NEW YORK—Awards season may not be in effect, but June 8 marked the celebration of all theatre, as the 2014 Tony Awards were held at Radio CityMusic Hall. Leading all nominees was the play “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder” which walked away with a total of 4 awards including Best Musical, matching the number of awards that the musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” also took home.
Taking home the award for Best Play was “All the Way” starring Emmy-winner Bryan Cranston, who also added a Tony to his shelf of awards as he took home the award for Leading Actor in a Play.
The ceremony was hosted by Tony favorite Hugh Jackman who opened the ceremony with a hop-a-thon. The entire time I watched the opening, I just kept thinking to myself, please don’t have a stumble and take a fall. As always, the show kicked off with a big musical and dance number that included the likes of singing greats Gladys Knight and Patti Labelle. Yes, those singing legends took the stage.
Theatre legend Audra McDonald made history winning her sixth Tony award for Leading Actress in a Play for her role as Billie Holiday in the play “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill.” McDonald is the first actor to win Tonys in all four acting categories. The actress was brought to tears as she took the stage to collect her award. She received an astounding standing ovation from the audience; truly an emotional highlight of the ceremony.
A full list of this year’s winners are listed below:
Best Musical
-“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”
Best Revival Of A Musical
-“Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role In A Musical
-Jessie Mueller, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”
Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role In A Musical
-Neil Patrick Harris, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
Best Play
-“All the Way”
Best Revival Of A Play
-“A Raisin in the Sun”
Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role In A Play
-Bryan Cranston, “All the Way”
Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role In A Play
-Audra McDonald, “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill”
Best Performance By An Actress In Featured Role In A Play
-Sophie Okonedo, “A Raisin in the Sun”
Best Performance By An Actor In A Featured Role In A Musical
-James Monroe Iglehart, “Aladdin”
Best Direction Of A Play
-Kenny Leon, “A Raisin in the Sun”
Best Direction Of A Musical
-Darko Tresnjak, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”
Best Performance By An Actress In A Featured Role In A Musical
-Lena Hall, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
Best Performance By An Actor In A Featured Role In A Play
-Mark Rylance, “Twelfth Night”
Best Book Of A Musical
-Robert L. Freedman, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”
Best Original Score (Music And/Or Lyrics) Written For The Theatre
-“The Bridges of Madison County” Music & Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown
Best Scenic Design Of A Play
-Beowulf Boritt, “Act One”
Best Scenic Design Of A Musical
-Christopher Barreca, “Rocky”
Best Orchestrations
-Jason Robert Brown, “The Bridges of Madison County”
Best Sound Design Of A Play
– Steve Canyon Kennedy, “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill”
Best Sound Design Of A Musical
-Brian Ronan, “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical”
Best Choreography
-Warren Carlyle, “After Midnight”
Best Costume Design Of A Play -Jenny Tiramani, “Twelfth Night”
Best Costume Design Of A Musical
-Linda Cho, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”
Best Lighting Design Of A Play
-Natasha Katz, “The Glass Menagerie”
Best Lighting Design Of A Musical
-Kevin Adams, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
