Johnny Shea wins Norton gold!

On June 1, 2026, actor Johnny Shea reunited with his cast mates from the Stage Company's fall production of tick, tick... BOOM! to perform "Louder than Words". Johnny and many of his "TTB" team members (including costar Vanessa Calantropo, music director Jordan Oczkowski, and director-choreographer Ilyse Robbins) were also nominated for one of Boston's highest honors for regional theaters and theater-makers.

After their electrifying reunited performance and as the night drew close to its conclusion, Johnny's nominated category for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical was announced, and The Umbrella earned its first Norton win. The full text of Johnny's acceptance speech is below, and we echo his thanks as well as thank him for turning out a tremendous performance as Jon, the heart of the play and stand-in for composer-lyricist Jonathan Larson himself (RENT).

Jonathan Larson’s spirit feels so alive in this room tonight. tick, tick…BOOM! is really a love letter to live theater and the process of making it happen. The show is, as Chris Ehlers put it, a valentine to the stubbornly creative, and this room is filled with the stubbornly creative - artists who love what we do so much that we fight against the odds to make theater. 

RENT is a show that made me fall in love with theater as a kid and helped me realize I wanted to pursue it. When I saw that The Umbrella was producing tick, tick…BOOM!, I knew I had to audition. I’m so glad I did, and I feel so grateful for the warm welcome from everyone at The Umbrella and the Boston theater community.

This show came to me at a time when I hadn’t acted in a while, and I sometimes felt like a fraud even calling myself an actor. When Jonathan Larson wrote tick, tick…BOOM! he was doing it because he loved it, and working on this show was a great reminder that every opportunity we get to do this is a real blessing. What a way to spend a day, indeed.

I have to say endless thanks to the Boston Theatre Critics Association and my fellow nominees. I feel so honored to be a part of this. 

Thank you to my amazing cast. Anthony and Vanessa, thank you for your generosity, your humor, and your immense talent. A three-person show requires a lot of trust, and sharing the stage with you both was pure joy.

To our incredible band, led by Jordan Oczkowski, thank you for breathing such vibrant life into this beautiful score and for steadying our ship every performance.

To Ilyse Robbins, our director: thank you for this chance, and for a work environment that was both comfortable and challenging. Our work was rooted in play, joy, and trust, and we would not be here tonight if not for your vision, guidance, and belief.

Thank you to Brian, Shauwna, Jeff, Tader, Joe, Kira, Carlie, Leanna, Zoe, and everyone at The Umbrella for all of your hard work and dedication on this show. 

Thank you to Mom, Dad, Julianne, Ellen, and Melissa -- I couldn’t do this without you. (And a special Happy Birthday to my sister, Julianne!) To Louisa, thank you for your support and inspiration. You are the best teammate and anchor. I love you.

Finally, thank you to Jonathan Larson for sharing your gifts with the world and inspiring generations. Thank you so much.