebook.
That's actually her in the photo just above us. So, I don't know who snapped us.

I grabbed our camera and, turning off the flash, started taking pics of the stage, which, as you can see, was right below us.

Though we wore a coat and tie, these awards are not intended for the glamorous crowd. It's a very particular award and you can only get it once because it's awarded for the most outstanding Broadway and Off-Broadway debuts of the year. There are no nominations and no stress. They choose six men and six women given to them by either a castmate or someone associated with the recipient.

Meaning, the stories were all personal and intimate. The acceptance speeches, short and also personal.

Philip Seymour Hoffman giving an award to a cast mate of "Death of a Salesman"...

...Finn Wittrock who I remember from "All My Children."
Saw him later at the party and said how much I enjoyed him on that show.

The awards were started 68 years ago by John Willis, who published the essential annual volume, "Theatre World," which contains listings and photos from all the shows in a particular year. Several of the speakers said how they, living as a child in Virginia or the  midwest, would read and collect these like a Bible. One said, "I knew the names of every assistant stage manager of the smallest Off-Broadway shows."

The sly and precocious Peter Filichia hosted.

John Rubenstein giving an award.

Deaf actor, Russell Harvard from a play called "Tribes" that everyone is talking about.

The delicious Josh Grisetti who is in the current cast of RENT.

Brian Stokes Mitchell delivers a great song.

Victor Garber.

Jennifer Lim from "Chinglish."

Broadway heartthrob Jeremy Jordan for "Bonnie & Clyde."
That show closed but now he's in mega-hit Disney's "Newsies."

Unlike the flashier Tonys, this is the most "family" feeling awards show in town. I'm so glad we were able to go.

The great Leslie Uggams.

Crystal A. Dickenson from "Clybourne Park."

Afterwards, Jim talks to John Rubenstein.

Jim Brochu with Broadway star, Le Roy Reams.
Jim is holding the Theatre World volume where he first appeared.

Harvey Evans, Lee Roy Reams, Jim Brochu.