‘Once’ Cleans Up at Tony Awards, ‘Clybourne Park’ Best Play
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“Once” was the surprise dominant winner at last night’s 66th annual Tony Awards, bringing home eight Tony awards, including Best Musical and Best Actor. “Clybourne Park” won the award for Best Play, though that was the only award that went to the production.
Steve Kazee plays the guitarist at the center of “Once,” and used his Best Actor acceptance speech as a chance to thank his fellow cast mates for supporting him when his mother passed away shortly after the opening of the musical.
“This cast has carried me around, and made me feel alive, and I will never be able to fully repay them,” Mr. Kazee said.
“Once” opened at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on March 18 of this year, after previews began February 28. The production had previously played Off-Broadway for about a month beginning in December of last year. The musical is the stage adaptation of the 2006 film of the same name starring Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.
Tough it didn’t win the Tony for Best Play, “Peter and the Starcatcher” also was a surprise winner, coming out with five awards – the most of any straight play for the year.
Other big winners included Audra McDonald, who took home her fifth Tony award for her portrayal of Bess in the revival of “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. James Corden won for his role in “One Man, Two Guvnors” and Nina Arianda won an award for her work in “Venus in Furs.”
The ceremony was hosted by “How I Met Your Mother” and “Doogie Howser, M.D.” star Neil Patrick Harris, and began with a slew of musical numbers, including one from “The Book of Mormon.”
Harris also took a shot at the musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” as he was lowered upside down in the classic Spider-Man pose. Angela Lansbury and theater executive Ted Chapin then spoke while Harris continued to hang upside-down, including various aerial references in their comments. The joke was aimed at the widely known technically difficulties experienced by the production.