by Grayling Holmes

Each summer, thousands upon thousands of musical theater lovers fill the Kirkwood Center for Performing Arts with applause that spills assunder onto the streets of the suburban burg. Home of the storied theater group STAGES St. Louis, the accolades the company has collected for 40 years originate with founder Jack Lane. Forty years ago, along with his late husband Michael Hamilton, foretold possible international acclaim.

*STAGES St. Louis co-founder Jack Lane / 2023* photo by Ursula Ruhl

From the seeds Lane rooted in 1986 in the America, now have sown the nomination for Lane for the theater world’s highest honor, the Olivier Award. Lane may soon have the prestigious bronze statue sitting in a place of honor among the many awards he has collected throughout his illustrious career.

The Olivier Award is a bronze statuette that depicts the legendary actor Sir Lawrence Olivier as Henry V in the 1937 Old Vic production of the play. It was designed by sculptor Harry Franchetti.

The Laurence Olivier Awards, or Olivier Awards, are the highest honors in British theatre, recognizing excellence in professional London productions. Presented annually by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) since 1976, they are considered the UK equivalent to Broadway's Tony Awards, covering plays, musicals, opera, and dance.

The Olivier Awards are considered the equivalent of Broadway’s Tony Awards. Theatrical producer **Jack Lane** has won four Tony Awards as of June 2025. Known for his work as a co-producer on Broadway, he won for productions including "Fun Home" (2015) and "The Humans" (2016), “Company” (2022), and revival of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Sunset Boulevard”.

When on March 5th, the Society of London Theatre announced their 2026 nominations for the Olivier Awards, Lane became a first-time Olivier nominee. Two of his productions, Evita and The Producers picked up nominations for Best Revival of a Musical.

When the envelopes are opened at the 50th anniversary awards ceremony on April 12th, Lane may join the ranks of other famous producers such as Andrew Lloyd Webber (Cats ), Mel Brooks (The Producers), Matthew Bourne (Swan Lake), Sonia Friedman (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), and Cameron Mackintosh (Les Misérables).

He will do St. Louis proud.

Best known in St. Louis for bringing the pre-Broadway premier of The Karate Kid, The Musical to the stage before it became big hit, Jack has continued his trail of hits. A multi-Tony Award-winning Broadway producer, Lane has played a key role in bringing national attention to St. Louis theatre through productions like Company and Fun Home, and the aforementioned, The Karate Kid, The Musical, Evita and The Producers. Since leaving STAGES St. Louis, Lane has cemented his role in the industry — Broadway, Off-Broadway, West End, and U.K. producing powerhouse.

And it all began here. In 2022, The Karate Kid, The Musical was the first major residency of a pre-Broadway musical ever in St. Louis, and marked the establishment of a pre-Broadway tryout tradition here.

Karate Kid, The Musical had its pre-Broadway debut at a STAGES St. Louis in 2022 as shown in this YouTube video.

At STAGES St. Louis, the famed musical played to sold-out houses and critical acclaim - Jack and his fellow producers announced yesterday the full casting for the United Kingdom premiere production of THE KARATE KID - THE MUSICAL!

The Karate Kit, the Musical to make its premier in the United Kingdom.

Lane and Hamilton received the 2020 Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award from the St. Louis Arts & Education Council. In 2023, Lane transitioned to a consultant role in 2023.

More About Jack Lane

Co-Founder of STAGES St. Louis and Broadway Producer Jack Lane

Jack Lane has had an illustrious career in the theatre. Born in New York City Jack’s love for the performing arts began at a very early age when fifty years ago he was bitten by Broadway when attending the original production of 1776. There was no turning back for Jack.

Followed by an acting career where he played such theatrical roles as Tony in WEST SIDE STORY and Henrik in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, Jack decided to pivot his talents to the behind the scenes of the theatre business. In 1987, Jack joined St. Louis native Michael Hamilton in opening STAGES St. Louis, a mid-sized regional theatre devoted to musicals. Over the 36 years Jack spent at STAGES he saw an enormous annual growth that culminated in the opening of the $25M Kirkwood Performing Arts Center in 2021. In 2022 during Jack’s final season, STAGES hosted the first ever pre-Broadway tryout production in St. Louis, THE KARATE KID, The Musical.

Jack’s Broadway producing career began in 2014 with the acclaimed play, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER. Since that time Jack has produced fifteen Broadway productions, been nominated for eight Tony Awards and won four. He has also produced extensively off-Broadway, on national tours, and in London’s West End where he made his debut in 2025. For the first time, Jack was recently nominated for a prestigious Olivier Award for co-producing the West End production of EVITA which will transfer to Broadway in Fall of 2026. Upcoming, Jack is the Lead Producer on the Broadway bound productions of ALWAYS…PATSY CLINE and WORKING GIRL. In addition, Jack will go full circle when he produces the premiere UK tour of THE KARATE KID in Spring of 2026, followed by the Toronto engagement in the Fall of that year. Outside of the theatre, Jack produced his first film in 2025, the highly regarded documentary, A MAN WITH SOLE, THE IMPACT OF KENNETH COLE.

Jack plans to continue focusing his time on producing in New York, London, North America, or wherever great projects take him.

STAGES St. Louis Founder Jack Lane Does Gateway City Proud with First Olivier Award Nod

More About Jack Lane