2026 Off-Broadway Alliance Awards Presented

ByDeb Miller

Morgan Bassichis, Richard Ridge Photo: Ray Costello

2026 Off Broadway Alliance Awards

by Deb Miller on June 17, 2026

The luncheon celebration for the 15th Annual Off-Broadway Alliance Awards, for commercial and not-for-profit productions that opened Off-Broadway during the 2025-2026 season, was held at Sardi’s on Tuesday, June 16, at 1pm. First presented in 2011 by The Off Broadway Alliance, an organization of Off-Broadway producers, theaters, general managers, press agents, and marketing professionals, the OBA Awards were created to recognize performances that engage diverse audiences and shine a spotlight on innovative storytelling that often challenges conventional narratives.

In addition to this year’s winners in five competitive categories – Best New Musical (Mexodus, accepted by co-creator/performer Brian Quijada), Best New Play (Cold War Choir Practice, presented to playwright Ro Reddick), Best Revival (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, received by co-producer Aaron Glick), Best Solo Performance (Can I Be Frank?, awarded to writer/performer Morgan Bassichis), and Best Unique Theatrical Experience (Masquerade, represented by senior producer Cesar Hawas) – three special categories honored sustained achievements in the world of Off-Broadway theater.

Brian Quijada (Photo: Ray Costello)

Performers Peter Friedman and Christine Pedi each received the Legend of Off-Broadway Award for their extraordinary contributions over many years; the Friend of Off-Broadway Award went to Richard Ridge (video journalist and host, BroadwayWorld; Vice President, Outer Critics Circle); and David Gersten (press rep, marketing consultant, and producer), Andy Halliday (writer, producer, performer, and champion of indie theater), and Paul Libin (Executive Vice President and Producing Director of Jujamcyn Theaters) were posthumously inducted into the Off Broadway Hall of Fame.   

Friedman and Ridge were there in person to receive their special honors. Producer Tom D’Angora accepted on behalf of Pedi, who is currently in Wichita performing Hello, Dolly!, but was heard via live video call from Michael D’Angora, who joined his husband and business partner at the podium. The late Hall of Fame inductees were represented by longtime friend Jeffrey Gross for Gersten, decades-long collaborators Charles Busch and Julie Halston for Halliday, and Oscar Eustis (Artistic Director, The Public Theater) for Libin.     

Ro Reddick (4th from left) and the team of Cold War Choir Practice (Photo: Ray Costello)

The awards and recipients were introduced by Off-Broadway Alliance President Peter Breger, who recounted their shows, careers, and contributions to Off-Broadway and stated with unbridled enthusiasm that the reason the OBA Awards exist is because, “We believe in Off-Broadway!” The acceptance speeches by the winners and those who represented them were equally effusive in praising their colleagues, their audiences, and the uniqueness, intimacy, and immediacy of Off-Broadway theater, which, they collectively noted, not only entertains, but teaches and inspires through humor and surprise, emotion and empathy.

Throughout the ceremony, a true sense of appreciation and community permeated the room, underscoring why the organization is rightly called the Off-Broadway Alliance. Congratulations and thanks to all the recipients for their outstanding contributions to Off-Broadway theater and their recognition by the OBA.

Deb cut her teeth in the dark of a Broadway house, watching everything the marquees had to offer long before she ever wrote a word about it. That early addiction turned into a career: over a decade as a Voter, Nominator, and Judge for the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre, and an active seat in the Outer Critics Circle — the kind of behind-the-curtain access most theater writers only dream about.
Her byline has traveled as much as she has. Stints living in Amsterdam, London, and Venice gave her a front-row seat to theater scenes far beyond Broadway, and she's written and lectured on the arts internationally ever since. She's held lead writer roles at Stage Magazine, Phindie, DC Theater Arts, and Central Voice — proof that her opinions on a production are backed by decades of watching, judging, and writing about the craft.