NEW YORK (Tony Awards Official Website) - Avenue Q, the perky musical, which satirises Sesame Street with sexually active puppets and racy humour, was the upset winner at the 58th annual Tony Awards at
Radio City
Music Hall yesterday, winning a trio of prizes for Best Musical, Book of a Musical (Jeff Whitty), and Original Score (Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx).
The expected victor for Best Musical was Wicked, the fantasy musical about the early days of the two witches of Oz based on the novel by Gregory Maguire. Wicked also won three awards including Best Actress in a Musical (Idina Menzel), Costume Design (Susan Hilferty) and Scenic Design (Eugene Lee).
Menzel's win as the green-skinned enchantress who fights for minority rights was a big surprise.
There was no shock when the name of Tony show host Hugh Jackman was called for Best Actor in a Musical for his swivel-hipped portrayal of the late Peter Allen in The Boy from Oz.
Jefferson Mays excelled the other four much better known nominees to take the top acting prize for his portrayal of a German transvestite, and some 40 other characters in Doug Wright's"I am My Own Wife," a role he described as "a labor of love."
Phylicia Rashad made Tony Award history, becoming the first black actress to win the prize for a leading dramatic role (A Raisin in the Sun). "Often I've wondered what does it take for this to happen," said Rashad, who received the prize for her portrayal of Lena Younger, the tough-minded matriarch in a revival of "A Raisin in the Sun."
"Assassins," a sardonic musical by Stephen Sondheim about presidential killers, picked up five Tonys, including best revivalof a musical, best performance by a featured actor in a musical, best direction of a musical, best lighting design, and best orchestrations.
Winners of other categories in 2004 Tony Awards include:
Best Musical: Avenue Q.
Original Score: Avenue Q.
Best performance by a leading actor in a musical: Huge Jackman, "The Boy from Oz."
Best performance by a leading actress in a musical: Idina Menzel, "Wicked."
Best performance by a featured actor in a play: Brian O'Byrne, "Frozen."
Best performance by a featured actress in a play: Audra McDonald, "A Raisin in the Sun."
Best performance by a featured actor in a musical: Michael Cerveris, "Assassins."
Best performance by a featured actress in a musical: Anika Noni Rose, "Caroline, or Change."
Best revival of a musical: "Assassins."
Best direction of a play: Jack O'Brien, "Henry IV."
Best book of a musical: Jeff Whitty, "Avenue Q."
Best original score (Music and/or Lyrics): "Avenue Q," Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx (music).
Best scenic design: Eugene Lee, "Wicked."
Best costume design: Susan Hilferty, "Wicked."
Best lighting design: Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, "Assassins."
Best choreography: Kathleen Marshall, "Wonderful Town."
Best orchestrations: Michael Starobin, "Assassins."
Special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the theater: James M. Nederlander.
Regional theater Tony Award: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.
Avenue Q began life last season as an Off-Broadway entry at the Vineyard Theatre and transferred to the Main Stem this past summer. It became the first new show of the 2003-04 season to recoup its investment. Tony winners Whitty, Lopez, and Marx are all making their Broadway debuts.
The Tonys, officially known as the Antoinette Perry Awards, were founded in 1947 by the Wing, which runs educational and charitable programs. The organization, which Perry headed during World War II, now oversees the Tonys with the League of American Theaters and Producers, an industrial trade group.
The Tony winners in 21 categories were chosen by 735 theater professionals and journalists.
