Updated 9:53 p.m. ET
Christopher Durang's comical "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" has won the Tony Award for best play.
The play, which takes characters and themes from Anton Chekhov and sets them in present-day Pennsylvania, stars Sigourney Weaver, Kristine Nielsen and David Hyde Pierce. It centers on three middle-aged siblings uneasily negotiating with age and hysterically mixes in references to Lindsay Lohan, Maggie Smith and ancient Greek drama.
"Vanya and Sonia" beat out Tony contenders "The Assembled Parties," "Lucky Guy" and "The Testament of Mary."
Cyndi Lauper also became a Tony winner during Sunday's telecast --the pop star picked the award for best original score for the musical "Kinky Boots."
Lauper appeared to get emotional when her name was called. The award was presented by actors Jane Krakowski and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who declared, "Girl, you're gonna have fun tonight!"
"I want to thank Broadway for welcoming me. I understand how hard you work...your hard work inspires me," the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" singer said.
It was a girls' night elsewhere, too, as Diane Paulus and Pam MacKinnon won directing Tonys. Paulus won her first Tony for directing the crackling, high-energy revival of "Pippin." MacKinnon won for directing "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," a year after earning her first nomination for helming "Clybourne Park."
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[h=3]Tony Awards 2013 red carpet[/h]
The Tonys are being broadcast live by CBS from Radio City Music Hall. Neil Patrick Harris is back for his fourth turn as emcee and leads a show featuring talented children and pulse-pounding musical numbers.
The night's opening number started with Harris simply holding a guitar in a pub like in "Once," but quickly morphed into a flashy razzle-dazzle number that showcased performers from almost a dozen musicals -- and even ex-boxer Mike Tyson dancing. Harris sang "It's bigger! Tonight it's bigger," jumped through a hoop, vanished from a box and promised a "truly legendary show" before glitter guns went off.
Courtney B. Vance won for best featured actor in a play for portraying a newspaper editor opposite Tom Hanks in "Lucky Guy." He dedicated his award to his mother.
Judith Light won her second Tony in two years, following up her win last year as a wise-cracking alcoholic aunt in "Other Desert Cities" with the role of a wry mother in "The Assembled Parties," in which she goes from about 53 to 73 over the play's two acts.
"I want to thank every woman that I am in this category nominated with: you have made this a celebration, not a competition," she said.
Ebert of "Matilda the Musical" won as best featured actor in a musical. He thanked his four Matildas and his parents, stooping down to speak into the microphone. Andrea Mitchell of "Pippin" won best featured actress in a musical.
"Kinky Boots" and "Matilda the Musical" are the front-runners for the most coveted award -- best musical. Other musicals hoping for awards include the acrobatic "Bring It On: The Musical," the hit-heavy "Motown the Musical" and "A Christmas Story, the Musical," adapted from the beloved holiday movie. Top musical revivals include an updated "Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella" and a cracking revival of "Pippin" with a circus feel.
All the above shows will perform during the telecast, as well as "Annie" (with "Glee" star Jane Lynch), last year's winner, "Once," and "The Phantom of the Opera," which is celebrating its 25th anniversary on Broadway this year. Lauper will perform her song "True Colors" during the segment when dead members of the theater community are honored, and the original members of the '60s band The Rascals will play "Good Lovin."'
The biggest star with a nomination is Broadway newcomer Tom Hanks, who could snap up a Tony for "Lucky Guy," Nora Ephron's last work and a best play finalist. He faces tough competition from Nathan Lane, who plays a closeted gay burlesque performer in "The Nance."
Some of the telecast highlights include the stunning kids in "Annie," "A Christmas Story, the Musical" and the four young women in "Matilda." Harris will snuggle with the dog playing Sandy in "Annie" and join with "Smash" star Megan Hilty, "Go On" star Laura Benanti and former "The Book of Mormon" star Andrew Rannells to skewer theater stars who seek fame on TV.
The Tony winners were picked by 868 Tony voters, including members of The Broadway League, American Theatre Wing, Actors' Equity, the Dramatists Guild, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society as well as critics from the New York Drama Critics Circle.
Christopher Durang's comical "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" has won the Tony Award for best play.
The play, which takes characters and themes from Anton Chekhov and sets them in present-day Pennsylvania, stars Sigourney Weaver, Kristine Nielsen and David Hyde Pierce. It centers on three middle-aged siblings uneasily negotiating with age and hysterically mixes in references to Lindsay Lohan, Maggie Smith and ancient Greek drama.
"Vanya and Sonia" beat out Tony contenders "The Assembled Parties," "Lucky Guy" and "The Testament of Mary."
Cyndi Lauper also became a Tony winner during Sunday's telecast --the pop star picked the award for best original score for the musical "Kinky Boots."
Lauper appeared to get emotional when her name was called. The award was presented by actors Jane Krakowski and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who declared, "Girl, you're gonna have fun tonight!"
"I want to thank Broadway for welcoming me. I understand how hard you work...your hard work inspires me," the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" singer said.
It was a girls' night elsewhere, too, as Diane Paulus and Pam MacKinnon won directing Tonys. Paulus won her first Tony for directing the crackling, high-energy revival of "Pippin." MacKinnon won for directing "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," a year after earning her first nomination for helming "Clybourne Park."
[h=3]Tony Awards 2013 red carpet[/h]
The Tonys are being broadcast live by CBS from Radio City Music Hall. Neil Patrick Harris is back for his fourth turn as emcee and leads a show featuring talented children and pulse-pounding musical numbers.
The night's opening number started with Harris simply holding a guitar in a pub like in "Once," but quickly morphed into a flashy razzle-dazzle number that showcased performers from almost a dozen musicals -- and even ex-boxer Mike Tyson dancing. Harris sang "It's bigger! Tonight it's bigger," jumped through a hoop, vanished from a box and promised a "truly legendary show" before glitter guns went off.
Courtney B. Vance won for best featured actor in a play for portraying a newspaper editor opposite Tom Hanks in "Lucky Guy." He dedicated his award to his mother.
Judith Light won her second Tony in two years, following up her win last year as a wise-cracking alcoholic aunt in "Other Desert Cities" with the role of a wry mother in "The Assembled Parties," in which she goes from about 53 to 73 over the play's two acts.
"I want to thank every woman that I am in this category nominated with: you have made this a celebration, not a competition," she said.
Ebert of "Matilda the Musical" won as best featured actor in a musical. He thanked his four Matildas and his parents, stooping down to speak into the microphone. Andrea Mitchell of "Pippin" won best featured actress in a musical.
"Kinky Boots" and "Matilda the Musical" are the front-runners for the most coveted award -- best musical. Other musicals hoping for awards include the acrobatic "Bring It On: The Musical," the hit-heavy "Motown the Musical" and "A Christmas Story, the Musical," adapted from the beloved holiday movie. Top musical revivals include an updated "Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella" and a cracking revival of "Pippin" with a circus feel.
All the above shows will perform during the telecast, as well as "Annie" (with "Glee" star Jane Lynch), last year's winner, "Once," and "The Phantom of the Opera," which is celebrating its 25th anniversary on Broadway this year. Lauper will perform her song "True Colors" during the segment when dead members of the theater community are honored, and the original members of the '60s band The Rascals will play "Good Lovin."'
The biggest star with a nomination is Broadway newcomer Tom Hanks, who could snap up a Tony for "Lucky Guy," Nora Ephron's last work and a best play finalist. He faces tough competition from Nathan Lane, who plays a closeted gay burlesque performer in "The Nance."
Some of the telecast highlights include the stunning kids in "Annie," "A Christmas Story, the Musical" and the four young women in "Matilda." Harris will snuggle with the dog playing Sandy in "Annie" and join with "Smash" star Megan Hilty, "Go On" star Laura Benanti and former "The Book of Mormon" star Andrew Rannells to skewer theater stars who seek fame on TV.
The Tony winners were picked by 868 Tony voters, including members of The Broadway League, American Theatre Wing, Actors' Equity, the Dramatists Guild, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society as well as critics from the New York Drama Critics Circle.