Spring most definitely sprung at the Tonys.
Spring Awakening, a rock musical about a group of 19th century German youths coming to terms with their emerging sexuality, lived up to its hype at the 2007 Tony Awards Sunday, taking home a leading eight nods, including the night's most-coveted prize, Best Musical.
Hot on its heels was The Coast of Utopia, a trilogy of dramas by legendary playwright Tom Stoppard that dealt with the intellectual and physical journeys of Russian radicals, again from the 19th century. The work took scores seven awards, including Best Play.
Together, the two works dominated the ceremony, collecting a total of 15 of the 25 prizes handed out.
Spring Awakening, which began last summer off-Broadway and was eight years in the making, won Musical Direction, Featured Actor, Choreography, Book and Original Score, which went to the musical's co-mastermind, former one-hit pop wonder Duncan Sheik.
The Coast of Utopia, meanwhile, set a new Tony record night for the most wins by a play in one year. Its seven prizes tops Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Alan Bennett's more recent The History Boys, which each won six.
Adding to Utopia's haul were Billy Crudup, who took home Best Featured Actor, and British vet Jennifer Ehle, who took home Best Featured Actress.
Other notable names in the winners circle was David Hyde Pierce, who took home the Best Actor in a Musical for his role as a homicide detective obsessed with musicals in Curtains, and Frank Langella, who took home the Best Actor in a Play prize for his role as the president opposite Michael Sheen's overeager reporter in Frost/Nixon.
Here's a complete list of winners for the 2007 Tony Awards:
- Musical: Spring Awakening
- Play: The Coast of Utopia
- Actor, Musical: David Hyde Pierce, Curtains
- Actress, Musical: Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
- Actor, Play: Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
- Actress, Play: Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed
- Revival, Musical: Company
- Revival, Play: Journey's End
- Direction, Musical: Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening
- Direction, Play: Jack O'Brien, The Coast of Utopia
- Featured Actress, Musical: Mary Louise Wilson, Grey Gardens
- Featured Actor, Musical: John Gallagher Jr., Spring Awakening
- Featured Actress, Play: Jennifer Ehle, The Coast of Utopia
- Featured Actor, Play: Billy Crudup, The Coast of Utopia
- Choreography: Bill T .Jones, Spring Awakening
- Book, Musical: Steven Sater, Spring Awakening
- Original Score: Spring Awakening; Music by Duncan Sheik, Lyrics by Steven Sater
- Orchestrations: Spring Awakening, Duncan Sheik
- Scenic Design, Play: The Coast of Utopia
- Scenic Design, Musical: Mary Poppins
- Costume Design, Play: The Coast of Utopia
- Special Theatrical Event: Jay Johnson: The Two and Only
- Lighting Design, Play: The Coast of Utopia
- Lighting Design, Musical: Spring Awakening
- Regional Theater Tony Award: Alliance Theater, Atlanta