2009 Tony Awards winners

2009 Tony Awards winners

"Billy Elliot", the Broadway production of the British hit musical about a coal miner's son who dreams to dance, has dominated this year's Tony awards by winning in 10 categories including best musical, choreography and a shared award for the three young actors in the title role.

But, Sir Elton John, who composed the music of "Billy Elliot", lost out in best score category which went to "Next to Normal".

Sir Elton told the audience, "Thank you for accepting us so beautifully on Broadway. We came here at a hard time economically. You opened up your wallets and you opened up your hearts to us. And we love you for it, thank you".

"God of Carnage," Yasmina Reza's savage comedy of manners about two liberal, middle-class couples whose children get into a fight, took three key awards including best play, best direction (Matthew Warchus) and best performance by a lead actress, Marcia Gay Harden.

The wins for "Billy Elliot" and "God of Carnage" has marked the first time since the Tony Awards were established in 1947 in a Manhattan hotel ballroom, that English imports won the two top awards.

The 63rd Tony Awards ceremony was held on June 7, 2009 at Radio City Music Hall, with a three-hour broadcast on CBS.

Here are the complete list of winners and nominees :

Best Play :

God of Carnage (Winner)    Author: Yasmina Reza

Dividing the Estate                Author: Horton Foote
   
Reasons to Be Pretty            Author: Neil LaBute
   
33 Variations                          Author: Moisés Kaufman


Best Musical :

Billy Elliot, The Musical (Winner)       
   
Next to Normal       
   
Rock of Ages       
   
Shrek The Musical


Best Book of a Musical :

Billy Elliot, The Musical - Lee Hall (Winner)

Next to Normal - Brian Yorkey

Shrek The Musical - David Lindsay-Abaire

[Title of Show] - Hunter Bell


Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre :

Next to Normal                    Music: Tom Kitt, Lyrics: Brian Yorkey (Winner)

Billy Elliot, The Musical     Music: Elton John, Lyrics: Lee Hall
                                   
9 to 5: The Musical            Music & Lyrics: Dolly Parton   
   
Shrek The Musical            Music: Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire


Best Revival of a Play :

The Norman Conquests (Winner)

Joe Turner's Come and Gone       
   
Mary Stuart       
           
Waiting for Godot


Best Revival of a Musical :

Hair (Winner)

Guys and Dolls       
           
Pal Joey       
   
West Side Story


Best Special Theatrical Event :

Liza's at The Palace (Winner)
       
Slava's Snowshow       
   
Soul of Shaolin       
   
You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush


Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play :

Geoffrey Rush (Winner) - Exit the King

Jeff Daniels - God of Carnage   
   
Raúl Esparza - Speed-the-Plow   
   
James Gandolfini - God of Carnage   
       
Thomas Sadoski - Reasons to Be Pretty


Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play :

Marcia Gay Harden (Winner) - God of Carnage

Hope Davis - God of Carnage   
   
Jane Fonda - 33 Variations   
       
Janet McTeer - Mary Stuart   
   
Harriet Walter - Mary Stuart


Best Performance by Leading Actor in a Musical :

David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish (Winner) - Billy Elliot, The Musical   

Gavin Creel - Hair   
   
Brian d’Arcy James - Shrek The Musical   
   
Constantine Maroulis - Rock of Ages   
   
J. Robert Spencer - Next to Normal


Best Performance by Leading Actress in a Musical :

Alice Ripley (Winner) - Next to Normal

Stockard Channing - Pal Joey   
   
Sutton Foster - Shrek The Musical   
   
Allison Janney - 9 to 5: The Musical   
       
Josefina Scaglione - West Side Story


Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play :

Roger Robinson (Winner) - Joe Turner's Come and Gone

John Glover - Waiting for Godot   
   
Zach Grenier - 33 Variations   
   
Stephen Mangan - The Norman Conquests   
   
Paul Ritter - The Norman Conquests


Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play :

Angela Lansbury (Winner) - Blithe Spirit   

Hallie Foote - Dividing the Estate   
   
Jessica Hynes - The Norman Conquests   
   
Marin Ireland - Reasons to Be Pretty   
       
Amanda Root - The Norman Conquests


Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical :

Gregory Jbara (Winner) - Billy Elliot, The Musical

David Bologna - Billy Elliot, The Musical   
       
Marc Kudisch - 9 to 5: The Musical   
   
Christopher Sieber - Shrek The Musical   
   
Will Swenson - Hair


Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical :

Karen Olivo (Winner) - West Side Story

Jennifer Damiano - Next to Normal   
   
Haydn Gwynne - Billy Elliot, The Musical   
       
Martha Plimpton - Pal Joey   
   
Carole Shelley - Billy Elliot, The Musical


Best Direction of a Play :

Matthew Warchus (Winner) - God of Carnage

Phyllida Lloyd - Mary Stuart   
   
Bartlett Sher - Joe Turner's Come and Gone   
       
Matthew Warchus - The Norman Conquests


Best Direction of a Musical :

Stephen Daldry (Winner) - Billy Elliot, The Musical   
   
Michael Greif - Next to Normal   
   
Kristin Hanggi - Rock of Ages   
   
Diane Paulus - Hair


Best Choreography :

Peter Darling (Winner) - Billy Elliot, The Musical

Karole Armitage - Hair   
   
Andy Blankenbuehler - 9 to 5: The Musical   
       
Randy Skinner - Irving Berlin's White Christmas


Best Orchestrations :

Martin Koch (Winner) - Billy Elliot, The Musical

Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt (Winner) - Next to Normal

Larry Blank - Irving Berlin's White Christmas   
       
Danny Troob and John Clancy - Shrek The Musical


Best Scenic Design of a Play :

Derek McLane (Winner) - 33 Variations

Dale Ferguson - Exit the King   
   
Rob Howell - The Norman Conquests   
       
Michael Yeargan - Joe Turner's Come and Gone


Best Scenic Design of a Musical :

Ian MacNeil (Winner) - Billy Elliot, The Musical

Robert Brill - Guys and Dolls   
       
Scott Pask - Pal Joey   
   
Mark Wendland - Next to Normal


Best Costume Design of a Play :

Anthony Ward (Winner) -    Mary Stuart

Dale Ferguson -    Exit the King   
   
Jane Greenwood - Waiting for Godot   
   
Martin Pakledinaz - Blithe Spirit


Best Costume Design of a Musical :

Tim Hatley (Winner) - Shrek The Musical

Gregory Gale - Rock of Ages   
   
Nicky Gillibrand - Billy Elliot, The Musical   
       
Michael McDonald - Hair   


Best Lighting Design of a Play :

Brian MacDevitt (Winner) - Joe Turner's Come and Gone

David Hersey - Equus   
   
David Lander - 33 Variations   
       
Hugh Vanstone - Mary Stuart


Best Lighting Design of a Musical :

Rick Fisher (Winner) - Billy Elliot, The Musical

Kevin Adams - Hair   
   
Kevin Adams - Next to Normal   
   
Howell Binkley - West Side Story


Best Sound Design of a Play :

Gregory Clarke (Winner) - Equus

Paul Arditti - Mary Stuart   
       
Russell Goldsmith - Exit the King   

Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg - Joe Turner's Come and Gone   


Best Sound Design of a Musical :

Paul Arditti (Winner) - Billy Elliot, The Musical

Acme Sound Partners - Hair   
       
Peter Hylenski - Rock of Ages   
   
Brian Ronan - Next to Normal


Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre :

Jerry Herman


Regional Theatre Tony Award :

Signature Theatre, Arlington, Va.


Isabelle Stevenson Award :

Phyllis Newman


Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre :

Shirley Herz