West End winners at the Tonys
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Sian McBride
It was a Brist(ish) invasion at last night's 78th Tony Awards! The West End won big as 2024 Olivier Award winners, not content with last year's statue, picked up another gong to add to their ever-growing collection.
Yes, technically, an Australian and American were among the mix, but we’re making like the British Museum and claiming them as our own - well, they did start their award-winning runs at the Savoy Theatre and Theatre Royal Haymarket respectively.
Sunset Boulevard
Jamie Lloyd’s monochrome masterpiece continues to captivate. Its leading lady, Olivier Award-winner Nicole Scherzinger, picked up her first Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical. She was visibly emotional by the win, crying into the microphone declaring that the accolade had made a "little Hawaiian, Ukrainian, Filipino girl’s dream come true.’
The bloody brilliant musical, which took home seven Olivier Awards last year, also Won Best Revival of a Musical, and Best Lighting Design of a Musical for Jack Knowles. Tom Francis, who has swapped strolling down The Strand for traipsing through Times Square had fierce competition in his category, which was ultimately won by Darren Criss for Maybe Happy Ending. Jamie Lloyd, who will be opening Evita in the West End next week, was also nominated, but couldn’t replicate last year's win. With buzz already circulating online around his next impressive feat (yes, we’ve watched the balcony scene approximately 352 times) we’re sure his next award win won’t be far away. So we won’t cry for him just yet.
Stranger Things the First Shadow
So, the show is set in an American High School, and is based on Netflix’s TV show BUT it had its world premiere at the West End’s Phoenix Theatre. Another West End win.
The production picked up three awards, with Paul Arditti winning Best Sound Design of a Play, Jon Clark winning Best Lighting Design of a Play, and Miriam Buether and 59 winning Best Scenic Design of a Play. Stranger Things the First Shadow, which stars Louis McCartney, who originated the role of Henry Creel on the West End, also went home with a Special Tony Award for Illusions and Technical Effects.
Operation Mincemeat
The very British musical has received a warm welcome by their allies across the pond. The Yanks have taken to Jak Malone as much as we have, with the Olivier Award winner taking home Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for his tear-jerking turn as Hester. Malone beat some stiff competition to take home the prize, seeing off Tony Award winner Danny Burstein and Broadway veteran Jeb Brown.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The one woman, multi-screen epic received critical acclaim when it played the West End last year. Taking home Olivier Awards for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a play for Sarah Snook, and Best Costume Design of a Play for Marg Horwell. History repeated itself last night, with picture perfect precision as Sarah Snook took home the Tony for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading role in a Play and Marg Horwell won Best Costume Design of a Play!
Full list of winners
Best Musical
Buena Vista Social Club
Dead Outlaw
Death Becomes Her
Maybe Happy Ending – WINNER
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Megan Hilty, Death Becomes Her
Audra McDonald, Gypsy
Jasmine Amy Rogers, BOOP! The Musical
Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Boulevard – WINNER
Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending – WINNER
Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw
Tom Francis, Sunset Boulevard
Jonathan Groff, Just in Time
James Monroe Iglehart, A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical
Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins
Best Revival of a Musical
Floyd Collins
Gypsy
Pirates! The Penzance Musical
Sunset Boulevard – WINNER
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
Cole Escola, Oh, Mary! – WINNER
Jon Michael Hill, Purpose
Daniel Dae Kim, Yellow Face
Harry Lennix, Purpose
Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Best Direction of a Musical
Saheem Ali, Buena Vista Social Club
Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending – WINNER
David Cromer, Dead Outlaw
Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Boulevard
Best Direction of a Play
Knud Adams, English
Sam Mendes, The Hills of California
Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary! – WINNER
Danya Taymor, John Proctor is the Villain
Kip Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Best Revival of a Play
Eureka Day – WINNER
Romeo + Juliet
Our Town
Yellow Face
Best Play
English
The Hills of California
John Proctor is the Villain
Oh, Mary!
Purpose – WINNER
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club – WINNER!
Julia Knitel, Dead Outlaw
Gracie Lawrence, Just in Time
Justina Machado, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical
Joy Woods, Gypsy
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Tala Ashe, English
Jessica Hecht, Eureka Day
Marjan Neshat, English
Fina Strazza, John Proctor is the Villain
Kara Young, Purpose – WINNER
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, Smash
Jeb Brown, Dead Outlaw
Danny Burstein, Gypsy
Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical – WINNER
Taylor Trensch, Floyd Collins
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Glenn Davis, Purpose
Gabriel Ebert, John Proctor is the Villain
Francis Jue, Yellow Face – WINNER
Bob Odenkirk, Glengarry Glen Ross
Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary!
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California
Mia Farrow, The Roommate
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Purpose
Sadie Sink, John Proctor is the Villain
Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray – WINNER
Best Book of a Musical
Marco Ramirez, Buena Vista Social Club
Itamar Moses, Dead Outlaw
Marco Pennette, Death Becomes Her
Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending – WINNER!
David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Best Original Score (music and/or lyrics) Written for the Theatre
David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, Dead Outlaw
Julia Mattison and Noel Carey, Death Becomes Her
Will Aronson (music and lyrics) and Hue Park (lyrics), Maybe Happy Ending – WINNER!
David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical
Best Sound Design of a Play
Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow – WINNER!
Palmer Hefferan, John Proctor is the Villain
Daniel Kluger, Good Night, and Good Luck
Nick Powell, The Hills of California
Clemence Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans, Buena Vista Social Club – WINNER
Adam Fisher, Sunset Boulevard
Peter Hylenski, Just in Time
Peter Hylenski, Maybe Happy Ending
Dan Moses Schreier, Floyd Collins
Best Orchestrations
Andrew Resnick and Michael Thurber, Just in Time
Will Aronson, Maybe Happy Ending
Bruce Coughlin, Floyd Collins
Marco Paguia, Buena Vista Social Club – WINNER
David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sunset Boulevard
Best Choreography
Joshua Bergasse, Smash
Camille A. Brown, Gypsy
Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
Jerry Mitchell, BOOP! The Musical
Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, Buena Vista Social Club – WINNER
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Jack Knowles, Sunset Boulevard – WINNER
Tyler Micoleau, Buena Vista Social Club
Scott Zielinski and Ruey Horng Sun, Floyd Collins
Ben Stanton, Maybe Happy Ending
Justin Townsend, Death Becomes Her
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Natasha Chivers, The Hills of California
Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow – WINNER
Heather Gilbert and David Bengali, Good Night, and Good Luck
Natasha Katz and Hannah Wasileski, John Proctor is the Villain
Nick Schlieper, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Marsha Ginsberg, English
Rob Howell, The Hills of California
Marg Horwell and David Bergman, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Miriam Buether and 59, Stranger Things: The First Shadow – WINNER
Scott Pask, Good Night, and Good Luck
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Rachel Hauck, Swept Away
Dane Laffrey and George Reeve, Maybe Happy Ending – WINNER
Arnulfo Maldonado, Buena Vista Social Club
Derek McLane, Death Becomes Her
Derek McLane, Just in Time
Best Costume Design of a Play
Brenda Abbandandolo, Good Night, and Good Luck
Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray – WINNER!
Rob Howell, The Hills of California
Holly Pierson, Oh, Mary!
Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club
Gregg Barnes, BOOP! The Musical
Clint Ramos, Maybe Happy Ending
Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her – WINNER!
Catherine Zuber, Just in Time