32nd Tony Awards


The 32nd Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS television on June 4, 1978, from the Shubert Theatre in New York City. This was the first time that CBS broadcast the ceremony, which had previously been shown on the ABC television network.

The ceremony

Presenters were Ed Asner, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Carol Channing, Bonnie Franklin, Robert Guillaume, Julie Harris, Helen Hayes, Bob Hope, Gene Kelly, Linda Lavin, Jack Lemmon, Hal Linden, Roy Scheider and Dick Van Patten.
Bonnie Franklin introduced each segment from her seat in the audience. Bob Hope presented the "Lawrence Langer" Special Award to Irving Berlin, who was not present at the ceremony. The theme of the ceremony was "footlights", with each presenter telling of the first time they saw live theatre.
Musicals represented:
Winners are in bold
Best PlayBest Musical

  • Ain't Misbehavin'
  • * Dancin
  • * On the Twentieth Century
  • * Runaways
    • Most Innovative Production of a RevivalBest Book of a Musical
  • Dracula
  • * Tartuffe
  • * Timbuktu!
  • * A Touch of the Poet
  • Betty Comden and Adolph Green – On the Twentieth Century
  • * Christopher Durang – A History of the American Film
  • * Elizabeth Swados – Runaways
  • * Stephen Schwartz – Working
    • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
  • Barnard Hughes – Da as Da
  • * Hume Cronyn – The Gin Game as Weller Martin
  • * Frank Langella – Dracula as Dracula
  • * Jason Robards – A Touch of the Poet as Cornelius Melody
  • Jessica Tandy – The Gin Game as Fonsia Dorsey
  • * Anne Bancroft – Golda as Golda Meir
  • * Anita Gillette – Chapter Two as Jennie Maclaine
  • * Estelle Parsons – Miss Margarida's Way as Miss Margarida
    • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
  • John Cullum – On the Twentieth Century as Oscar Jaffee
  • * Eddie Bracken – Hello, Dolly! as Horace Vandergelder
  • * Barry Nelson – The Act as Dan Conners
  • * Gilbert Price – Timbuktu! as The Mansa of Mali
  • Liza Minnelli – The Act as Michelle Craig
  • * Madeline Kahn – On the Twentieth Century as Lily Garland/Mildred Plotka
  • * Eartha Kitt – Timbuktu! as Shaleem La Lume
  • * Frances Sternhagen – Angel as Eliza Gant
    • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
  • Lester Rawlins – Da as Drumm
  • * Morgan Freeman – The Mighty Gents as Zeke
  • * Victor Garber – Deathtrap as Clifford Anderson
  • * Cliff Gorman – Chapter Two as Leo Schneider
  • Ann Wedgeworth – Chapter Two as Faye Medwick
  • * Starletta DuPois – The Mighty Gents as Rita
  • * Swoosie Kurtz – Tartuffe as Mariane
  • * Marian Seldes – Deathtrap as Myra Bruhl
    • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
  • Kevin Kline – On the Twentieth Century as Bruce Granit
  • * Steven Boockvor – Working as John Fortune/Marco Camerone
  • * Wayne Cilento – Dancin as Performer
  • * Rex Everhart – Working as Herb Rosen/Booker Page
  • Nell Carter – Ain't Misbehavin as Nell
  • * Imogene Coca – On the Twentieth Century as Letitia Primrose
  • * Ann Reinking – Dancin as Various Characters
  • * Charlayne Woodard – Ain't Misbehavin as Charlaine
    • Best Direction of a PlayBest Direction of a Musical
  • Melvin Bernhardt – Da
  • * Robert Moore – Deathtrap
  • * Mike Nichols – The Gin Game
  • * Dennis Rosa – Dracula
  • Richard Maltby, Jr. – Ain't Misbehavin'
  • * Bob Fosse – Dancin
  • * Harold Prince – On the Twentieth Century
  • * Elizabeth Swados – Runaways
    • Best Original Score Written for the TheatreBest Choreography
  • On the Twentieth Century – Cy Coleman and Betty Comden and Adolph Green
  • * The Act – John Kander and Fred Ebb
  • * Runaways – Elizabeth Swados
  • * Working – Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Mary Rodgers, Susan Birkenhead, Stephen Schwartz and James Taylor
  • Bob Fosse – Dancin'
  • * Arthur Faria – Ain't Misbehavin
  • * Ron Lewis – The Act
  • * Elizabeth Swados – Runaways
    • Best Scenic DesignBest Costume Design
  • Robin Wagner – On the Twentieth Century
  • * Zack Brown – The Importance of Being Earnest
  • * Edward Gorey – Dracula
  • * David Mitchell – Working
  • Edward Gorey – Dracula
  • * Halston – The Act
  • * Geoffrey Holder – Timbuktu!
  • * Willa Kim – Dancin
    • Best Lighting Design-
  • Jules Fisher – Dancin'
  • * Jules Fisher – Beatlemania
  • * Tharon Musser – The Act
  • * Ken Billington – Working
    		• -

    Special awards

  • Lawrence Langner Memorial Award for Distinguished Lifetime Achievement in the American Theatre – Irving Berlin
  • Theatre Award '78 – To the creators, Charles Moss and Stan Dragoti of the I Love New York Broadway Show Tours and William S. Doyle, Deputy Commissioner, the New York State Department of Commerce
  • Regional Theatre Award – The Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut

    Multiple nominations and awards

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