40th Tony Awards

The 40th Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS television on June 1, 1986 from the Minskoff Theatre. The opening number was "Wanna Sing A Show Tune". The special number was "Forty Years of Broadway Show Music", which included songs from Finian's Rainbow through La Cage aux Folles and "Big River", and ending with the company singing "Give My Regards to Broadway". Presenters and performers ranged form Debbie Allen, Susan Anton, Bea Arthur to Sam Waterson, Ben Vereen, and Tom Wopat. Musicals that performed were "Big Deal" ("Beat Me Daddy Eight to the Bar" - Company); "Song & Dance" ("Unexpected Song" - Bernadette Peters); "Tango Argentino" (Dance Excerpts - Company); and "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" ("There You Are"/"Don't Quit While You're Ahead" - George Rose and Company).

Winners and Nominees

"Winners are in bold **"

Production

=Best Play=

*"I'm Not Rappaport" by Herb Gardner **
*Nominees: :"Benefactors" by Michael Frayn :"Blood Knot" by Athol Fugard:"The House of Blue Leaves" by John Guare

=Best Musical=

*"The Mystery of Edwin Drood **"
*Nominees: :"Big Deal":"Song & Dance":"Tango Argentino

Reproduction (Play or Musical)

*"Sweet Charity **"
*Nominees: :"Hay Fever" :"The Iceman Cometh":"Loot"

Performance

=Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play=

*Judd Hirsch ("I'm Not Rappaport") **
*Nominees: :Hume Cronyn ("The Petition"):Ed Harris ("Precious Sons"):Jack Lemmon ("Long Day's Journey into Night")

=Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play=

*Lily Tomlin ("The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe") **
*Nominees: :Rosemary Harris ("Hay Fever"):Mary Beth Hurt ("Benefactors"):Jessica Tandy ("The Petition")

=Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical=

*George Rose ("The Mystery of Edwin Drood") **
*Nominees: :Don Correia ("Singin' in the Rain"):Cleavant Derricks ("Big Deal"):Maurice Hines ("Uptown…It's Hot!")

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

*Bernadette Peters ("Song & Dance") **
*Nominees: :Debbie Allen ("Sweet Charity"):Cleo Laine ("The Mystery of Edwin Drood"):Chita Rivera ("Jerry's Girls")

=Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play=

*John Mahoney ("The House of Blue Leaves") **
*Nominees: :Peter Gallagher ("Long Day's Journey into Night"):Charles Keating ("Loot"):Joseph Maher ("Loot")

=Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play=

*Swoosie Kurtz ("The House of Blue Leaves") **
*Nominees: :Stockard Channing ("The House of Blue Leaves"):Bethel Leslie ("Long Day's Journey into Night"):Zoe Wanamaker ("Loot")

=Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical=

*Michael Rupert (Sweet Charity)**
*Nominees: :Christopher d'Amboise ("Song & Dance"):John Herrera ("The Mystery of Edwin Drood"):Howard McGillin ("The Mystery of Edwin Drood")

=Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical=

*Bebe Neuwirth ("Sweet Charity") **
*Nominees: :Patti Cohenour ("The Mystery of Edwin Drood"):Jana Schneider ("The Mystery of Edwin Drood"):Elisabeth Welch ("Jerome Kern Goes to Hollywood")

Craft

=Best Direction of a Play=

*Jerry Zaks ** ("The House of Blue Leaves")
*Nominees: :Jonathan Miller ("Long Day's Journey into Night"):José Quintero ("The Iceman Cometh"):John Tillinger ("Loot")

=Best Direction of a Musical=

*Wilford Leach ** ("The Mystery of Edwin Drood")
*Nominees: :Bob Fosse ("Big Deal"):Richard Maltby, Jr. ("Song & Dance"):Claudio Segovia and Hector Orezzoli ("Tango Argentino")

=Best Choreography=

*Bob Fosse **("Big Deal")
*Nominees: :Graciela Daniele ("The Mystery of Edwin Drood"):Peter Martins ("Song & Dance"):Tango Argentino Dancers ("Tango Argentino")

=Best Book of a Musical=

*The Mystery of Edwin Drood** by Rupert Holmes
*Nominees: :"Big Deal" by Bob Fosse:"Singin' in the Rain" by Betty Comden and Adolph Green:"Wind in the Willows" by Jane Iredale

=Best Original Score Written for the Theatre=

*The Mystery of Edwin Drood** (Rupert Holmes)
*Nominees: :"The News" (Paul Schierhorn):"Song & Dance" (Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black, and Richard Maltby, Jr.):"Wind in the Willows" (William Perry and Roger McGough)

=Best Scenic Design=

*Tony Walton ** ("The House of Blue Leaves")Nominees: :Ben Edwards ("The Iceman Cometh"):David Mitchell ("The Boys in Winter"):Beni Montresor ("The Marriage of Figaro")

Tony Award for Best Costume Design

*Patricia Zipprodt ** ("Sweet Charity")
*Nominees: :Willa Kim ("Song & Dance"):Beni Montresor ("The Marriage of Figaro"):Ann Roth ("The House of Blue Leaves")

Tony Award for Best Lighting Designer

*Pat Collins ** ("I'm Not Rappaport")
*Nominees: :Jules Fisher ("Song & Dance"):Paul Gallo ("The House of Blue Leaves"):Thomas R Skelton ("The Iceman Cometh")

pecial award

*Regional Theatre Award - American Repertory Theater, Cambridge, Massachusetts

References

* [http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/index.html Tony Awards official site]