51st Tony Awards

51st Tony Awards
Date	June 1, 1997
Location	Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York
Host	Rosie O'Donnell
Television/Radio coverage
Network	CBS

The 51st Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS from Radio City Music Hall on June 1, 1997; "Launching the Tonys" was telecast on PBS television . The event was hosted by Rosie O'Donnell. The awards ceremony moved away from Broadway for the first time in 30 years, to Radio City Music Hall, which allowed members of the general public to attend the ceremony.^[1]

The ceremony

The opening number: "On Broadway" - Rosie O'Donnell; "Rent" - cast of Rent; "Jellicle Cats" - cast of Cats; "I'm A Woman" - female cast of Smokey Joe's Cafe, "Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk" - cast of Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk; "Greased Lightnin'" - Rosie O'Donnell and cast of Grease; "Be Our Guest" - cast of Beauty and the Beast.

Presenters: Julie Andrews, Lauren Bacall, Alec Baldwin, Christine Baranski, Dixie Carter, Savion Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Joel Grey, Marilu Henner, Hal Holbrook, Swoosie Kurtz, Liza Minnelli, Mary Tyler Moore, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Chita Rivera, Roseanne Barr, Susan Sarandon, Jimmy Smits, Marisa Tomei, Rip Torn, Leslie Ann Warren, Raquel Welch.

Musicals represented:

• Steel Pier — "Everybody Dance" - Karen Ziemba, Gregory Harrison, Company
• The Life — "My Body" - Sam Harris, Lillias White, Company
• Annie — "Tomorrow" - Brittny Kissinger
• Candide — "Bon Voyage" - Jim Dale, Company
• Once Upon a Mattress — "Shy" - Sarah Jessica Parker, Company
• Chicago — "All That Jazz"/"Hot Honey Rag" - Bebe Neuwirth, Ann Reinking, Company
• Titanic — "There She Is" - Michael Cerveris, Company

Winners and nominees

Winners are in bold

Best Play	Best Musical
The Last Night of Ballyhoo – Alfred Uhry Skylight – David Hare Stanley – Pam Gems The Young Man From Atlanta – Horton Foote	Titanic Juan Darien Steel Pier The Life
Best Revival of a Play	Best Revival of a Musical
A Doll's House London Assurance Present Laughter The Gin Game	Chicago Annie Candide Once Upon a Mattress
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Christopher Plummer – Barrymore as John Barrymore Brian Bedford – London Assurance as Sir Harcourt Courtly Michael Gambon – Skylight as Tom Sergeant Antony Sher – Stanley as Stanley	Janet McTeer – A Doll's House as Nora Helmer Julie Harris – The Gin Game as Fonsia Dorsey Shirley Knight – The Young Man From Atlanta as Lily Dale Kidder Lia Williams – Skylight as Kyra Hollis
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
James Naughton – Chicago as Billy Flynn Robert Cuccioli – Jekyll and Hyde as Dr. Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde Jim Dale – Candide as Various Characters Daniel McDonald – Steel Pier as Bill Kelly	Bebe Neuwirth – Chicago as Velma Kelly Pamela Isaacs – The Life as Queen Tonya Pinkins – Play On! as Lady Liv Karen Ziemba – Steel Pier as Rita Racine
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Owen Teale – A Doll's House as Torvald Helmer Terry Beaver – The Last Night of Ballyhoo as Adolph Brian Murray – The Little Foxes as Oscar William Biff McGuire – The Young Man From Atlanta as Pete Davenport	Lynne Thigpen – An American Daughter as Dr. Judith B. Kaufman Helen Carey – London Assurance as Lady Gay Spanker Dana Ivey – The Last Night of Ballyhoo as Boo Celia Weston – The Last Night of Ballyhoo as Aunt Reba
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Chuck Cooper – The Life as Memphis Joel Blum – Steel Pier as Buddy Becker André DeShields – Play On! as Jester Sam Harris – The Life as Jojo	Lillias White – The Life as Sonja Marcia Lewis – Chicago as Matron Mama Morton Andrea Martin – Candide as The Old Lady Debra Monk – Steel Pier as Shelby Stevens
Best Book of a Musical	Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Peter Stone – Titanic Leslie Bricusse – Jekyll and Hyde David Thompson – Steel Pier David Newman, Ira Gasman and Cy Coleman – The Life	Titanic – Maury Yeston (music and lyrics) Juan Darien – Elliot Goldenthal (music and lyrics) Steel Pier – John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb (lyrics) The Life – Cy Coleman (music) and Ira Gasman (lyrics)
Best Scenic Design	Best Costume Design
Stewart Laing – Titanic John Lee Beatty – The Little Foxes G. W. Mercier and Julie Taymor – Juan Darien Tony Walton – Steel Pier	Judith Dolan – Candide Ann Curtis – Jekyll and Hyde William Ivey Long – Chicago Martin Pakledinaz – The Life
Best Lighting Design	Best Orchestrations
Ken Billington – Chicago Beverly Emmons – Jekyll and Hyde Donald Holder – Juan Darien Richard Pilbrow – The Life	Jonathan Tunick – Titanic Michael Gibson – Steel Pier Luther Henderson – Play On! Don Sebesky and Harold Wheeler – The Life
Best Direction of a Play	Best Direction of a Musical
Anthony Page – A Doll's House John Caird – Stanley Richard Eyre – Skylight Charles Nelson Reilly – The Gin Game	Walter Bobbie – Chicago Michael Blakemore – The Life Scott Ellis – Steel Pier Julie Taymor – Juan Darien
Best Choreography
Ann Reinking – Chicago Wayne Cilento – Dream Joey McKneely – The Life Susan Stroman – Steel Pier

Special awards

• Regional Theater Tony Award
  • Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
  • Bernard B. Jacobs (posthumously)

References

1. Lefkowitz, David. "'Titanic', 'Ballyhoo' Win Top Tonys" playbill.com, June 1, 1997

External links

• Official Tony Awards site