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UPDATE: The Book Of Mormon, the audacious musical by South Park‘s Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Avenue Q’s Robert Lopez dominated the 2011 Tony Awards tonight at Manhattan’s Beacon Theater. The musical won nine of the 14 awards for which it was nominated, and ended the Tonycast by winning Best Musical. The musical was the heavy favorite for that coveted prize, so much so that when the award was presented by Chris Rock, he said before introducing the nominees that it was so clear which show would win that it was like “taking a hooker to dinner; you know you’re going to get laid.” Sure enough, Trey Parker, flanked by lead producers Anne Garefino and Scott Rudin, accepted the award and thanked “our co-writer who passed away, Mr. Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon religion.”
Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, the 65th annual Tony Awards also brought multiple awards for the London import and Best Play winner War Horse, which won five awards; Best Revival of a Play winner The Normal Heart, which won three awards; and Best Revival Of a Musical winner Anything Goes which won three awards.
Norbert Leo Butz just won Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for Catch Me If You Can. Mark Rylance just won Best Actor In a Leading Role for a Play for Jerusalem.
Frances McDormand won Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for Good People; and Sutton Foster won Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for Anything Goes.
Aside from Best Musical, The Book Of Mormon‘s Parker, Lopez and Stone shared Best Book of a Musical; Nikki M. James won Best Featured Actress in a Musical; Casey Nicholaw and Parker won Best Director of a Musical; Brian Ronan won Best Sound Design of a Musical; Parker, Lopez and Stone shared Best Original Score; Scott Pask won Best Scenic Design For a Musical; Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus won Best Orchestrations; Brian MacDevitt won for Best Lighting Design of a Musical.
Besides Best Play for War Horse, Rae Smith won Best Scenic Design of a Play; Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris won Best Director of a Play; Christopher Shutt won Best Sound Design of a Play; Paule Constable won Best Lighting Design of a Play.
Besides Best Revival of a Play, Larry Kramer’s searing AIDS crisis play The Normal Heart brought a Best Featured Actor in a Play award for John Benjamin Hickey, and Best Featured Actress in a Play prize for Ellen Barkin.
In his Broadway debut, John Larroquette won Best Featured Actor in a Musical for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner won Best Costume Design for a Musical for Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Desmond Heeley won Best Costume Design of a Play for The Importance of Being Earnest; and Kathleen Marshall won Best Choreography for Anything Goes.
Neil Patrick Harris, back as host, proved his versatility with a rousing song and dance routine. While Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark was ineligible because of all its delays, technical problems that caused injuries to numerous cast members, the sacking of director Julie Taymor and an overhaul, the musical proved fertile ground for humor. “I sent Bono a congratulatory cable,” Harris said. “It snapped.”
Harris ended the evening with a long rap about the winners and nominees (video below). He did Broadway proud.
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this was the best Tony Awards I have ever seen. Neil Patrick Harris is a complete performer, host and genuine human being. It was a great night for theater.
As usual the Tony awards provides another superb evening of entertainment, from the opening number to the closing rap. Will the other snoozefests that pass for televised awards shows ever get a clue?
The Oscar’s would be much snappier if all the recipients would sing and dance. Especially the sound mixers.
SO a nasty, vile little musical profanely insulting a religion is “audacious” and those hip theatre types honor the sacrilege with several awards.
Would have been more impressed if Stone and Parker were “audacious” enough to slam the book of Islam—- but the Islamists do not laugh at such hijinks as F*** Muhammed, do they.
A great show! Fast paced and they let the winners talk longer than at the Oscars. NPH was great, he should host the Oscars. It is a shame it was up against the NBA playoffs. Would love to know whay Brooke Shields said.
Really great Tony Awards. I agree — probably the best one I can remember. Entertaining, funny, good performances. Surprisingly good.
Could someone please explain Mark Rylance’s acceptance speech to me? please?!?
Good show, but it sure looked like a lot of performers were from various CBS shows (including, of course, the host NPH). While many had legitimate Broadway ties (Jim Parsons), others including Jon Cryer and Paul Schaefer had connections to Broadway – Jon was in a one-night performance of “Company” and a song co-written by Paul more than 20 years ago was in “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”.
To be sure, non-CBS employees were there too. It just looked like CBS was stacking the deck. However, ABC and NBC do exactly the same thing when they host awards shows – lining up their own stars as hosts or performers regardless of whether or not they have any connection to the awards being distributed.
Jon Cryer was in Brighton Beach Memoirs on Broadway.
Scott Rudin’s PR machine worked in overdrive this time.
did anybody take a drink anytime Trey and Matt mentioned “the South Park fans” (South Park is produced by Comedy Central, which is owned by Viacom… well you do the math)
and methinks Hugh Jackman subtly came out last night.
Stephen: Rylance was just being a little irreverent, figuring that the audience would appreciate not having to sit through another laundry list of names.
If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.
either NPH can out-rap Eminem, or the Tonys have the fastest writers in awards show history…as is so often the case the Tonys blow the Oscars/Emmys/Grammys and any of the MTV awards crap away for sheer entertainment…
@Stephen. Rylance was reciting words of poet Louis Jenkins, as he did when he won his first Tony. Tonight’s show was bloody brilliant. NPH deserves another Emmy. Call him King of Broadway! BRAVO!
I especially liked the introduction of “War Horse” with the puppet horse drinking from the pool outside the theatre. That was very original. While I love the musical numbers, its nice once in a while to also showcase the dramas in performance, but I guess the constraints would be impossible. As usual, acceptance speeches are ridiculous and except for producers, mom’s and wives, who cares. Great duo of NPH and Hugh Jackman — very fine those two.
Really looking forward to Spielberg’s film of “War Horse” coming out this year. Think he could do it justice.
NPH is a great host. He makes this boring show fun.Another Emmy coming for sure. So glad The War Horse won big. A great show for anyone that hasn’t seen it. Mormon is so overhyped. Its ok, not the best by any means. I’m happy Butz took the award for actor
NPH should host every awards show. Oscars, are you listening?
Yep, the best Tonys ever. From the opening number on, it just kicked some major entertainment butt. Congratulations Neil, is there anything you can’t do?
Book of Mormon the movie, please. Make it happen Scott Rudin.
I LOVED them, NPH is so brilliant, funny as hell without trying, uber talented as a singer, dancer, host (but not mean) so having him do his thing was so enjoyable. Loved esp the Hugh Jackman bit with him. He had the audience in the palm of his hands. If the Oscars were only 1/5 as good….
Can’t wait to go to NY to see some of those shows!
Wow acting at an acting awards show!!!!rylance was super!!!!great!!!!
Seconding all the preceding. NPH rocked his opening number, his closing rap and everything in between. The musical numbers were exciting and will hopefully generate lots of biz for the productions.
I hope TV audiences really take away the fact that this is live (a point NPG made in his sung description of the show as a non-lipsynced Glee) and all the more amazing and worthwhile for it. The big “Anything Goes” production number alone was worth the price of admission.
Kudos to everyone involved!
The show was smart, brisk and highly entertaining, as usual, BUT . . .
How the hell can they do a three hour broadcast, including a production number from last year’s winner Memphis, while relegating the award for Best Score — but not Best Book — of a musical to a rushed recap of highlights from the pre-show? I can understand CBS not wanting to try America’s patience by asking people to sit through acceptance speeches for best lighting, set design and outstanding regional theater, but Best Score is not a minor award.
Imagine if they’d done the same in 1979, giving Stephen Sondheim a three-second pat on the back for having written Sweeney Todd, while giving the show’s book writer Hugh Wheeler full honors in the main show.
Does anyone know what Bobby Cannavale said during his part of the opening song? Not only was it muted out, they panned away from him and onto the stage. Then they showed all kinds of shocked reactions from the audience. I would love to know what he said.
Seth Numrich is a STAR!!! His introduction to WAR HORSE was so poised and charming. His performance in the play should have landed him a nomination!