Debra Barsha, Jeff Calhoun, and Florencia Cuenca to be Honored by New York Theatre Barn
The event will take place at 7:30 PM on October 6, 2025, at Gotham Comedy Club.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Aug. 27, 2025
New York Theatre Barn will celebrate innovative creativity in musical theatre by honoring three artists who have made an impact on the company’s 18-year history at 7:30 PM on October 6, 2025, at Gotham Comedy Club,
The company will honor Jonathan Larson Award-winning composer Debra Barsha (Radiant Baby, LAST CALL with Lampert and Barsha) with the Impact Award, Tony nominated director/choreographer Jeff Calhoun (Newsies, Deaf West’s Big River) with the Culture Shifter Award, and actor Florencia Cuenca, who made history this season in Real Women Have Curves as the first Mexican immigrant to originate a co-leading role on Broadway before obtaining U.S. citizenship, with the Emerging Artist Award.
The company has supported the development of Barsha's musicals Boy Meets Girl and The Helena Project, has collaborated with Calhoun on the development of the John Kenley musical A Complicated Woman (recent groundbreaking gender-diverse production by Goodspeed Musicals) and Everyone Comes to Elaine's about iconic restaurateur Elaine Kaufman (with Mary Testa), and Cuenca was part of the company’s inaugural Barn on Fire residency on Fire Island where she was featured in the development of Sueños: Our American Musical.
General admission and VIP seats can be purchased here, as well as a Virtual Livestream. All proceeds from the Awards Night will benefit New York Theatre Barn’s programs and its mission of incubating original culture-shifting musicals that amplify stories of collectively underrepresented communities.
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