50th Tony Awards

Infobox Tony Awards
name = 50th


imagesize =
caption = Official poster for the 50th annual Tony Awards
date = June 2 1996
venue = Majestic Theatre, New York City, New York
host = Nathan Lane
network = CBS
last = 49th
next = 51stThe 50th Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS from the Majestic Theatre on June 2, 1996. Nathan Lane was the host.

The opening number was "The Show Must Go On" performed by Liza Minnelli and Bernadette Peters, with Tony Award Alumni.

Presenters included: Bea Arthur, Edward Albee, Christine Baranski, Harry Belafonte, Matthew Broderick, Diahann Carroll, Hume Cronyn, Nanette Fabray, Robert Goulet, Gregory Hines, Uta Hagen, James Earl Jones, John Lithgow, Liza Minnelli, Patricia Neal, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bernadette Peters, John Rubinstein, Jane Seymour, Ron Silver, Lily Tomlin, Ben Vereen, Eli Wallach, Ray Walston, Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber.

Musicals represented:
*"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" ("Comedy Tonight" - Nathan Lane and Company);
*"The King and I" ("Shall We Dance?" - Lou Diamond Phillips, Donna Murphy, and children);
*"Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk" ("Taxi"/"Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk" - Savion Glover and Company);
*"Big" ("Fun" - Daniel Jenkins and Company);
*"State Fair" ("All I Owe I-Oh-Way"-John Davidson, Andrea McArdle, and Company);
*"Rent" ("Seasons of Love"/"La Vie Boheme" - Anthony Rapp, Taye Diggs, Adam Pascal, Idina Menzel and Company);
*"Chronicle of a Death Foretold";
*"Swinging on a Star" ("Swinging on a Star" - Company)

Award winners and nominees

"Winners are in bold **"

Production

Best Play----
*"Master Class by Terrence McNally **"
*"Buried Chld" by Sam Shepard
*"Racing Demon" by David Hare
*"Seven Guitars" by August Wilson

Best Musical----
*"Rent **"
*"Bring in 'da Noise/Bring in 'da Funk"
*"Chronicle of a Death Foretold"
*"Swinging on a Star"

Best Revival of a Play----
*"A Delicate Balance **"
*"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
*"An Ideal Husband"
*"Inherit the Wind

Best Revival of a Musical----
*"The King and I **"
*"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"
*"Company"
*"Hello, Dolly!"

Performance

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play----
*George Grizzard ** ("A Delicate Balance")
*Philip Bosco
*George C. Scott
*Martin Shaw

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play----
*Zoe Caldwell ** ("Master Class")
*Carol Burnett
*Rosemary Harris
*Elaine Stritch

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical----
*Nathan Lane ** ("A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum")
*Savion Glover
*Adam Pascal
*Lou Diamond Phillips

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical----
*Donna Murphy ** ("The King and I")
*Julie Andrews (Declined the nomination as she thought "Victor/Victoria" had been snubbed when her nomination was the only one for the show) [cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9605/09/andrews.snub/index.html |title=Tony tussle: Julie Andrews snubs nomination |accessdate=2008-06-09 |author=Tornquist, Cynthia |date=1996-05-09 |work= |publisher=CNN]
*Crista Moore
*Daphne Rubin-Vega

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play----
*Ruben Santiago-Hudson ** ("Seven Guitars")
*James Gammon
*Roger Robinson
*Reg Rogers

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play----
*Audra McDonald ** ("Master Class")
*Viola Davis
*Michele Shay
*Lois Smith

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical----
*Wilson Jermaine Heredia ** ("Rent")
*Lewis J. Stadlen
*Brett Tabisel
*Scott Wise

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical----
*Ann Duquesnay ** ("Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk")
*Joohee Choi
*Veanne Cox
*Idina Menzel

Craft

Best Direction of a Play----
*Gerald Gutierrez ** ("A Delicate Balance")
*Peter Hall
*Lloyd Richards
*Gary Sinise

Best Direction of a Musical----
*George C. Wolfe ** ("Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk")
*Michael Greif
*Christopher Renshaw
*Jerry Zaks

Best Choreography----
*Savion Glover **
*Graciela Daniele
*Susan Stroman
*Marlies Yearby

Best Book of a Musical----
*Jonathan Larson **
*John Weidman
*Reg E. Gaines
*Graciela Daniele, Jim Lewis and Michael John LaChiusa

Best Original Score Written for the Theatre----
*Rent **
*"Big"
*"Bring in 'da Noise/Bring in 'da Funk"
*"State Fair"

Best Scenic Design----
*Brian Thomson **
*John Lee Beatty
*Scott Bradley
*Anthony Ward

Tony Award for Best Costume Design----
*Roger Kirk **
*Jane Greenwood
*Allison Reeds
*Paul Tazewell

Tony Award for Best Lighting ----
*Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer **
*Christopher Akerlind
*Blake Burba
*Nigel Levings

pecial Regional Theatre Award Winner

Alley Theatre, Houston, Texas

References

* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEEDC1539F93AA35756C0A960958260 "New York Times" article, "Adding Drama to a Musical, Andrews Spurns the Tonys", May 9, 1996]

External links

* [http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/index.html Official Site Tony Awards]