55th Tony Awards


The 55th Annual Tony Awards was held at Radio City Music Hall on June 3, 2001 and broadcast by CBS. "The First Ten" awards ceremony was telecast on PBS television. The event was co-hosted by Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. The Producers won a record breaking 12 awards. Mel Brooks's win made him the eighth person to become an EGOT.

The ceremony

Presenters: Joan Allen, Dick Cavett, Kristin Chenoweth, Glenn Close, Dame Edna, Edie Falco, Kathleen Freeman, Gina Gershon, Heather Headley, Cherry Jones, Jane Krakowski, Marc Kudisch, Eric McCormack, Audra McDonald, Reba McEntire, Donna McKechnie, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bernadette Peters, Natasha Richardson, Doris Roberts, Gary Sinise, Lily Tomlin, Henry Winkler, and three "Broadway Babies".
Musicals represented were:
Plays were also presented:
Winners are in bold
Source: BroadwayWorld
Best PlayBest Musical

  • Proof – David Auburn
  • * The Invention of Love – Tom Stoppard
  • * King Hedley II – August Wilson
  • * The Tale of the Allergist's Wife – Charles Busch
  • The Producers
  • * A Class Act
  • * The Full Monty
  • * Jane Eyre
    • Best Revival of a PlayBest Revival of a Musical
  • One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
  • * Betrayal
  • * The Best Man
  • * The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe
  • 42nd Street
  • * Bells Are Ringing
  • * Follies
  • * The Rocky Horror Show
    • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
  • Richard Easton – The Invention of Love as A. E. Housman
  • * Seán Campion – Stones in His Pockets as Jake Quinn
  • * Conleth Hill – Stones in His Pockets as Charlie Conlon
  • * Brian Stokes Mitchell – King Hedley II as King
  • * Gary Sinise – One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest as Randle P. McMurphy
  • Mary-Louise Parker – Proof as Catherine
  • * Juliette Binoche – Betrayal as Emma
  • * Linda Lavin – The Tale of the Allergist's Wife as Marjorie Taub
  • * Jean Smart – The Man Who Came to Dinner as Lorraine Sheldon
  • * Leslie Uggams – King Hedley II as Ruby
    • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
  • Nathan Lane – The Producers as Max Bialystock
  • * Matthew Broderick – The Producers as Leo Bloom
  • * Kevin Chamberlin – Seussical as Horton the Elephant
  • * Tom Hewitt – The Rocky Horror Show as Frank N Furter
  • * Patrick Wilson – The Full Monty as Jerry Lukowski
  • Christine Ebersole – 42nd Street as Dorothy Brock
  • * Blythe Danner – Follies as Phyllis Rogers Stone
  • * Randy Graff – A Class Act as Sophie
  • * Faith Prince – Bells Are Ringing as Ella Peterson
  • * Marla Schaffel – Jane Eyre as Jane Eyre
    • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
  • Robert Sean Leonard – The Invention of Love as A. E. Housman
  • * Charles Brown – King Hedley II as Elmore
  • * Larry Bryggman – Proof as Robert
  • * Michael Hayden – Judgment at Nuremberg as Oscar Rolfe
  • * Ben Shenkman – Proof as Hal
  • Viola Davis – King Hedley II as Tonya
  • * Johanna Day – Proof as Claire
  • * Penny Fuller – The Dinner Party as Gabrielle Buonocelli
  • * Marthe Keller – Judgment at Nuremberg as Mme. Bertholt
  • * Michele Lee – The Tale of the Allergist's Wife as Lee
    • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
  • Gary Beach – The Producers as Roger DeBris
  • * Roger Bart – The Producers as Carmen Ghia
  • * John Ellison Conlee – The Full Monty as Dave Bukatinsky
  • * André DeShields – The Full Monty as Noah "Horse" T. Simmons
  • * Brad Oscar – The Producers as Franz Liebkind
  • Cady Huffman – The Producers as Ulla
  • * Polly Bergen – Follies as Carlotta Campion
  • * Kathleen Freeman – The Full Monty as Jeanette Burmeister
  • * Kate Levering – 42nd Street as Peggy Sawyer
  • * Mary Testa – 42nd Street as Maggie Jones
    • Best Book of a MusicalBest Original Score Written for the Theatre
  • Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan – The Producers
  • * Linda Kline and Lonny Price – A Class Act
  • * Terrence McNally – The Full Monty
  • * John Caird – Jane Eyre
  • The Producers – Mel Brooks
  • * A Class Act – Edward Kleban
  • * The Full Monty – David Yazbek
  • * Jane Eyre – Paul Gordon
    • Best Scenic DesignBest Costume Design
  • Robin Wagner – The Producers
  • * Bob Crowley – The Invention of Love
  • * Heidi Ettinger – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
  • * Douglas W. Schmidt – 42nd Street
  • William Ivey Long – The Producers
  • * Theoni V. Aldredge – Follies
  • * Roger Kirk – 42nd Street
  • * David C. Woolard – The Rocky Horror Show
    • Best Lighting DesignBest Orchestrations
  • Peter Kaczorowski – The Producers
  • * Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer – Jane Eyre
  • * Paul Gallo – 42nd Street
  • * Kenneth Posner – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
  • Doug Besterman – The Producers
  • * Larry Hochman – A Class Act
  • * Jonathan Tunick – Follies
  • * Harold Wheeler – The Full Monty
    • Best Direction of a PlayBest Direction of a Musical
  • Daniel Sullivan – Proof
  • * Marion McClinton – King Hedley II
  • * Ian McElhinney – Stones in His Pockets
  • * Jack O'Brien – The Invention of Love
  • Susan Stroman – The Producers
  • * Christopher Ashley – The Rocky Horror Show
  • * Mark Bramble – 42nd Street
  • * Jack O'Brien – The Full Monty
    • Best Choreography-
  • Susan Stroman – The Producers
  • * Jerry Mitchell – The Full Monty
  • * Jim Moore, George Pinney and Jonathan Vanderkolff – Blast!
  • * Randy Skinner – 42nd Street
    		• -

    Special awards

    Regional Theatre Award
    Special Theatrical Event
    Special Lifetime Achievement Tony Award
    Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre
    These productions had multiple nominations:
    The following productions received multiple awards.