Hollywood stormed Radio City Music Hall at this year’s Tony Awards, as bold-faced names more regularly associated with the silver screen walked away with the lion’s share of the evening’s statuettes, including Denzel Washington, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Scarlett Johansson. Meanwhile, the American rock n’ roll story Memphis won for Best Musical and the British artworld production, Red, won Best Play and five other Tonys. Read on for the full list of nominees and winners…
Best Play
In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play, Sarah Ruhl
Next Fall, Geoffrey Nauffts
Red, John Logan
Time Stands Still, Donald Margulies
WINNER: Red, John Logan
Best Musical
American Idiot
Fela!
Memphis
Million Dollar Quartet
WINNER: Memphis
Best Book of a Musical
Everyday Rapture, Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott
Fela!, Jim Lewis & Bill T. Jones
Memphis, Joe DiPietro
Million Dollar Quartet, Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux
WINNER: Memphis
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Addams Family, Music & Lyrics: Andrew Lippa
Enron, Music: Adam Cork, Lyrics: Lucy Prebble
Fences, Music: Branford Marsalis
Memphis, Music: David Bryan, Lyrics: Joe DiPietro, David Bryan
WINNER: Memphis
Best Revival of a Play
Fences
Lend Me a Tenor
The Royal Family
A View from the Bridge
WINNER: Fences
Best Revival of a Musical
Finian’s Rainbow
La Cage aux Folles
A Little Night Music
Ragtime
WINNER: La Cage aux Folles
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Jude Law, Hamlet
Alfred Molina, Red
Liev Schreiber, A View from the Bridge
Christopher Walken, A Behanding in Spokane
Denzel Washington, Fences
WINNER: Denzel Washington, Fences
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Viola Davis, Fences
Valerie Harper, Looped
Linda Lavin, Collected Stories
Laura Linney, Time Stands Still
Jan Maxwell, The Royal Family
WINNER: Viola Davis, Fences
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Kelsey Grammer, La Cage aux Folles
Sean Hayes, Promises, Promises
Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles
Chad Kimball, Memphis
Sahr Ngaujah, Fela!
WINNER: Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin, Finian’s Rainbow
Montego Glover, Memphis
Christiane Noll, Ragtime
Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture
Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music
WINNER: Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
David Alan Grier, Race
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Fences
Jon Michael Hill, Superior Donuts
Stephen Kunken, Enron
Eddie Redmayne, Red
WINNER: Eddie Redmayne, Red
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Maria Dizzia, In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play
Rosemary Harris, The Royal Family
Jessica Hecht, A View from the Bridge
Scarlett Johansson, A View from the Bridge
Jan Maxwell, Lend Me a Tenor
WINNER: Scarlett Johansson, A View from the Bridge
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Kevin Chamberlin, The Addams Family
Robin De Jesús, La Cage aux Folles
Christopher Fitzgerald, Finian’s Rainbow
Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet
Bobby Steggert, Ragtime
WINNER: Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Barbara Cook, Sondheim on Sondheim
Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises
Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music
Karine Plantadit, Come Fly Away
Lillias White, Fela!
WINNER: Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises
Best Scenic Design of a Play
John Lee Beatty, The Royal Family
Alexander Dodge, Present Laughter
Santo Loquasto, Fences
Christopher Oram, Red
WINNER: Christopher Oram, Red
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici, Fela!
Christine Jones, American Idiot
Derek McLane, Ragtime
Tim Shortall, La Cage aux Folles
WINNER: Christine Jones, American Idiot
Best Costume Design of a Play
Martin Pakledinaz, Lend Me a Tenor
Constanza Romero, Fences
David Zinn, In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play
Catherine Zuber, The Royal Family
WINNER: Catherine Zuber, The Royal Family
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici, Fela!
Santo Loquasto, Ragtime
Paul Tazewell, Memphis
Matthew Wright, La Cage aux Folles
WINNER: Marina Draghici, Fela!
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, Hamlet
Neil Austin, Red
Mark Henderson, Enron
Brian MacDevitt, Fences
WINNER: Neil Austin, Red
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, American Idiot
Donald Holder, Ragtime
Nick Richings, La Cage aux Folles
Robert Wierzel, Fela!
WINNER: Kevin Adams, American Idiot
Best Sound Design of a Play
Acme Sound Partners, Fences
Adam Cork, Enron
Adam Cork, Red
Scott Lehrer, A View from the Bridge
WINNER: Adam Cork, Red
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans, La Cage aux Folles
Robert Kaplowitz, Fela!
Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen, A Little Night Music
Dan Moses Schreier, Sondheim on Sondheim
WINNER: Robert Kaplowitz, Fela!
Best Direction of a Play
Michael Grandage, Red
Sheryl Kaller, Next Fall
Kenny Leon, Fences
Gregory Mosher, A View from the Bridge
WINNER: Michael Grandage, Red
Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley, Memphis
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Ragtime
Terry Johnson, La Cage aux Folles
Bill T. Jones, Fela!
WINNER: Terry Johnson, La Cage aux Folles
Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Promises, Promises
Bill T. Jones, Fela!
Lynne Page, La Cage aux Folles
Twyla Tharp, Come Fly Away
WINNER: Bill T. Jones, Fela!
Best Orchestrations
Jason Carr, La Cage aux Folles
Aaron Johnson, Fela!
Jonathan Tunick, Promises, Promises
Daryl Waters & David Bryan, Memphis
WINNER: Daryl Waters & David Bryan, Memphis
It seemed as though every movie star there won tonight. Viola Davis’ speech was incredibly moving. Well deserved!
As usual, slumming A-listers gobble up parts to burnish their “street cred” and walk off with the awards. What a shame.
That a ridiculous statement as most of these “slumming hollywood A-lists” as you put it like Denzel Washington, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Kelsey Grammer started their careers in theatre/musical theatre and are classically trained. Christopher Walken made his broadway debut at 15. Thankfully Hollwood has also taken notice of them but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get to go back to their roots. Besides, if they weren’t hitting it out of the park they wouldn’t be nominated and they wouldn’t be winning. I think it’s great they didn’t just find silver screen success and leave the 8-show-a-week grind behind. Instead they bring a broader audience to it.
Thank you! I hate that people refer to Broadway as a “step down” for film stars. It’s just a completely different medium. A very surprising one too. I’m shocked Memphis won so many awards. Personally, I love American Idiot. I’m also crushed Liev Schreiber didn’t win. He was spectacular.
well, at least Liev has a Tony already. I feel bad for Alfred Molina, though–he’s been nominated 4 or 5 times already without a single win.
As for “Hollywood stars” winning all the awards, it must be remembered that in the 20s through the 60s, many Broadway stars appeared on the big screen and vice versa, so it’s not all that unusual for history to be repeating itself here (though admittedly i was surprised by Scarlett’s win).
Rather true, except for Viola Davis. She is the real deal.
I agree about Viola Davis, as I consider her a phenomenal stage actress who occasionally makes movies. As others have mentioned I’m not a fan of the recent influx of Hollywood types onto Broadway and it’s a shame that this usually increases ticket sales.
Well said, Susie Q. LOL, I think I understand what you are trying to say, but “slumming” is not a good choice of words.
I wound not call it ‘slumming’ but i get what you mean – stage actors work hard at their craft only to see awards time come around and have them scooped up by people known mostly for film & tv – this kind of ‘buffing your resume’ happens a lot with these same celbrities who ‘write’ books to be able to call themselves ‘authors’. It stinks for the people who spend years on the craft.
Most of those movie stars started on stage; Denzel started on Broadway, Viola, most of them. They’re back on Bdwy because the scripts being written now are written for teen actors and non-actors and CGI animations.
Still no love for Sherie Rene Scott, I see. Too bad that Angela Lansbury didn’t win: she’s a legend.
A legend who has shockingly done those nasty Hollywood movies! Love, love, love Angela Lansbury.
Catherine Zeta Jones looks horrible! What happened?
She not only looks horrible, she IS horrible in that role. She was totally out of her league. She looked like a scared rabbit thrust on stage and told to act and sing. I’ve seen all five nominated performances in that category, and I didn’t even think she deserved the nomination. I am shocked that she won. She was just that bad.
Was it a slow Broadway year? I took my friends to Memphis when they visited (only ones we could get at a discount) and found it subpar. It wasn’t bad…but it wasn’t GREAT. Surprised it won Best Musical and all the other awards.
Totally agree! Fela and American Idiot were better. I saw all three.
It has just been a bad year. I hated Fela (but the dancing was good) Memphis was just a dopey review that high school kids could have put together, and I loved American Idiot only because I like Greenday.
I loved AMERICAN IDIOT without knowing Green Day.
viola davis is the best actress of our generation. PLUS, she is eloquent and GORGEOUS!! well deserved!!!!
i always watch the tony’s to decide what i want to see off-broadway. “la cage” is one, also “american idiot” and “memphis”. i usually am bored to tears with plays, but i want to see “fences”. looks great.
Good luck getting tickets
Lots of winners here, but the big news is the losers… the losers being the theater going public and those of us who watched the Tony’s on TV. We had a Tony Party, but we eventually turned off the Tony’s and instead watched Legally Blonde. The show itself was lacking, and not from any one thing… it was just a poor showing from Broadway this year. Here’s hoping next year will be better.
there seemed to be a lot of audio problems this year, as well–a lot of cutting in and out. I wish they would show scenes from some of the plays like they used to, rather than having the actors explain them.
KATE BLANCHETTE (SPELLING) LOOKED LIKE SHE HAD HER LAST MEAL IN 1967. WHAT A BAD EXAMPLE FOR OUR CHILDREN. EATING DISORDERS ARE RAMPANT IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. SOMEONE NEEDS TO RESCUE HER. EAT KATE EAT…
Guess you didn’t catch Jade Pinkett (???) I kept wanting to reach through the television to feed her something. EWWWWW
agree! She just looked scary! (and bad dress too!)
OMG – I thought she looked like a skeleton!! And THAT outfit – she looked like an alien.
sorry – alien comment was for Kate — scary was for Jada
Kristin Chenowith could definitely use a Big Mac as well. Maybe two, poor shriveled thing.
i find it very hard to believe that scarlett johansson’s performance was the best this year, even among those nominated. stunt casting will only go away if we stop rewarding the practice. even though memphis was drab, at least it was a “broadway” show.
She got rave reviews. NY critics are not kind to actors who are bad, so she must have deserved it.
@simcha42: I was skeptical regarding her performance as well, but after looking up reviews for the show online I discovered that she got near unanimous praise for her role. Maybe she should continue exploring a career in theater.
She was terrific in the role. Totally committed.
I thought it was rather tacky to actually give 2 people lifetime awards – but then not to give it to them during the actual show — okay, we think you deserve this honor, but not enough to give it to you during the actual broadcast!
I’m so upset about Best Musical I don’t even know what to say. So sad…
Agreed! American Idiot deserved to win. Green Day’s performance and the cast rocked the night. They were fantastic.
Loved Green Day’s performance. It was a big f.u. to Tony nominators who cheated AI.
Memphis totally deserved to win.
David Bryan [ Bon Jovi keyboardist] is a really talented guy and so deserved this award.
Looks like Hollywood kicked Broadway’s ass.
The quality of this show was amazing compared to the self-lovefests that Hollywood puts on.
Now if someone could have just given Sean Hayes some better underwear to wear under the Spiderman costume. LOL
Very poorly produced show; sound tech guys need to be fired!
But Sean Hayes was amazing and hilarious! Really glad to see him on tv again. I like how he has matured. Mad piano skills too.
Sound tech guys…not so good. Sean Hayes….fantastic. Scarlett Johansson’s speach….TOO LONG!!!!!
“speech”. How humiliating.
@LOL and the slumming A listers comment: You are ignorant and know absolutely nothing about the theater. Many movie actors have spent years perfecting their craft on the stages of Broadway and off-Broadway. The dedicated actors who want to continue to perfect their skills return to the Great White Way when they have the opportunity or the chance to play a role in an outstanding work like “Fences” or “Red” presents itself. Not just Catherine, Denzel or Liev, but James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury all began their careers in theater. The economy is another reason why it appears there is an influx of film stars. Recognizable names put butts in the seats. And NYC theaters need the cash influx. It would be great if the avid theater goers could keep Broadway alive, but it takes getting the casual, never-been-to-a-show-before customer into the seats, in order to grow audiences. I don’t like stunt casting (especially if the person who’s cast sucks, looking at U Samantha Harris) but that’s much different than legitimate actors returning home to the stage.