51st Tony Awards

The 51st Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS from Radio City Music Hall on June 1, 1997; "Launching the Tonys" was telecast on PBS television . The event was hosted by Rosie O'Donnell. The awards ceremony moved away from Broadway for the first time in 30 years, to Radio City Music Hall, which allowed members of the general public to attend the ceremony.

The opening number: "On Broadway" - Rosie O'Donnell; "Rent" - cast of "Rent"; "Jellicle Cats" - cast of "Cats"; "I'm A Woman" - female cast of "Smokey Joe's Cafe", "Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk" - cast of "Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk"; "Greased Lightnin'" - Rosie O'Donnell and cast of "Grease"; "Be Our Guest" - cast of "Beauty and the Beast".

Presenters: Julie Andrews, Lauren Bacall, Alec Baldwin, Christine Baranski, Dixie Carter, Savion Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Joel Grey, Marilu Henner, Hal Holbrook, Swoosie Kurtz, Liza Minnelli, Mary Tyler Moore, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Chita Rivera, Roseanne, Susan Sarandon, Jimmy Smits, Marisa Tomei, Rip Torn, Leslie Ann Warren, Raquel Welch

Musicals represented: :"Steel Pier" — "Everybody Dance" - Karen Ziemba, Gregory Harrison and Company; :"The Life" — "My Body" - Sam Harris, Lillias White and Company;:"Annie" — "Tomorrow" - Brittny Kissinger;:"Candide" — "Bon Voyage" - Jim Dale and Company;:"Once Upon a Mattress" — "Shy" - Sarah Jessica Parker and male company);:"Chicago" — "All That Jazz"/"Hot Honey Rag" - Bebe Neuwirth, Ann Reinking, Company;:"Titanic" — "Ship of Dreams" - Michael Cerveris and Company.

Winners and Nominees

"Winners are in bold"

Production

Best Play

*"The Last Night of Ballyhoo" by Alfred Uhry:Nominees:
*"Skylight" by David Hare
*"Stanley" by Pam Gems
*"The Young Man From Atlanta" by Horton Foote

Best Musical

*"Titanic":Nominees:
*"Juan Darien"
*"Steel Pier"
*"The Life"

Best Revival of a Play

*"A Doll's House":Nominees:
*"London Assurance"
*"Present Laughter"
*"The Gin Game"

Best Revival of a Musical

*"Chicago":Nominees:
*"Annie"
*"Candide
*"Once Upon a Mattress"

Performance

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play

*Christopher Plummer ("Barrymore"):Nominees:
*Brian Bedford ("London Assurance")
*Michael Gambon ("Skylight")
*Antony Sher ("Stanley")

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play

*Janet McTeer ("A Doll's House"):Nominees:
*Julie Harris ("The Gin Game")
*Shirley Knight ("The Young Man From Atlanta")
*Lia Williams ("Skylight")

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

*James Naughton ("Chicago"):Nominees:
*Robert Cuccioli ("Jekyll and Hyde")
*Jim Dale ("Candide")
*Daniel McDonald ("Steel Pier")

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

*Bebe Neuwirth ("Chicago"):Nominees:
*Pamela Isaacs ("The Life")
*Tonya Pinkins ("Play On!")
*Karen Ziemba ("Steel Pier")

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play

*Owen Teale ("A Doll's House"):Nominees:
*Terry Beaver ("The Last Night of Ballyhoo")
*Brian Murray ("The Little Foxes")
*William Biff McGuire ("The Young Man From Atlanta")

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play

*Lynne Thigpen ("An American Daughter"):Nominees:
*Helen Carey ("London Assurance")
*Dana Ivey ("The Last Night of Ballyhoo")
*Celia Weston ("The Last Night of Ballyhoo")

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical

*Chuck Cooper ("The Life"):Nominees:
*Joel Blum ("Steel Pier")
*Andre De Shields ("Play On!")
*Sam Harris ("The Life")

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

*Lillias White ("The Life"):Nominees:
*Marcia Lewis ("Chicago")
*Andrea Martin ("Candide")
*Debra Monk ("Steel Pier")

Craft

Best Direction of a Play
*Anthony Page ("A Doll's House"):Nominees:
*John Caird ("Stanley")
*Richard Eyre ("Skylight")
*Charles Nelson Reilly ("The Gin Game")

Best Direction of a Musical
*Walter Bobbie ("Chicago"):Nominees:
*Michael Blakemore ("The Life")
*Scott Ellis ("Steel Pier")
*Julie Taymor ("Juan Darien")

Best Choreography
*Ann Reinking (Chicago):Nominees:
*Wayne Cilento ("Dream")
*Joey McKneely ("The Life")
*Susan Stroman ("Steel Pier")

Best Book of a Musical
*Peter Stone ("Titanic"):Nominees:
*Leslie Bricusse ("Jekyll and Hyde")
*David Thompson ("Steel Pier")
*David Newman, Ira Gasman and Cy Coleman ("The Life")

Best Original Score Written for the Theatre
*Titanic Music and lyrics by Maury Yeston:Nominees:
*"Juan Darien" Music and lyrics by Elliot Goldenthal
*"Steel Pier" Music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb
*"The Life" Music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Ira Gasman

Best Orchestrations:("This was the first year this award was given")

*Jonathan Tunick ("Titanic") :Nominees:
*Michael Gibson ("Steel Pier")
*Luther Henderson ("Play On!")
*Don Sebesky and Harold Wheeler ("The Life")

Best Scenic Design
*Stewart Laing ("Titanic"):Nominees:
*John Lee Beatty ("The Little Foxes")
*G. W. Mercier and Julie Taymor ("Juan Darien")Tony Walton ("Steel Pier")

Tony Award for Best Costume Design
*Judith Dolan ("Candide"):Nominees:
*Ann Curtis ("Jekyll and Hyde")
*William Ivey Long ("Chicago")
*Martin Pakledinaz ("The Life")

Tony Award for Best Lighting
*Ken Billington ("Chicago"):Nominees:
*Beverly Emmons ("Jekyll and Hyde")
*Donald Holder ("Juan Darien")
*Richard Pilbrow ("The Life")

pecial Awards

*Regional Theater Tony Award:"Berkeley Repertory Theatre"

*Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre:Bernard B. Jacobs (posthumously)

External links

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