Michael Mayer has been named the winner of the 2027 Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation’s “Mr. Abbott” Award, given annually to a director or choreographer for outstanding contributions to Broadway. Mayer, soon to be represented on Broadway at the helm of rock musical Galileo, will be honored at the Foundation’s gala March 22, 2027 at Gotham Hall in NYC.
Lorin Latarro is directing the evening, with Dick Scanlan writing.
“I first became aware of Michael Mayer’s extraordinary work in 1998, when I saw his acclaimed productions of Side Man, A View from the Bridge, and Stupid Kids in one amazing season,” says gala co-chair Tom Hulce. “Over the next 25-plus years, it has been my great good fortune to work with Michael on almost a dozen projects, each one lifted by his artistic imagination, meticulous craftsmanship, and an instinct to celebrate our humanity in all its glorious variety. I look forward to all his work yet to come—and to celebrating his work and artistry with our community as he receives the much-deserved SDCF ‘Mr. Abbott’ Award.”
“Michael Mayer has spent his extraordinary, entirely freelance, career expanding our sense of what is possible onstage,” adds SDCF President Leigh Silverman. “He has created work that changed the theatrical landscape and inspired generations of both artists and audiences to imagine differently. He has been a powerful advocate for SDC [and] an executive board member, and his steadfast commitment to mentorship has been essential to our SDCF community. Michael embodies both the core values and vast artistic achievements of the esteemed ‘Mr. Abbott’ Award, and it is an honor to celebrate him this year.”
“While I could never hope to fill the great George Abbott’s shoes, receiving the ‘Mr. Abbott’ award from my peers is a true honor,” says Mayer. “My heart is overflowing with gratitude to the directors and choreographers who have impacted my aesthetic, and indeed my life, with their work. I’m profoundly grateful to SDCF for this recognition.”
Mayer is a Tony winner for the original Broadway production of Spring Awakening. In recent seasons, he’s directed Funny Girl, Swept Away, and Chess, and is also at the helm of the long-running Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors.
For more information visit SDCFoundation.org.