65th Tony Awards


The 65th Annual Tony Awards was held on June 12, 2011, to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2010–2011 season. The ceremony was held at the Beacon Theatre, ending a fourteen-year tradition of hosting the event at Radio City Music Hall. The Awards ceremony was broadcast live on CBS and was hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. The award nominations were announced on May 3, 2011.
The ceremony received highly positive reviews from critics, with many citing it as a major improvement over the previous year. Numerous critics credited host Neil Patrick Harris with the success of the production, with one critic calling him "America's next great awards host."
Neil Patrick Harris opened the show with a comedic and musical number "Broadway's Not Just for Gays Anymore". The song was written by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger. Harris and Hugh Jackman performed another comic number, a revised version of "Anything You Can Do ," as rival awards-show hosts. This was Harris' second time hosting previously in 2009. He went on to host again in 2012 and 2013.
The smash hit musical The [Book of Mormon |The Book of Mormon] was nominated for 14 Tony Awards winning 9 including the Tony Award's for Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Book of a Musical. The musical The Scottsboro Boys was nominated for 12 awards winning none.

Eligibility

Shows that opened during the 2010–11 Broadway season before April 28, 2011, were eligible. The category of "Lead Actress in a Musical" has only four nominees. According to Tony Award rules, "Because only six actresses are eligible for nomination in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category, only four of those actors can be nominated."
;Original plays
;Original Musicals
;Play Revivals
;Musical Revivals
In addition to the CBS television broadcast, the ceremony was simulcast live to Times Square and included the Tony Awards Red Carpet and the complete Tony Awards show, including the Creative Arts Awards.

Presenters

The creative arts awards presentation was hosted by Laura Benanti and Katie Finneran and were presented prior to the network broadcast of the rest of the awards and the entertainment. The awards in this portion of the ceremony included those for Best Original Score, Choreography, Best Orchestrations, and others.
Presenters at the ceremony included:
, with costumed dancers and singers, opened the show with a comic and edgy number "arguing that Broadway, with its con artists, Mormons and nuns this season, is 'not just for gays anymore.'" The song was written by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger. Harris and Hugh Jackman performed another comic number as rival awards-show hosts. Performances from nominated musicals included: Catch Me If You Can with Norbert Leo Butz and Aaron Tveit; Sister Act with Patina Miller; The Book of Mormon with Andrew Rannells; The Scottsboro Boys with Joshua Henry; Anything Goes with Sutton Foster; and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying with Daniel Radcliffe and John Laroquette. Other musical numbers were performed from Memphis, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Company.
Harris ended the broadcast with a rap-style recap of the show. The rap was notable because Lin-Manuel Miranda and Thomas Kail wrote the lyrics during the show—in 80 minutes while writing backstage, Miranda and Kail created all the lyrics, and Harris, aided by a teleprompter, learned and performed the rap without rehearsal.

Special awards

The Tony Awards Administration Committee announced special non-competitive awards prior to the ceremony. The Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre is given to Athol Fugard and Philip J. Smith, Chairman of The Shubert Organization. The Isabelle Stevenson Award is awarded to Eve Ensler, founder of V-Day. The Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre is given to animal trainer William Berloni, The Drama Book Shop, and Sharon Jensen and Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts. The Special Tony Award is given to Handspring Puppet Company, "for creating lifelike horses ". The Regional Theatre Tony Award is presented to Lookingglass Theatre Company.

Competitive awards

Source: Tony Awards

Summary

The Book of Mormon received 14 nominations, the most of any production, and won nine, including Best Musical; The Scottsboro Boys received 12 nominations, winning none. The revival of Anything Goes won three awards, including Best Revival of a Musical. War Horse won five awards, including Best Play. The Normal Heart won three awards, including Best Revival of a Play. Several director-choreographers were double-nominated: Rob Ashford, Kathleen Marshall, Casey Nicholaw and Susan Stroman were nominated for both Best Director and Best Choreographer. Marshall and Nicholaw won. The revival of The Merchant of Venice received seven nominations, the most for any play, but won none, followed by Jerusalem with six, winning one, for Best Actor, for the performance of Mark Rylance.

Awards

Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.
Best PlayBest Musical

  • The Book of Mormon
  • * Catch Me If You Can
  • * The Scottsboro Boys
  • * Sister Act
  • Best Revival of a PlayBest Revival of a Musical
  • The Normal Heart
  • * Arcadia
  • * The Importance of Being Earnest
  • * The Merchant of Venice
  • Anything Goes
  • * How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
  • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
  • Mark RylanceJerusalem as Johnny "Rooster" Byron
  • * Brian BedfordThe Importance of Being Earnest as Lady Bracknell
  • * Bobby CannavaleThe Motherfucker with the Hat as Jackie
  • * Joe MantelloThe Normal Heart as Ned Weeks
  • * Al PacinoThe Merchant of Venice as Shylock
  • Frances McDormandGood People as Margie Walsh
  • * Nina AriandaBorn Yesterday as Emma 'Billie' Dawn
  • * Lily RabeThe Merchant of Venice as Portia
  • * Vanessa RedgraveDriving Miss Daisy as Daisy Werthan
  • * Hannah YellandBrief Encounter as Laura Jesson
  • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
  • Norbert Leo ButzCatch Me If You Can as Carl Hanratty
  • * Josh GadThe Book of Mormon as Elder Cunningham
  • * Joshua HenryThe Scottsboro Boys as Haywood Patterson
  • * Andrew RannellsThe Book of Mormon as Elder Price
  • * Tony SheldonPriscilla, Queen of the Desert as Bernadette
  • Sutton FosterAnything Goes as Reno Sweeney
  • * Beth LeavelBaby It's You! as Florence Greenberg
  • * Patina MillerSister Act as Deloris Van Cartier
  • * Donna MurphyThe People in the Picture as Bubbie/Raisel
  • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
  • John Benjamin HickeyThe Normal Heart as Felix Turner
  • * Mackenzie CrookJerusalem as Ginger
  • * Billy CrudupArcadia as Bernard Nightingale
  • * Arian MoayedBengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo as Musa
  • * Yul VázquezThe Motherfucker with the Hat as Cousin Julio
  • Ellen BarkinThe Normal Heart as Dr. Emma Brookner
  • * Edie FalcoThe House of Blue Leaves as Bananas
  • * Judith LightLombardi as Marie Lombardi
  • * Joanna LumleyLa Bête as The Princess
  • * Elizabeth RodriguezThe Motherfucker with the Hat as Veronica
  • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
  • John LarroquetteHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as J.B. Biggley
  • * Colman DomingoThe Scottsboro Boys as Mr. Bones
  • * Adam GodleyAnything Goes as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh
  • * Forrest McClendonThe Scottsboro Boys as Mr. Tambo
  • * Rory O'MalleyThe Book of Mormon as Elder McKinley
  • Nikki M. JamesThe Book of Mormon as Nabulungi Hatimbi
  • * Laura BenantiWomen on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown as Candela
  • * Tammy BlanchardHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as Hedy La Rue
  • * Victoria ClarkSister Act as Mother Superior
  • * Patti LuPoneWomen on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown as Lucia
  • Best Book of a MusicalBest Original Score Written for the Theatre
  • Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt StoneThe Book of Mormon
  • * Alex TimbersBloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
  • * David ThompsonThe Scottsboro Boys
  • * Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter BeaneSister Act
  • The Book of MormonTrey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
  • * The Scottsboro BoysJohn Kander and Fred Ebb
  • * Sister ActAlan Menken and Glenn Slater
  • * Women on the Verge of a Nervous BreakdownDavid Yazbek
  • Best Scenic Design of a PlayBest Scenic Design of a Musical
  • Rae SmithWar Horse
  • * Todd RosenthalThe Motherfucker with the Hat
  • * Ultz – Jerusalem
  • * Mark Wendland – The Merchant of Venice
  • Scott PaskThe Book of Mormon
  • * Beowulf Boritt – The Scottsboro Boys
  • * Derek McLaneAnything Goes
  • * Donyale WerleBloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
  • Best Costume Design of a PlayBest Costume Design of a Musical
  • Desmond Heeley – The Importance of Being Earnest
  • * Jess GoldsteinThe Merchant of Venice
  • * Mark Thompson – La Bête
  • * Catherine ZuberBorn Yesterday
  • Tim Chappel and Lizzy GardinerPriscilla, Queen of the Desert
  • * Martin PakledinazAnything Goes
  • * Ann RothThe Book of Mormon
  • * Catherine ZuberHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
  • Best Lighting Design of a PlayBest Lighting Design of a Musical
  • Paule ConstableWar Horse
  • * David LanderBengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
  • * Kenneth PosnerThe Merchant of Venice
  • * Mimi Jordan Sherin – Jerusalem
  • Brian MacDevittThe Book of Mormon
  • * Ken BillingtonThe Scottsboro Boys
  • * Howell BinkleyHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
  • * Peter KaczorowskiAnything Goes
  • Best Sound Design of a PlayBest Sound Design of a Musical
  • Christopher Shutt – War Horse
  • * Acme Sound Partners and Cricket S. Myers – Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
  • * Simon BakerBrief Encounter
  • * Ian Dickinson for Autograph – Jerusalem
  • Brian Ronan – The Book of Mormon
  • * Peter HylenskiThe Scottsboro Boys
  • * Steve Canyon Kennedy – Catch Me If You Can
  • * Brian Ronan – Anything Goes
  • Best Direction of a PlayBest Direction of a Musical
  • Marianne Elliott and Tom MorrisWar Horse
  • * Joel Grey and George C. WolfeThe Normal Heart
  • * Anna D. ShapiroThe Motherfucker with the Hat
  • * Daniel J. SullivanThe Merchant of Venice
  • Casey Nicholaw and Trey ParkerThe Book of Mormon
  • * Rob AshfordHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
  • * Kathleen MarshallAnything Goes
  • * Susan StromanThe Scottsboro Boys
  • Best ChoreographyBest Orchestrations
  • Kathleen MarshallAnything Goes
  • * Rob AshfordHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
  • * Casey NicholawThe Book of Mormon
  • * Susan StromanThe Scottsboro Boys
  • Larry Hochman and Stephen OremusThe Book of Mormon
  • * Doug BestermanHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
  • * Larry HochmanThe Scottsboro Boys
  • * Marc Shaiman and Larry Blank – Catch Me If You Can
  • Productions with multiple nominations and awards

    The following 21 productions received multiple nominations :
    The following four productions received multiple awards :