Curtain comes down on the Ivey Awards

The Twin Cities theater awards program known as the Iveys is going out of business.

An announcement from the Iveys board on Wednesday said organizers had found it "increasingly difficult" to raise the necessary funds for the annual awards show. The program counted 76 participating theaters at last year's event, held at the State Theatre in downtown Minneapolis.

Since its founding in 2005, the Ivey Awards has honored scores of Twin Cities theater artists, and organizers claimed it was the best-attended theater-awards program outside the Tony Awards.

"We are proud of the great run the Ivey Awards has had for the past 13 years, though just like a production playing to sold-out crowds, sometimes good things come to an end," said the announcement, signed by board president Fran Davis. "Therefore, after very careful thought and consideration, the Ivey Awards is ending its run."

The Ivey Awards maintained a fluid format over the years, handing out awards to varying numbers of productions, performers and other artists. It also gave out awards for emerging artists and for lifetime achievement.