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Prospect Musicals held its Gala & Muse Awards on Monday, May at The Edison Ballroom. See photos from the evening below.
Co-hosted by Brandon Contreras (Operation Mincemeat) and Ann Harada (Schmigadoon!), the evening included cocktails, dinner, and performances honoring this year’s Muse Award recipients: Tony Award-winning actor and producer LaChanze; Tony Award-winning producer Ken Davenport; Tony Award-winning actor Lindsay Mendez and Kleban Prize-winning writer Ryan Scott Oliver; and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and Tony-nominated theatrical producer Jose Antonio Vargas.
The event featured performances and appearances from a lineup of Broadway and theater artists. Heidi Schreck (What the Constitution Means to Me) appeared as a Muse Award presenter. Additional guest performers included Danny Kornfeld (Harmony), who reprised a number from the original Broadway production, and Nasia Thomas (The Last Five Years), who performed music from The Oscar Micheaux Project alongside jazz artist and composer Alphonso Horne (A Wonderful World).
As previously announced, additional Muse Award presenters included Jay Armstrong Johnson (Parade), Steve Rosen and David Rossmer (The Other Josh Cohen), and Pearl Sun (Come From Away). Guest performers also included Dean Cestari (Mamma Mia!), Kim Onah (The Notebook), Darius de Haas (Maltby and Shire’s About Time), Marc delaCruz (Hamilton), and Jaygee Macapugay (Here Lies Love).
Established in , the Prospect Muse Award honors leaders whose contributions have inspired Prospect’s artists and the broader theater community. According to Prospect Musicals, this year’s honorees were recognized for advocating for inclusive communities, encouraging diverse storytelling, and supporting the next generation of theater-makers.
Prospect Musicals’ Gala Committee Co-Chairs were Jane Abramson and Tira Harpaz. The Gala Committee also included Liz Casasola and Jason M
Photo Credit: Tricia Baron
Prospect Musicals Board
Emy Coligado, Diane Phelan, and Liz Casasola
.Jane Abramson and Karin Kawamoto
.Lexi Rabadi and Robert Ariza
.Stephen Schwartz and honoree Lindsay Mendez
.Pearl Sun and co-host Brandon Contreras
.Nasia Thomas
.Prospect Musicals Managing Director Missy Huber and Artistic Director Cara Reichel
.Marc dela Cruz and honoree LaChanze
d.David Rossmer, Ken Davenport, and Steve Rosen
c.Honoree Ken Davenport
b.Liz Casasola, Diane Phelan, Ann Harada, Baayork Lee, Karin Mawamoto, Pearl Sun, and Jason Ma
i.Honoree LaChanze
h.Matthew Murphy and honoree Ryan Scott Oliver
g.Honorees Lindsay Mendez and Ryan Scott Oliver
f.Honoree Lindsay Mendez
e.Muse Award honoreees Ken Davenport, Lindsay Mendez, Ryan Scott Oliver, LaChanze, and Jose Antonio Vargas
.Co-host Brandon Contreras
.Alphonso Horne and Nasia Thomas
.Honoree Jose Antonio Vargas
.Honorees Ryan Scott Oliver and Lindsay Mendez
. Honoree LaChanze
b.Co-hosts Ann Harada and Brandon Contreras
Muse Award honorees Ryan Scott Oliver, LaChanze, Lindsay Mendez, Jose Antonio Vargas, and Ken Davenport
.Marc delaCruz, Danny Kornfeld, Brandon Contreras, and Ann Harada
.Danny Kornfeld
.Jaygee Macapugay and Marc delaCruz
.Jay Armstrong Johnson
.Jason Ma
.Heidi Schreck
.Dean Cestari and Kim Onah
.David Rossmer and Steve Rosen
.Darius de Haas
.Danny Kornfeld
.Gala toast at Prospect Musicals Muse Awards and Gala
Honoree Ken Davenport
.Honoree Lindsay Mendez and Jay Armstrong Johnson
.Jay Armstrong Johnson
.Heidi Schreck and honoree Jose Antonio Vargas
.Celia Gooding
.Co-host Brandon Contreras
.Co-host Ann Harada
.Co-hosts Ann Harada and Brandon Contreras
2026 Theater Fans’ Choice Awards – Live Stats
Best Orchestrations – Top 3
1.
William David Brohn – Ragtime
21.2% of votes
2.
Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Wilson – CATS: The Jellicle Ball
18.3% of votes
3.
Ethan Popp, The Rescues – The Lost Boys
15.4% of votes
