15th Tony Awards


The 15th Annual Tony Awards took place on April 16, 1961, in the Waldorf-Astoria Grand Ballroom in New York City. The ceremony was broadcast on local television station WCBS-TV in New York City. The Master of Ceremonies was Phil Silvers.

The ceremony

Presenters: Anna Maria Alberghetti, Anne Bancroft, Ray Bolger, Carol Channing, Henry Fonda, Joan Fontaine, Robert Goulet, Helen Hayes, Celeste Holm, Fredric March, Mary Martin, Helen Menken, Patricia Neal, Paul Newman, Geraldine Page, Sidney Poitier, Robert Preston, Jason Robards, Gig Young.
The performer was Eleanor Steber.
Music was by Meyer Davis and his Orchestra.

Winners and nominees

Winners are in bold
Best PlayBest Musical

  • Bye Bye Birdie
  • * Do Re Mi
  • * Irma La Douce
    • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
  • Zero Mostel – Rhinocéros as John
  • * Hume Cronyn – Big Fish, Little Fish as Jimmie Luton
  • * Sam Levene – The Devil's Advocate as Dr. Aldo Meyer
  • * Anthony Quinn – Becket as Henry II
  • Joan Plowright – A Taste of Honey as Josephine
  • * Tallulah Bankhead – Midgie Purvis as Midgie Purvis
  • * Barbara Baxley – Period of Adjustment as Isabel Haverstick
  • * Barbara Bel Geddes – Mary, Mary as Mary McKellaway
    • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
  • Richard Burton – Camelot as Arthur
  • * Phil Silvers – Do Re Mi as Hubert Cram
  • * Maurice Evans – Tenderloin as Reverend Brock
  • Elizabeth Seal – Irma La Douce as Irma La Douce
  • * Julie Andrews – Camelot as Queen Guenevere
  • * Carol Channing – Show Girl as Various Characters
  • * Nancy Walker – Do Re Mi as Kay Cram
    • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
  • Martin Gabel – Big Fish, Little Fish as Basil Smythe
  • * Philip Bosco – Rape of the Belt as Heracles
  • * Eduardo Ciannelli – The Devil's Advocate as Aurelio
  • * George Grizzard – Big Fish, Little Fish as Ronnie Johnson
  • Colleen Dewhurst – All the Way Home as Mary Follet
  • * Eileen Heckart – Invitation to a March as Deedee Grogan
  • * Tresa Hughes – The Devil's Advocate as Nina Sanduzzi
  • * Rosemary Murphy – Period of Adjustment as Dorothea Bates
    • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
  • Dick Van Dyke – Bye Bye Birdie as Albert Peterson
  • * Clive Revill – Irma La Douce as Bob-Le-Hotu
  • * Dick Gautier – Bye Bye Birdie as Conrad Birdie
  • * Ron Husmann – Tenderloin as Tommy
  • Tammy Grimes – The Unsinkable Molly Brown as Molly Tobin
  • * Nancy Dussault – Do Re Mi as Tilda Mullen
  • * Chita Rivera – Bye Bye Birdie as Rosie Alvarez
    • Best Direction of a PlayBest Direction of a Musical
  • John Gielgud – Big Fish, Little Fish
  • * Joseph Anthony – Rhinoceros
  • * Joan Littlewood – The Hostage
  • * Arthur Penn – All the Way Home
  • Gower Champion – Bye Bye Birdie
  • * Peter Brook – Irma La Douce
  • * Garson Kanin – Do Re Mi
    • Best ChoreographyBest Conductor and Musical Director
  • Gower Champion – Bye Bye Birdie
  • * Onna White – Irma La Douce
  • Franz Allers – Camelot
  • * Pembrode Davenport – 13 Daughters
  • * Stanley Lebowsky – Irma La Douce
  • * Elliot Lawrence – Bye Bye Birdie
    • Best Scenic Design in a PlayBest Scenic Design in a Musical
  • Oliver Smith – Becket
  • * Roger Furse – Duel of Angels
  • * David Hays – All the Way Home
  • * Jo Mielziner – The Devil's Advocate
  • * Rouben Ter-Arutunian – Advise and Consent
  • Oliver Smith – Camelot
  • * George C. Jenkins – 13 Daughters
  • * Robert Randolph – Bye Bye Birdie
    • Best Costume Design in a PlayBest Costume Design in a Musical
  • Motley – Becket
  • * Theoni V. Aldredge – The Devil's Advocate
  • * Raymond Sovey – All the Way Home
  • Adrian and Tony Duquette – Camelot
  • * Rolf Gerard – Irma La Douce
  • * Cecil Beaton – Tenderloin
    • Best Stage Technician-
  • Teddy Van Bemmel – Becket
    		• -

    Special awards

  • David Merrick, in recognition of a fabulous production record over the last seven years.
  • Theatre Guild, for organizing the first repertory to go abroad for the State Department.

    Multiple nominations and awards

    • These productions had multiple nominations:
    The following productions received multiple awards.