SPRING AWAKENING and THE COAST OF UTOPIA had a very good night on Sunday as they dominated the Tony awards and had much to celebrate. SPRING AWAKENING, a romantic portrayal of teens awakening to sexuality and rebelling against repression and hypocrisy in 1890s Germany, captured eight awards, including Best Musical. THE COAST OF UTOPIA, a Tom Stoppard trilogy of intellectual dramas about 19th century Russian revolutionaries, won seven, including Best Play, a Tony record for plays.
SPRING AWAKENING continued their domination of the evening, winning the Best Score award for Duncan Sheik and lyricist Steven Sater, who also received the prize for Book of a Musical. Director Michael Mayer won, as did actor John Gallagher Jr., who portrays a manic student in the show.
For THE COAST OF UTOPIA, Jack O’Brien won for direction, as well as two of the featured players - Billy Crudup and Jennifer Ehle. UTOPIA swept the technical awards for plays, winning prizes for sets, costumes and lighting.
Best Musical Revival went to COMPANY, a Stephen Sondheim musical taking an unconventional look at love and commitment in a complex modern world. Best Play Revival went to JOURNEY’S END, C. R. Sherriff's semi-autobiographical 1929 play about the relationships of a group of trench-living soldiers during The Great War.
The actor-in-a-play award went to Tony favorite Frank Langella for his portrayal of Richard M. Nixon in FROST/NIXON, a drama about the former president being interviewed in 1977 by British media personality David Frost. The actor-musical award went to David Hyde Pierce, for his portrayal of a musical-theatre-loving detective in CURTAINS, a musical murder mystery set in the hammy world of Broadway.
Julie White received the actress-play award for her portrayal of a conniving agent in the Douglas Carter Beane modern comedy THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED, a hilarious Hollywood satire. The ladies of GREY GARDENS, a quirky adaptation of the documentary about two reclusive Bouvier cousins to Jackie Kennedy took home awards. Christine Ebersole won the actress-musical award for her role as the droll but despairing Little Edie Beale in GREY GARDENS and Mary Louise Wilson won for featured actress-musical for her role as the eccentric Big Edie.
For a peek at what happened during commercial breaks at the Tonys, a Press Room blog backstage, the Creative Arts Award winners and a complete list of award winners, visit www.tonyawards.com.
Click here to view The Road to the Tonys -- a three-episode glimpse at the weeks of activity leading up to the Tony Awards ceremony.
And the 2007 Tony Awards Go To…
Productions
• Play: The Coast of Utopia
• Musical: Spring Awakening
• Play Revivial: Journey’s End
• Musical Revival: Company
Plays
• Actor: Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
• Actress: Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed
• Featured Actor: Billy Crudup, The Coast of Utopia
• Featured Actress: Jennifer Ehle, The Coast of Utopia
• Direction: Jack O’Brien, The Coast of Utopia
Musicals
• Actor: David Hyde Pierce, Curtains
• Actress: Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
• Featured Actor: John Gallagher, Jr., Spring Awakening
• Featured Actress: Mary Louise Wilson, Grey Gardens
• Book: Steven Sater, Spring Awakening
• Score: Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, Spring Awakening
• Direction: Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening
• Choreography: Bill T. Jones, Spring Awakening
By: Allison Thomas
