The American Theater Hall has named its new slate of honorees. The 2024 inductees include Elizabeth Ashley, Charles Busch, William Finn, Boyd Gaines, Todd Haimes, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Donna Murphy and David Rabe. The group will be feted for their lifetime contributions to the American theater at a ceremony on Nov. 18 at the Gershwin Theatre, home of the Hall of the Fame.
Ashley’s stage career spans six decades, having made her Broadway debut in 1959’s “The Highest Tree.” She won a Tony Award in 1962 for her featured turn in “Take Her, She’s Mine.” She garnered additional nominations for creating the role of Corie Bratter in 1963’s “Barefoot in the Park” and for taking on the role of Maggie the Cat in the first Main Stem revival of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” She most recently appeared on Broadway in the 2014 revival of “You Can’t Take It With You.”
Busch has enjoyed a career as both a writer and performer, known for frequently taking on campy roles in drag. Busch’s works include “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom,” the solo show “Flipping My Wig,” “Die, Mommie, Die!” and “The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife,” the latter of which earned him a 2001 Best Play Tony nomination. Busch received a Drama Desk Award for lifetime achievement in 2003.
Finn received dual 1992 Tony Awards for his book and score of “Falsettos.” His other credits include penning the score and co-writing the book for Off-Broadway’s “A New Brain,” and writing the score for “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” which earned him an additional Tony nomination.
Gaines is one of only five individuals who have been nominated in all four of the Tony Awards’ acting categories. Having won four Tony Awards, he is tied with Frank Langella as the most-decorated male actor. Gaines won in 1989 for “The Heidi Chronicles,” 1994 for “She Loves Me,” 2000 for “Contact” and 2008 for “Gypsy.”
Haimes, the sole posthumous honoree, is the former artistic director and CEO of Roundabout Theatre Company. Haimes spent 40 years with the nonprofit before his passing in 2023. He helped the organization move to Broadway in 1991 and, under his leadership, 11 Roundabout productions won a Tony for Best Musical, Play or Revival, out of 50 nominations. In 2024, the American Airlines Theatre, Roundabout’s flagship venue, was renamed in his honor.
Henderson is a two-time Tony nominee, having received a nod in 2010 for his featured turn in “Fences” and his leading role for 2022’s “Between Riverside and Crazy.” In 2023, he received lifetime achievement awards from both the Drama Desks and the Lucille Lortels.
Murphy’s New York theater credits span four decades. She won Tony Awards for her leading turns in 1994’s “Passion” and the 1996 revival of “The King and I.” Murphy received additional nominations for “Wonderful Town,” Lovemusik” and “The People in the Picture.” Off-Broadway, she has made appearances in “Song of Singapore,” Hello Again” and the Shakespeare in the Park production of “Into the Woods.”
Rabe won the 1972 Best Play Tony for “Sticks and Bones,” his inaugural Main Stem production. He received additional nominations for 1973’s “Boom Boom Room,” 1976’s “Streamers” and 1983’s “Hurlyburly.”
The Hall of Fame was founded in 1970 by James M. Nederlander, Earl Blackwell and
Gerard Oestreicher. Eight honorees are selected annually by over 200 theater critics and past inductees. To be eligible, each individual must have worked in professional theater for over 25 years.
