When people talk about six degrees of separation, that’s actually, well, a lot of separation. But if you talk about one degree — from Denver to New York — it’s just a four-hour plane ride away!

That’s a little like this year’s nominees for the 2026 Tony Awards. While the full lineup of nominations is impressive, we’re a little biased in favor of those with connections to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

Talking about connections. Did you know that the Tony Awards were named for Denver native Antoinette Perry? More good luck for these nominees.

Nomination: Best Play 

Samuel D. Hunter for Little Bear Ridge Road

Tom Alan Robbins in The Whale. Photo: Terry Shapiro

Samuel D. Hunter is best known for the Denver Center Theatre Company’s world premiere of The Whale, which was adapted into a 2022 Oscar-winning film. As one of America’s most produced playwrights, Little Bear Ridge Road marks Hunter’s Broadway debut. His other plays include A Case for the Existence of God, A Bright New Boise, Greater Clements, Lewiston/Clarkston, among others. His plays have been produced by Lincoln Cener Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Signature Theatre, Theatre Royal bath, and others. For television, he wrote/produced FX’s Emmy Award-winning “Baskets.” He has received the 2014 MacArthur Genius Grant, New York Drama Critics Circle Award, Obie Award, Whiting Award, Lucille Lortel Award, Drama Desk Award, and GLAAD Media Award.

Nomination: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical 

Caissie Levy for Ragtime

Caissie Levy in Frozen. Photo: Deen van Meer

Caissie Levy is known to Denver audiences for originating the role of Elsa in the world premiere of Disney’s Frozen, which enjoyed its pre-Broadway debut in the Buell Theatre. She is an Olivier and Grammy-nominated veteran of nine Broadway productions, three West End shows, and seven original cast albums. She earned an Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for starring in the UK premiere of Next to Normal in the West End, which subsequently aired on PBS.

Nomination: Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Aya Cash for Giant

Aya Cash in the Denver Center Theatre Company’s production of The Diary of Anne Frank. Photo by Terry Shapiro

Making her Broadway (and Tony) debut, Aya Cash has been seen in Giant on the West End and performed with Manhattan Theatre Club, The Public, Playwrights Horizons, Rattlestick Theater, and Atlantic Theater Company. She was also seen in the title role of the Denver Center Theatre Company’s 2007/08 production of The Diary of Anne Frank. Additionally, her TV credits include the upcoming release of “Voght Rising” in 2027 on Amazon Prime, “You’re the Worst” for which she received a Critics Circle nomination, and “The Boys” for which she won a Critics Circle Award among others. She’s also appeared in film in Kill Me, The Wolf of Wall Street, Scare Me, We Broke Up, Game Over Man, Social Animals, Sleepwalk With Me, and Mary Goes Round. 

Nomination: Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

André De Shields for Cats: The Jellicle Ball

The Colored Museum

This 80-year-old can match his triple threat — acting, singing, and dancing — with a trio of awards — Tony, Grammy and Emmy. On Broadway, he has originated roles in The Full Monty, Warp!, The Wiz, and Hadestown for which he won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical and the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. On TV, he appeared in the NBC made-for-TV broadcast of Ain’t Misbehavin’ for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement. His resume is vast and he can add “director” to his list of accomplishments; he helmed the 1987/88 Denver Center Theatre Company production of The Colored Museum.

Nomination: Best Scenic Design of a Play

Takeski Kata for Bug

Peter Schneider & Peter Van Wagner in The Reservoir. Photo: Jamie Kraus Photography

Takeshi Kata was the Scenic Designer for the Denver Center Theatre Company’s The Constant Wife, the world premiere of The Reservoir, and the upcoming production of Destiny of Desire. He has worked on more than 150 productions in the US and around the world for companies such as Atlantic Theatre Company, Playwrights Horizons, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, Alley Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Geffen Playhouse, Goodman, Mark Taper Forum, The Old Glove, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. His work has been recognized with an Obie, Drama Desk, Barrymore and Ovation awards, and now a Tony Award nomination for Bug.

Nominations: Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Rachel Hauck for Cats: The Jellicle Ball

The Denver Center Theatre Company’s world premiere of 1001.

While Denver audiences will remember Rachel Hauck’s scenic design of the Denver Center Theatre Company’s 2006/07 world premiere of 1001, national audiences know her work from Swept Away, Good Night Oscar, How I Learned to Drive, What the Constitution Means to Me, Latin History for Morons and Hadestown, for which she received a Tony nomination. She has also been awarded the Princess Grace Award, Lilly Award, an OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence, and the Distinguished Alumni Award from UCLA. Her work has been recognized with Drama Desk, Lortel, Helen Hayes, Audelco, and Ovation nominations.

Dane Laffrey for The Lost Boys

Ben Huber & Jamie Ann Romero in The Legend of Georgia McBride. Photo: Jennifer M Koskinen

Dane was the Scenic Designer for the Denver Center Theatre Company’s world premiere of The Legend of Georgia McBride. As a scenic and costumer designer, Dane’s work was recognized with the 2025 Tony, Drama Desk and Henry Hewes awards for Maybe Happy Ending. While Dane has numerous Broadway credits, his work also can be seen around the country at theatres including Roundabout, Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center Theatre, Public Theatre, Second Stage Theatre and many others. Dane won a 2017 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Set and Costume Design and has been nominated for numerous awards including Tony Awards (4), Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Henry Hewes, Ovation Awards (5 nominations, 2 wins), and a Sydney Theatre Award.

Nominations: Best Costume Design of a Play

Emilio Sosa for The Balusters

Mary Michael Patterson and Jeremiah James in Sense and Sensibility The Musical. Photo by Jennifer M Koskinen

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Emilio Sosa began his career as a buyer for Grace Costumes. After working his way to Creative Director, he left to tour the world with Celine Dion, The Alvin Ailey Dance Company, and Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. He soon began working in the music industry with legends such as Salt-N-Pepa, Diana Ross, Mariah Carey, and Gloria Estefan. After working with director Spike Lee, Emilio turned to Broadway where he has designed costumes for Topdog / Underdog, On Your Feet!, Motown: The Musical, Lady Emerson’s Bar and Grill, and Porgy and Bess, for which he earned a Tony Award nomination. Along the way, he designed costumes for the Denver Center Theatre Company’s 2012/13 production of Sense & Sensibility: The Musical.

Paul Tazewell for August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Beth Malone, John Scherer, Michael Halling & Gregg Goodbrod in The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Photo: Jennifer M. Koskinen

Paul Tazewell was the Costume Designer for the Denver Center Theatre Company’s world premiere of The Unsinkable Molly Brown — and who can forget that red dress! With a career spanning three decades, Paul’s recent achievements for his work on the film adaptation of Wicked for which he won an Oscar, BAFTA Award, Critics Choice Award, Costume Designers Guild’s Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film award, NAACP Image Award, and the Innovator Award from the African American Film Critics Association. Additional accolades include an Academy Award nomination for West Side Story and an Emmy for “The Wiz! Live.”

Nomination: Best Lighting Design of a Play

Isabella Byrd for Dog Day Afternoon

Marco Alberto Robinson, Nate Miller & Henry Walter Greenberg in The 39 Steps. Photo: Jamie Kraus Photography

Isabella served as the Lighting Designer of the Denver Center Theatre Company’s 2023 production of The 39 Steps. She is a Brooklyn-based designer whose New York credits include Sanctuary City and Light Shining in Buckinghamshire (New York Theatre Workshop), Epiphany (Lincoln Center), and ongoing collaborations with Will Arvery, including the world premieres of Heroes of the Fourth Turning and Corsicana (Playwrights Horizons), and PLANO (Clubbed Thumb). She’s worked internationally in London and Dublin and regionally with ACT, Hartford Stage, and Alley Theatre among others. Her work has been recognized with Obie, Lotrel, and Henry Hewes awards.

So, hop on a plane and experience that one degree of separation. Ragtime, The Lost Boys and  Joe Turner’s Come and Gone are still playing on Broadway. Then tune into CBS Colorado on June 7 from 5-8pm to see who wins. Let’s root, root, root for the “home” team!

Nominations: Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Jane Cox for The Rocky Horror Show

The Denver Center Theatre Company’s production of The Clean House.

Multi-talented lighting designer Jane Cox works in theatre, opera, dance, and music. For the Denver Center Theatre Company, Jane provided the lighting design for the 2005/06 of The Clean House. Her career spans three decades, and includes Macbeth, King Lear, Jitney, Amelie, The Color Purple, and Assassins. Her work has been recognized with a Tony and Drama Desk Award for Appropriate; Tony nominations for Macbeth, Jitney, and Machinal; and Drama Desk nominations for The Color Purple, Machinal, and Passion.

Donald Holder for Schmigadoon!

Stephanie Martignetti, Cameron Adams, Jesmille Darbouze in The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Photo Credit Jennifer M. Koskinen

Known to Denver Center Theatre Company patrons for the 2014/15 production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Donald Holder’s 35-year career spans theatre, opera, film, television, and architectural lighting. He has designed more than 60 Broadway productions including Pirates! The Penzance Musical, Tootsie, Kiss Me Kate, McNeal, Anastasia, My Fair Lady, Oslo, Straight White Men, She Loves Me, Fiddler On The Roof, Spiderman-Turn Off The Dark, The King and I, On The Twentieth Century, plus over 100 Off-Broadway productions. His television/film work includes the theatrical lighting for “Spirited“(Apple Studios), American Classic (MGM+), “SMASH” (NBC-Dreamworks), Oceans 8 (Warner Brothers Pictures), “Gossip Girl” (HBO Max), and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon).

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