Naming of Theatre Awards and New Stage, Hall of Fame...
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Muny Tribute to Ken Page includes
Naming of Theatre Awards and
New Stage, Hall of Fame Induction
The Muny will honor St. Louis theatre legend Ken Page by renaming the St. Louis High School Musical Theatre Awards, dedicating a new stage in his name and inducting him into the Muny Hall of Fame. A fund has also been established in Page’s name. “Since the loss of our beloved friend — a man who was truly the voice, heart and spirit of The Muny — we have been working to find ways to honor the remarkable legacy of Ken Page,” said Muny President & CEO Kwofe Coleman. “Ken’s impact on each of us was truly immeasurable, but my hope is that through these opportunities we can continue to pay it forward.”
The plans were revealed at a memorial event April 11 at the Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis. Page died Sept. 30 at age 70. I’m truly happy that Ken’s name will live on forever at the theatre he called home,” said Muny Artistic Director & Executive Producer Mike Isaacson.
The Ken Page Awards
Starting with the 2025-26 academic year, the St. Louis High School Musical Theatre Awards — an annual celebration of outstanding achievement in high school musical theatre — will become the Ken Page Awards.
Participating schools’ productions are evaluated by a panel of theatre professionals in a process that culminates in a ceremony modeled on the Tony Awards. The awards are presented by the Carol B. Loeb Foundation and produced by The Muny, the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation and the Fabulous Fox Theatre.
This year’s awards will be handed out May 15 at the Fabulous Fox Theatre.
The outstanding actress and outstanding actor winners are sent to New York City for a weeklong, all-expenses-paid theatre intensive led by Broadway professionals. The week ends with the Jimmy Awards — a program of the Broadway League Foundation — in which the nation’s top two young performers are selected.
Learn more about the awards at slhsmta.com.
An aerial view of the new Kooyumjian Family Plaza and Ken Page Stage at The Muny in Forest Park. Rendering by SWT Design The Ken Page Stage
As a permanent memorial at the theatre that was Page’s creative home for more than five decades, The Muny will introduce the Ken Page Stage. This outdoor performance space will be located on the new Kooyumjian Family Plaza, directly behind the theatre’s free seats, where Page enjoyed his first childhood visits to The Muny.
The Ken Page Stage will host performances by local dancers and musicians as part of The Muny’s nightly Preshow Festival. The stage is the focal point of a complete renovation of the upper plaza — funded by a $5 million gift from the Thomas A. Kooyumjian Family Foundation — that will create a more welcoming and equitable experience for all Muny patrons.
Kooyumjian Family Plaza and the Ken Page Stage will be revealed June 1 at Season Showcase: An Exclusive Donor Event. The plaza opens to the public when the 2025 Muny season begins June 16.
Find the schedule of preshow performances at muny.org/visit/preshow-festival.
Memorial Gifts
Contributions made to The Muny in honor of Page will be used by our education department to directly support young performers in their first season with us.
“We’ll also be able to help young artists who are developing their careers,” Coleman said, “whether it’s helping someone cover housing for an internship or helping a family purchase the items they need for their young performer.”
