8:15
Here we are in the Tonys Press Room!
8:16
The first three awards were announced pre-telecast. They were: costume designer Ann Roth for The Nance, William Ivey Long for Cinderella ‘s costume design, and Kinky Boots orchestrator Stephen Oremus.
8:23
We’ve also had The Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role go to Courtney B. Vance for Lucky Guy.
8:25
We got Judith Light for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play!
8:32
Sound design for a play goes to Leon Rothenberg for The Nance.
8:36
Courtney B. Vance is coming to visit us in the press room!
8:38
Featured Actor in a Musical goes to Gabriel Ebert!
8:41
VANCE: “My wife, she’s the queen.” Awwwh!
8:47
Dennis Kelly wins for book of Matilda. Cheers!
8:52
Leon Rothenberg is in the press room! He’s chatting about not using mics for The Nance ‘s burlesque scenes. Pretty crazy.
8:55
To the surprise of no one but the delight of everyone Diane Paulus wins for Director of a Musical!
8:57
Gabriel Ebert is here and he says to the kids at home, “Avoid trying to be poignant.” Also, “Do several plays before you decide to give up.”
9:02
While Ebert was here Pam MacKinnon won Best Director for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Two female directors in a row!
9:04
DENNIS KELLY: “I couldn’t really make [Matilda] about a girl who loves musicals, so I made it about a girl who loves books.”
9:11
Cyndi Lauper wins for Kinky Boots! I hope we get to see her in the press room soon!
9:14
Pam MacKinnon is here now. She says of women directors on Broadway, “We’re out there and we’re coming up.”
9:17
Judith Light is in the press room, with that stunning white dress! with a train!
9:18
Someone just commented that she looks like she’s getting married to the Tony. “Well, maybe I am,” she responds.
9:20
Scenic Design of a play goes to John Lee Beatty, The Nance.
9:22
Side note, the best thing about the press room is not having to watch the commercials.
9:26
This “you gotta have a tv show” song is kind of great. Also, today I learned that Laura Benanti is actually that funny.
9:31
Featured Actress in a Musical goes to Andrea Martin!
9:32
Jerry Mitchell, who recently won Best Choreography for Kinky Boots, is in the press room now.
9:43
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike wins best play!
9:45
JOHN LEE BEATTY: “[The Nance Director] Jack O’Brien is a very family oriented director, in terms of theater family”
9:54
Hugh Vanstone wins Best Lighting Design for Matilda, beating out Kenneth Posner, who was nominated three times over.
9:57
Simba presents Pippin, one prince to another. I mean, cute.
10:02
Aaand Sigourney Weaver is a full head taller than Mayor Bloomberg. (They’re presenting Best Revival.)
10:04
It’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? !
10:07
Best Lighting Design of a Play just went to Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer for Lucky Guy.
10:16
Holy Phantom, amiright? Check out our interview with phantom Peter Jöback.
10:18
Billy Porter wins Best Actor for Kinky Boots!
10:21
The multi-talented Tracy Letts wins Best Actor in a Play for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.
10:24
Cyndi Lauper performs “True Colors” to remember the people Broadway lost this year. Lovely.
10:34
Lucky Guy ‘s Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer are visiting the press room!
10:35
Beautiful Cicely Tyson wins Best Actress in a Play for The Trip to Bountiful.
10:37
How wonderful. A standing ovation for Cicely.
10:38
Patina Miller wins Best Actress for her role in Pippin. And what a dress!
10:43
Andrea Martin is here!
10:45
MARTIN on her role in Pippin: “I thought 66 looks different now. Why can’t I play a grandmother that looks like me?”
10:47
Tracy Letts in the press room.
10:49
LETTS: “[Chicago] is where I learned my craft… New York has always been good to me, but I feel like an ambassador from Chicago.”
10:53
Chris Durang (Vanya and Sonia… playwright) is here now. He’s discussing the wonderful instincts and impulses of the actors in his play – he’s even put some moments in the script.
11:03
Kinky Boots wins Best Musical! Say yeah!
11:05
Nice closing number. Audra singing “Empire State of Mind” and NPH doing what has to be an on-the-fly Lin-Manuel Miranda rap.
