The 68th Annual Tony Awards were held June 8, 2014, to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2013–14 season. The ceremony was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and was televised live on CBS.[2]Hugh Jackman was the host, his fourth time hosting.[3][4][5] The 15 musical Tony Awards went to seven different musicals, and six plays shared the 11 play Tony Awards.[6]
The nominations were announced on April 29, 2014 by Jonathan Groff and Lucy Liu.[7]Audra McDonald won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. In just her ninth Broadway engagement, McDonald established two records as the first actor to win six Tony Awards for acting and the first to win in all four categories, lead and featured in both a play and a musical.[8] In its seventh Broadway incarnation, The Glass Menagerie won its first Tony Award (Lighting Design).[6]
Eligibility
Shows that opened on Broadway during the 2013–14 season before April 24, 2014, were eligible for consideration.[2]
During the opening sequence of the ceremony, Jackman hopped along to the song "Take Me to Broadway," in an homage to Bobby Van's hopping in the 1953 film Small Town Girl.
The ceremony included performances from the nominated musicals (both new and revival) as well as other current musicals. The performances include:
During this ceremony, a new award was announced by Zachary Quinto and Matt Bomer, the "Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre Education", which is to be presented by Carnegie Mellon University and will "honor kindergarten through high school (K-12) theatre educators."[14]
Television ratings
According to the preliminary numbers, the televised awards ceremony had 7.02 million viewers. The 2013 telecast had 7.24 million viewers.[15]
Winners and nominees
The nominees were announced on April 29, 2014.[7] The winners are shown below.[4]
The Isabelle Stevenson Award was given to Rosie O’Donnell "for her commitment to arts education for New York City’s public school children."[16] The Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement was awarded to Jane Greenwood "for her outstanding work in costume design and for her dedication to the theatre".[17]
The award for Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre was awarded to Actors Fund president Joe Benincasa, photographer Joan Marcus and general manager Charlotte Wilcox.[18]
The Regional Theatre Award was awarded to the Signature Theatre Company, New York City. This is the first time a New York-based theatre company has received this award, whose eligibility had been expanded to include New York City for the 2013–14 season.[19]