Theatre Albany to host first Costello Awards Show

ALBANY – Theatre Albany has performed for the community for 92 years, but for the first time, it plans to celebrate the hard work that goes into each show with an award ceremony.

The first Costello Awards Show will be held Aug. 16, featuring musical performances, an award show recognizing ten award categories and VIP access to food and drink. Tickets for the show are $30 and $60 for VIP access. The dress code is Black tie. Anyone is welcome – whether a theater familiar or newcomer. 

“It’s going to be like the Tony Awards,” Randy Harrell, the Theatre’s general manager said. “It’s a party … a reward to the community because when you do a show here, it’s demanding. Getting the applause at the end of the day is an award in itself, but by doing this it also gives us an end of season party.” 

Harrell plans to make the Costello Awards Show an annual event. It’s named after Mark Costello who was the sole director of Theatre Albany for over three decades. A room in the theater is also being renamed after Costello.

“When somebody’s dedicated that much of their life to a place, their name needs to still be here,” Harrell said.”

It’s been one year since Harrell became the theater’s General manager. He took the role with the goal of making Theatre Albany more of a community space, hosting events that welcomed newcomers in. One year later, the theater has seen many of those goals met. It hosted two murder mysteries and a Valentines Day BlackBox Diner, catered by local restaurant Canterbury Kitchen. In July, it wrapped up its monthlong youth summer camp where students produced a full production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in just 17 days. 

Through its events, the theater raised enough money to repair its roof and upgrade its sound and lighting system. 

Theatre Albany put on August Wilson’s 1985 play “Fences;” its first all-Black play in its history, in March. 

“I think for the first year, we were incredibly successful in everything we wanted to do,” Harrell said. “Of course, there are things that can get better … or some things I want to do … but they’ll come over time.” 

He said he came into the manager role wanting to host an award show to make everyone in the theater community feel celebrated, The Award Show will recognize superlatives like “Best Actor” or “Best Director” but also two rising stars from the youth performance and a “Volunteer of the Year” award to celebrate “someone who’s gone above and beyond, not just on the stage, but backstage.” 

The winners were chosen through polls sent out to audiences post-performance and also posted on social media. 

“I also want the awards to attract the attention of people who are on the outside, on the fringe, thinking about getting involved,” Harrell said. “I’m hoping this will pull in another 20-30 people a year that come audition for shows.”

He said his first year saw a huge upswing of new people in the theater – almost the entire cast of Theatre Albany’s “Little Women” performance was made up of newcomers. Harrell said there were also a good number of people who returned to the theater to be involved after 10 or 15 years away. 

“I polled every audience at our events and surprisingly, 60% to 70% of the audience … had never been to the building before,” he said. “That was a big reason why I wanted to do those things – to pull people in and show them that you can use this place, not just for musicals and plays. That’s its primary use, but by getting them in the door, it got their attention on other things that we offer. Because the number one thing I hear is, ‘I didn’t know this place was here.’”

Harrell said he wants Award Show attendees to see how fun and creative the Theatre Albany community and space are. 

“And also how this place shows love and appreciation to the people who make this place,” he said. “Because I can throw on the wall that we’re gonna do five shows this year, but if community members don’t show up to volunteer, to help and audition and be in the cast and work backstage, then we don’t do five shows.”

Theatre Albany’s 2025-26 season opens on Sept. 12 with “9 to 5 the Musical.” The theater will also put on “A Christmas Carol,” “Cinderella,” “See how They Run” and “The Color Purple the Musical.” 

Season passes, individual tickets and Costello Awards tickets are available at theatrealbany.com or by giving Theatre Albany a call at 229-439-7141.