2018 Tony Awards: 'The Band's Visit' wins big with 10 prizes

award shows, CBS, music, musicals, New York City, plays, The Band's Visit, Tony Awards, TV

June 10, 2018

by Carla Hay

Tony Shalhoub of "The Band's Visit" — Tony Shalhoub of “The Band’s Visit” (Photo courtesy of The Tony Awards/CBS)

The following is a press release from the Tony Awards:

“The Band’s Visit” was the top winner by getting 10 of the 11 Tony Awards for which it was nominated, including Best Musical, at the 72nd Annual Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards, which were presented at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on June 10, 2018. CBS had the U.S. telecast of the show. The 2018 Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. The show was hosted by Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban.

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two” won six of its 10 Tony nominations, including Best Play. Other multiple Tony winners included the revival of “Angels in America” (which won three Tonys), “Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women (two Tonys) and “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel” (two wins).

Meanwhile, “Mean Girls” and “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical” went into the ceremony with the most nominations (12 each) but were virtually shut out of winning. “SpongeBob Square Pants: The Musical” only won one Tony Award (for Best Scenic Design of a Musical), while “Mean Girls” failed to win any Tonys.

Legitimate theatrical productions opening in any of the 41 eligible Broadway theatres during the current season were considered for Tony nominations. The 2017/2018 eligibility season began April 28, 2017 and ended April 26, 2018.

John Leguizamo and Bruce Springsteen each received a Special Tony Award. Springsteen, playing piano, did a rare TV performance with the “My Hometown” selection from his “Springsteen on Broadway” production.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Chita Rivera each recevied 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre will be presented to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Chita Rivera. The 2018 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre were presented to New York Times culture photographer Sara Krulwich, costume beader Bessie Nelson and the Ernest Winzer Cleaners. The Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award was presented to Executive Vice President of the Nederlander Organization, Nick Scandalios. The 2018 Regional Theatre Tony Award was presented to the La MaMa E.T.C. in New York City.

Presenters included Uzo Aduba, Christine Baranski, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Melissa Benoist, Erich Bergen, Rachel Bloom, Matt Bomer, Rachel Brosnahan, Tituss Burgess, Claire Danes, Jeff Daniels, Robert De Niro, Brandon Victor Dixon, Christopher Jackson, Billy Joel, Patti LuPone, Tatiana Maslany, Katharine McPhee, Matthew Morrison, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kelli O’Hara, Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Bernadette Peters, Andrew Rannells, Kerry Washington, Ming-Na Wen, Marisa Jaret Winokur; Tony Nominees Tina Fey, John Leguizamo and Amy Schumer as well as Tony Award Lifetime Achievement recipients Webber and Rivera.

Although some of the speeches had a political tone (such as “Angels in America” Tony winner Tony Kushner urging U.S. citizens to vote in this year’s elections), the most provocative statement of the evening came from presenter De Niro before he introduced Springsteen’s performance. In a profanity-filled exclamation, De Niro yelled while raising his fists in the air, “Fuck Trump!” among other things that were mostly bleeped out of the broadcast. His comments got by roaring cheers from the audience.

Earlier in the evening, several students from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida performed “Seasons of Love” from “Rent” and received a standing ovation in one of the most emotional parts of the ceremony. The school’s theater teacher Melody Herzfeld received this year’s Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre Education. Herzfeld protected several students by hiding with them in a room during the mass shooting that took place there on February 14.

Here is the complete list of winners and nominees for the 2018 Tony Awards:

*=winner

Best Musical
“The Band’s Visit”*
“Frozen”
“Mean Girls”
“SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical”

Best Play
“The Children”
“Farinelli and The King”
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two”*
“Junk”
“Latin History for Morons”

Best Revival of a Play
“Angels in America”*
“Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh”
“Lobby Hero”
“Travesties”

Best Revival of a Musical
“My Fair Lady”
“Once on This Island”*
“Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Andrew Garfield, “Angels in America”*
Tom Hollander, “Travesties”
Jamie Parker, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two”
Mark Rylance, “Farinelli and The King”
Denzel Washington, “Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Glenda Jackson, “Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women”*
Condola Rashad, “Saint Joan”
Lauren Ridloff, “Children of a Lesser God”
Amy Schumer, “Meteor Shower”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Harry Hadden-Paton, “My Fair Lady”
Joshua Henry, “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel”
Tony Shalhoub, “The Band’s Visit”*
Ethan Slater, “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Lauren Ambrose, “My Fair Lady”
Hailey Kilgore, “Once on This Island”
LaChanze, “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”
Katrina Lenk, “The Band’s Visit”*
Taylor Louderman, “Mean Girls”
Jessie Mueller, “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Anthony Boyle, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two”
Michael Cera, “Lobby Hero”
Brian Tyree Henry, “Lobby Hero”
Nathan Lane, “Angels in America”*
David Morse, “Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Susan Brown, “Angels in America”
Noma Dumezweni, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two”
Deborah Findlay, “The Children”
Denise Gough, “Angels in America”
Laurie Metcalf, “Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women”*

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz, “My Fair Lady”
Alexander Gemignani, “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel”
Grey Henson, “Mean Girls”
Gavin Lee, “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical”
Ari’el Stachel, “The Band’s Visit”*

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Ariana DeBose, “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”
Renée Fleming, “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel”
Lindsay Mendez, “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel”*
Ashley Park, “Mean Girls”
Diana Rigg, “My Fair Lady”

Best Direction of a Play
Marianne Elliott, “Angels in America”
Joe Mantello, “Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women”
Patrick Marber, “Travesties”
John Tiffany, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two”*
George C. Wolfe, “Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh”

Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, “Once On This Island”
David Cromer, “The Band’s Visit”*
Tina Landau, “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical”
Casey Nicholaw, “Mean Girls”
Bartlett Sher, “My Fair Lady”

Best Book of a Musical
Itamar Moses, “The Band’s Visit”*
Jennifer Lee, “Frozen”
Tina Fey, “Mean Girls”
Kyle Jarrow, “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical”

Best Original Score
“Angels in America” (Music: Adrian Sutton)
“The Band’s Visit” (Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek)*
“Frozen” (Music & Lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez)
“Mean Girls” (Music: Jeff Richmond. Lyrics: Nell Benjamin.)
“SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical” (Music & Lyrics: Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper & Rob Hyman, John Legend, Panic! at the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, T.I., Domani & Lil’C)

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, “Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women”
Jonathan Fensom, “Farinelli and The King”
Christine Jones, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two”*
Santo Loquasto, “Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh”
Ian MacNeil and Edward Pierce, “Angels in America”

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Dane Laffrey, “Once On This Island”
Scott Pask, “The Band’s Visit”
Scott Pask, Finn Ross & Adam Young, “Mean Girls”
Michael Yeargan, “My Fair Lady”
David Zinn, “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical”*

Best Costume Design of a Play
Jonathan Fensom, “Farinelli and The King”
Nicky Gillibrand, “Angels in America”
Katrina Lindsay, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two”*
Ann Roth, “Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women”
Ann Roth, “Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh”

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, “Mean Girls”
Clint Ramos, “Once On This Island”
Ann Roth, “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel”
David Zinn, “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical”
Catherine Zuber, “My Fair Lady”*

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two”*
Paule Constable, “Angels in America”
Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenhauer, “Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh”
Paul Russell, “Farinelli and The King”
Ben Stanton, “Junk”

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical”
Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenhauer, “Once On This Island”
Donald Holder, “My Fair Lady”
Brian MacDevitt, “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel”
Tyler Micoleau, “The Band’s Visit”*

Best Sound Design of a Play
Adam Cork, “Travesties”
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, “Angels in America”
Gareth Fry, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two”*
Tom Gibbons, “1984”
Dan Moses Schreier, “Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh”

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Kai Harada, “The Band’s Visit”*
Peter Hylenski, “Once On This Island”
Scott Lehrer, “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel”
Brian Ronan, “Mean Girls”
Walter Trarbach and Mike Dobson, “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical”

Best Choreography
Christopher Gattelli, “My Fair Lady”
Christopher Gattelli, “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical”
Steven Hoggett, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two”
Casey Nicholaw, “Mean Girls”
Justin Peck, “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel”*

Best Orchestrations
John Clancy, “Mean Girls”
Tom Kitt, “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical”
Annmarie Milazzo & Michael Starobin, “Once On This Island”
Jamshied Sharifi, “The Band’s Visit”*
Jonathan Tunick, “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel