Tony_Awards

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tony Award Tony Award Tony Award 63rd Tony Awards Regulations of The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards", which applies for each season only.[3] In British theatre, the equivalent of the Tony award is the Laurence Olivier Award. A number of the world’s longest-running and most successful shows, as well as some actors, directors, choreographers and designers, have been successful in receiving both Tony Awards and Olivier Awards. The Tony Awards are considered the highest U.S. theatre honor, the U.S. theatre industry’s equivalent to the Academy Awards (Oscars) for motion pictures. In recent years, the Tony Awards ceremony has been held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City in June and broadcast on CBS television.[4] The 63rd Tony Awards ceremony is scheduled to be held on June 7, 2009 at Radio City Music Hall, with a threehour broadcast on CBS television. The cut-off for nomination eligibility for the 2008-2009 Broadway season is April 30, 2009.[5] Designed by Herman Rosse, 1949 History Awarded by a panel of approximately 700 judges from various areas of the entertainment industry and press, the Tony Award is generally regarded as the theatre’s equivalent to the Oscars, for excellence in film; the Grammys for the music industry, and the Emmys for excellence in television. The award was founded by the American Theatre Wing in 1947 at the suggestion of a committee of theatrical producers headed by Brock Pemberton, but it was not until the third awards ceremony in 1949 that the first Tony medallion was actually given to award winners. The award is named for Antoinette Perry, an actress, director, producer and cofounder of the American Theatre Wing, who had recently died. The first awards ceremony was held on April 6 1947, at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. The Tony Award trophy consists of a medallion, a mix of mostly brass and a little bronze, with a nickel plating on the outside; a black acrylic glass base, and the nickelplated pewter swivel. [2] Awarded for Presented by Country First awarded Official website Excellence in theatre American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League United States 1947 The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American theatre and are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League [1] at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are for Broadway productions and performances, as well as discretionary non-competitive Special Tony Awards and the Regional Theatre Tony Award, and the Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre.[2] The awards are named after Antoinette Perry, co-founder of the American Theatre Wing. The rules for the Tony Awards are set forth in the official document "Rules and 1 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tony Award Details of the Tony Awards Note: all information except the rules for a new play are from: Tony Rules and Regulations Rules for a "new" play or musical For the purposes of the award, a "new" play or musical is one that has not previously been produced on Broadway and is not part of the "historical or popular repertoire." This phrase has been the subject of some controversy, as some shows have been ruled ineligible for the "new" categories, meaning that their authors did not have a chance to win the marquee awards of Best Play or Best Musical (or Best Score or Best Book for musicals). On the other hand, some people feel that allowing plays and musicals that have been frequently produced to be eligible as new gives them an unfair advantage, because they will have benefited from additional development time as well as additional familiarity with the Tony voters. Shows recently transferred from Off-Broadway or the West End are eligible as new, as are productions based closely on movies. Committees and voters The Administration Committee has 24 members: 10 designated by the American Wing, 10 by The Broadway League, and one each by the Dramatists Guild, Actors’ Equity Association, United Scenic Artists and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. This committee, among other duties, determines eligibility for nominations in all awards categories.[7] The Nominating Committee makes the nominations for the various categories. This rotating group of up to 30 theatre professionals is selected by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. Nominators serve threeyear terms and are asked to see every new Broadway production.[8] There are approximately 750 eligible Tony Award voters, a number that changes slightly from year to year. These include the board of directors and designated members of the advisory committee of the American Theatre Wing; members of the governing boards of Actors’ Equity Association, the Dramatists Former logo Since 1967, the award ceremony has been broadcast on US national television and includes songs from the nominated musicals, as well as video clips of, or presentations about, nominated plays. The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League jointly present and administer the awards. Audience size for the telecast is generally well below that of other awards shows, but the program reaches an affluent audience, which is prized by advertisers.[6] 2 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Guild, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, United Scenic Artists, and the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers; those persons whose names appear on the first night press list; members of the Theatrical Council of the Casting Society of America; and voting members of The Broadway League. Tony Award • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play • Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical • Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play • Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical • Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical • Best Direction of a Play • Best Direction of a Musical • Best Choreography • Best Orchestrations • Best Scenic Design of a Play • Best Scenic Design of a Musical • Best Costume Design of a Play • Best Costume Design of a Musical • Best Lighting Design of a Play • Best Lighting Design of a Musical • Best Sound Design of a Play • Best Sound Design of a Musical • Best Special Theatrical Event Special categories • Regional Theatre Tony Award • Special Tony Award (includes Lifetime Achievement Award) • Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre Retired awards • Tony Award for Best Author • Best Conductor and Musical Director • Tony Award for Best Revival (replaced by separate musical and play awards) • Tony Award for Best Stage Technician Eligibility date ("Season") To be eligible for Tony Award consideration, a production must have officially opened by the "eligibility date" that the Management Committee establishes each year. For example, the cut-off date for eligibility for the 2007-08 season was May 7, 2008; the cut-off date for the 2008-09 season was April 30, 2009. The "Season" for Tony Award eligibility is defined in the Rules and Regulations. "Broadway" theatre A Broadway theatre is defined as having 500 or more seats, among other requirements. While the Rules define a "Broadway" theatre in terms of its size, not its geographical location, the list of "Broadway" theatres is determined solely by the Tony Awards Administration Committee, and as of the 2007-2008 season, the list consists solely of theaters located in the vicinity of Times Square in New York City (plus one at Lincoln Center).[9][10] Award categories There are presently 27 categories of awards, plus several special awards. Starting with 11 awards in 1947, the names and number of categories have changed over the years; a complete history of each award category was published in 2005.[11] A newly established non-competitive award, The Isabelle Stevenson Award, will be given for the first time at the awards ceremony in 2009. The award is for an individual who has made a "substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service or charitable organizations."[12] • Best Play • Best Musical • Best Book of a Musical • Best Original Score • Best Revival of a Play • Best Revival of a Musical Criticism While the theatre-going public may consider the Tony Awards to be the Oscars of live theatre, critics have suggested that the Tony Awards are primarily a promotional vehicle for a small number of large production companies and theatre owners in New York City.[13] Only shows playing in one of 39 large "Broadway" theatres designated by the Tony Awards Management Committee are eligible for the Tony Awards. Only a portion of the Broadway theatres feature a "new" production in any given season, and there are 27 award categories. Therefore, it is likely 3 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that many "new" shows will reap at least one award.[incorrect template use] Tony Award • The musicals that fared most poorly on Tony night were Chicago (1976) and Steel Pier (1997), both of which received 11 nominations, but won no awards. Coincidentally, both shows have scores by John Kander and Fred Ebb. Chicago competed against A Chorus Line, which dominated the musical categories with nine awards. Steel Pier later lost several of its nominations to the revival of Chicago which, on its second outing, took home six awards. The play Indiscretions (1995), was nominated for nine awards but did not win any. • While several performers have won Tonys for roles that have involved cross dressing, only two have won for performing in roles in which the character is actually a member of the opposite sex: Mary Martin in the title role of Peter Pan (1955) and Harvey Fierstein as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray (2003). • Seven shows have won the design awards for sets, costumes and lighting: Follies (1972), The Phantom of the Opera (1986), The Lion King (1998), The Producers (2001), The Light in the Piazza (2005), The Coast of Utopia (2007) and the revival of South Pacific (2008). Oliver Smith has won a record eight scenic design Tony Awards, and Jules Fisher has won the most lighting design awards, also eight. He has received 19 nominations as a lighting designer and one as a producer. • The 2008 revival of South Pacific is the only production to have won all four Creative Arts Tony Awards in Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design, and Best Sound Design. • Boyd Gaines was the first performer to have been nominated for all four performance awards for which a performer is eligible: Best Featured Actor in a Play in 1989 for The Heidi Chronicles, Best Actor in a Musical in 1994 for She Loves Me, Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 2000 for Contact, Best Actor in a Play in 2007 for Journey’s End, and again for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 2008 for Gypsy. The only time Gaines did not win was for Journey’s End. Raúl Esparza was the second performer to have been nominated for all four performance awards for which a performer is eligible, notably achieving this over a mere six seasons: Best Featured Actor in a Musical Award milestones Some notable records and facts about the Tony Awards include the following:[14] • Harold Prince has won 21 Tony Awards, more than anyone else, including eight for directing, eight for producing, two as producer of the year’s Best Musical, and three special Tony Awards. • The most Tony Awards ever received by a musical was The Producers with 12 awards, including best musical. • The most Tony Awards ever received by a non-musical was The Coast of Utopia with seven awards, including best play, in 2007. The History Boys and the original production of Death of a Salesman previously held the record with six each. • Stephen Sondheim has won more Tony Awards than any other composer, with eight Tony Awards: Best Music and Best Lyrics for Company (1971); Best Score for Follies (1972), A Little Night Music (1973), Sweeney Todd (1979), Into the Woods (1988), Passion (1994); and Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement (2008). • Julie Harris has won the most performance Tony Awards, and has been nominated more than any other performer. She has won five awards for her roles in I Am a Camera (1952), The Lark (1956), Forty Carats (1969), The Last of Mrs. Lincoln (1973), and The Belle of Amherst (1977). She has been nominated a total of ten times. • Only three actresses have been nominated in two acting categories in the same year: Amanda Plummer, Dana Ivey and Kate Burton. • South Pacific (1950) is the only show (play or musical) to win Best Production (Musical), Actor (Ezio Pinza), Actress (Mary Martin), Featured Actor (Myron McCormick), Featured Actress (Juanita Hall) and Direction (Joshua Logan). • Bob Fosse has won the most Tony Awards for choreography, eight: The Pajama Game (1955), Damn Yankees (1956), Redhead (1959), Little Me (1963), Sweet Charity (1966), Pippin (1973), Dancin’ (1978), and Big Deal (1986). He also received one for directing Pippin. 4 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia in 2004 for Taboo, Best Actor in a Musical in 2007 for Company, Best Featured Actor in a Play in 2008 for The Homecoming, and Best Actor in a Play in 2009 for Speed-the-Plow. He has yet to win. • Three musicals have won the Tony Award for Best Musical while the book, music and lyrics were written by one person: The Music Man (Meredith Willson), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Rupert Holmes) and Rent (Jonathan Larson). RENT and The Mystery of Edwin Drood also won the Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score, while the categories did not exist in 1957 when The Music Man was eligible. • The Tony Award equivalent of the Academy Award’s Big Five would be the six awards: Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Direction. Three musicals have won all six awards: South Pacific, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Hairspray. Tony Award References in media • In the Seinfeld episode "The Summer of George", Jerry and Kramer are at the Tonys and Kramer is seen carrying a Tony for the fictional play, Scarsdale Surprise, that he took along with him. Unfortunately, after a beatdown by Raquel Welch, his Tony is smashed to bits. • In the musical [title of show], the two main characters imagine what it would be like to win a Tony with "The Tony Award Song". [5] Gans, Andrew. "63rd Annual Tony Awards will be Presented June 7, 2009", playbill.com, September 11, 2008 [6] Tony Homepage [7] "American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards Administration Committee 2008-2009", TonyAwards.com [8] 2008-2009 Tony Awards Nominating Committee, TonyAwards.com [9] Tony Awards Rules and Regulations for 2007-08 season, Exhibit A "Eligible Theatres" [10] "playbill.com" article, Feb. 7, 2008, ASK PLAYBILL.COM: Broadway or OffBroadway—Part I [11] History of Tony categories [12] Gans, Andrew."Tony Awards to Present Isabelle Stevenson Award in May 2009",playbill.com, October 8, 2008 [13] Okrent, Daniel (May 9, 2004). "There’s No Business Like Tony Awards Business". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/ fullpage.html?res=9C03EEDA143CF93AA35756C0A9 Retrieved on 2007-10-07. [14] Did You Know, Official Tony Website See also • • • • • • • • Drama Desk Awards Laurence Olivier Awards Obie Awards New York Drama Critics’ Circle Theatre World Award Broadway theatre The Society of London Theatre List of persons who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards References [1] The League of American Theatres and Producers was renamed "The Broadway League" [1] [2] Tony Homepage and "About the Tonys: Who We Are" [3] Tony Awards Rules and Regulations for 2006-07 season [4] See, e.g., The American Theatre Wing Tony Awards - Official Website External links • • • • Official Tony Awards website The Broadway League playbill article "Broadway Theatre", 7/6/07 John Kenrick’s Dean’s List Awards Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Award" Categories: Tony Awards, Culture of New York City, Theatre awards, Broadway, American theater awards 5 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tony Award This page was last modified on 13 May 2009, at 08:40 (UTC). 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