SOUND OFF Special Edition: 10 Marvelous Moments To Remember From The 2015 Theatre World Awards

The 2014-2015 season has been jam-packed with exciting entertainment, fabulous stars and unforgettable nights that only live theatre can provide and this week one of the oldest awards institutions in New York City held their annual star-studded celebration honoring the best, brightest and, in many cases, newest top talent to appear on the scene this year, the 2015 Theatre World Awards. Standing out from the pack of similar events around this time of year, the Theatre World Awards is voted on by a committee of top theatre professionals, with this year's show was again directed by the stalwart Barry Keating and hosted once again by theatre historian and noted journalist Peter Filicia. The 71st presentation of the awards - and, yes, it is older than the Tony Awards and the Drama Desk Awards - was marked by a sensational ceremony at the Lyric Theatre on Broadway, home of the rapturously received revival of ON THE TOWN, and I was lucky enough to get a fly-on-the-wall view of not only the big awards show itself, but the rehearsal, as well - and chat with some of the starry attendees and winners, too. So, without further ado, here are some of the most marvelous moments in an altogether stirring, sensational and unforgettable evening.

1. Chita Rivera receives the Lifetime Achievement Award. What more can be said about a living legend giving the performance of her career eight times a week on Broadway as not only the original star of WEST SIDE STORY, BYE BYE BIRDIE, CHICAGO, THE RINK and KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, but, now, THE VISIT? Absolutely nothing! Her characteristic grace, class, integrity and star power was in full effect as she wowed the crowd once again in a fabulous speech when receiving the night's most esteemed award of all.

2. Vivian Reed stops the show. BUBBLING BROWN SUGAR and MARIE CHRISTINE Broadway notable, the elegant and astonishingly attractive Vivian Reed absolutely blew the roof off of the theater with a resplendent and rousing rendition of "Blues In The Night" packed with enough sheer ferocity and high-wattage vocals to power an entire block of theaters - even the best in the world, as Broadway's undoubtedly are. Like Ms. Rivera, a master class - and a class act, too. Wow.

3. Michael Cerveris presents Sydney Lucas and Emily Skeggs with Theatre World Awards. The young breakout stars of FUN HOME proved why they are continually commanding so very much buzz, first Off-Broadway and now on Broadway, with their characteristically cute and surprisingly moving acceptance speeches, presented by the reliably debonair and dashing Tony Award-winning (and Theatre World Award-winning) star of their show. With or without a riser, these girls showed solid evidence that they are on their way to being the best of the breed in a room full of industry professionals in both of their touching speeches.

4. Daveed Diggs of HAMILTON (w)raps up a trophy. One of the many remarkable aspects of the Off-Broadway mega-hit that is undoubtedly the talk of the town and the breakout show of the season, if not the century, is HAMILTON's Daveed Diggs and he gave the lucky audience a taste of his magnetic stage presence, undeniable swagger and unmistakable star power in his at turns hilarious, heartfelt and holler-worthy speech. A star to watch - let's sincerely hope we don't lose him to Hollywood or the music business once the HAMILTON heat really ramps up with the Broadway run starting later this year. Fingers crossed.

5. Dame Diana Rigg dedicates the 2015 Dorothy Loudon Award to Leanne Cope. There is nothing like a dame - and Dame Diana certainly proved why that saying has come into practice. Telling touching and terrific tales from her incomparable career onstage and onscreen, the recognizable star of 1960s TV staple THE AVENGERS, plus MEDEA, FOLLIES, and, most recently, HBO's GAME OF THRONES, Dame Diana was, in a word, divine. Additionally, I had the chance to chat with her prior to the show and she expressed her newfound interest in pursuing another legendary Stephen Sondheim role onstage sometime soon - she expressed that she thinks it would be "absolutely marvelous" to appear as Madame Armfeldt in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, a show she herself headlined in its silver screen version once upon a time, in a different guise. Let's hope Mr. Sondheim is listening!

6. Leonard Comden honors his aunt Betty. The nephew of iconic Broadway and Hollywood writer, actress and all-around entertainment queen Betty Comden shared some spectacularly amusing, candid and delectable stories of his famous aunt along with some expectedly enticing anecdotes involving her longtime artistic collaborator Adolph Green. Showbiz legends don't get much better - or funnier; or more astoundingly accomplished - than Comden & Green, as this season's triple-punch revival of THE BAND WAGON, ON THE TOWN and ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY all show in spades (and diamonds).

7. Josh Young rocks "Heaven On Their Minds" from JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. Theatre World Award winner Josh Young reprised his stunning acoustic rendition of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice showstopper that was most recently performed in an awe-inspiring fashion at BroadwayWorld's own THE LORD & THE MASTER concert last year, available to view here. Amazing grace, indeed - and awesome talent, too.

8. Peter Filicia reminds us why he is the the living embodiment of Theatre Wikipedia. Knocking off countless guffaw-inducing showbiz tidbits and tales from the great and grand history of Broadway and beyond as well as imbuing the evening with a cohesive, insider quality that only he can provide, Filicia again impressed as host of the night.

9. Jackie Hoffman is... Jackie Hoffman. Nobody does what Jackie Hoffman does better than her. How to even compare her to anybody else, or describe exactly what it is that she does (and why it is so effectively entertaining)? Raucous, shocking and outright scandalous, though surprisingly spot-on and on-the-nose, Hoffman had the audience rolling in the aisles, as always, with her apt and amusing commentary.

10. Elizabeth Stanley's "Some Other Time". The gorgeous and golden-voiced star of ON THE TOWN, Stanley shared a paired-down arrangement of her current show-closer via the elegiac and moody Leonard Bernstein/Betty Comden/Adolph Green musical theatre masterpiece and left nary a dry eye in the house. "Ah, well / We'll catch up some other time," to quote the lyric itself, and next year's Theatre World Awards are sure to be just as grand and glorious, if not even more so, especially if this year's supremely grand show was any indication whatsoever. A big bravo to all involved.