What actor doesnt dream of hearing those immortal words, And the winner is before her name? For Natascia Diaz, that dream became a reality Monday evening at the 2009 Helen Hayes Awards ceremony honoring the best of theatrical performances in the Washington region.

Oh my God, said Diaz as she accepted the coveted award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a resident musical for her role in last summers MetroStage production of ROOMS, a rock romance.

Diaz, who was visibly surprised by the honor, played Monica P. Miller, an ambitious Scottish punk rocker in an autobiographical play by Paul Scott Goodman that also starred Doug Kreeger, himself a Helen Hayes Award nominee.

MetroStage launched the world premiere of the play, which is now gaining national acclaim off-Broadway on the New World Stages. The original MetroStage sets are being used in the New York production.

Diaz shares her award with theatre royalty, having tied with two-time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera, who was nominated for her role in Signature Theatres production of The Visit.

Signature Theatre, who made history with a record-breaking 39 nominations, led the evening with 10 wins, six coming for their blockbuster production of Les Miserables.

Despite its New York success, ROOMS lost the Outstanding Resident Musical honor to Les Miserables, which led the evening with 13 nominations.

This is a great honor for Natascia, said MetroStage Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin. Although we did have high hopes for the outstanding musical award, its still exciting to share in the attention that ROOMS is bringing to MetroStage.