Photo Flash: Tony Nominee Brian D'Arcy James Honored at Sarah Siddons Society Awards

Chicago's Sarah Siddons Society recently announced winners of their prestigious annual Actor of the Year Award to be presented on May 16, 2016 at Northwestern University's Pick Staiger Concert Hall. One of Broadway's most popular performers, Brian D'Arcy James, was the recipient. The event was co-sponsored by Northwestern's School of Communication, Barbara O'Keefe, Dean.

Currently starring on Broadway in SOMETHING ROTTEN, D'Arcy James has appeared in over twenty Broadway productions and has been Tony-nominated three times, including his current role of Nick Bottom in SOMETHING ROTTEN. Theatregoers have enjoyed his performances in TITANIC, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, THE APPLE TREE and as SHREK (opposite Ms. Foster as Fiona). He also won critical acclaim for his performances in Andrew Lippa's WILD PARTY and in the non-musical TIME STANDS STILL. He is currently featured as one of the investigative reporters for the BOSTON GLOBE in the award-winning 2015 film SPOTLIGHT.

As an undergraduate theatre major at Northwestern University D'Arcy James received a Sarah Siddons Society's Scholarship in 1989. He is the Society's first Scholarship winner to be awarded this prestigious annual acting award, initially won by Helen Hayes (1953 awardee).

Sarah Siddons' Artistic Director Dominic Missimi produced and staged the award ceremony and served as co-host for the event with David H. Bell, current head of the Northwestern University Music Theatre Program. "We are particularly delighted that we have several special guests for the awards presentation," said Missimi.

NU alumnae and Tony nominated actress Kate Baldwin introduced Mr. James. Baldwin was nominated for her Tony Award for her performance in FINIAN'S RAINBOW and was last seen in Chicago in Andrew Lippa's BIG FISH. She will play Mrs. Anna In the Lyric Opera production of THE KING AND I. Broadway Producer Barbara Whitman also presented.

Several Chicago performers, all alumni of Northwestern performed, including Christine Mild, Michael Mahler, Devin DeSantis and Will Skrip. Mild and Mahler were Scholarship winners like James

All proceeds support The Society's scholarship fund for talented theatre students at Columbia College, DePaul University, Northwestern University and Roosevelt University.

For over 60 years Sarah Siddons Society has presented the Actor of the Year award to celebrated stage and film actors including Bette Davis, Lauren Bacall, Julie Harris, Carol Channing, Colleen Dewhurst, Jessica Tandy, Liza Minnelli, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, Patti Lupone, Bebe Neuwirth, Audra McDonald and Jessie Mueller. Many of Chicago's finest actresses have received the Society's Leading Lady Award including Hollis Resnik, Barbara Robertson, Mary Beth Fisher and E. Faye Butler, to name a few.

Photos Courtesy of Jasmin Shah