Michael Mayer to Receive 2027 SDC Foundation Mr. Abbott Award

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation will honor Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer will be honored with SDCF's 2027 “Mr. Abbott” Award, given to a director or choreographer in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Broadway. The award will be presented at the Foundation's Gala on Monday, March 22, 2027, at 6:00 PM at Gotham Hall in New York City.

Chairing the 2027 “Mr. Abbott” Award Gala are Tom Hulce, Johanna Pfaelzer, Jordan Roth and Ellenore Scott. Lorin Latarro will direct the evening, and Dick Scanlan serve as writer. Proceeds from the Gala will benefit the programs of SDCF.

Currently in rehearsal for the original musical Galileo, which will open at the Shubert Theatre on December 6 and premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2024, Mayer is also represented Off-Broadway by Little Shop of Horrors at The Westside Theatre. The revival recently became the longest-running production in the show's history. His other recent Broadway credits include Chess, Swept Away, and Funny Girl. Mayer won the 2007 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for the groundbreaking Broadway production of Spring Awakening. For more than three decades, he has directed some of the most celebrated plays and musicals on Broadway in a career that also spans opera, film, and television.

The “Mr. Abbott” Award, presented by SDCF on behalf of directors and choreographers to one of their peers, is named in honor of the late renowned director George Abbott.

Past recipients of the “Mr. Abbott” Award include last year's honoree, Bartlett Sher, and Christopher Ashley, Michael Bennett, Arvin Brown, Vinnette Carroll, Graciela Daniele, Gordon Davidson, Agnes De Mille, Zelda Fichandler, Cy Feuer, Bob Fosse, Peter Gennaro, Garson Kanin, James Lapine, Kenny Leon, Gillian Lynne, Joe Mantello, Kathleen & Rob Marshall, Marshall W. Mason, Lynne Meadow, Jerry Mitchell, Mike Nichols, Trevor Nunn, Jack O'Brien, Harold Prince, Lloyd Richards, Donald Saddler, Gene Saks, Andrei Serban, Susan Stroman, Daniel Sullivan, Julie Taymor, Tommy Tune, George C. Wolfe, Jerry Zaks, as well as Victoria Traube, the first-ever recipient of a Special “Mr. Abbott” Award.

ABOUT Michael Mayer

Michael Mayer has worked in a broad spectrum of media from theatre and opera to television and film. His credits include the Broadway revivals of Chess and Funny Girl, the hit Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors, Swept Away, A Beautiful Noise, Burn This, Head Over Heels, Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Tony Award – Best Musical), Spring Awakening (Tony Award – Best Musical; Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award – Best Director), American Idiot (Bookwriter; Drama Desk Award – Best Director), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Tony Award – Best Musical), Side Man (Tony Award – Best Play), A View from the Bridge (Tony Award – Best Revival), The Terms of My Surrender, Everyday Rapture, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Triumph of Love. Off-Broadway credits: We Chose to Go to the Moon at Carnegie Hall, 21 Chump Street, Chess, Love, Love, Love, Brooklynite, 10 Million Miles, and Stupid Kids. National tour of Angels in America. His opera credits include Rigoletto, La Traviata, Aida, and the world premieres of Nico Muhly's Marnie, and Jeanine Tesori's Grounded at the Met. Producing credits include Liberation (Tony Award), Chess, Swept Away, and Galileo. Film credits: A Home at the End of the World (Excellence in Filmmaking - National Board of Review, GLAAD Nomination), FLICKA, The Seagull, Single All the Way, Wig. Television credits: “Smash” (Pilot and Season One) and “Alpha House.” Awards and fellowships include the inaugural Daryl Roth Creative Spirit Award, Drama League, Jefferson, Ovation, Alan Schneider, and Carbonell Awards; Fox Foundation Fellowship, Two Drama League Fellowships, TCG/NEA Directing Fellowship. He serves on the Board of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and Berkeley Repertory Theatre.