Cyndi Lauper accepts the award for Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre for 'Kinky Boots.'(Photo Getty Images)
NEW YORK Host Neil Patrick Harris opened Sunday night's Tony Awards by promising the audience at Radio City Music Hall in a typically witty glitzy production number a bigger show all around. And he did not speak (or sing) in vain.
For those who find subtlety an overrated virtue the 2012 13 Broadway season offered plenty of plays and musicals and revivals that wore their hearts on their sleeves. And such productions dominated the awards as well from Christopher Durang's wild wacky ultimately moving Chekhov mashup Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike named best play to an exuberant revival of Pippin named best revival of a musical to a ferocious new staging of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (best revival of a play) and the winner for best musical the high spirited tenderhearted Kinky Boots.
Boots fought a hotly contested race against the critically adored British import Matilda which did win several awards among them best book (Dennis Kelly) and featured actor in a musical (Gabriel Ebert).
But it was Boots that earned a hearty round of applause in the media room when it was officially handed the big prize. It also secured a victory for its first time Broadway composer/lyricist Cyndi Lauper who gave a tearful acceptance speech. I feel honored to be part of this community and you guys inspire me she said. Her colleague celebrated director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell won for his vivacious dance routines.
Boots star Billy Porter was even more emotional accepting his trophy for leading actor in a musical Thank you. Oh my God Oh my God he said his voice breaking. OK. OK. So. I'm going to put this on the ground. ... Shakespeare said to thine own self be true. When I was 11 years old my journey to truth began when I discovered the Tony Awards washing dishes in my kitchen and the performance of Jennifer Holliday and the cast of Dreamgirls on the Tony Awards took my breath away. That moment changed my life.
TONY MAGIC TO DO
Pippin surprising no one was named best revival of a musical with Diane Paulus beating both Mitchell and Matilda's Matthew Warchus in the category of direction of a musical. Paulus effusively thanked her collaborators and family members citing her parents' encouragment to do what you love with your life.
Pippin also collected an award for its leading lady Patina Miller who giddily accepted the Tony for leading actress in a musical by calling it the honor of a lifetime and a childhood dream come true and thanking my cast the most amazing cast in New York City. Another member of that cast comic actress Andrea Martin who stole a memorable scene in Paulus' production as Pippin's devoted and rather randy grandma was named best featured actress.
WINNERS Who won what
Martin said in the media room that she had been attracted to the concept of playing the role as a more spry character. I wanted to play the grandmother the way I feel at 66. I thought 'Why can't the grandmother look like me '
Last SlideNext SlideCicely Tyson who returned to Broadway after a 30 year hiatus for a revival of The Trip to Bountiful won the award for leading actress. In a moving speech she recognized my mother and father my sister and brother none of whom are here with me. I'm the sole surviving member of my immediate family and I've asked over and over again 'Why ' I now know why.
The award for leading actor in a play went to a less widely known name Tracy Letts who beat out Nathan Lane and Tom Hanks for his revolutionary performance in Virginia Woolf. Letts too acknowledged his family as well as his fellow nominees Mr. Hanks Mr. Lane Mr. Pierce and Mr. Sturridge. You are not my competition you are my peers and I'm proud to be in your company.
Virginia Woolf also earned a Tony for its director Pam MacKinnon.
Veteran costume designer William Ivey Long won for his work on Rodgers Hammerstein's Cinderella. The Nance a tragicomic study of a gay burlesque performer that was surprisingly omitted from the best play nominees did receive compensatory awards for costume and sound design.
In her speech costume designer Ann Roth saluted the show's star I don't know if a man can be a muse but Nathan Lane is my main guy. I think he's the best actor in the whole wide world. I mean it.
Courtney B. Vance Hanks' co star in the late Nora Ephron's Lucky Guy won the first televised award for featured actor in a play Judith Light took home the prize for featured actress in a play for the second year in a row this time for Richard Greenberg's charming domestic semi comedy The Assembled Parties (a best play nominee).
In the media room when asked what might attract him to another stage project he repeated the name of Guy's venerable director George C. Wolfe whom he had already mentioned three times in a row in his acceptance speech. Wolfe makes it fun he said but is also relentless in pursuit of his vision. ... The star of this production as Tom Hanks graciously deemed him is the boss. George C. Wolfe is the boss.
TALKING TO THE UNNOMINATED
On the red carpet Hanks admitted that the life of a trouper was taking its toll. My voice is a little shot he said on the official Tonys live stream.
Hanks noted that his wife Rita Wilson who accompanied him had performed in the long running revival of Chicago so I asked her (for advice) but I now understand why she was always sleeping or preparing.
Lauper walked the carpet with her Boots collaborator Fierstein. He's the guy who called me up and asked me if I wanted to work with him Lauper said. It's nice when you get to work with friends.
A more unlikely Broadway baby Mike Tyson who was not nominated for the one man curiosity he staged last summer Undisputed Truth admitted on the stream that he would never in a million years have imagined himself at this ceremony. This speaks for itself. I'm just very grateful to be here.
Another overlooked performer Alan Cumming eligible for his (virtually one man) Macbeth said that he had joked about his fate with Scarlett Johansson a previous Tony winner who this time failed to nab a nomination herself for a recent revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. We called ourselves 'the snubs ' Cumming said.
Contributing Cindy Clark and Donna Freydkin
Martha Plimpton The actress who presented during the broadcast wore a red Lorena Sarbu dress a Judith Leiber clutch and Sergio Rossi heels. She also sported a jewelry box worth of Fred Leighton baubles diamond chandelier earrings a ruby and diamond bracelet a diamond bracelet a diamond navette shaped ring and a diamond and ruby fox ring all from the 19th century. She also sported a ruby and diamond ring from circa 1900. The actress who presented during the broadcast wore a red Lorena Sarbu dress a Judith Leiber clutch and Sergio Rossi heels. She also sported a jewelry box worth of Fred Leighton baubles diamond chandelier earrings a ruby and diamond bracelet a diamond bracelet a diamond navette shaped ring and a diamond and ruby fox ring all from the 19th century. She also sported a ruby and diamond ring from circa 1900. Todd Plitt USA TODAYLast SlideNext Slide
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