Imagine winning an award that has been presented to seven former presidents and other American heroes including Muhammad Ali, Sandra Day O’Connor and Rosa Parks.
Some might be cocky after such an impressive accomplishment; this isn’t the case for Phoenix’s winner of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award.
“I’m inspired,” said Michael Barnard, Phoenix Theatre’s producing artistic director. “I’m very proud and humbled by the people I work with.”
Barnard has worked in theaters across the country, including a stint at Disneyland. High pressure, homesickness and traffic sent him back to his home in the Valley. In 1999, he began his 19-year run at Phoenix Theatre.
Now, he has won the Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award for his artistic and charitable contributions to the Valley.
The award is granted to “those who have greatly contributed to our national identity while preserving the distinct values and heritage of their ancestors,” Barnard said.
In other words, the award celebrates the genius, ideas, cultures and thoughts that create a “mosaic of diverse backgrounds.”
“It’s from this diversity that the United States is still a beacon of hope for so many,” Barnard said.
Barnard said he was nominated for his “work in giving back to charities and nonprofits.”
“I direct entertainment and write their events, and … I don’t get paid for that,” he said. “I do that as a way to give back to our community for creating a sense of arts diversity at the theatre.”
He does this through programming, casting and the development of new work, “in particular, in subject matters of hope and understanding.”
Barnard is now working on two musicals, the first of which is “Cooking’s a Drag,” a journey of an aging drag queen clinging to youth.
“It’s a very funny, tongue-in-cheek thing that also addresses some of the social issues that we are dealing with in our country, from sexual harassment to the whole #MeToo movement to dieting and obesity and self-image and all those kinds of things,” he said.
His other upcoming show is “Americano.”
“It’s the true story of a dreamer here in Arizona,” Barnard said. “It’s his story of what he has been able to accomplish for his country, and for himself, and for his family. It’s being composed by a really exciting Latino composer. Her name is Carrie Rodriguez out of Austin, Texas. Her sound is very cool.”
Along with these exciting shows, you can also look forward to his recreation of the classic “West Side Story.”
Despite all his artistic accomplishments, Barnard thanks his family at the Phoenix Theatre.
“I feel very, very lucky to be able to work at a place where the staff, board of directors, the artists, and the patrons who attend are all so extraordinary,” he said.
“I love the arts, I love this country, I believe in others, and I always try to look for the good in people,” Barnard said. “I’m not afraid of the work that it takes to accomplish the goals for a better place to live in this community … If there was something to be remembered for, that would be what it is.”
Correction April 10: An earlier version of this article left out part of the name of the award Michael Barnhard received. It has been updated to reflect the award’s full name, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Contact the columnist at sosulli2@asu.edu.
