Tony Awards for ‘All the Way,’ ‘A Gentleman’s Guide’

“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” nabbed the best new musical trophy at the 68th annual Tony Awards on Sunday, on a night that also saw Audra McDonald make Broadway history, Bryan Cranston win as a rookie and four-time Tony host Neil Patrick Harris get his own award.

“A Gentlemen’s Guide,” in which a poor man comically eliminates the eight heirs ahead of him for a family fortune, opened rather quietly and has had a steady increase in interest, hitting a high note with its win over Disney’s “Aladdin” and “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” with its built-in love for King’s songs.

“Guide” took a total of four Tonys, including best book of a musical. It tied for the most decorated show of the night with “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” an unlikely Broadway hit about obsession, glam rock and a botched sex-change operation.

McDonald, at 43, won her sixth Tony, for portraying Billie Holiday in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill,” putting her ahead of five-time winners Angela Lansbury and the late Julie Harris for the most competitive wins by an actress. (Harris has six if her special lifetime achievement award is included.) McDonald got a prolonged standing ovation, and among those she thanked were her parents for not medicating their hyperactive child.

Her latest win — for best lead actress in a play — also makes McDonald the only woman to win a Tony in all four acting categories. She previously won as best featured actress in a play (“A Raisin in the Sun” and “Master Class”), best lead actress in a musical (“The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess”) and best featured actress in a musical (“Ragtime” and “Carousel”).

“Hedwig” was led by Harris, who garnered his first Tony, for best actor in a musical, after performing a song from the show. His co-star Lena Hall won best featured actress in a musical, and the show also won for best musical revival and best lighting for a musical.

Cranston — in a role far from his portrayal of TV’s chemistry-teacher-turned-meth-kingpin Walter White in “Breaking Bad” — won the best lead actor in a play Tony for playing President Lyndon B. Johnson in Robert Schenkkan’s “All the Way,” which also won the award for best play. It was Cranston’s first time on Broadway.

In a strong category, Jessie Mueller beat Broadway veterans Sutton Foster, Idina Menzel and Kelli O’Hara to take home the best actress in a musical Tony for playing King in “Beautiful.” She thanked the iconic singer-songwriter and all her competitors. One of the show’s highlights was King singing with the cast of the show.

Mark Rylance won his third Tony, for featured actor in a play, for his turn as the Countess Olivia in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” He previously won as best lead actor for “Jerusalem” and "Boeing-Boeing.”

Darko Tresnjak won for directing “A Gentleman’s Guide” and thanked his mother, who was too frail to be there. The show also won for best book of a musical and costumes for a musical.

On the play side, Kenny Leon won his first Tony for directing a revival of “A Raisin in the Sun.” One of his “Raisin” stars, Sophie Okonedo, won for best featured actress in a play. “I am loving it on Broadway,” she said. She thanked producer Scott Rudin for believing that a “Jewish Nigerian Brit” could play the iconic role of Ruth Younger. The show also won best play revival.

The Australian-born Hugh Jackman who hosted the show at Radio City Music Hall, opened by hopping up and down like a kangaroo from the sidewalk into and through the building in an homage to “Take Me to Broadway” from the movie “Small Town Girl.”  The Tonys are determined by a pool of approximately 700 voters, including actors, producers, directors and designers.

The Associated Press