The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF) has announced that Michael Mayer will receive the 2027 “Mr. Abbott” Award. The honor, which is granted annually to a director or choreographer in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Broadway, will be presented to Mayer during SDCF’s gala on March 22, 2027, at Gotham Hall.
The “Mr. Abbott” Award is administered by SDCF, the philanthropic arm of the Stage Directors and Choreographers society, the union that represents directors and choreographers throughout the United States. The foundation provides opportunities for directors and choreographers to practice their craft, gathers and distributes useful career information, promotes the professions to emerging talent and more. The award is named in honor of the late George Abbott, a renowned, two-time Tony Award-winning director who received additional Tonys for book-writing as well as two special Tonys.
On Broadway, Mayer helmed the original productions of “American Idiot,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” “Swept Away,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and “Spring Awakening,” earning the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for the latter. Mayer’s most recent Main Stem directing credit was the 2025 revival of “Chess”; he is also directing the upcoming new musical “Galileo,” which will officially open at the Shubert Theatre on Dec. 6. Off-Broadway, he directs the ongoing revival of “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Westside Theatre. In addition to his directing work, Mayer has served as a co-producer on “Chess,” “Swept Away” and “Liberation,” the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Bess Wohl.
He has brought theater and Broadway to the screen, directing a 2018 film adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull” and four episodes — including the pilot — of the Broadway-inspired television series “Smash.”
“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,” said SDCF gala co-chair Tom Hulce in a statement. “Over the next 25+ 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.”
“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,” said 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.”
Co-chairing the 2027 SDCF gala with Hulce are Johanna Pfaelzer, Jordan Roth and Ellenore Scott. Lorin Latarro will direct the evening, with Dick Scanlan serving as writer. Proceeds from the gala will benefit the programs of SDCF, which include fellowships and professional development programs for choreographers and directors, the Lynnette Barkley Fund to support the production of new work and an emergency assistance fund to aid members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
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