The 2026 JKTS Awards: Editors' Choice, Part Two

Editors' Choice, Part Two

(Find Part 1 HERE.)

Best Logo of the Season

   

Revival: Cats: The Jellicle Ball 

New Musical: The Lost Boys

Headlines of the Year 

The fire at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre

Both headlines happened relatively recently. The fire at the home of The Book of Mormon caused significant damage to an upstairs lighting room, and canceled several weeks of performances, just as the show was set to celebrate 15 years on Broadway. Thank goodness it happened when the show was dark and no one was seriously injured.

Announcement of Pink as host of the 2026 Tony Awards

Meanwhile, you could hear the gasps all around the theater district and across the nation when it was announced that the pop star and non-Broadway celebrity would be hosting the industry's biggest night. Well, all that pearl clutching and snobbery against an "outsider" was for naught. She was spectacular, and the event was the best in years.

Best Showstopper

Chess: The Nicholas Christopher "Note"

No matter what you've read or seen on videos, nothing could ever replace seeing Christopher perform the entirety of the "Endgame" sequence live, with that note frequently causing spontaneous - and well-deserved - standing ovations. Spectacular in every sense of the word. People will say they were there for years to come.

Best Dance Number

Traditional number: Schmigadoon! "Schmigadoon!" 

(Choreography by Christopher Gattelli)

Non-traditional: The vampire flying sequences in The Lost Boys 

(Aerial choreography by Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant)

Best Pre-show

Verbal Announcement: Jim Parsons, Titanique

Non-Verbal: The sign girl, Becky Shaw

Both were hilarious - one intentionally, the other in mute testimony to the need for such instructions.

Best Overture

TIE: Cats: The Jellicle Ball and Chess

Both revivals had great overtures. Cats mirrored the concept of the show: the complete original overture, staged with a passing of the torch of the original production to a new, exciting concept. Chess, which featured a new book, also featured a new-for-the-revival overture. A nice touch.

Best Special Effects

The Lost Boys: The Bridge Scene

Best Elevator Since Sweet Charity

The Lost Boys: The Orchestra Pit

Check out the mosh pit that rises from the orchestra pit during The Lost Boys concert as they sing "Have to Have You." An amazing visual! Dane Laffery's set design includes several elevators that create even more space for this enormous undertaking. Space to jump from a bridge, lifting entire sets to allow even more to happen beneath it. Elevators sure have come a long way on Broadway!

Best Surprise

The Skimbleshanks Voice-over: Cats: The Jellicle Ball

For the Jellicle Ball, everyone's favorite railway cat (Emma Sofia) has moved to the New York Subway. Who wouldn't love to see this sassy kitty on the A Train? No spoilers here, but something really fun happens mid-song when a familiar voice rings out across the runway!

Best Costume Change Award

Chess: Aaron Tveit from skivvies to a suit in "One Night in Bangkok"

I mean, who doesn't love the chance to see Aaron in his undies? We still haven't gotten over those scenes in Next to Normal! But watching his costume change during "One Night in Bangkok" is next level. Fun, sexy and cleverly choreographed, how great was that?

Sorry We Missed It Award

Liberation

I could name half a dozen mostly lame excuses as to why we didn't see this Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play. None are really good enough, and I am still kicking myself for not witnessing this important work.

"I'm Still Here" Award

June Squibb in Marjorie Prime

At 96, June Squibb shows no sign of stopping. And why should she? On Broadway alone, her career spans 66 years of plays and musicals. She wasn't lying when she told us she slayed every role - the ultimate Leading Lady Marmalade!

Six Award for Playing Real Life People 

Parody: Marla Mindelle as Celine Dion, Frankie Grande as Victor Garber 

and Deborah Cox as The Unsinkable Molly Brown in Titanique

Sincerity: Anna Grace Barlow as Evelyn Nesbit, 

Rodd Cyrus as Harry Houdini  and Shaina Taub as Emma Goldman in Ragtime

This season, Six means six! In Titanique, funny takes on beloved figures from history, music and stage and screen was the order of the day. Over at Ragtime, genuine American historical figures were powerfully brought to life as entertainment and activism intertwined.

One Actor/Two Roles Award

Tonya Pinkins in The Wild Party: 2000: as Kate and 2026: as Dolores

I'm probably among the few who can say they saw both the 2000 Broadway production and the 2026 Encores productions of LaChiusa's The Wild Party. What a treat it was to see Tonya Pinkins absolutely slay in two different roles. What a great actress!

Suffs Empowerment Awards

Cats: The Jellicle Ball

The Jellicle Ball is a lot of things to a lot of people. Perhaps the most important thing is that it brings a whole culture to the main stream, bringing joy and opening minds in the process. That is a beautiful thing, indeed.

John Riddle in Titanique

I read an interview with John Riddle where he discusses how Titanique allows him to tap into his authentic queer self. That he feels that way is wonderful for him, of course, and he's such an amazing guy, but it also is wonderful that he stands up on that stage as a queer role model, too.

Best Entrance

Cast: Ragtime

They rise up from below like ghosts from history. Thrilling every time I think about it. Goose bumps and happy sighs.

Individual: Andre de Shields as Old Deuteronomy in Cats: The Jellicle Ball 

Munkustrap stops the show. He announces the arrival of Old Deuteronomy. Unsatisfied with our reaction, he commands, "All rise!" And we all did without question. Maybe the most deserved standing ovation of the year. That is how you make an entrance!

Non-living: The suitcase in Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

That lone piece of luggage spinning around the set on a turntable. It never said or sang a word, but it started the show. Part of Broadway history, like the Dr. Zhivago table and Maybe Happy Ending's Hwaboon...

Best Exit

"Tempress" Chastity Moore as Grizabella in Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Grizabella's ascension to the Heavyside Layer has always been a moment of spectacle. Her tire has been replaced by an elegant spiral staircase, but it is no less breathtaking - especially since Griz goes up in a tight floor length gown, boa and very tall heels!

Grin and Bear It Award

TIE: The casts of Beaches and The Queen of Versailles

The companies of these two resounding flops get all my respect. Huge theaters with mostly empty seats, knowing the critics and audiences largely didn't like you, and they still gave 100% for each remaining performance.

The Ghost "Molly, You in Danger, Girl" Award

Beaches Conductor, Paul Staroba

It was the moment we were all waiting for: Jessica Vosk is singing "Wind Beneath My Wings." All of a sudden, the stage starts to move toward the audience, and it doesn't look like it is going to stop. And it is heading right for the conductor's head. It's all I'm paying attention to now, and the biggest thing I remember from the whole show.

Prop of the Year Award

The Cake, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) 

and The Heart of the Ocean, Titanique

One is so important to the plot, it is part of the title. The other is part of a cultural touchstone. Has a piece of cake ever created a 1,000 person gasp before this? Has a piece of fictional jewelry ever garnered so many laughs? 

The Final 2026 JKTS Awards Tally

Between your Readers' Choice Awards and our Editors' Choice Awards, we honored 17 shows that opened this season with a whopping 78 awards!

The Lost Boys - 20

Cats: The Jellicle Ball - 14

Titanique - 9

Ragtime - 6

Chess - 5

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) - 5

Liberation - 3

Schmigadoon! - 3

The Queen of Versailles - 3

Beaches - 2

Becky Shaw - 2

Boop! - 1

Hadestown - 1

Just In Time - 1

Marjorie Prime - 1

The Rocky Horror Show - 1

The Wild Party - 1

The 2026 JKTS Awards: Editors' Choice, Part One

Editors' Choice, Part One

Recently, you had your say with The 2026 JKTS Readers' Choice Awards (HERE). Now it is our turn! Today, we offer up our more serious awards (a few fun ones will post next week), honoring those theater people - new faces and familiar faces - that made the 2025-2026 Broadway season the special one that it was.

Show Folk Awards

Movers and Shapers

• Playwright: Bess Wohl (Liberation) 
• Musical Writers: The Rescues (The Lost Boys) and Jim Barne & Kit Buchan (Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York))
• Designers: Qween Jean (Liberation & Cats: The Jellicle Ball) and Dean Laffrey, Michael Arden & Jen Schriever (The Lost Boys)

These greats represent the present AND the future of Broadway. They have their fingers on the pulse of relevancy, and continue to stretch the boundaries for their respective crafts.

Mavericks of the Season 

• Queen Jean, Tony-winner for Cats: The Jellicle Ball (Best Costume Design of a Musical)
• Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue writers, stars and directors of Titanique

Much has been written about Qween Jean's historic Tony win already, but I'll just add that she inspires me to be a better member of the queer community.

And who doesn't love a from-the-ground-up success story? The three collaborators of Titanique represent the very ideal of creating theater. What started out as a kind of joke between friends blossomed into a tiny show that refused to die, and grew and grew until it became an international hit show. Though it may seem that Broadway is the final jewel of the ocean in its theatrical crown, I somehow suspect it is far from over. 

Welcome to Broadway 

• Anna Grace Barlow, Ragtime
• LJ Benet, The Lost Boys
• Melissa Berrera, Titanique
• Ayaan Diop, Schmigadoon!
• Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw
• Luke Evans, The Rocky Horror Show
• "Tempress" Chastity Moore, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
• Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Every season brings a wonderful new crop of Broadway debuts, but these folks really stood out to us. Some came from other areas of the arts, others from across the pond. All of them generously shared their talents and unique personalities. We really hope they will all come back often.

Welcome Back to Broadway

Stephen Schwartz, The Queen of Versailles

It feels like he's always around. There have been revivals of Godspell and Pippin on Broadway, and The Baker's Wife off-Broadway. There's been a steady stream of film scores. And of course, there's the constant presence of Wicked both on Broadway and in movie theaters. It is notable that The Queen of Versailles is his first original Broadway score in 22 years, the last being Wicked. Though its demise was swift, it's always a great thing to have Schwartz's work on the boards!

Stars on the Rise

• Rodd Cyrus, Ragtime
• Sydney James Harcourt, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
• Layton Williams, Titanique
• Maria Wirries, The Lost Boys 

These four performers are all going to be big. Really big. Mark my words!

Two of them made their Broadway debuts this season to much acclaim - and a Tony nod for one of them, the third narrowly escaped eternal life as a vampire and slayed as a heroine before it was all over, and the fourth's already good career was reborn into a new Jellicle life! And all four stole the show with their dazzling performances!

Outstanding Standby Performance

Sherie Rene Scott on as Jackie Siegel in The Queen of Versailles

We specifically chose a performance with Ms. Scott on in the lead role. We didn't think too much of the show, but she did not disappoint! She really made a diamond out of a lump of coal with her genuine star turn here. What a presence! And her chemistry with her co-stars and, importantly,  the audience was palpable. Here's to a new vehicle for her to shine in all on her own.

The Egregiously Overlooked

• Sydney James Harcourt, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
• Isabelle McCalla, Schmigadoon!
• "Tempress" Chastity Moore, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
• Constantine Rousouli, Titanique
• Shaina Taub, Ragtime

No, I can't/won't say who I'd have taken off the nominee lists to make room for these overlooked geniuses, but damn, I wish there was more room then! (And yes, I know Rousouli was nominated for Best Book...). Harcourt's take on Rum Tum Tugger was both sexier and more meaningful than ever before, just as Moore's Grizabella felt deeper and stirring. Taub was better here than in Suffs, and her Union Square scene was so stirring. Rousouli's charming goof ball take on Jack was both riotous and dare I say touching? And McCalla's school marm was next level, especially in her stop-the-show-cold tap number!

Continue to Part 2 HERE.

The 2026 JKTS Awards: Readers' Choice: The Winners!

We are very pleased to announce this year's JKTS Readers' Choice Awards! It is especially nice to connect with so many of you, and this year - once again - you voted in record numbers! And so we thank you for being a part of our site and for sharing our love for all things theater!

Without further ado, here are your winners!