27th Tony Awards

The 27th Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by ABC television on March 25 1973 from the Imperial Theatre in New York City. Hosts were Rex Harrison, Celeste Holm and co-hosts were Sandy Duncan and Jerry Orbach.

The opening was a song-and-dance medley performed by Gwen Verdon, Paula Kelly, Helen Gallagher, and Donna McKechnie. [O'Connor, John."New York Times", March 27, 1973, p. 95]

The theme was the global reach of Broadway. The "Wide World of Broadway" featured narrations by Rex Harrison, Walter Slezak, Rossano Brazzi, Yul Brynner, and Peter Ustinov, who brought the viewers to: Vienna: "West Side Story"; Tokyo: "The King and I"; Milan: "Ciao, Rudy"; Paris: "Hello, Dolly!"; London: "Show Boat"; Zagreb, Yugoslavia: "Man of La Mancha"; and Witchita Falls, Texas: "My Fair Lady."

Musicals represented: "Pippin" ("Magic To Do"- Ben Vereen and Company).

A new series of awards was started this year, termed "Theater Awards '73", renewable annually. ("New York Times", McCandlish Phillips, p.52, 3/26/73)

This was the fourth time that Julie Harris won a Tony Award (and her sixth nomination); she won a total of five with a sixth for Lifetime Achievement. [ [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=44243 Internet Broadway Database listing] ]

Winners and Nominees

"Winners are in bold "

Production

Best Play----
*"That Championship Season" by Jason Miller. Produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival (Joseph Papp)Nominees:
*"Butley" by Simon Gray. Produced by Lester Osterman and Richard Horner
*"The Changing Room" by David Storey. Produced by Charles Bowden, Lee Reynolds, and Isobel Robins
*"The Sunshine Boys" by Neil Simon. Produced by Emanuel Azenberg and Eugene V. Wolsk

Best Musical----
*"A Little Night Music" Produced by Harold PrinceNominees:
*"Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" Produced by Edward Padula and Arch Lustberg
*"Pippin" Produced by Stuart Ostrow
*"Sugar" Produced by David Merrick

Performance

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play----
*Alan Bates ("Butley")Nominees:
*Jack Albertson ("The Sunshine Boys")
*Wilfrid Hyde White ("The Jockey Club Stakes")
*Paul Sorvino ("That Championship Season")

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play----
*Julie Harris ("The Last of Mrs. Lincoln")Nominees:
*Jane Alexander ("6 Rms Riv Vu")
*Colleen Dewhurst ("Mourning Becomes Electra")
*Kathleen Widdoes ("Much Ado About Nothing")

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical----
*Ben Vereen ("Pippin")Nominees:
*Len Cariou ("A Little Night Music")
*Robert Morse ("Sugar")
*Brock Peters ("Lost in the Stars")

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical----
*Glynis Johns ("A Little Night Music")Nominees:
*Leland Palmer ("Pippin")
*Debbie Reynolds ("Irene")
*Marcia Rodd ("Shelter")

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play----
*John Lithgow ("The Changing Room")
*Barnard Hughes ("Much Ado About Nothing")
*John McMartin ("Don Juan")
*Hayward Morse ("Butley")

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play----
*Leora Dana ("The Last of Mrs. Lincoln")
*Maya Angelou ("Look Away")
*Katherine Helmond ("The Great God Brown")
*Penelope Windust ("Elizabeth I")

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical----
*George S. Irving ("Irene")
*Laurence Guittard ("A Little Night Music")
*Avon Long ("Don't Play Us Cheap")
*Gilbert Price ("Lost in the Stars")

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical----
*Patricia Elliott ("A Little Night Music")
*Hermione Gingold ("A Little Night Music")
*Patsy Kelly ("Irene")
*Irene Ryan ("Pippin")

Craft

Best Direction of a Play----
*A.J. Antoon ("That Championship Season")
*A.J. Antoon ("Much Ado About Nothing")
*Alan Arkin ("The Sunshine Boys")
*Michael Rudman ("The Changing Room")

Best Direction of a Musical----
*Bob Fosse (Pippin)
*Vinnette Carroll ("Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope")
*Gower Champion ("Sugar")
*Harold Prince ("A Little Night Music")

Best Choreography----
*Bob Fosse ("Pippin")
*Gower Champion ("Sugar")
*Peter Gennaro ("Irene")
*Donald Saddler ("Much Ado About Nothing")

Best Book of a Musical----
*"A Little Night Music" by Hugh Wheeler
*"Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" by Micki Grant
*"Don't Play Us" by Melvin Van Peebles
*"Pippin" by Roger O. Hirson

Best Original Score Written for the Theatre----
*""'A Little Night Music Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
*"Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" Music and lyrics by Micki Grant
*"Much Ado About Nothing" Music by Peter Link
*"Pippin" Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Best Scenic Design----
*Tony Walton ("Pippin")
*Boris Aronson ("A Little Night Music")
*David Jenkins ("The Changing Room")
*Santo Loquasto ("That Championship Season)"

Tony Award for Best Costume Design----
*Florence Klotz ("A Little Night Music")
*Theoni V. Aldredge ("Much Ado About Nothing")
*Miles White ("Tricks")
*Patricia Zipprodt ("Pippin")

Tony Award for Best Lighting Designer----
*Jules Fisher ("Pippin")
*Martin Aronstein ("Much Ado About Nothing")
*Ian Calderon ("That Championship Season")
*Tharon Musser ("A Little Night Music")

pecial Awards

*John Lindsay, Mayor of New York City (construction of legitimate theaters)
*Actors' Fund of America (honored for 90 years of assistance to needy and elderly theater people)
*Shubert Organization (for nearly 75 years of activity as well as for the Shubert Foundation)"Source: ("New York Times", McCandlish Phillips, p.52, 3/26/73)"

ee also

Tony Awards

References

External links

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