Theater News

Billy Elliot, God of Carnage Among Big Winners at 63rd Annual Tony Awards; CBS Telecast Sees Ratings Jump

Tony Winners Alice Ripley, Marcia Gay Harden, Kiril Kulish,
Trenk Kowalik, David Alvarez, and Geoffrey Rush
(© Joseph Marzullo/WENN)
Tony Winners Alice Ripley, Marcia Gay Harden, Kiril Kulish,
Trenk Kowalik, David Alvarez, and Geoffrey Rush
(© Joseph Marzullo/WENN)

The 63rd Annual Tony Awards were held at a ceremony at Radio City Music Hall, beginning with the Creative Arts Awards at 7pm, hosted by Tony winners Laura Benanti and Brian Stokes Mitchell, followed by the official broadcast at 8pm on CBS -TV, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.

According to preliminary reports from Nielsen, the show attracted 7.45 million viewers, a 19 percent increase over last year’s telecast.

The evening’s big winner was Billy Elliot, The Musical which took home 10 awards, including Best Musical and Best Performance by Leading Actor in a Musical for David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish and Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for Gregory Jbara.

God of Carnage won for Best Play, Best Direction, and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for Marcia Gay Harden, while Next to Normal took home three awards, including Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Alice Ripley. The Norman Conquests was this year’s winner for Best Revival of a Play and Hair won Best Revival of a Musical.

Other acting winners included Geoffrey Rush for Best Actor in a Play for Exit the King, Angela Lansbury for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Blithe Spirit, and Karen Olivo for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for West Side Story. In addition, Liza’s at the Palace, starring Liza Minnelli, was named Best Special Theatrical Event.

Highlights of the broadcast included a satirical closing number by Harris (written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman), an appearance by Lifetime Achievement Award winner Jerry Herman, along with performances by Dolly Parton, Elton John, Poison, and cast members from all of this season’s nominated musicals and musical revivals.

The evening’s many presenters included Kristin Chenoweth, Audra McDonald, Jane Fonda, Carrie Fisher, Will Ferrell, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini, Anne Hathaway, David Hyde Pierce, Lucie Arnaz, John Stamos, and Gina Gershon.

TheaterMania’s Editor in Chief Brian Scott Lipton live-blogged during the event on TonyAwards.com. For his commentary, Click here.

Below is a full list of nominees with the winners marked in bold.

Best Play

Dividing the Estate by Horton Foote
God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza
reasons to be pretty by Neil LaBute
33 Variations by Moisés Kaufman

Best Musical

Billy Elliot, The Musical
Next to Normal
Rock of Ages
Shrek The Musical

Best Book of a Musical

Lee Hall, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Brian Yorkey, Next to Normal
David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek The Musical
Hunter Bell, [title of show]

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics)

Billy Elliot, The Musical, Music: Elton John; Lyrics: Lee Hall
Next to Normal, Music: Tom Kitt; Lyrics: Brian Yorkey
9 to 5: The Musical, Music & Lyrics: Dolly Parton
Shrek The Musical, Music: Jeanine Tesori; Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire

Best Revival of a Play

Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Mary Stuart
The Norman Conquests
Waiting for Godot

Best Revival of a Musical

Guys and Dolls
Hair
Pal Joey
West Side Story

Best Special Theatrical Event

Liza’s at The Palace
Slava’s Snowshow
Soul of Shaolin
You’re Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play

Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage
Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
James Gandolfini, God of Carnage
Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King
Thomas Sadoski, reasons to be pretty

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play

Hope Davis, God of Carnage
Jane Fonda, 33 Variations
Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gavin Creel, Hair
Brian d’Arcy James, Shrek The Musical
Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages
J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

Stockard Channing, Pal Joey
Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical
Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical
Alice Ripley, Next to Normal
Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play

John Glover, Waiting for Godot
Zach Grenier, 33 Variations
Stephen Mangan, The Norman Conquests
Paul Ritter, The Norman Conquests
Roger Robinson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play

Hallie Foote, Dividing the Estate
Jessica Hynes, The Norman Conquests
Marin Ireland, reasons to be pretty
Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit
Amanda Root, The Norman Conquests

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical

David Bologna, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5: The Musical
Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical
Will Swenson, Hair

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal
Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Karen Olivo, West Side Story
Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests
Derek McLane, 33 Variations
Michael Yeargan, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Robert Brill, Guys and Dolls
Ian MacNeil, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Scott Pask, Pal Joey
Mark Wendland, Next to Normal

Best Costume Design of a Play

Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
Jane Greenwood, Waiting for Godot
Martin Pakledinaz, Blithe Spirit
Anthony Ward, Mary Stuart

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Gregory Gale, Rock of Ages
Nicky Gillibrand, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical
Michael McDonald, Hair

Best Lighting Design of a Play

David Hersey, Equus
David Lander, 33 Variations
Brian MacDevitt, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Hugh Vanstone, Mary Stuart

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Kevin Adams, Hair
Kevin Adams, Next to Normal
Howell Binkley, West Side Story
Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Best Sound Design of a Play

Paul Arditti, Mary Stuart
Gregory Clarke, Equus
Russell Goldsmith, Exit the King
Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Acme Sound Partners, Hair
Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Peter Hylenski, Rock of Ages
Brian Ronan, Next to Normal

Best Direction of a Play

Phyllida Lloyd, Mary Stuart
Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Matthew Warchus, God of Carnage
Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests

Best Direction of a Musical

Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Michael Greif, Next to Normal
Kristin Hanggi, Rock of Ages
Diane Paulus, Hair

Best Choreography

Karole Armitage, Hair
Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5: The Musical
Peter Darling, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas

Best Orchestrations

Larry Blank, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
Martin Koch, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, Next to Normal
Danny Troob and John Clancy, Shrek The Musical

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Jerry Herman

Regional Theatre Tony Award
Signature Theatre, Arlington, Va.

Isabelle Stevenson Award
Phyllis Newman

Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre
Shirley Herz