Tonys Make Whoopi, Reach New Heights

South Pacific nabs a leading seven awards for the 62nd annual Tonys

By Gina Serpe Jun 16, 2008 5:02 AMTags
Lin-Manuel MirandaAP Photo

The Great White Way is painting the town red tonight.

In the Heights and August: Osage County took home the top honors at the 62nd annual Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Play, respectively, while the revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific scooped up a leading seven trophies.

"I can guarantee you this moment beats the hell out of auditioning for JAG," August: Osage County actor-playwright Tracy Letts said of the win.

On the other end of the kudos spectrum, Sunday in the Park With George left the awards empty-handed despite an impressive nine nominations.

Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim, meanwhile, received a lifetime achievement award.

Whoopi Goldberg hosted the history-making show, which made a big winner of Boyd Gaines, who took home the nod for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in Gypsy.

Gaines' gain marked his place in musical theater history as the most Tony-winning male actor ever. Julie Harris remains the biggest individual winner of all time at the Tony Awards, with five trophies in all.

The ceremony was televised live on CBS and, in an attempt to increase faltering ratings, was low on the actual dishing out of awards and big on showstopping performances, with the casts of The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Rent and Young Frankenstein all taking to the stage during the evening.

Here's a complete list of winners for the ceremony:

  • MUSICAL: In the Heights
  • PLAY: August: Osage County
  • REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL: South Pacific
  • REVIVAL OF A PLAY: Boeing-Boeing
  • DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL: South Pacific
  • DIRECTION OF A PLAY: August: Osage County
  • PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Paolo Szot, South Pacific
  • PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Patti LuPone, Gypsy
  • PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY: Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing
  • PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County
  • PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Boyd Gaines, Gypsy
  • PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Laura Benanti, Gypsy
  • PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY: Jim Norton, The Seafarer
  • PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Rondi Reed, August: Osage County
  • ORIGINAL SCORE: In the Heights
  • ORCHESTRATIONS: In the Heights
  • CHOREOGRAPHY: In the Heights
  • BOOK OF A MUSICAL: Passing Strange
  • COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: South Pacific
  • COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY: Les Liaisons Dangereuses
  • SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: South Pacific
  • SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY: August: Osage County
  • SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: South Pacific
  • SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY: The 39 Steps
  • LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: South Pacific
  • LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY: The 39 Steps
  • LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Stephen Sondheim
  • REGIONAL THEATER AWARD: Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
  • SPECIAL TONY AWARD: Robert Russell Bennett