22nd Tony Awards


The 22nd Annual Tony Awards was held on April 21, 1968, at the Shubert Theatre and broadcast on television by NBC. Hosts were Angela Lansbury and Peter Ustinov, assisted by Jack Benny and with Alfred Drake doing narration.

The ceremony

The theme of this year's awards ceremony was to salute previous Tony Award-winning musicals.
Presenters: Anne Bancroft, Shirley Booth, Art Carney, Trudy Carson, Diahann Carroll, Carol Cole, Sandy Dennis, Audrey Hepburn, Jerry Herman, Anne Jackson, Alan King, Groucho Marx, Liza Minnelli, Paul Newman, Gregory Peck, Harold Prince, Tony Randall, Eli Wallach, Joanne Woodward.
Musicals represented:
Winners are in bold
Best PlayBest Musical

  • Hallelujah, Baby!
  • * The Happy Time
  • * How Now, Dow Jones
  • * Illya Darling
    • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
  • Martin Balsam – You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running as Various Characters
  • * Albert Finney – A Day in the Death of Joe Egg as Bri
  • * Milo O'Shea – Staircase as Harry C. Leeds
  • * Alan Webb – I Never Sang for My Father as Tom Garrison
  • Zoe Caldwell – The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie as Jean Brodie
  • * Colleen Dewhurst – More Stately Mansions as Sara
  • * Maureen Stapleton – Plaza Suite as Various Characters
  • * Dorothy Tutin – Portrait of a Queen as Victoria
    • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
  • Robert Goulet – The Happy Time as Jacques Bonnard
  • * Robert Hooks – Hallelujah, Baby! as Clem
  • * Tony Roberts – How Now, Dow Jones as Charley
  • * David Wayne – The Happy Time as Grandpere Bonnard
  • Patricia Routledge – Darling of the Day as Alice Challice
  • Leslie Uggams – Hallelujah, Baby! as Georgina
  • * Melina Mercouri – Illya Darling as Illya
  • * Brenda Vaccaro – How Now, Dow Jones as Cynthia Pike
    • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
  • James Patterson – The Birthday Party as Stanley
  • * Paul Hecht – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead as The Player
  • * Brian Murray – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead as Rosencrantz
  • * John Wood – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead as Guildenstern
  • Zena Walker – A Day in the Death of Joe Egg as Sheila
  • * Pert Kelton – Spofford as Mrs. Punck
  • * Ruth White – The Birthday Party as Meg
  • * Eleanor Wilson – Weekend as Mrs. Andrews
    • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
  • Hiram Sherman – How Now, Dow Jones as Wingate
  • * Scott Jacoby – Golden Rainbow as Ally
  • * Nikos Kourkoulos – Illya Darling as Tonio
  • * Michael Rupert – The Happy Time as Bibi Bonnard
  • Lillian Hayman – Hallelujah, Baby! as Momma
  • * Geula Gill – The Grand Music Hall of Israel as Various Characters
  • * Julie Gregg – The Happy Time as Laurie Mannon
  • * Alice Playten – Henry, Sweet Henry as Lillian 'Lili' Kafritz
    • Best Direction of a PlayBest Direction of a Musical
  • Mike Nichols – Plaza Suite
  • * Michael Blakemore – A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
  • * Derek Goldby – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
  • * Alan Schneider – You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running
  • Gower Champion – The Happy Time
  • * George Abbott – How Now, Dow Jones
  • * Jules Dassin – Illya Darling
  • * Burt Shevelove – Hallelujah, Baby!
    • Best Producer Best Producer
  • David Merrick Arts Foundation – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
  • * No nominees
  • Albert Selden, Hal James, Jane C. Nusbaum and Harry Rigby – Hallelujah, Baby!
  • * No nominees
    • Best Original Score Written for the TheatreBest Choreography
  • Hallelujah, Baby! – Jule Styne and Betty Comden and Adolph Green
  • * How Now, Dow Jones – Elmer Bernstein and Carolyn Leigh
  • * Illya Darling – Manos Hadjidakis and Joe Darion
  • * The Happy Time – John Kander and Fred Ebb
  • Gower Champion – The Happy Time
  • * Michael Bennett – Henry, Sweet Henry
  • * Kevin Carlisle – Hallelujah, Baby!
  • * Onna White – Illya Darling
    • Best Scenic DesignBest Costume Design
  • Desmond Heeley – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
  • * Boris Aronson – The Price
  • * Robert Randolph – Golden Rainbow
  • * Peter Wexler – The Happy Time
  • Desmond Heeley – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
  • * Jane Greenwood – More Stately Mansions
  • * Irene Sharaff – Hallelujah, Baby!
  • * Freddy Wittop – The Happy Time

    • Special awards

  • Audrey Hepburn
  • Carol Channing
  • Pearl Bailey
  • David Merrick
  • Maurice Chevalier
  • APA-Phoenix Theatre
  • Marlene Dietrich

    Multiple nominations and awards

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