60th Tony Awards

Infobox Tony Awards
name = 60th


caption = Official poster for the 60th annual Tony Awards
date = June 11 2006
venue = Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York
host = 60 presenters/co-hosts
network = CBS
last = 59th
next = 61st

The 60th Annual Tony Awards took place at Radio City Music Hall on June 11, 2006. The award ceremony was broadcast live on the CBS television network in the United States. The 2006 Tony Awards did not feature a host, but instead over 60 stars presented awards at the ceremony.

Natasha Richardson, Phylicia Rashad and Liev Schreiber announced the nominations on May 16, 2006. [ [http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/8269 TheatreMania article] ]

The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American theatre and are presented by the American Theatre Wing and the League of American Theatres and Producers (now called The Broadway League) at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are for Broadway productions and performances plus several non-competitive Special Awards (such as the Regional Theatre Award).

Performances and presenters

Opening number:

The opening number started with Harry Connick Jr. singing three popular songs from three Broadway musicals. Connick, (who was heavily medicated to be able to perform, because of a ruptured disc in his spine, [ [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20060613/ai_n16474916 From FindArticles.com] ] ), was also a nominee and a performer with the cast of "The Pajama Game". Every one of the sixty presenters and co-hosts joined the stage during the third song. Connick performed "Tonight" ("West Side Story"), "Give My Regards to Broadway" ("George M!"), and "There's No Business Like Show Business" ("Annie Get Your Gun"). [http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/archive/ceremonies/index.html From TonyAwards.com] ]

Shows that performed were:

New Musicals
*The Color Purple: Felicia P. Fields, La Chanze and the company performed "Hell No!" and the reprise of the title song.
*The Drowsy Chaperone: Sutton Foster and Bob Martin performed "Show Off" with the ensemble.
*Jersey Boys: John Lloyd Young performed "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" and was joined by Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer to perform "Who Loves You?".
*The Wedding Singer: Stephen Lynch and the company performed "It's Your Wedding Day".Revivals
*The Pajama Game: Harry Connick, Jr. and Kelli O'Hara performed "There Once Was a Man". Harry Connick, Jr. and Megan Lawrence with ensemble performed "Hernando's Hideaway".
*Sweeney Todd: The company, including Manoel Felciano, Michael Cerveris and Patti LuPone performed a medley of "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd", "The Worst Pies in London", "My Friends" and "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (reprise)"
*The Threepenny Opera: Alan Cumming and Cyndi Lauper with the ensemble performed "The Ballad of the Pimp."

Presenters:
*Lauren Ambrose
*Julie Andrews
*Hank Azaria
*Harry Belafonte
*Kristen Bell
*Norbert Leo Butz
*Victoria Clark
*Glenn Close
*Harry Connick, Jr.
*Barbara Cook
*Jim Dale
*Christine Ebersole
*Ralph Fiennes [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/100019.html Playbill.com article] ]
*Harvey Fierstein
*Ana Gasteyer
*Joanna Gleason
*Marcia Gay Harden
*Neil Patrick Harris
*Hal Holbrook
*Bill Irwin
*James Earl Jones
*T. R. Knight
*Frank Langella
*Josh Lucas
*Julianna Margulies
*Eric McCormack
*Audra McDonald
*Michael McKean
*S. Epatha Merkerson
*Brian Stokes Mitchell
*James Naughton
*Patricia Neal
*Bebe Neuwirth
*Cynthia Nixon
*Janis Paige
*Anna Paquin
*Rosie Perez
*Joe Pesci
*Bernadette Peters
*David Hyde Pierce
*Oliver Platt
*Jonathan Pryce
*Sara Ramirez
*Molly Ringwald
*Chita Rivera
*Paul Rudd
*Mark Ruffalo
*Julia Roberts
*Liev Schreiber
*Kyra Sedgwick
*Paul Shaffer
*Martin Short
*Tom Skerritt
*Jamie-Lynn Sigler
*John Tartaglia
*Richard Thomas
*Stanley Tucci
*Rita Wilson
*Oprah Winfrey
*Alfre Woodard

New category

Beginning with the 2006 awards, an additional category was added on a trial basis for the 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 seasons: Best Recreation of a Leading Role by an Actor/Actress. This category was intended to honor actors and actresses who were cast as replacements and joined a long-running show after its official opening, and would not have otherwise had the chance to be recognized for a potentially Tony-worthy performance. This award may or may not have been given in any particular year. Shows were to submit replacements they deemed worthy of consideration and a twenty-four-member committee, The Tony Awards Administration Committee, were to attend the shows and evaluate the performances.

No award was given in 2006, because neither of the two performers nominated, Jonathan Pryce and Harvey Fierstein, received the necessary sixteen votes for a win.

Following the 2006 Tony Awards, the Administration Committee voted unanimously to abandon the category.

Nominations Tally

[ [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/99697.html Playbill News: 2005-2006 Tony Nominations Announced; Drowsy Leads Pack With 13 Noms ] ] [ [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/100236.html Playbill News: Just the Facts: List of 2006 Tony Award Winners and Nominees ] ]

Winners and Nominees

"Winners are in bold"

Production

Best Play----
*"The History Boys" by Alan Bennett
*"The Lieutenant of Inishmore" by Martin McDonagh
*"Rabbit Hole" by David Lindsay-Abaire
*"Shining City" by Conor McPherson

Best Musical----
*"The Color Purple"
*"The Drowsy Chaperone"
*"Jersey Boys"
*"The Wedding Singer"

Best Revival of a Play----
*"Awake and Sing!"
*"The Constant Wife"
*" Edward Albee's Seascape"
*"Faith Healer"

Best Revival of a Musical----
*"The Pajama Game"
*"Sweeney Todd"
*"The Threepenny Opera"

Performance

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play----
*Ralph Fiennes in "Faith Healer"
*Richard Griffiths in "The History Boys"
*Zeljko Ivanek in "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial"
*Oliver Platt in "Shining City"
*David Wilmot in "The Lieutenant of Inishmore"

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play----
*Kate Burton in "The Constant Wife"
*Judy Kaye in "Souvenir"
*Lisa Kron in "Well"
*Cynthia Nixon in "Rabbit Hole"
*Lynn Redgrave in "The Constant Wife"

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical----
*Michael Cerveris in "Sweeney Todd"
*Harry Connick, Jr. in "The Pajama Game"
*Stephen Lynch in "The Wedding Singer"
*Bob Martin in "The Drowsy Chaperone"
*John Lloyd Young in "Jersey Boys"

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical----
*Sutton Foster in "The Drowsy Chaperone"
*LaChanze in "The Color Purple"
*Patti LuPone in "Sweeney Todd"
*Kelli O'Hara in "The Pajama Game"
*Chita Rivera in ""

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play----
*Samuel Barnett in "The History Boys"
*Domhnall Gleeson in "The Lieutenant of Inishmore"
*Ian McDiarmid in "Faith Healer"
*Mark Ruffalo in "Awake and Sing!"
*Pablo Schreiber in "Awake and Sing!"

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play----
*Tyne Daly in "Rabbit Hole"
*Frances de la Tour in "The History Boys"
*Jayne Houdyshell in "Well"
*Alison Pill in "The Lieutenant of Inishmore"
*Zoe Wanamaker in "Awake and Sing!"

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical----
*Danny Burstein in "The Drowsy Chaperone"
*Jim Dale in "The Threepenny Opera"
*Brandon Victor Dixon in "The Color Purple"
*Manoel Felciano in "Sweeney Todd"
*Christian Hoff in "Jersey Boys"

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical----
*Carolee Carmello in ""
*Felicia P. Fields in "The Color Purple"
*Megan Lawrence in "The Pajama Game"
*Beth Leavel in "The Drowsy Chaperone"
*Elisabeth Withers-Mendes in "The Color Purple"

Craft

Best Book of a Musical----
*"The Color Purple" by Marsha Norman
*"The Drowsy Chaperone" by Bob Martin and Don McKellar
*"Jersey Boys" by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice
*"The Wedding Singer" by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy.

Best Original Score Written for the Theatre----
*"The Color Purple", Music & Lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray
*"The Drowsy Chaperone", Music & Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
*"The Wedding Singer", Music by Matthew Sklar, Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
*"The Woman in White", Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lyrics by David Zippel

Best Direction of a Play----
*Nicholas Hytner for "The History Boys"
*Wilson Milam for "The Lieutenant of Inishmore"
*Bartlett Sher for "Awake and Sing!"
*Daniel Sullivan for "Rabbit Hole"

Best Direction of a Musical----
*John Doyle for "Sweeney Todd"
*Kathleen Marshall for "The Pajama Game"
*Des McAnuff for "Jersey Boys"
*Casey Nicholaw for "The Drowsy Chaperone"

Best Choreography----
*Rob Ashford for "The Wedding Singer"
*Donald Byrd for "The Color Purple"
*Kathleen Marshall for "The Pajama Game"
*Casey Nicholaw for "The Drowsy Chaperone"

Best Orchestrations----
*Larry Blank for "The Drowsy Chaperone"
*Dick Lieb and Danny Troob for The Pajama Game"
*Steve Orich for "Jersey Boys"
*Sarah Travis for "Sweeney Todd".

Best Scenic Design of a Play----
*John Lee Beatty for "Rabbit Hole"
*Bob Crowley for "The History Boys"
*Santo Loquasto for "Three Days of Rain"
*Michael Yeargan for "Awake and Sing!"

Best Scenic Design of a Musical----
*John Lee Beatty for "The Color Purple"
*David Gallo for "The Drowsy Chaperone"
*Derek McLane for "The Pajama Game"
*Klara Zieglerova for "Jersey Boys"

Best Costume Design of a Play----
*Michael Krass for "The Constant Wife"
*Santo Loquasto for "A Touch of the Poet"
*Catherine Zuber for "Awake and Sing!"
*Catherine Zuber for " Edward Albee's Seascape"

Best Costume Design of a Musical----
*Gregg Barnes for "The Drowsy Chaperone"
*Susan Hilferty for ""
*Martin Pakledinaz for "The Pajama Game"
*Paul Tazewell for "The Color Purple"

Best Lighting Design of a Play----
*Christopher Akerlind for "Awake and Sing!"
*Paul Gallo for "Three Days of Rain"
*Mark Henderson for "Faith Healer"
*Mark Henderson for "The History Boys"

Best Lighting Design of a Musical----
*Ken Billington and Brian Monahan for "The Drowsy Chaperone"
*Howell Binkley for "Jersey Boys"
*Natasha Katz for "Tarzan"
*Brian MacDevitt for "The Color Purple".

pecial Awards

*Special Tony Award
**Sarah Jones for "Bridge and Tunnel"

*Regional Theater Tony Award
**Intiman Theatre, Seattle, Washington

*Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
**Harold Prince

Notes

External links

* [http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/index.html Tony Awards official site]
* [http://wcbstv.com/entertainment/local_story_150140143.html 60th Annual Tony Awards: Meet The Nominees]