Winners of the 2023 Heartstring Awards—honoring ingenuity and creativity in the Chicago theatre market—have been announced. The Heartstrings are bestowed by Life and Times, under the direction of chief theatre critic Rikki Lee Travolta.

The winners in this year's performance categories include Erica Stephan for Cabaret at Porchlight Music Theatre (Leading Performer in a Female Role in a Musical), Kyle Patrick for Kokandy Productions’ American Psycho (Leading Performer in a Male Role in a Musical), Rebecca Spence for Court Theatre’s The Lion in Winter (Leading Performer in a Female Role in a Play), and Julian Hester for Witch presented by The Artistic Home (Leading Performer in a Male Role in a Play).

Celebrated productions include Marriott Theatre’s Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Most Meaningful Musical), Factory Theater’s The Kelly Girls (Most Meaningful Play), TimeLine Theatre’s Boulevard of Bold Dreams (Most Meaningful World Premiere), and Frankenstein by The Black Box Theatre at McHenry County College (Most Meaningful Student/Community Production).

Creative and technical musical awards include Des McAnuff for Goodman Theatre’s Broadway-bound The Who’s Tommy (Direction, Large Venue, Musical), Lauren Berman for 4 Charis Theatre’s Ride the Cyclone (Direction, Medium Venue, Musical), and Matthew Silar for Citadel Theatre’s She Loves Me (Direction, Small Venue, Musical). 

Non-musical creative and technical awards include Barbara Gaines for The Comedy of Errors at Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Direction, Large Venue, Play), Braden Abraham for Eurydice at Writers Theatre (Direction, Medium Venue, Play), and Sean Hargadon for D.O.A. at Steel Beam Theatre (Direction, Small Venue, Play).

The 2023 Heartstrings Awards included 57 categories, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award for Madeline Franklin, and a special honor for the late actor and director Richard Pahl.

For the full list of winners and further information, visit WP.ME.