The company of “Kimberly Akimbo” (photo: Joan Marcus)
Theater’s biggest night went off-script, but many of the major awards were rather predictable. As the WGA strike continues, host Ariana DeBose was left to her own improvisational chops to lead theater’s biggest night. Nonetheless, she was the host with the most, leading a dazzling opening number and shepherding audiences through the evening, which without the banter normally scripted for presenters (which included Barry Manilow, Nathan Lane, and other celebs), clocked in at three hours flat. Kimberly Akimbo, a fan favorite, took home the night’s biggest prize, Best Musical, as did two of its stars, who were frontrunners in their categories: Victoria Clark and Bonnie Milligan. Leopoldstadt also won four Tonys, including Best Play. See the full list of winners below!
Best Play
Ain’t No Mo’
Between Riverside and Crazy
Cost of Living
Fat Ham
WINNER: Leopoldstadt
Best Musical
& Juliet
WINNER: Kimberly Akimbo
New York, New York
Shucked
Some Like It Hot
Best Revival of a Play
August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson
A Doll’s House
The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
WINNER: Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog
Best Revival of a Musical
Into the Woods
Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
WINNER: Parade
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Book of a Musical
& Juliet
David West Read
WINNER: Kimberly Akimbo
David Lindsay-Abaire
New York, New York
David Thompson & Sharon Washington
Shucked
Robert Horn
Some Like It Hot
Matthew López & Amber Ruffin
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Almost Famous
Music: Tom Kitt
Lyrics: Cameron Crowe & Tom Kitt
WINNER: Kimberly Akimbo
Music: Jeanine Tesori Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire
KPOP
Music & Lyrics: Helen Park & Max Vernon
Shucked
Music and Lyrics: Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally
Some Like It Hot
Music: Marc Shaiman
Lyrics: Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog
Corey Hawkins, Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog
WINNER: Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Between Riverside and Crazy
Wendell Pierce, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
WINNER: Jodie Comer, Prima Facie
Jessica Hecht, Summer, 1976
Audra McDonald, Ohio State Murders
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Christian Borle, Some Like It Hot
WINNER: J. Harrison Ghee, Some Like It Hot
Josh Groban, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Brian d’Arcy James, Into the Woods
Ben Platt, Parade
Colton Ryan, New York, New York
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Annaleigh Ashford, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sara Bareilles, Into the Woods
WINNER: Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo
Lorna Courtney, & Juliet
Micaela Diamond, Parade
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Jordan E. Cooper, Ain’t No Mo’
Samuel L. Jackson, August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson
Arian Moayed, A Doll’s House
WINNER: Brandon Uranowitz, Leopoldstadt
David Zayas, Cost of Living
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Nikki Crawford, Fat Ham
Crystal Lucas-Perry, Ain’t No Mo’
WINNER: Miriam Silverman, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
Katy Sullivan, Cost of Living
Kara Young, Cost of Living
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Kevin Cahoon, Shucked
Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo
Kevin Del Aguila, Some Like It Hot
Jordan Donica, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
WINNER: Alex Newell, Shucked
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Julia Lester, Into the Woods
Ruthie Ann Miles, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
WINNER: Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo
NaTasha Yvette Williams, Some Like It Hot
Betsy Wolfe, & Juliet
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, Prima Facie
WINNER: Tim Hatley & Andrzej Goulding, Life of Pi
Rachel Hauck, Good Night, Oscar
Richard Hudson, Leopoldstadt
Dane Laffrey & Lucy Mackinnon, A Christmas Carol
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
WINNER: Beowulf Boritt, New York, New York
Mimi Lien, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Michael Yeargan & 59 Productions, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Scott Pask, Shucked
Scott Pask, Some Like It Hot
Best Costume Design of a Play
Tim Hatley, Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell, Life of Pi
Dominique Fawn Hill, Fat Ham
WINNER: Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Leopoldstadt
Emilio Sosa, Ain’t No Mo’
Emilio Sosa, Good Night, Oscar
Best Costume Design of a Musical
WINNER: Gregg Barnes, Some Like It Hot
Susan Hilferty, Parade
Jennifer Moeller, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Paloma Young, & Juliet
Donna Zakowska, New York, New York
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, Leopoldstadt
Natasha Chivers, Prima Facie
Jon Clark, A Doll’s House
Bradley King, Fat Ham
WINNER: Tim Lutkin, Life of Pi
Jen Schriever, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Ben Stanton, A Christmas Carol
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ken Billington, New York, New York
Lap Chi Chu, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Heather Gilbert, Parade
Howard Hudson, & Juliet
Natasha Katz, Some Like It Hot
WINNER: Natasha Katz, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Sound Design of a Play
Jonathan Deans & Taylor Williams, Ain’t No Mo’
WINNER: Carolyn Downing, Life of Pi
Joshua D. Reid, A Christmas Carol
Ben & Max Ringham, A Doll’s House
Ben & Max Ringham, Prima Facie
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Kai Harada, New York, New York
John Shivers, Shucked
Scott Lehrer & Alex Neumann, Into the Woods
Gareth Owen, & Juliet
WINNER: Nevin Steinberg, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Direction of a Play
Saheem Ali, Fat Ham
Jo Bonney, Cost of Living
Jamie Lloyd, A Doll’s House
WINNER: Patrick Marber, Leopoldstadt
Stevie Walker-Webb, Ain’t No Mo’ Max Webster, Life of Pi
Best Direction of a Musical
WINNER: Michael Arden, Parade
Lear deBessonet, Into the Woods
Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot
Jack O’Brien, Shucked
Jessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo
Best Choreography
Steven Hoggett, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
WINNER: Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot
Susan Stroman, New York, New York
Jennifer Weber, & Juliet
Jennifer Weber, KPOP
Best Orchestrations
Bill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro, & Juliet
John Clancy, Kimberly Akimbo
Jason Howland, Shucked
WINNER: Charlie Rosen & Bryan Carter, Some Like It Hot
Daryl Waters & Sam Davis, New York, New York
