The 66th Annual Tony Awards was held on June 10, 2012, to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2011–2012 season. The ceremony was held at the Beacon Theatre, and was broadcast live on CBS television.
With Neil Patrick Harris was the host of the ceremony, it marked the third time that Harris hosted the Tony Awards show. He previously hosted the show in 2009, 2011 and later in 2013. The original musical number that opened the show had Harris singing and dancing to "What If Life Were More Like Theatre?" with appearances by Patti LuPone, Amanda Seyfried, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. The telecast had 6.01 million viewers (preliminary numbers), in contrast to the 2011 Tony Awards telecast, which had 6.950 million viewers.Gans, Andrew.Tony Awards Ratings Hit Record Low, According to Preliminary Numbers" Playbill.com, June 11, 2012
Alan Menken's win for the Tony Award for Best Original Score for Newsies marked it his first win after three nominations. He was previously nominated for Beauty and the Beast (1994), The Little Mermaid (2008), Sister Act (2011).
The Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre has been awarded to Emanuel Azenberg. Bernadette Peters was presented with the Isabelle Stevenson Award and Special Tony Awards were given to Hugh Jackman and the Actors’ Equity Association."Bernadette Peters, Hugh Jackman & Actors' Equity to Receive Special Tony Awards & Honors" broadwayworld.com, April 30, 2012 The Regional Theatre Tony Award has been awarded to the Shakespeare Theatre Company.
Eligibility Shows that opened on Broadway during the 2011–12 season before April 27, 2012 are eligible.
Original plays Chinglish Clybourne Park The Columnist End of the Rainbow The Lyons Magic/Bird The Mountaintop One Man, Two Guvnors Other Desert Cities Peter and the Starcatcher Relatively Speaking Seminar Stick Fly Venus in Fur
Original musicals Bonnie & Clyde Ghost Leap of Faith Lysistrata Jones Newsies Nice Work If You Can Get It Once Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
Play revivals Arthur Miller's Death of A Salesman Don't Dress for Dinner Gore Vidal's The Best Man Man and Boy Master Class Private Lives The Road to Mecca A Streetcar Named Desire Wit
Musical revivals Evita Follies Porgy & Bess Godspell Jesus Christ Superstar On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
Ceremony Neil Patrick Harris was the host of the ceremony. This marked the third time that Harris hosted the Tony Awards show.
The telecast had 6.01 million viewers (preliminary numbers), in contrast to the 2011 Tony Awards telecast, which had 6.950 million viewers.
Performances There were performances from musicals including Evita featuring Ricky Martin and Elena Roger, Follies, with Danny Burstein singing "Buddy's Blues" and introduced by Bernadette Peters, Ghost the Musical, Godspell, Hairspray (from a production on a Royal Caribbean ship), Jesus Christ Superstar, Leap of Faith with Raúl Esparza and company, Newsies featuring Jeremy Jordan and company, Nice Work If You Can Get It with Kelli O'Hara, Matthew Broderick and company, Once featuring Steve Kazee and company, and The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess featuring Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis.Gans, Andrew. "Bernadette Peters, Audra McDonald, Ricky Martin, Danny Burstein, Norm Lewis Will Be Featured on Tonys" , Playbill.com, May 23, 2012Gans, Andrew."'Leap of Faith' Will Perform on Tony Awards" Playbill.com, May 30, 2012 There also were performances from Tony-nominated plays, including End of the Rainbow with Tracie Bennett, One Man, Two Guvnors with James Corden, and Peter and the Starcatcher, with Christian Borle, Celia Keenan-Bolger and Adam Chanler-Berat.Gans, Andrew."'Godspell', 'Ghost', 'End of the Rainbow', 'One Man', 'Starcatcher', Raúl Esparza Will Perform on Tony Awards" Playbill.com, June 4, 2012
The Book of Mormon cast members, along with Harris, started the show by singing a version of "Hello". The original musical number that opened the show had Harris singing and dancing to "What If Life Were More Like Theatre?" with Patti LuPone, Amanda Seyfried, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and company.Gioia, Michael."THE SCREENING ROOM: "What If Life Were More Like Theatre?": Watch the Tony Awards Opening Number (Video)" Playbill.com, June 10, 2012 The closing musical number was "If I Had Time," sung by Harris. Both the opening and closing musical numbers were written by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger.Hetrick, Adam."David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger Authored Tony Awards Opening and Closing Numbers (Plus Video)" Playbill.com, June 11, 2012
Presenters As announced on June 1, Angela Lansbury, Candice Bergen, Jessica Chastain, Jim Parsons, Christopher Plummer, Tyler Perry, Nick Jonas, Amanda Seyfried, Paul Rudd, Ellen Barkin, Bernadette Peters, James Marsden, Mandy Patinkin, and Sheryl Crow, among others, were presenters. On June 7, Matthew Morrison, Josh Groban, and Cote de Pablo were added to the presenter line-up. Other presenters included Patti LuPone, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
Creative Arts awards Several awards, named the "Creative Arts" awards, were presented prior to the main televised ceremony as well as during breaks. These included awards for: Best Lighting Design of a Play, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Best Sound Design of a Play, Best Sound Design of a Musical, Best Costume Design of a Play, Best Costume Design of a Musical, Best Orchestrations, Best Scenic Design of a Play, Best Scenic Design of a Musical and Best Choreography. These awards were announced by Norbert Leo Butz and Beth Leavel.Gans, Andrew.Norbert Leo Butz and Beth Leavel to Host Creative Arts Tony Awards Playbill.com, June 8, 2012Jones, Kenneth. Playbill.com, June 10, 2012Gioia, Michael."The Screening Room: Martin Lowe, Christopher Gattelli, Natasha Katz and More Accept 2012 Creative Arts Tonys (Video) June 14, 2012
Nominees and winners The nominees were announced on May 1, 2012.Jones, Kenneth and Hetrick, Adam. 2012 "Tony Awards Nominations Announced; Once Earns 11 Nominations" . Playbill.com, May 1, 2012 The winners were announced on June 10, 2012.Jones, Kenneth. "'Once', 'Clybourne Park', 'Porgy and Bess', Audra McDonald, 'Salesman' Win Tony Awards" Playbill.com, June 10, 2012 Best Play Best Musical Clybourne Park – Bruce Norris Other Desert Cities – Jon Robin Baitz Peter and the Starcatcher – Rick Elice Venus in Fur – David Ives | valign="top" | Once Leap of Faith Newsies Nice Work If You Can Get It Best Revival of a Play Best Revival of a Musical Death of a Salesman The Best Man Master Class Wit Porgy and Bess Evita Follies Jesus Christ Superstar Best Actor in a Play Best Actress in a Play James Corden – One Man, Two Guvnors as Francis Henshall Philip Seymour Hoffman – Death of a Salesman as Willy Loman James Earl Jones – The Best Man as Art Hockstader Frank Langella – Man and Boy as Gregor Antonescu John Lithgow – The Columnist as Joseph Alsop Nina Arianda – Venus in Fur as Vanda Tracie Bennett – End of the Rainbow as Judy Garland Stockard Channing – Other Desert Cities as Polly Wyeth Linda Lavin – The Lyons as Rita Lyons Cynthia Nixon – Wit as Vivian Bearing Best Actor in a Musical Best Actress in a Musical Steve Kazee – Once as Guy Danny Burstein – Follies as Buddy Plummer Jeremy Jordan – Newsies as Jack Kelly Norm Lewis – Porgy and Bess as Porgy Ron Raines – Follies as Ben Stone Audra McDonald – Porgy and Bess as Bess Jan Maxwell – Follies as Phyllis Rogers Stone Cristin Milioti – Once as Girl Kelli O'Hara – Nice Work If You Can Get It as Billie Bendix Laura Osnes – Bonnie & Clyde as Bonnie Parker Best Featured Actor in a Play Best Featured Actress in a Play Christian Borle – Peter and the Starcatcher as The Black Stache Michael Cumpsty – End of the Rainbow as Anthony Tom Edden – One Man, Two Guvnors as Alfie Andrew Garfield – Death of a Salesman as Biff Loman Jeremy Shamos – Clybourne Park as Karl/Steve Judith Light – Other Desert Cities as Silda Grauman Linda Emond – Death of a Salesman as Linda Loman Spencer Kayden – Don't Dress for Dinner as Suzette Celia Keenan-Bolger – Peter and the Starcatcher as Molly Condola Rashad – Stick Fly as Cheryl Best Featured Actor in a Musical Best Featured Actress in a Musical Michael McGrath – Nice Work If You Can Get It as Cookie McGee Phillip Boykin – Porgy and Bess as Crown Michael Cerveris – Evita as Juan Perón David Alan Grier – Porgy and Bess as Sporting Life Josh Young – Jesus Christ Superstar as Judas Judy Kaye – Nice Work If You Can Get It as Duchess Estonia Dulworth Elizabeth A. Davis – Once as Réza Jayne Houdyshell – Follies as Hattie Walker Jessie Mueller – On a Clear Day You Can See Forever as Melinda Wells Da’Vine Joy Randolph – Ghost the Musical as Oda Mae Brown Best Book of a Musical Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre Enda Walsh – Once Douglas Carter Beane – Lysistrata Jones Joe DiPietro – Nice Work If You Can Get It Harvey Fierstein – Newsies Newsies – Alan Menken (music) and Jack Feldman (lyrics) Bonnie & Clyde – Frank Wildhorn (music) and Don Black (lyrics) One Man, Two Guvnors – Grant Olding (music and lyrics) Peter and the Starcatcher – Wayne Barker (music) and Rick Elice (lyrics) |- ! style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" | Best Scenic Design of a Play ! style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" | Best Scenic Design of a Musical |- | valign="top" | Donyale Werle – Peter and the Starcatcher John Lee Beatty – Other Desert Cities Daniel Ostling – Clybourne Park Mark Thompson – One Man, Two Guvnors Bob Crowley – Once Rob Howell and Jon Driscoll – Ghost the Musical Tobin Ost and Sven Ortel – Newsies George Tsypin – Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Best Costume Design of a Play Best Costume Design of a Musical Paloma Young – Peter and the Starcatcher William Ivey Long – Don't Dress for Dinner Paul Tazewell – A Streetcar Named Desire Mark Thompson – One Man, Two Guvnors Gregg Barnes – Follies ESosa – Porgy and Bess Eiko Ishioka – Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Martin Pakledinaz – Nice Work If You Can Get It Best Lighting Design of a Play Best Lighting Design of a Musical Jeff Croiter – Peter and the Starcatcher Peter Kaczorowski – The Road to Mecca Brian MacDevitt – Death of a Salesman Kenneth Posner – Other Desert Cities Natasha Katz – Once Christopher Akerlind – Porgy and Bess Natasha Katz – Follies Hugh Vanstone – Ghost the Musical Best Sound Design of a Play Best Sound Design of a Musical Darron L. West – Peter and the Starcatcher Paul Arditti – One Man, Two Guvnors Scott Lehrer – Death of a Salesman Gareth Owen – End of the Rainbow Clive Goodwin – Once Acme Sound Partners – Porgy and Bess Kai Harada – Follies Brian Ronan – Nice Work If You Can Get It Best Direction of a Play Best Direction of a Musical Mike Nichols – Death of a Salesman Nicholas Hytner – One Man, Two Guvnors Pam MacKinnon – Clybourne Park Roger Rees and Alex Timbers – Peter and the Starcatcher John Tiffany – Once Jeff Calhoun – Newsies Kathleen Marshall – Nice Work If You Can Get It Diane Paulus – Porgy and Bess Best Choreography Best Orchestrations Christopher Gattelli – Newsies Rob Ashford – Evita Steven Hoggett – Once Kathleen Marshall – Nice Work If You Can Get It Martin Lowe – Once William David Brohn and Christopher Jahnke – Porgy and Bess Bill Elliott – Nice Work If You Can Get It Danny Troob – Newsies
Multiple nominations 11: Once 10: Nice Work If You Can Get It, Porgy and Bess 9: Peter and the Starcatcher 8: Follies, Newsies 7: Death of a Salesman, One Man, Two Guvnors 5: Other Desert Cities 4: Clybourne Park 3: Evita, End of the Rainbow, Ghost the Musical 2: Venus in Fur, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Jesus Christ Superstar, Wit, The Best Man, Bonnie & Clyde, Don't Dress for Dinner
Multiple wins 8: Once 5: Peter and the Starcatcher 2: Death of a Salesman, Newsies, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Porgy and Bess
Non-competitive awards