'Osage County,' 'Heights,' 'South Pacific' top Tony winners
"August: Osage County," Tracy Lett's 31/2-hour play about a dysfunctional family, swept five Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall last night, including the prize for best play.
"In the Heights," Broadway's first Latino musical written by a Latino, won best musical as well as Tonys for composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, and for choreography, and orchestrations. "Passing Strange," the season's other breakthrough young musical, won just one Tony, for book, by composer-star Stew.
"In the Heights," Broadway's first Latino musical written by a Latino, won best musical as well as Tonys for composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, and for choreography, and orchestrations. "Passing Strange," the season's other breakthrough young musical, won just one Tony, for book, by composer-star Stew.
'In the Heights' won the Tony award as top musical (AP Photo/Jeff Christensen)
Northport native Patti LuPone won best actress in a musical for her performance in the revival of "Gypsy," beating Kelli O'Hara, from "South Pacific," in the season's big diva smackdown. The award was LuPone's second Tony; she previously won in 1980 for "Evita."
In her acceptance speech, LuPone echoed what many have said about her portrayal of Mama Rose: "I'm giving the performance of my life."
Her costars, Laura Benanti and Boyd Gaines, also won supporting actor awards. It was Gaines' fourth Tony. But the lavish Lincoln Center production of the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein classic "South Pacific" picked up seven prizes -- more than any other show -- including musical revival, actor-musical for leading man Paulo Szot, director-musical and four design awards, for sets, costumes, lighting, sound.
In an upset, " Boeing-Boeing," a 1960s sex farce, beat "Macbeth" to win best revival of a play. The comedy's star, Mark Rylance, won best actor (and delivered the night's strangest acceptance speech), a prize expected to go to Patrick Stewart in Shakespeare's "Macbeth."
Deanna Dunagan, who plays the matriarch in "August" won best actress in a play, and Rondi Reed, who plays her sister, won best featured actress. The play's director, Anna D. Shapiro also was honored with a Tony.
The CBS telecast, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, was an oddly shaped three hours that attempted to keep the interest of a national audience while celebrating a season dominated by unconventional musicals, first-time artists and dazzling ensembles with few stars.
Thus, there were chunks of time devoted to long-running hits from past seasons ("The Lion King," "Rent") and big-name poorly reviewed new musicals that received no major nominations ("Young Frankenstein," "Little Mermaid"). But Goldberg presented an impressive summery of the play nominations, an area usually slighted by the Tonys in favor of musicals.
Goldberg, despite some very strange costumes, also made delightful cameos in brief scenes from long-running shows. Jim Norton, who played the blind, drunken father in "The Seafarer," won best actor, beating Raul Esparza, widely expected to win for his performance in "The Caretaker."
Awards for major design categories and best play revival were relegated to a pre-Tony show available only on the Internet. Mandy Patinkin read a letter from Stephen Sondheim, who was not there to receive his lifetime achievement award.
In general, more famous people were giving awards than receiving them. Among the star presenters were Daniel Radcliffe -- aka Harry Potter -- who will make his Broadway debut in "Equus" next fall, Liza Minelli, Brooke Shields, Marisa Tomei, Laura Linney, Mary Louise Parker, Glenn Close and Alec Baldwin.
In an odd matchup, Julie Chen -- TV personality and wife of CBS president Les Moonves -- presented an overview of dramatic work on Broadway this season.
A lifetime achievement award was also given, off camera, to the late Robert Russell Bennett for his luscious orchestrations to "South Pacific," and the regional Tony was given to the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
In her acceptance speech, LuPone echoed what many have said about her portrayal of Mama Rose: "I'm giving the performance of my life."
Her costars, Laura Benanti and Boyd Gaines, also won supporting actor awards. It was Gaines' fourth Tony. But the lavish Lincoln Center production of the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein classic "South Pacific" picked up seven prizes -- more than any other show -- including musical revival, actor-musical for leading man Paulo Szot, director-musical and four design awards, for sets, costumes, lighting, sound.
In an upset, " Boeing-Boeing," a 1960s sex farce, beat "Macbeth" to win best revival of a play. The comedy's star, Mark Rylance, won best actor (and delivered the night's strangest acceptance speech), a prize expected to go to Patrick Stewart in Shakespeare's "Macbeth."
Deanna Dunagan, who plays the matriarch in "August" won best actress in a play, and Rondi Reed, who plays her sister, won best featured actress. The play's director, Anna D. Shapiro also was honored with a Tony.
The CBS telecast, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, was an oddly shaped three hours that attempted to keep the interest of a national audience while celebrating a season dominated by unconventional musicals, first-time artists and dazzling ensembles with few stars.
Thus, there were chunks of time devoted to long-running hits from past seasons ("The Lion King," "Rent") and big-name poorly reviewed new musicals that received no major nominations ("Young Frankenstein," "Little Mermaid"). But Goldberg presented an impressive summery of the play nominations, an area usually slighted by the Tonys in favor of musicals.
Goldberg, despite some very strange costumes, also made delightful cameos in brief scenes from long-running shows. Jim Norton, who played the blind, drunken father in "The Seafarer," won best actor, beating Raul Esparza, widely expected to win for his performance in "The Caretaker."
Awards for major design categories and best play revival were relegated to a pre-Tony show available only on the Internet. Mandy Patinkin read a letter from Stephen Sondheim, who was not there to receive his lifetime achievement award.
In general, more famous people were giving awards than receiving them. Among the star presenters were Daniel Radcliffe -- aka Harry Potter -- who will make his Broadway debut in "Equus" next fall, Liza Minelli, Brooke Shields, Marisa Tomei, Laura Linney, Mary Louise Parker, Glenn Close and Alec Baldwin.
In an odd matchup, Julie Chen -- TV personality and wife of CBS president Les Moonves -- presented an overview of dramatic work on Broadway this season.
A lifetime achievement award was also given, off camera, to the late Robert Russell Bennett for his luscious orchestrations to "South Pacific," and the regional Tony was given to the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
The story was supplemented with an Associated Press report.
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