2017 Tony Winners!

[Cooper]

The winners:

 

Best Musical

Dear Evan Hansen

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Bette Midler, Hello, Dolly!

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen

 

Best Revival of a Musical

Hello, Dolly!

 

Best Play

Oslo by J.T. Rogers

 

Best Revival of a Play

August Wilson’s Jitney

 

Best Choreography

Andy Blankenbuehler, Bandstand

 

Best Direction of a Musical

Christopher Ashley, Come From Away

 

Best Direction of a Play

Rebecca Taichman, Indecent

 

Best Performance by an Actress in Featured Role a Musical

Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Laurie Metcalf, A Doll’s House, Part 2

 

Best Orchestrations

Alex Lacamoire, Dear Evan Hansen

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Kevin Kline, Present Laughter

 

Best Book of a Musical

Dear Evan Hansen, Steven Levenson

 

Best Score

Dear Evan Hansen, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

 

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Bradley King, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Cynthia Nixon, Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Gavin Creel, Hello, Dolly!

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Michael Aronov, Oslo

 

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Christopher Akerlind, Indecent

 

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Mimi Lien, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

 

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Nigel Hook, The Play That Goes Wrong

 

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!

 

Best Costume Design of a Play

Jane Greenwood, Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes

 

The tally of the winners:

 

Dear Evan Hansen – 6

Hello, Dolly! – 4

Indecent – 2

The Little Foxes – 2

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 – 2

Oslo – 2

Bandstand - 1

Come From Away - 1

A Doll’s House, Part 2 – 1

Jitney - 1

The Play Goes Wrong - 1

Present Laughter - 1

[+ beethoven]

I liked Bette Midler's acceptance speech, and I'm glad she won, but if everyone spoke as long as she did, they'd see the sunrise before the program was over. Kevin Spacey's remark afterwards was funny, too. But she should know better.

[+ WilliamM]

 

Bette Midler "press conference" after winning a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical ("Hello, Dolly")

 

I am not a huge fan of either Bette Midler or "Hello, Dolly," but I very much enjoyed her answers

[foxy]

Thanks to Cooper for posting the final results. Also agree with WilliamM about good remarks from Bette. It's wonderful that she invites everyone to come see the show. A shame the price of tickets makes that impossible for most people. That's not her fault of course. Luckily there are so many good shows at more affordable prices. Support the arts !!!!

[Cooper]

One of the highlights for me was the acceptance speech by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul for Best Score for Dear Evan Hansen. They were so enthusiastic & thrilled to have won. Unlike Kevin Kline who showed little interest in winning his Tony.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3QX_PJG7oA

[+ deej]

One of the highlights for me was the acceptance speech by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul for Best Score for Dear Evan Hansen. They were so enthusiastic & thrilled to have won. Unlike Kevin Kline who showed little interest in winning his Tony.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3QX_PJG7oA

Sweet. How hard were THOSE guys when the got back stage? LOL

[Good Grief]

 

Bette Midler "press conference" after winning a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical ("Hello, Dolly")

 

I am not a huge fan of either Bette Midler or "Hello, Dolly," but I very much enjoyed her answers

 

Did she thank Toni Basil? Or did I mis-hear?

 

Great video. Thanks @WilliamM for posting.

[Good Grief]

An ensemble actor/dancer in Hello, Dolly! Stephen Hanna is the husband of Bret Shuford - "also starred" in Cirque du Soleil's Paramour, now closed - who with my son has appeared in down-South regional theatre.

[+ deej]

I am not a huge fan of either Bette Midler or "Hello, Dolly," but I very much enjoyed her answers

 

I am a fan of both. As a teenager, I owned the 45RPM record of Bette's first hit, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy". It was the first time my dad showed ANY interest in the music I was listening to.

 

(It was short lived. I soon discovered Beethoven, Rossini, Verdi and Wagner.)

 

I've played pit orchestra for two staged versions of "Dolly". The music just brings a smile to my face. (Put on your Sunday clothes and you'll feel wonderful! Sit down and have your picture took.)

[+ WilliamM]

I am a fan of both. As a teenager, I owned the 45RPM record of Bette's first hit, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy". It was the first time my dad showed ANY interest in the music I was listening to.

 

(It was short lived. I soon discovered Beethoven, Rossini, Verdi and Wagner.)

 

I've played pit orchestra for two staged versions of "Dolly". The music just brings a smile to my face. (Put on your Sunday clothes and you'll feel wonderful! Sit down and have your picture took.)

 

I saw both of Streisand's Broadway shows ("Funny Girl" opened around the same time as "Hello, Dolly"). In comparison "Hello, Dolly" and Carol Channing seemed dated and old-fashioned.

[OneFinger]

I am a fan of both. As a teenager, I owned the 45RPM record of Bette's first hit, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy". It was the first time my dad showed ANY interest in the music I was listening to.

 

(It was short lived. I soon discovered Beethoven, Rossini, Verdi and Wagner.)

 

I've played pit orchestra for two staged versions of "Dolly". The music just brings a smile to my face. (Put on your Sunday clothes and you'll feel wonderful! Sit down and have your picture took.)

Didn't know (after all my years on this site) that you had a musical background. Your talents seem vast.

[bostonman]

I've played pit orchestra for two staged versions of "Dolly". The music just brings a smile to my face. (Put on your Sunday clothes and you'll feel wonderful! Sit down and have your picture took.)

 

So cool! Would you be at liberty to divulge what instrument(s) you play, Deej? (And no double entendres intended lol).

 

I was musical director for a Dolly some years back, and as it was a small regional production, I had to do a reduction for a very small orchestra - though it was still such a fun score to play. (Except for having to fire the violin sub at intermission because he was drunk...) I did get to sub in on piano for one performance of a production that was using most of, if not all, of the glorious full orchestration, but the whole night was such a blur, I barely remember the experience. (And no, I was NOT drunk, lol.)

 

"Sunday Clothes" remains one of my favorite Herman production numbers. The way that thing builds - just perfect. Love the part when the chorus first enters, ending up in 5-part close harmony (vocal arrangements by the great Don Pippin) on "beneath your parasol." It's "classic Broadway" writing at its best. How I wish they had done that number last night instead of the very rightfully cut "Penny In MY pocket."

[bostonman]

One of the highlights for me was the acceptance speech by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul for Best Score for Dear Evan Hansen. They were so enthusiastic & thrilled to have won.

 

I am really so thrilled for Pasek and Paul. They've come a long long way from Edges, the song cycle they wrote as their first major effort back in 2005, while still in college. Some good songs there, but somewhat uneven IMO. But their writing has been getting better, more inventive, and more focused over time - this past fall I had a wonderful time working on a production of their adaptation of James And The Giant Peach. And the public at large has also gotten to know them from the songs they wrote for the 2nd season of Smash, and even moreso, the songs for La La Land. Still a young writing team, but their craft just keeps getting better and better.

 

It's also fun because I have a very slight slight connection to the Dear Evan Hansen process - a year before the show had its DC premiere, they were putting together a staged reading/workshop in Boston, and I played some of the auditions for the college-aged actors they were looking at. Back then, the show had no official title - it was just being called "The PPL Project" - standing for Pasek, Paul, Levenson -- so it was also great to see Steve Levenson get the award for best book.

[bostonman]

I saw both of Streisand's Broadway shows ("Funny Girl" opened around the same time as "Hello, Dolly").

 

So you saw Streisand's now legendary first Broadway appearance as "Miss Marmelstein" - as she was only starting to become known in general? That's very cool. Were you aware at the time that you were looking at a major talent to be?

 

And -- did you also see Fiddler in 1964? The great trifecta of Funny Girl, Fiddler, and Hello Dolly all in the same season...

[nynakedtop]

 

"Sunday Clothes" remains one of my favorite Herman production numbers. The way that thing builds - just perfect. Love the part when the chorus first enters, ending up in 5-part close harmony (vocal arrangements by the great Don Pippin) on "beneath your parasol." It's "classic Broadway" writing at its best. How I wish they had done that number last night instead of the very rightfully cut "Penny In MY pocket."

 

Alas, I can never forgive Herman for dissing Sondheim AFTER he had already beaten him for a Tony the year that La Cage won...

[bostonman]

Alas, I can never forgive Herman for dissing Sondheim AFTER he had already beaten him for a Tony the year that La Cage won...

 

If you're talking about the Tony acceptance speech, he really didn't diss Sondheim, or certainly didn't intend it to seem that way. He's talked about this, actually. He wasn't accusing Sondheim of being "unmelodic" - he was actually surprised and touched that in an era when Broadway music seemed to be changing so much in general, that one of his shows that did hark to an earlier musical style was still able to make such an impact. He might have phrased things better, of course - in the heat of the moment, it's easy to see why his remark was so misconstrued. But he really didn't mean it to come out that way.

 

Even though, yes, even I remember being in front of the TV, gasping as he said that...

 

And yes, I do think that Sunday In The Park is in all ways better than La Cage, and La Cage is by far NOT Herman's best work. (And Harvey Fierstein's catty, campy book is really an embarrassment.) But the zeitgeist seemed to go in favor of old-fashioned entertainment, and to a large Broadway musical that embraced the gay lifestyle like never before - so, so be it.

[+ WilliamM]

So you saw Streisand's now legendary first Broadway appearance as "Miss Marmelstein" - as she was only starting to become known in general? That's very cool. Were you aware at the time that you were looking at a major talent to be?

 

I saw "I Can Get It For You Wholesale" during the Boston try-out. I had seen Streisand several times on late night with Mike Wallace, but I was still unprepared for what I heard and saw. Yes, I knew she was a major talent that night in Boston.

 

Funny Girl: also during the Boston try-out.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

One of the highlights for me was the acceptance speech by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul for Best Score for Dear Evan Hansen. They were so enthusiastic & thrilled to have won. Unlike Kevin Kline who showed little interest in winning his Tony.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3QX_PJG7oA

 

 

He's Kevin Kline. He doesn't do giddy and cutesy at this point in his career.

 

His performance in Present Laughter was superb. His speech was reserved, but still respectful and to the point.

[bostonman]

He's Kevin Kline. He doesn't do giddy and cutesy at this point in his career.

 

Thank god that Rachel Bloom wasn't nominated.

[Cooper]

Another highlight for me was the acceptance speech of Ben Platt for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. He managed to get in all his "thanks to" just in time. Thought it was funny when he thanked his Physical Therapist so he doesn't get a hunchback. If you've seen Dear Evan Hansen, you'd know he's hunched over a lot during his performance.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOKdirRUHN0

[actor61]

If you're talking about the Tony acceptance speech, he really didn't diss Sondheim, or certainly didn't intend it to seem that way. He's talked about this, actually. He wasn't accusing Sondheim of being "unmelodic" - he was actually surprised and touched that in an era when Broadway music seemed to be changing so much in general, that one of his shows that did hark to an earlier musical style was still able to make such an impact. He might have phrased things better, of course - in the heat of the moment, it's easy to see why his remark was so misconstrued. But he really didn't mean it to come out that way.

 

Even though, yes, even I remember being in front of the TV, gasping as he said that...

 

And yes, I do think that Sunday In The Park is in all ways better than La Cage, and La Cage is by far NOT Herman's best work. (And Harvey Fierstein's catty, campy book is really an embarrassment.) But the zeitgeist seemed to go in favor of old-fashioned entertainment, and to a large Broadway musical that embraced the gay lifestyle like never before - so, so be it.

I am so gratified to read your opinion of Fierstein's book for La Cage because I agree wholeheartedly. I have played Albin/Zaza in several productions and have always had to find a way to make an acting choice about various portions of dialogue that encompasses both what the playwright wanted to say and my refusal to pander to the stereotype. I always have to bear in mind the era in which it was written and the audience for whom it was intended. I don't know if the story is true but apparently in the original production, Gene Barry insisted that he and George Hearn never embrace or kiss, even though they were playing a couple who had been together for decades. One of the things I insisted upon when I played in the show was that there be some kind of realistic physical affection between George and Albin. In 2 of the 3 productions I did, the actors playing George were straight and funnily enough, they were the colleagues who had the least problem with kissing, embracing or holding hands. The 1 gay actor who played George was always very awkward with the physicality. I have yet to figure out why that was and I'm sure there is some great psychological reason for it. By the way, he was a wonderful actor and had a lovely singing voice, so I forgave him a lot. No one has ever sung "Look Over There" more tenderly.

 

I'm generally an admirer of Fierstein's work because at least he's putting plays and musicals out that deal in a more or less realistic fashion with gay life, even if his shows play to stereotypes and sentimentality. There are parts of Torch Song Trilogy that make me cringe but it was a very honest effort at a difficult time to put us onstage as we really are, more or less, and you have to consider the period when you watch the play. I absolutely hated his last play about cross dressers, though - Casa something.

 

As Edith Ann used to say "And that's the truth."

[N13]

So you saw Streisand's now legendary first Broadway appearance as "Miss Marmelstein" - as she was only starting to become known in general? That's very cool. Were you aware at the time that you were looking at a major talent to be?

Also saw both "Wholesale" and "Funny Girl". There was no doubt that she was a major talent. Along with Merman in "Gypsy" her performance is the best Broadway female performance I have ever seen! Now have to add Ben Platt as the male in the trio of best musical performances I have ever seen.

[+ WilliamM]

Also saw both "Wholesale" and "Funny Girl". There was no doubt that she was a major talent. Along with Merman in "Gypsy" her performance is the best Broadway female performance I have ever seen! Now have to add Ben Platt as the male in the trio of best musical performances I have ever seen.

 

I also liked Barbara Harris in "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever." As to Streisand and Merman, I go with Merman because until "Gypsy" she never had to do much acting. Merman stayed with "Gypsy" for more than 2.5 years, if you count the U.S tour after Broadway. To be fair, Streisand also did "Funny Girl" in London.

[bostonman]

until "Gypsy" [Merman] never had to do much acting.

 

The story goes that after Sondheim and Robbins had come up with the structure of "Rose's Turn" and started to work it through with Merman, there was one thing that she didn't quite get, and that was what to do with that now-iconic stuttering of "mm...mm...momma." They explained to her the dramatic reasoning behind it - which she seemed to understand - but she still seemed stumped. "Yeah, but do I come in on the upbeat or the downbeat?" - THAT'S what she needed to know.

[handiacefailure]

I liked Bette Midler's acceptance speech, and I'm glad she won, but if everyone spoke as long as she did, they'd see the sunrise before the program was over. Kevin Spacey's remark afterwards was funny, too. But she should know better.

 

Not sure whose was longer bettes or Patti Lupones when she won the tony for gypsy. They had to play music while she was talking as well to tell her she reached their time limit. I loved pattis remark "shut up it's been 29 years since I've been up here" but at least she took the hint and rushed through the names.

 

Ben's speech was nothing but amazing. Pattis speech for gypsy was my all time favorite tony speech until this year but Ben's definitely topped it and maybe bettes