New Dramatists, a Tony Award-honored organization dedicated to nurturing new generations of playwrights, will honor Tony Award winner Idina Menzel and Tony nominee Tina Landau at the organization’s annual spring luncheon tribute. The event will take place on May 27 at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, beginning at 11:15 a.m. The luncheon will also honor the Shubert Foundation, which will receive the 2025 Isobel Konecky Award.
Menzel won a Tony for originating the role of Elphaba in 2003’s “Wicked.” She previously was nominated for her featured turn in 1996’s “Rent” and received a subsequent nod for 2014’s “If/Then.” Menzel currently leads the new tuner “Redwood,” which she conceived with Landau. Landau, who serves as the production’s director, also provided the musical’s book and co-wrote the lyrics. A Tony nominee for helming 2017’s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” Landau is slated to direct the upcoming Main Stem bow of “Floyd Collins,” for which she wrote the book and provided additional lyrics.
“Tina Landau and Idina Menzel are two galvanizing artists who have created some of the most memorable productions/performances in theater history,” said New Dramatists artistic director Emily Morse in a statement. “Now, with Tina’s and Idina's creative paths converging on Broadway this season in ‘Redwood,’ the intertwining of their vision and presence to build — and bring to life — a wholly original new musical is cause for much attention and celebration. This May, at our spring luncheon, New Dramatists looks forward to honoring them as iconoclastic individual artists and uplifting their powerful collaboration.”
The Shubert Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Shubert Organization, which owns and operates 17 of Broadway’s 41 venues. The Konecky Award is the namesake of Isobel Konecky, Tony-nominated producer and former board president of New Dramatists who passed away in 2021, and her spouse, former entertainment attorney Ron Konecky. The award acknowledges those in the theater and entertainment industry “who serve the field with passion, dedication, excellence and leadership.”
“As the nation’s largest funder dedicated to unrestricted funding of not-for-profit theater and dance companies, The Shubert Foundation is truly a national champion of the performing arts,” noted Christie Brown, New Dramatists’ executive director. “They’re a cornerstone of our field’s strength and resilience, most recently evidenced by their substantial support of over 650 performing arts grantees in 2024.”
