A "Hair"-Raising Tonys

It was a night for hair products and Hollywood stars at Sunday's 57th Annual Tony Awards. As expected, Hairspray, the hit musical based on John Waters' campy 1988 movie about an overweight, overcoiffed teen in 1960s Baltimore, was the night's biggest winner.

"I think everybody likes to see the fat girl get the hot guy and win," Waters told Reuters after the show, which honors the best of Broadway.

Indeed, the critic- and crowd-pleasing production scored a whopping eight awards, most notably winning the coveted Best Musical award. Its three top stars, Harvey Fierstein, Dick Latessa and Marissa Jaret Winokur were also tapped as Best Actor in a Musical, Best Featured Actor-Musical and Best Actress-Musical, respectively. Hairspray also won in the Book, Score, Direction-Musical and Costume categories.

"If a 4-foot-11 chubby, New York girl can be a leading lady in a Broadway show and win a Tony, then anything can happen," Winokur gushed to a standing-ovation crowd upon accepting her Tony.

While Hairspray glued down most of the honors, there was some room for a few other winners.

The Antonio Banderas-led lovefest Nine was also recognized for greatness. Though Banderas lost to Hairspray's cross-dressing Fierstein (who joked, "Boy, am I glad this was not a beauty contest," when he accepted his award, the fourth of his career), the musical was named the Best Musical Revival. Banderas' costar, ex-Ally McBeal sexpot Jane Krakowski, was tapped as the Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as his scantily clad mistress.

The critically acclaimed revamping of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night, which features several big-name film stars, including Brian Dennehy, Vanessa Redgrave, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robert Sean Leonard, was named Best Revival of a Play. Dennehy nabbed the Leading Actor in a Play trophy for his role, and Redgrave was named Best Leading Actress.

Take Me Out, the critically lauded drama about a gay baseball player who comes out of the closet, won Best Play, Best Director in a Play and Best Featured Actor.

And though Baz Luhrmann's ambitious operatic retelling of the Puccini classic La Bohème lost out in the Best Musical Revival category, it did nab design awards for sets (Catherine Martin, Luhrmann's Oscar-winning wife) and lighting (Nigel Levings). It was also honored for Excellence in Theater by the Tony organization for its rotating ensemble cast.

Hip-hop was in the house, too, as the rap-flavored Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam on Broadway received the accolade for Best Theatrical Event. The 2003 show, held at Radio City Music Hall and hosted by a long-haired, musical X-Man Hugh Jackman, kicked off with a live, Times Square performance of "New York State of Mind" by Piano Man Billy Joel. The show continued with several musical numbers from many of the night's nominees. Joel took home a pre-telecast award for Best Orchestrations. Movin' Out, the singing-and-dancing tribute to his musical career, opened this season to rave reviews and sold-out performances. The show's creator, dance icon Twyla Tharp, was also recognized for Best Choreography. It remains to be seen if the 2003 Tony results will bolster winning-show ticket sales (as they usually do), but the year has already seen some stellar financial payoff for the Great White Way his far. The 2003 season, which ended May 12, grossed a record $720.9 million, up 12 percent from 2002, and attendance grew 4.3 percent to 11.4 million.

The Tonys Awards are chosen in 22 different categories and selected by a 700-member panel of theatrical folks and journalists. Here's a complete list of the 2003 Tony winners:

Best Play: Take Me Out Best Musical: Hairspray Best Book of a Musical: Hairspray Best Original Score: Hairspray Best Revival of a Play: Long Day's Journey Into Night Best Revival of a Musical: Nine the Musical Best Special Theatrical Event: Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam on Broadway Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play: Brian Dennehy Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play: Vanessa Redgrave, Long Day's Journey Into Night Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical: Harvey Fierstein, Hairspray Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical: Marissa Jaret Winokur, Hairspray Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play: Denis O'Hare, Take Me Out Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play: Michele Pawk, Hollywood Arms Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical: Dick Latessa, Hairspray Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical: Jane Krakowski, Nine the Musical Best Scenic Design: Catherine Martin, La Bohème Best Costume Design: William Ivey Long, Hairspray Best Lighting Design: Nigel Levings, La Bohème Best Direction of a Play: Joe Mantello, Take Me Out Best Direction of a Musical: Jack O'Brien, Hairspray Best Choreography: Twyla Tharp, Movin' Out Best Orchestrations: Billy Joel and Stuart Malina, Movin' Out Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater: Cy Feuer Regional Theatre Tony Award: The Children's Theater Company (Minneapolis) Tony Honors for Excellence in Theater: Principal ensemble of La Bohème