Prospect Musicals' 2026 Gala & Muse Awards Reveals Full Line-Up
Danny Kornfeld, Heidi Schreck & Nasia Thomas join honorees LaCHANZE & Lindsay Mendez at The Edison Ballroom
Prospect Musicals has announced the full line-up for their 2026 Gala & Muse Awards, to be held Monday, May 4th at The Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street).
The evening will be co-hosted by Brandon Contreras (Operation Mincemeat) and Ann Harada (Schmigadoon!) and will include cocktails, dinner, and entertainment from special guests in honor of 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.
Playwright and performer Heidi Schreck (What the Constitution Means to Me) will join the event as a Muse Award presenter. Additional special guest performers will include Danny Kornfeld (Harmony), reprising a number from the original Broadway production, and Nasia Thomas (The Last Five Years), performing from The Oscar Micheaux Project, with jazz artist and composer Alphonso Horne (A Wonderful World).
As previously announced, Muse Awards will be presented by Jay Armstrong Johnson (Parade), Steve Rosen & David Rossmer (The Other Josh Cohen), and Pearl Sun (Come From Away). Special guest performers include 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).
The Prospect Muse Award, established in 2022, exists to honor leaders who inspire Prospect's artists through their positive and profound contributions within the theater community and the world at large. This year's honorees have advocated for inclusive communities, encouraged diverse and nuanced storytelling, and developed and mentored the next generation of theater-makers.
Prospect Musicals' Gala Committee Co-Chairs are Jane Abramson and Tira Harpaz, and the Gala Committee includes Liz Casasola and Jason Ma.
About the Co-Hosts
Ann Harada is best known for Avenue Q (Christmas Eve) on Broadway and in London's West End. Other Bway: Schmigadoon!, Into the Woods, Cinderella (Charlotte), Les Misérables (Mme. Thenardier), 9 to 5, Seussical, and M. Butterfly. Off-Bway: Saving Dorothy Parker, Dear World, Fairycakes, Emojiland, I Married an Angel, Pacific Overtures, Brooklynite, Falsettoland. Regional: Babbitt, Beauty and the Beast, Anything Goes. TV: “Schmigadoon!,” “Smash,” “Blue Bloods,” “House of Cards,” “Master of None,” “Younger,” “30 Rock,” “The Good Wife,” “Jim Gaffigan Show”. Film: Sisters, Hope Springs, Admission, Jerry and Marge Go Large, Disenchanted.
Brandon Contreras is a New York City born and raised creative. Currently, he is starring as “Charles Cholmondeley & Others” in the Tony Award Nominated Smash Hit Musical, Operation Mincemeat. Prior to joining MI5, he was last seen causing absolute chaos as “Cal” in the Off-Broadway hit, Titanique, as well as rocking out and originating in Tom Kitt and Cameron Crowe's, Almost Famous. Some other theatrical favorites include Titanic and Road Show at the honorable New York City Center Encores!, In the Heights (1st National), Jerry Springer: The Opera (New Group), Beauty & the Beast (Drury Lane), Bhangin' It! (La Jolla Playhouse), You Deserve to be Here (Roundabout Theatre Workshop), and the regional premiere of The Play that Goes Wrong, among many others. FILM/TV: The upcoming feature film, “There She Goes” with Rachel Leigh Cook and Utkarsh Ambudkar, “WeCrashed”, “Mr. Robot” and “Awkwafina is Nora from Queens.” Outside of performing, Brandon is also a freelance director, writer, filmmaker & choreographer for multiple collaborative art pieces. With over 1.6 Million followers across all social media platforms, he is the co-creator of the award-winning Queer platform, The HomoSapien Experience.
About the Muse Award Presenters
Jay Armstrong Johnson is an actor, creative producer, and educator known for his roles on Broadway and TV/film. He was most recently seen as Ilya Rosanov in Heated Rivalry: the Unauthorized Musical Parody. Bway: Parade, On the Town, Hands on a Hardbody, Catch Me If You Can, Hair, Phantom of the Opera. Off Broadway/New York credits: Parade (NYCC Gala), To My Girls (2ST), Scotland, PA (Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel nominations, and Outer Critics Circle Award honoree), Darling Grenadine (Roundabout), A Chorus Line (City Center), Candide (NYCO), Sweeney Todd (NY Philharmonic Live at Lincoln Center filmed for PBS), The Most Happy Fella (Encores!), Terrence McNally's Fire and Air (CSC), The Mad Ones, Working (Prospect Theater Co, Drama Desk Award), Wild Animals You Should Know (MCC), 35mm: A Musical Exhibition. Concert: Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, San Francisco Symphony, Omaha Symphony. Nat'l Tour: A Chorus Line. TV/Film: “QUANTICO”, Sex & the City 2, “Law & Order: SVU”. Jay is the creator and producer of I Put A Spell On You, Broadway's biggest Halloween party benefiting The Ali Forney Center.
David Rosen and Steve Rossmer — wait, strike that, reverse it — Steve Rosen and David Rossmer are writers, composers and performers whose hit musical The Other Josh Cohen earned Six Drama Desk Nominations, an Off-Broadway Alliance nomination, and a Lucille Lortel nomination for Best Musical. They wrote book, music and lyrics for the Broadway-bound productions 50 First Dates, the Musical (London, The Other Palace) directed by Casey Nicholaw, as well as The Griswolds' Broadway Vacation (Seattle, 5th Avenue), produced by Ken Davenport, which has lead them to this awesome gala! Rosen and Rossmer first met handsome Ken when he made a guest appearance in their legendary Broadway comedy variety show Don't Quit Your Night Job (returning this Summer at BroadwayFest). He played himself… and was very believable.
Heidi Schreck is a playwright and screenwriter based in Brooklyn. Her critically acclaimed play What the Constitution Means to Me played an extended, sold-out run on Broadway, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, nominated for two Tony Awards, and won the OBIE and New York Drama Critics' Circle awards for Best New American Play. It also toured nationally, and was the most performed play in America for in 2023 and 2024. A filmed version directed by Marielle Heller premiered on Amazon Prime Video and received Critics Choice, PGA, and DGA Award nominations. Other plays include Grand Concourse, Creature, and a new translation of Uncle Vanya, which recently premiered at Lincoln Center starring Steve Carell. Schreck also works extensively in film and television. She is currently writing a screenplay with Sarah Polley for Warner Bros. and developing a live-action She-Ra series for Amazon. She previously developed film and television projects under a multi-year overall deal with Amazon, where she created original work for the studio.
Pearl Sun. Broadway: Come From Away, If/Then, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Off-Broadway: Dear Everything (BAM); Regretfully, So the Birds Are (Playwrights Horizons); Plays for the Plague Year (The Public Theater); Assassins & Merrily We Roll Along (City Center Encores!); Long Story Short (Prospect at 59e59); Happiness (Lincoln Center Theater); The Seven (New York Theatre Workshop). First National Tour: Next to Normal. Regional: Upcoming: Into the Woods (Cape Playhouse); Wonder (American Repertory Theatre); Sunset Blvd. (ACT of CT); The Price (Arena Stage); Bernstein's Mass (Philadelphia Orchestra); Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (LaJolla Playhouse); tick, tick… Boom! (Westport Country Playhouse). TV: “Law & Order SVU” (NBC), “Fleishman Is In Trouble” (hulu/Disney+), “New Amsterdam” (NBC), “The Blacklist” (NBC), “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix), “Gotham” (FOX), “The Good Wife” (CBS). Education: B.F.A., New York University.
About The Performers
Dean Cestari. Since making the move to NYC in 2016 he's been blessed to appear on Broadway in the 25th Anniversary Revival of Mamma Mia!, originate the role of Anatole in the Shanghai Premiere of Great Comet & tour with the companies of Mamma Mia!, Fiddler on the Roof & Christmas Story. Select Regional: The Sound of Music (Paper Mill), Stompin' at the Savoy (DTC), Hairspray (WPPAC), Kinky Boots (NSMT), South Pacific (Cape Playhouse). TV: “AHS”, “L&O”, “Elsbeth”. DGRW.
Darius de Haas is an award-winning singer, actor, concert and recording artist. Broadway: Kiss of the Spider Woman, Carousel, The Gershwin's Fascinating Rhythm, Marie Christine, Shuffle Along. Off-Broadway: Maltby and Shire's About Time, Running Man (Obie Award), As You Like It (Delacorte). Film/TV: Song Sung Blue, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (as the singing voice of “Shy Baldwin”). Concert: Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Boston Pops. Recent Recordings: Let Me Carry You This Christmas (Concord).
Marc delaCruz was most recently seen in Proud Marys as part of Prospect Musicals' IGNITE Festival. Broadway: Hamilton (cover for Hamilton, Burr, Laurens/Philip, Lafayette/Jefferson, and King George), If/Then (OBC). Off Broadway: Ordinary Days (Keen Company) and Three Days to See (Transport Group). Tour/International: If/Then, Disney's High School Musical, Where Elephants Weep. Regional work includes Vietgone (Studio Theatre), Next to Normal (Tantrum Theatre), Allegiance (The Old Globe), and several shows with Seattle's ReAct, 5th Avenue, and Village Theatres.
Alphonso Horne is the composer of The Oscar Micheaux Project and two-time Grammy nominated trumpeter, named by Wynton Marsalis as one of the rising stars of the next generation. He has performed with renowned artists including Marcus Roberts, Michael Feinstein, Alan Cumming and Rihanna. Broadway: Orchestra for A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical, After Midnight and Shuffle Along. Public Theater: Goddess. City Center Encores: Pal Joey and Jelly's Last Jam. He wrote and produced Mother Kofi: The Tale of an African Princess inspired by his family history. Education: Florida State University (BM), The Juilliard School (MM).
Danny Kornfeld most recently starred in Harmony on Broadway. He notably played Mark Cohen (Rent 20th Anniversary Tour). Other New York theatre credits include the world premiere of Renascence (Transport Group) and Wringer, directed by Stephen Brackett. He's performed at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Lincoln Center, Kansas City Lyric Opera and the Aspen Music Festival. Developmental work with NAMT, La MaMa, and the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. TV/Film: recurs on FX's “American Horror Story: NYC” and Universal Pictures' Tripped Up. As a director, Danny has helmed multiple music videos and his short film MOMMY is set to premiere on the festival circuit in Spring 2026.
Jaygee Macapugay. Broadway (Original Companies): SUFFS (Mollie Hay), Here Lies Love (Imelda Marcos), Shucked, School of Rock. Selected Off-Broadway: JOY, Suffs, Soft Power, Wild Goose Dreams, Here Lies Love. Prospect: 2024 Gala Host, Honor, The Rockae. National Asian Artists Project: Cinderella, Hello, Dolly! (Irene Molloy). Recent Regional: Elf (Fulton), Griswolds' Broadway Vacation (5th Avenue), Jeanie in Hair (Old Globe), The Unofficial Bridgerton Concert (Kennedy Center). TV/Film: “False Positive” (Hulu), Kennedy Center 50th Anniversary Concert (PBS), “The Language Lesson” (YouTube), The Tony Awards (CBS). Upcoming: SUFFS on Great Performances (PBS).
Kim Onah. (She/her). Harvard graduate, is a NYC-based actor, singer, and writer. Favorite credits include: The Notebook on Broadway (u/s Middle Allie), &Juliet on Broadway (Lady Capulet, u/s Juliet), Beautiful (Tour Company), Aida (as Aida), Guys and Dolls (Sarah Brown), and The Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Mrs. Claus).
Nasia Thomas. Broadway: The Last Five Years, SIX, Caroline, or Change, Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Off-Broadway and Other: Jelly's Last Jam, The Oscar Micheaux Project. Digital Theatre: The Last Five Years (Cathy). National Tour: Beautiful. Select Regional: The Muny, Berkeley Rep, Kennedy Center, Princess of Wales, Theater Under The Stars, Sacramento Music Circus. TV: The 4400, Harlem. Elon MT ‘15 / GSA MT ‘11. DGRW.
About The Muse Award Recipients
Ken Davenport is a Tony Award-winning Broadway producer whose select credits include the New York Times Critic's Pick Oh, Mary!, Harmony: A New Musical written by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical (Broadway + Tour), Once On This Island (Tony Award), The Play that Goes Wrong, Groundhog Day (Tony nomination), Deaf West Theatre's Spring Awakening (Tony nomination), It's Only a Play, Macbeth starring Alan Cumming, Godspell, Kinky Boots (Tony Award), and 13. Off-Broadway, Ken has produced JOY: A New True Musical starring Betsy Wolfe (Bookwriter), Daddy Long Legs, Altar Boyz (Co-Conceiver), My First Time (Author), and The Awesome 80's Prom (Creator). Ken's productions have been produced internationally in over 25 countries around the world. In 2019, Inc. 5000 named Ken's production company, Davenport Theatrical Enterprises, one of America's fastest-growing private companies. Ken also served as the Executive Producer for North America for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group and Theatrical Consultant for Primary Wave, a music management and publishing company. He is the founder of TheaterMakersStudio.com, co-founder of TEDxBroadway, and creator of Be A Broadway Star. Upcoming projects include The Griswolds' Broadway Vacation, Slumdog Millionaire The Musical, The Ten, and a musical based on Harry Belafonte.
LaChanze is a Tony-winning actor, four time Tony-winning producer and advocate with nearly 40 years of experience on Broadway. LaChanze has served as producer on The Outsiders (Tony Award), the Pulitzer Prize winning play Topdog/Underdog (Tony Award), Kimberly Akimbo (Tony Award), Here Lies Love, Jaja's African Hair Braiding (Tony Award nomination), Buena Vista Social Club (Tony Award nomination), the Pulitzer Prize winning play, Purpose (Tony Award), and CATS: The Jellicle Ball. She made her directorial debut with Wine in the Wilderness at Classic Stage Company, winning the Audelco Award for Best Director of a Play. In 2024, LaChanze launched her own production company, LaChanze Productions, where she discovers, develops and delivers groundbreaking projects. As an actor, LaChanze starred in The Color Purple (Tony Award), Once on This Island (Tony Award nomination), Trouble in Mind (Tony Award nomination), Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (Tony Award nomination), and many others. On screen, she has delivered memorable roles in both TV and film including “Handel's Messiah Rocks: A Joyful Noise” (Emmy Award), “Melinda,” The Help, HBO's “The Night Of,” “Law & Order: SVU,” Disney animated feature film Hercules, and Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest. She was also honored as a 2025 TIME'S Closer. She is the proud president of Black Theatre United, an advocacy organization dedicated to protecting Black bodies, Black talent, and Black lives on and off our stages.
Lindsay Mendez most recently starred in the critically acclaimed, Tony Award winning Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along opposite Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe; the filmed version was released in theaters nationwide courtesy of Sony Pictures. Mendez reprised her Tony nominated performance as "Mary Flynn" from the NYTW run, which garnered her the Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama League, Drama Desk & Lortel nominations. Mendez won the Tony Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for her performance as "Carrie Pipperidge" in the 2018 revival of Carousel. On television, she may currently be seen in “Elsbeth” for CBS/Paramount +. Mendez previously starred in the FX anthology series “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez” as well as the Warner Bros drama “All Rise” for CBS and OWN. Other Broadway credits include: Significant Other, Wicked (“Elphaba," 10th Anniversary company), Godspell, Everyday Rapture, Grease. Off-Broadway/regional credits include: The Golden Apple (City Center Encores!), Dogfight (Second Stage; Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle nominations), The Rose Tattoo (Williamstown Theatre Festival), 35mm, The Winter's Tale (Delacorte Theater). In addition to her debut album "This Time," her concert work includes appearances with Lincoln Center's American Songbook, the Library of Congress, the Kennedy Center, Feinstein's/54 Below, Lyrics and Lyricists, the San Diego Symphony and the American Pops Orchestra. Other television and film credits include: “Station 19,” “Elementary,” “Modern Family," "Smash," "Murphy Brown," Joanna Gleason's feature debut “The Grotto,” and most recently the independent film “These Little Ones Perish." In 2012, Mendez co-founded Actor Therapy, a training and mentorship program, with composer Ryan Scott Oliver.
Ryan Scott Oliver is a Lortel Award-nominated and Kleban Prize, Rodgers, and Larson Award-winning composer and lyricist. He was called “the future of Broadway… a major new voice in musical theatre” (Entertainment Weekly) and is “shaking up musical theater with his dark, twisted and genius work … [Oliver] could very well be musical theater's answer to an auteur filmmaker or a gothic novelist” (Huffington Post). He wrote the music and lyrics for Jasper in Deadland; 35mm: A Musical Exhibition; Darling; Mrs. Sharp; We Foxes; Shirley Jackson's Demons and more. He is also the winner of New Musicals Awards from Weston Playhouse, Pace University, the recipient of numerous fellowships, residencies and ASCAP awards, and commissions from Disney Theatricals, Universal Theatricals, Broadway Across America, and more. Select upcoming: Don't Cry, Dancing Girls; Party of the Century (commissioned by Fourth Wall Theatricals), and Tomorrow, the Island Dies (commission, AMTP winner, residencies at SDSU, MMC, and Samford University). Find writings, videos, tweets, and more of his morbidly optimistic musings @ryanscottoliver on all platforms. In 2012, he co-founded Actor Therapy with Lindsay Mendez, a premier training ground in New York City that has helped thousands of actors discover their own unique greatness. In 2026, they published a book of their teachings, How to Succeed in Musical Theatre without Really Dying, with a foreword by Jonathan Groff.
Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker (MTV's “White People”), and Tony-nominated theatrical producer (What the Constitution Means to Me, Here Lies Love). A leading voice for the human rights of immigrants, he founded the non-profit immigrant storytelling organization Define American in 2011, after The New York Times Magazine published a groundbreaking essay he wrote in which he revealed and chronicled his life in America as an undocumented immigrant. An updated edition of his best-selling memoir, Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen, was released in 2025. His second book, due out next year, will examine how diverse immigrant populations are upending America's foundational Black and White racial binary. He also has a third book in the works about global migration. Passionate about promoting equity in education for all students, he serves on the advisory board of TheDream.US, a scholarship fund for undocumented immigrant students, and served on the Board of Trustees of the California State University, the largest four-year public university system in the United States. An elementary school named after him opened in his hometown of Mountain View, California in August 2019.
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