The Pasadena Playhouse will receive the 2023 Regional Theatre Tony Award, the second theater in Los Angeles County to be a recipient of the honor.
Playhouse Artistic Director Danny Feldman says the award is a recognition of decades of creative output.
“So many people worked here over the last 100 years giving so much of themselves, so it's very rewarding,” he says. “It's a testament to the community. It's a testament to the fact that so many in our greater Los Angeles community understand the value of the arts.”
The award comes with a $25,000 grant. It’s a major success for the Playhouse, which nearly shuttered in 2010 due to financial instability and later had to survive the pandemic shutdown.
In more recent years, the theater has received significant praise for its productions, including the musical Sunday in the Park With George, which closed in March.
“Pasadena Playhouse has … a lot of ups and downs [recently],” says Feldman.
The musical A Little Night Music is currently running at the Pasadena theater. The Playhouse will be honored at the Tony Awards in New York on June 11.
Meanwhile, Feldman is just happy to be able to share the good news widely.
“It was hard to keep this secret,” he says. “I found out a couple weeks ago and I've had to hold on to this, so I think I should win another award just for keeping a secret. But it's just a thrill, a total thrill, and unexpected and lovely.”
