Tonys: "Spamalot" Wins Not So Much

Spamalot may not have won a lot of Tonys, but it did score the one that mattered most: Best Musical.

Otherwise, the Monty Python-inspired production was dissed a lot Sunday night at the 59th Annual Tony Awards, losing out in 11 of the 14 categories in which it was nominated. Aside from the Best Musical prize, Mike Nichols took home the Tony for Best Direction of a Musical and Sara Ramirez won for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical.

After the ceremony, Nichols revealed that he was besieged by nerves early on after Spamalot lost out on several technical awards.

"I sat there thinking we are in the toilet. This is backlash big-time," Nichols told reporters. "But then it turned out okay."

Doubt, the season's most heralded play, fared slightly better, racking up four Tonys in all, including Best Play, Best Direction of a Play for Doug Hughes, Best Performance by a Leading Actress for Cherry Jones and Best Performance by a Featured Actress for Adriane Lenox.

"I want to thank the Sisters of Charity for teaching me how to read and write," playwright John Patrick Shanley said in his acceptance speech. "I want to thank the Irish Christian Brothers for throwing me out of high school."

Shanley's oeuvre, a tale of a nun's suspicions about a priest's behavior, has already won the Pulitzer Prize, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award and several other top prizes.

The night's biggest winner was the musical The Light in the Piazza, a romance set in Italy, which took home six Tonys in all, including Best Original Score and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Victoria Clark, who plays a mother accompanying her mentally challenged daughter on a European vacation.

Glengarry Glen Ross won the award for Best Revival of a Play and the Best Featured Actor Tony for Liev Schreiber.

Bill Irwin won the Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for his turn as a tortured husband in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Norbert Leo Butz took home the prize for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for his work in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Billy Crystal's one-man show, 700 Sundays, won the Tony for Best Special Theatrical Event, inspiring the actor to offer thanks "in behalf of the entire cast."

Edward Albee, who penned plays such as The Goat and A Delicate Balance, in addition to Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? took home a special Lifetime Achievement Award for his accomplishments in the theater.

"I am dedicating this to the memory of Jonathan Thomas, my lifetime partner who died only a month ago," Albee said in his acceptance speech. "He and I were together for 35 years. And he made me a happy playwright. And you have made me a happy playwright tonight."

Nominations for the Tony Awards are made by a group of about 30 theater professionals and the winners are voted upon by about 750 journalists and theatrical types. Here's a complete rundown of the winners of the 59th Annual Tony Awards:

Play: Doubt Musical: Monty Python's Spamalot Book, Musical: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Original Score: The Light in the Piazza Revival, Play: Glengarry Glen Ross Revival, Musical: La Cage aux Folles Special Theatrical Event: Billy Crystal 700 Sundays Leading Actor, Play: Bill Irwin, Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Leading Actress, Play: Cherry Jones, Doubt Leading Actor, Musical: Norbert Leo Butz, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Leading Actress, Musical: Victoria Clark, The Light in the Piazza Featured Actor, Play: Liev Schreiber, Glengarry Glen Ross Featured Actress, Play: Adriane Lenox, Doubt Featured Actor, Musical: Dan Fogler, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Featured Actress, Musical: Sara Ramirez, Monty Python's Spamalot Scenic Design, Play: Scott Pask, The Pillowman Scenic Design, Musical: Michael Yeargan, The Light in the Piazza Costume Design, Play: Jess Goldstein, The Rivals Costume Design, Musical: Catherine Zuber, The Light in the Piazza Lighting Design, Play: Brian MacDevitt, The Pillowman Lighting Design, Musical: Christopher Akerlind, The Light in the Piazza Direction, Play: Doug Hughes, Doubt Direction, Musical: Mike Nichols, Monty Python's Spamalot Choreography: Jerry Mitchell, La Cage aux Folles Orchestrations: Ted Sperling, Adam Guettel and Bruce Coughlin, The Light in the Piazza Regional Theater Tony Award: Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Minneapolis Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater: Edward Albee