By Jocelyn Noveck
Associated Press
NEW YORK — On a feel-good night for Broadway, it was only natural that the Tony Award go to its most feel-good musical, the joyous “Kinky Boots.” But most everything about Sunday’s Tony telecast was warmhearted, from inspiring speeches about the theatrical community to the inspired antics of Neil Patrick Harris, who should officially be awarded the host job on a permanent basis.
It was an especially happy night for female theater artists: In a rare feat, women took home both directing prizes, for a musical (Diane Paulus for the high-energy “Pippin” revival) and for a play (Pam MacKinnon for the searing revival of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”). And Cyndi Lauper won best original score for “Kinky Boots,” a result that had many in the audience whooping with delight. “Girl, you’re gonna have fun tonight!” shouted presenter Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the “Modern Family” actor — a reference, of course, to Lauper’s iconic “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”
Here is a list of the top winners:
Best Play: “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.”
Best musical: “Kinky Boots.”
Best book of a musical: “Matilda the Musical.”
Best original score (music and/or lyrics) written for the theater: “Kinky Boots.”
Best revival of a play: “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Best revival of a musical: “Pippin.”
Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play: Tracy Letts, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Best performance by an actress in leading role in a play: Cicely Tyson, “The Trip to Bountiful.”
Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical: Billy Porter, “Kinky Boots.”
Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical: Patina Miller, “Pippin.”
Best performance by an actor in a featured role in a play: Courtney B. Vance, “Lucky Guy.”
Best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play: Judith Light, “The Assembled Parties.”
Best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical: Gabriel Ebert, “Matilda the Musical.”
Best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical: Andrea Martin, “Pippin.”
