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Home , Jason Alexander, Sydney Lucas

lifestyle TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

Awards

The cast of ‘,’ winner of the award for Best Musical, pose backstage during the American Theatre Wing’s 69th Annual at the Radio City , left, winner of the award for best performance by an actor in a Music Hall in New York City. — AP/AFP photos leading role in a musical for ‘Fun Home,” and Kelli O’Hara winner of the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical for ‘The King and I’. ‘Fun Home,’ ‘Curious Incident’ big winners at Tony Awards

he poignant and groundbreaking coming-of-age show “Fun Home” was named best musical at the TTony Awards on Sunday, one of five big trophies it won on the way to making history for its composing team. It tied for the winningest show on Broadway this season with the British import “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” which also won five awards, including best play. The sumptuous revival of “The King and I” also had reason to whistle a happy tune, with four awards including best revival. The melody was sadder for “Something Rotten!,” which came into the night with 10 nominations but left with only one award, the same number that both “Wolf Hall” plays took home. “Hand to God,” with five nominations, saw no divine love and Chita Rivera’s return to Broadway in “The Visit” was given the cold shoulder. London-born actor Alex Sharp won best lead actor in a play for “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” beating out stars Bradley Cooper and Bill Nighy. “This time last year I was picked up my diploma gradu- ating from Julliard, so to be holding this is insane,” he said. “I just want to dedicate this to any young person out there who feels misunderstood or who feels different and answer that question at the end of the play for you: Does that mean I can do anything? Yes it does.”

Six nominations The adaptation of Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel also won best play, lighting, scenic design and earned its direc- tor Marianne Elliott a Tony, too, with a total of six nomina- tions going into the evening. “Fun Home,” based on Alison Kristin Caskey, center, along with cast and crew accepts the award for best musical for ‘Fun Home’. Bechdel’s graphic novel about growing up with a closeted dad in a funeral home and the first musical to have a les- Tony for musical score for “Fun Home.” But that milestone with a low-key medley of jokes and songs that displayed Sam Gold accepts the award for best direction of a musical bian as its main character, won for best book, best lead happened during a commercial break and viewers never their playful, daffy chemistry. Their costume quick-changes for ‘Fun Home’. actor in Michael Cerveris and best direction from Sam Gold. It came into the night with 12 nominations and left saw it. Two veteran Broadway stars - Cerveris and Kelli included Cumming in a hoop skirt and Chenoweth as E.T., with the top trophies. Cerveris won his second Tony for O’Hara of “The King and I” - took home lead acting Tonys. her co-host cracking, “I said ‘Fun Home.’” playing the closeted and suicidal father at the heart of “Fun The British had a big night, with “Skylight” winning for One of the show’s highlights came as Joel Grey, who Home” while O’Hara got her first Tony after six nomina- best revival, and Helen Mirren nabbing her first Tony for recently announced he was gay, introduced “Fun Home” tions, winning for her role as the English school teacher in playing Queen Elizabeth II in Peter Morgan’s “The with his daughter, Jennifer Grey, who joked that the show the classic musical “The King and I.” Audience.” She already won an Oscar for playing the was about a “brilliant and complicated father.” Joel Grey “I love what I do and I don’t need this but now that I monarch in the movie “The Queen.” “An American in Paris,” acknowledged that the topic was one his daughter “knew have it I’ve some things to say,” she said. “My parents who which had a co-leading 12 nominations, won four technical something about.” Another highlight: Jason Alexander and are sitting next to me for the sixth time, you don’t have to awards, including best scenic design and one for bickering about awards and their show “Fish in pretend it’s OK this time.” Songwriters and Christopher Wheeldon for best choreographer. Co-hosts the Dark.” David joked that the reason it got no nomina- became the first female writing team to nab a and infused the show tions was due to anti-Semitism.

Lisa Kron poses with the award for best book for ‘Fun Sydney Lucas, left and Michael Cerveris of the cast of ‘Fun Home’ Producer Scott Rudin, foreground, and the cast and crew of ‘Skylight’ accept the award for best revival of a Home’. perform on stage. play.

Kelli O’Hara, center, and the cast of ‘The King and I’ perform on stage. Andre Bishop, left, and crew accept the award for best revival of a musical for ‘The King Catherine Zuber accepts the award for best costume and I’. design of a musical for “The King and I”.