The annual Tony Awards was held this year in New York City on Sunday, June 9. “Kinky Boots” took home three major awards including best musical, best original score, and best leading man and three more trophies. “Kinky Boots” is an adaptation of a 2005 film from Britain. The American team behind the successful production is definitely celebrating the win of an adaptation of a British film while the Brits of “Matilda” went home slightly disappointed.
The runner up to “Kinky Boots” is “Matilda The Musical” which won four awards including best book of a musical. The other nominees for the coveted Tony are “A Christmas Story,” and “Bring It On: The Musical.”
These boots are made for winning
Cyndi Lauper, 1980s pop icon wrote the original score for “Kinky Boots.” She made history as the first woman in Tony Awards history to win in the category. In the meantime, the talented Bill Porter won the best leading man Tony statue. He beat nominees Stark Sands (Kinky Boots), Bertie Carvel of Matilda, Santino Fontano of Cinderella, Rob McLure of Chaplin.
Best play and actor awards
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” directed by Pam MacKinnon won the award for best revival of a play. The other nominees in the category are “The Trip to Bountiful,” “Orphans,” and “Golden Boy.” The best play trophy went to “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” which bested three other nominees namely, “Lucky Guy,” “The Assembled Parties,” and “The Testament of Mary.”
Playwright and actor Tracy Letts won best performance by an actor in a play for his role as George in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” Letts, who has already won a Tony and a Pulitzer as a playwright, beat veteran actors Tom Hanks (Lucky Guy), David Hyde Pierce (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike), Nathan Lane (The Nance), and Tom Sturridge (Orphans).
Milestone in direction
Direction awards went to Pam MacKinnon for direction of a play and Diane Paulus for best direction of a musical, a revival of “Pippin.” This is the first time in 15 years of the history of Tony Awards when two women won for direction. Paulus’ “Pippin” won as well, beating Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” and “Annie” for best musical revival.
Diane Paulus beat nominees Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots), Scott Ellis (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), and Matthew Warchus (Matilda The Musical) in her category. Meanwhile, Pam MacKinnon’s win was over Bartlett Sher (Golden Boy), George C. Wolfe (Lucky Guy), and Nicholas Martin (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike).
Neil Patrick Harris hosts for the fourth time
The multi-talented actor Neil Patrick Harris opened with a big production number that featured songs and dances from a dozen musicals. Neil Patrick Harris led a host of dancers with his clear vocals and a few surprising and quite successful acrobatics. He was joined by Mike Tyson for a stretch and child actors in theater had a special part as well. Harris even took a hit at director Tom Hooper and his 2012 movie, “Les Miserables” about close-ups and singing live. He also took a jab at Shia LaBeouf who dropped out of the Broadway production of “Orphans.”
Photo Credit: Neil Patrick Harris hosts this year’s Tony Awards for the fourth time
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Google+
LinkedIn
Email