By Pia Catton and Stefanie Cohen
The Tony Awards on Sunday scattered statuettes all over
Broadway, but "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" took home
the coveted best musical prize in addition to wins for its book,
costumes and musical direction.
In an unusually competitive year, no productions dominated the
awards as they have in seasons past. "Gentleman's Guide," which
also received the most nominations, tied with "Hedwig and the Angry
Inch," each winning four Tonys, while "A Raisin in the Sun" won
three.
"Gentleman's Guide" producer Joey Parnes shared the moment with
fellow nominees, saying, "To everyone watching, please go see them
all."
"Hedwig," the tale of a transgender rock star, won best musical
revival, and its star, Neil Patrick Harris, won best lead actor in
a musical.
Lena Hall won for best featured performance by an actress in a
musical, playing opposite Mr. Harris as Hedwig's under-appreciated
husband.
Mr. Harris, who took a break from hosting the awards ceremony
this year, called playing Hedwig "an absolute joy."
"It's a role I was terrified of," he said. "In taking it on, it
has changed me and challenged me."
"A Raisin in the Sun" won Tonys for best revival of a play, its
director, Kenny Leon, and Sophie Okonedo, as best featured actress
in a play.
Ms. Okonedo said that working with Mr. Leon was special because
he allowed the actors to experiment. "I've been up for quite a few
things, but I've never had that name read," she said. "I don't
think it really hit me until I got off the stage."
Audra McDonald won best lead actress in a play for her role as
Billie Holiday in "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill." It was
her sixth Tony, making her the actor with the most Tonys for
performance, and also the first actor to have won in all four
acting categories.
She thanked her parents, she said, "for disobeying the doctor's
orders and not medicating their hyperactive girl, and finding out
what she was into instead, and pushing her into the theater."
"All the Way," a play about President Lyndon B. Johnson, won
best play, and its leading man, Bryan Cranston, won best actor in a
play.
Best known as the antihero of TV's "Breaking Bad," Mr. Cranston
saw his first Broadway play in 1977, he said while accepting the
Tony.
"I snuck into the second half of 'Hair,' " he said. "To this
day, I still haven't seen the first act, but they tell me the
second act was better because there was more nudity."
Jessie Mueller won best lead actress in a musical for her
portrayal of the title singer in "Beautiful: The Carole King
Musical." She thanked Ms. King while accepting the award.
"You have taught me so much," Ms. Mueller said. "You teach me so
much every night I get to go up on stage and try to go through what
you went through."
James Monroe Iglehart, "Aladdin's" high-energy, scene-stealing
genie, won for featured actor in a musical. "I prayed for this when
I was 17 years old," he said.
Mark Rylance won his third Tony, this one for featured actor in
a play, for Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." He has won twice for
best actor and said this time felt different because he was
accompanied by his fellow "Twelfth Night" actors--two of whom were
nominated in the same category as well.
The highest dance award of the evening went to choreographer
Warren Carlyle for "After Midnight," who also created Tony host
Hugh Jackman's unusual opening number. Mr. Jackman bounced his way
through the theater as an homage to actor Bobby Van and the film
"Small Town Girl."
Barbara Chai contributed to this article.
Write to Pia Catton at pia.catton@wsj.com and Stefanie Cohen at
stefanie.cohen@dowjones.com
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