Gleason, Hwang and Newman Join Tony Nominating Committee

The coming season's Tony Awards Nominating Committee, which will choose nominees for Tonys to be presented on June 10, 2007, has been announced. This year's slate includes 26 nominators, including 10 new members appointed for three-year terms. Among those joining the panel are Tony-winning actresses Joanna Gleason and Phyllis Newman and Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang.

Just before this past season's Tony telecast, Broadway.com compiled extensive biographies of the 2006 committee, 16 of whom will continue. Among those whose terms ended after the 2006 awards are actor Stephen Bogardus and composers Kirsten Childs and Nancy Ford. New committee members are indicated below with an asterisk:

Victoria Bailey, Executive Director, Theatre Development Fund
*Joe Benincasa, President, The Actors' Fund of America
Susan Birkenhead, Lyricist
Edward Burbridge, Scenic Designer
*Robert Callely,Theater Executive
Ben Cameron, Program Director for the Arts, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
Betty Corwin, Retired Director of the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts
*John Dias, Producer, Dramaturg, Educator
Mercedes Ellington, Choreographer
*Sue Frost, Producer/Company Manager
*Joanna Gleason, Actor
Andrew Jackness, Scenic Designer
*David Henry Hwang, Playwright
*Betty Jacobs, Script Consultant/Theater Historian
Robert Kamlot,Retired General Manager
Todd London, Artistic Director, New Dramatists
Brian Stokes Mitchell, Actor
Peter Neufeld, Former General Manager
*Phyllis Newman, Actor/Writer/Lyricist
Lynn Nottage, Playwright
Gilbert Parker, Retired Senior Vice President of the William Morris Agency
Jonathan Reynolds, Playwright/Screenwriter
*Steve Suskin, Theater Author
Jac Venza, Retired Executive, WNET
*Tom Viola, President, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Franklin Weissberg, Retired Judge of the New York State Court of Claims