The spotlight will shine brightly on more than 200 theater artists for the 57th Anniversary Joseph Jefferson Awards for Equity Theater program under the award-winning artistic direction of Johanna McKenzie Miller along with Dr. Michael McBride as musical director. Bringing their well-known energy to the stage to honor their fellow artists are Alexis J. Roston and Sean Fortunato as the evening’s co-hosts. Janet Ulrich Brooks reprises her role as the show’s announcer with Jeff Awards Equity Wing Chair Paulette Petretti and long-time fellow Jeff Awards member Merril Prager returning as producers of this 2025 awards ceremony.
The 2024-2025 Equity Jeff Awards feature 214 nominees across 32 categories of excellence in theater production among shows from 35 producing entities. Paramount Theatre garnered the most honors with 26 nominations from six productions, followed by Goodman Theatre (21, three of which were co-productions), Court Theatre (21 including seven with TimeLine Theatre Company), Writers Theatre (19) and a tie between Drury Lane Productions and Marriott Theatre (with 16 each). “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” at Writers Theatre received the largest number of nominations for a single production (11), followed by “Cats” at Paramount Theatre (9), and a tie for eight nominations between “The Color Purple” at Goodman Theatre and “Frozen” at Paramount Theatre. Eight world premiere plays are in award consideration for New Work.
The ceremony will begin at 7:30pm (CST) Monday, September 29th at the Harris Theater in Chicago, 205 East Randolph Street. The show will be preceded by red carpet interviews featuring award nominees and theater community members beginning at 6:00pm.
Johanna McKenzie Miller
McKenzie Millier is a Jeff Award-winning director, performer, playwright, and arts leader. This past spring, she was also named Artistic Director at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre.
Most recently, she directed Disney’s Frozen at The Fulton Theatre in Lancaster, PA. Chicago theater directing credits include Cinderella at Metropolis, Shrek at Music Theater Works, co-directing Beautiful at Paramount Theatre with Jim Corti, Steel Magnolias (Jeff Award for Best Ensemble Play-Large), The 39 Steps and Shrek at Drury Lane Theatre, Kiss Me Kate, Wizard of Oz, Junie B. Jones, Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!” at Marriott Theatre, How to Lobster at the Steppenwolf LookOut Series, and Shrew’d! with First Folio Theatre. Onstage credits include work at The Marriott Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, Court Theatre, The Goodman Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Johanna is also a co-founder of Lombard Children’s Theater Workshop and She Inspires Productions.
Michael McBride
Dr. Michael McBride is a Jeff Award-winning music director, internationally-performed composer, performer and educator. He is the composer/lyricist for The Boys and the Nuns. As a Music Director/Supervisor he has worked theaters such as The Goodman, Drury Lane, Chicago Shakespeare, Music Theatre Works, Theo Ubique, Porchlight Music Theatre, PrideArts, BoHo, Loyola and DePaul Universities, Timber Lake Playhouse, Engeman Theater (NY), GWB Productions (New Zealand), as well as many others. He has served on the faculties of Northwestern University, Loyola University Chicago, and North Park University.
Alexis J. Roston
Actor, director, costumer, choreographer and playwright Alexis J Roston is known across the country for her work including multiple honors from the Jeff Awards, Black Theatre Alliance and Black Excellence. Well known roles include a mesmerizing portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, as well as starring in Don’t Make Me Over - A Tribute to Dionne Warwick (Black Ensemble Theater), Sister Act (Mercury Theater), For Colored Girls… and Porgy and Bess (Court Theatre), Crowns and Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Goodman Theatre), Company (Writer’s Theatre), Hair (Paramount Theatre), Shrek; The Musical (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), What I Learned in Paris, (Congo Square Theatre where she is an ensemble member as well as director and
playwright of A Nativity Story: More Than A Miracle) and work with The Second City. She most recently served as Associate Director for Twisted Melodies (Northlight Theatre). Her concert First Lady of Song: Alexis J. Roston Sings Ella Fitzgerald tours nationally with Artists Lounge Live. On television she has been part of Chicago PD, Chicago Code, and The Chi. A proud member of Actor’s Equity Association and SAG/ATRA, she is also an alum of Howard University.
Sean Fortunato
An award-winning actor, Fortunato has been on stage at all the leading Chicago theaters, as well as regional, off-Broadway and international houses. He is currently appearing in Catch Me If You Can, (Marriott Theatre). Favorite roles include Malvolio in Twelfth Night (Writers Theatre), Dr. Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein (Mercury Theatre), and Miss Trunchbull in Matilda (Drury Lane Productions). He has also worked at Chicago Shakespeare, Goodman, Court, Northlight, Theatre at the Center, Timeline, Remy Bumppo, Porchlight, About Face, Intiman, the Old Globe, Peninsula Players and The Duke on 42nd Street. Screen audiences know him from “Fargo” (FX), “Chicago PD”, “Chicago Med”, “Chicago Fire” (NBC), “Monster” (NETFLIX) and the film The Merry Gentleman. Sean has received eleven Jeff Award nominations and an After Dark Award.
Janet Ulrich Brooks
An award-winning actor and coach, Ulrich Brooks is a current Jeff Awards nominee for her role as Queen Elizabeth in The Audience at Drury Lane Theatre, as well as among the nominated Ensemble of Northlight Theatre and Theatre Wit’s production of Prayer for the French Republic. She is also a company member of TimeLine Theatre Company where she has performed in over 15 productions including the role of Maria Callas in Master Class (Jeff Award), as well as other Chicago theater credits with Drury Lane, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Lookingglass, Northlight, and Theatre at the Center. Regionally she has worked with Woolly Mammoth, Milwaukee Rep, Kennedy Center, and Theatre Squared in Fayetteville, AR. Her film and TV work includes Divergent, Conviction, One Small Hitch, Fools, Work In Progress (Showtime), Fargo (FX), Sense8 (Netflix), Proven Innocent (FoxTV), and Boss (STARZ). She is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association and SAG/AFTRA and is represented by Gray Talent Group.
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
Tickets are $100 for general admission and $80 for union members (AEA/USA/SDC/IATSE/DGA/AFM/CFM/WGA). Discounts for groups of 10 or more are also available. To purchase tickets and learn more about this program and the Jeff Awards, visit www.jeffawards.org.
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ABOUT THE JEFF AWARDS
The Jeff Awards is one of the most active and engaged theater awards organizations in the country evaluating hundreds of theatrical productions annually and holding two awards ceremonies highlighting work over the past Equity and Non-Equity seasons. Through our recommendations, awards, and honors we help foster the growth of companies, encourage artists, bring new appreciation for diverse storytelling, and cultivate civic pride in the achievements of the Chicago theater community. Originally chartered in 1968 to recognize Equity productions, the Jeff Awards Non-Equity Wing was established in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non-union theatre. For more information, visit www.jeffawards.org.