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Drew Murphy, Broadway in Boston

As president of the largest producer of world-class theater in Boston, Murphy is the go-to guy in local theater. With the incredible success of The Lion King and The Phantom of the Opera, and the renovation of the Opera House, Broadway in Boston — and Murphy — are more influential than ever.

Nicholas Martin, Huntington Theatre Company

As the Norma Jean Calderwood artistic director at the Huntington Theatre, Martin brings a creative brilliance to the Boston theater scene. His résumé is long and varied, his connections impeccable, and his talent extraordinary.

Mikko Nissinen, Boston Ballet

As artistic director of one of the city’s highest-profile arts institutions, Nissinen has the requisite charm, good looks, and forward-thinking talent to take the company to the next level of acclaim. His productions are creatively infused with an element of contemporary flair, which is the kind of energy this city so desperately needs — especially within its fine-arts community.

Keith Lockhart and James Levine, Pops and BSO

Say what you want about the state of classical music, but these two guys can get the best table in the city’s best restaurant on a moment’s notice. Lockhart, the boyishly telegenic conductor of the Boston Pops, has an internationally recognized face, thanks in part to having carried the baton at over 600 concerts during his tenure with the Pops. Levine, the powerfully talented music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is better known in New York (where he has worked with the Metropolitan Opera since 1971) than in Boston, but local music lovers are learning fast — Levine is a world-class artist.

Josiah A. Spaulding Jr., Wang Center

Spaulding is the president and CEO of the Wang Center, one of our city’s most important cultural institutions. The son of a Republican bigwig in Massachusetts (Josiah Spaulding Sr. ran against Senator Kennedy in 1970), Spaulding has needed every iota of political cunning he’s been able to summon in the past years to handle controversies at the Wang (including one over his salary) and the rise of Broadway in Boston/Clear Channel. Through it all, Spaulding has remained an extremely influential figure in Boston arts.

Libbie Shufro, BCA

As president and CEO of the Boston Center for the Arts, Shufro oversees one of Boston’s most important nonprofit arts institutions. The BCA presents cutting-edge theater, dance, music, and art in all their forms, and Shufro is the cog that keeps it all together.

Jill Medvedow, ICA

Ladies and gentleman, construction is well under way! We speak, of course, of the Institute of Contemporary Art’s new space on Fan Pier, which is projected to open sometime in 2006. This will do much to make the ICA a global presence in the world of provocative, innovative, forward-thinking art. Medvedow, the James Sachs Plaut director of the ICA, has been instrumental in driving this project forward — but what would you expect? She’s a Player.

Mike Dreese, Newbury Comics

Newbury Comics is the little record store that could, and that momentum has come directly from its co-founder (with John Brusgar) and CEO, Mike Dreese. Dreese’s impact on the local music scene is considerable, partially because his store has the ability to move a ton of product, but more for his overall influence in the industry. Dreese and Newbury Comics are also very involved with the Berklee School of Music.

John Peters, MassConcerts

Peters is another feel-good example of one guy with a dream going head-to-head with the corporate giants, and coming out profitable, smiling, and rocking. MassConcerts produces shows at New England’s biggest and best venues, including the Orpheum, the Palladium, the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, in Providence; Agganis Arena; Harpers Ferry; the Mullins Center, in Amherst; the Middle East Downstairs; the Roxy; the Somerville Theatre; and more.

Adam Lewis, Planetary Group

The Planetary Group is one of the top music-promotion companies in the East, working with bands and labels both near (in Boston) and far (try China). As CEO, co-founder, and co-owner, Lewis is the man with the plan, and most certainly a Player.

Mike Denneen and Jen Trynin, Q Division

Denneen and Trynin are a true Player pair. He is a founder of and producer for Somerville’s Q Division Records, one of the great hip New England labels; she is an author and musician who currently plays in the band Loveless. They are Boston’s own version of a rock-and-roll royal couple.

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Debi Greenberg, Louis Boston

With the ownership of many large department stores located far away from Boston, it is reassuring to know that Louis Boston president Debi Greenberg is here and on the scene. Since taking over the family business from her father, Murray, Greenberg has infused the store with a younger, funkier vibe, making it perhaps the premier shopping destination in the city.

Marco Evangelisti, I Soci and Soca

An incredibly talented stylist, Evangelisti owns two of Newbury Street’s busiest and most respected salons, I Soci and Salon Soca. He also works tirelessly for charities such as breast-cancer research. Tireless is the key word for this dynamo, who has won awards for both his work with the shears and his entrepreneurial savvy.

Theo Epstein, Boston Red Sox

Since day games are such a small part of the schedule, you could argue that Epstein works in nightlife. And since Theo was so instrumental in bringing that long-awaited championship trophy to Boston, he will always be a Player in this town. Although he isn’t a larger-than-life personality, the guy is a draw wherever he goes. And, in another true test of Player-ship, every person on this list would return his call.

Tom Brady, New England Patriots

He is Boston’s biggest movie star, and he doesn’t make movies. The precision passing, the steely leadership, and oh, that dimpled chin give him equal appeal to both genders. If it is announced that Brady will attend a charity event, it immediately sells out.

Gretchen Monahan, Grettacole, GrettaLuxe, and G-Spa

Boston’s reigning queen of beauty gets a ton of national press, and lives up to the hype by providing our city with some of its most fashion-forward boutiques and salons. Does it hurt that she’s demurely attractive? Um, no. In the beauty world, Monahan is a Player.

Kenn Gray, Kenn Gray Interiors, Travel Spies host

His eponymous, award-winning interior-design business is booming. His connections in the art world (he was previously a director at the Judi Rotenberg Gallery, he served as guest art director for STUFF@night’s recent spring fashion spread, and he chairs fundraising for the ICA’s New Group) are fantastic. Most significantly, he is about to become nationally famous as a co-host of the Discovery Channel’s Travel Spies, which launches on June 13. The show will feature Gray as part of an undercover team that works to expose — with hidden cameras, even — false advertising in the travel industry.

William George, James Joseph Salon

Much has been written about the affable George, and with good cause: his salon is one of the finest in the country. George brings both an artist’s creativity and a businessman’s savvy to the operation, which is fast becoming Boston’s salon to the stars. He and his team do work for shows all over the country, and have been featured in the pages of the world’s finest fashion magazines. And, in the true test of a Player, George throws a killer party.

Riccardo Dallai Jr. and Riccardo Dallai, Ricccadi

For over 27 years, Riccardo Dallai has been a fixture on Newbury Street. The Italian native helped introduce Boston to such designers as John Galliano, Prada, and Dolce & Gabbana. His Riccardi store is a key wardrobe source for many of the Players on this list.

And now, with his son Riccardo Dallai Jr., Dallai is working on opening (in early August) a new, completely different boutique on Newbury Street. The new project will feature interiors by hot young artists, and will change every year. The clothing will be reasonably priced street wear. Already, the fashion community is buzzing in anticipation.