# 59th Tony Awards

The 59th Annual Tony Awards ceremony was held on June 5, 2005 at Radio City Music Hall and broadcast by CBS television. Hugh Jackman hosted for the third time in a row.
This was the first year the craft category awards (costume, scenic, lighting) were divided into plays and musicals.

## Eligibility

Shows that opened on Broadway during the 2004–05 season before May 5, 2005 are eligible.

## The ceremony

For the opening number Bernadette Peters sang "Another Op’nin’ Another Show" from Kiss Me, Kate, which was followed by a video montage of the musicals that opened during the 2004-2005 season, as well as short excerpts of those performing that evening. In other special performances, Hugh Jackman sang and danced in a tribute to songs about dancing and Aretha Franklin and Hugh Jackman performed a duet of "Somewhere" from West Side Story.
Laura Linney gave a tribute to the late Arthur Miller and Jesse L. Martin and the cast of Chicago performed "Razzle Dazzle" in memory of Jerry Orbach and Fred Ebb.
The award presenters included: Angela Bassett, Matthew Broderick, Don Cheadle, Sally Field, Harvey Fierstein, Anne Hathaway, Nathan Lane, Sandra Oh, James Earl Jones, Bernadette Peters, and Chita Rivera.

### Performances

New musicals
* Dirty Rotten Scoundrels: Norbert Leo Butz, John Lithgow and members of the company performed "Great Big Stuff".
* The Light in the Piazza: Victoria Clark and Kelli O'Hara with Matthew Morrison and members of the company performed "Statues and Stories".
* The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee: The company, joined by Al Sharpton, performed the title song and "Prayer of the Comfort Counselor."
* Monty Python's Spamalot: Sara Ramirez and Tim Curry with the voice of John Cleese performed "Find Your Grail" with the company.
Revivals
* Sweet Charity: The company did a medley from the show. The female chorus performed "Hey, Big Spender" and Christina Applegate performed 'If My Friends Could See Me Now' and 'I'm a Brass Band'
* La Cage aux Folles: Gary Beach and the company performed the title song.

## Winners and nominees

The nominees were announced on May 10, 2005 by Alan Cumming, Lynn Redgrave, Kate Burton and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Monty Python's Spamalot received 14 nominations, the most of any production at the time, followed by Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Light in the Piazza with 11 nominations each.
Source:Playbill
Winners are in bold
| Best Play | Best Musical |
| Doubt – John Patrick Shanley Democracy – Michael Frayn Gem of the Ocean – August Wilson The Pillowman – Martin McDonagh | Monty Python's Spamalot Dirty Rotten Scoundrels The Light in the Piazza The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee |
| Best Revival of a Play | Best Revival of a Musical |
| Glengarry Glen Ross On Golden Pond Twelve Angry Men Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | La Cage aux Folles Pacific Overtures Sweet Charity |
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play | Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play |
| Bill Irwin – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as George Billy Crudup – The Pillowman as Katurian Brían F. O'Byrne – Doubt as Father Flynn James Earl Jones – On Golden Pond as Norman Thayer, Jr. Philip Bosco – Twelve Angry Men as Juror #3 | Cherry Jones – Doubt as Sister Aloysius Beauvier Phylicia Rashad – Gem of the Ocean as Aunt Ester Mary-Louise Parker – Reckless as Rachel Laura Linney – Sight Unseen as Patricia Kathleen Turner – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as Martha |
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical |
| Norbert Leo Butz – Dirty Rotten Scoundrels as Freddy Benson John Lithgow – Dirty Rotten Scoundrels as Lawrence Jameson Gary Beach – La Cage aux Folles as Albin Hank Azaria – Monty Python's Spamalot as Sir Lancelot, French Taunter, and Others Tim Curry – Monty Python's Spamalot as King Arthur | Victoria Clark – The Light in the Piazza as Margaret Johnson Erin Dilly – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as Truly Scrumptious Sherie Rene Scott – Dirty Rotten Scoundrels as Christine Colgate Sutton Foster – Little Women as Josephine 'Jo' March Christina Applegate – Sweet Charity as Charity Hope Valentine |
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play | Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play |
| Liev Schreiber – Glengarry Glen Ross as Richard Roma Alan Alda – Glengarry Glen Ross as Levine Gordon Clapp – Glengarry Glen Ross as Moss Michael Stuhlbarg – The Pillowman as Michal David Harbour – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as Nick | Adriane Lenox – Doubt as Mrs. Muller Heather Goldenhersh – Doubt as Sister James Dana Ivey – The Rivals as Mrs. Malaprop Amy Ryan – A Streetcar Named Desire as Stella Mireille Enos – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as Honey |
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical |
| Dan Fogler – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as William Barfée Marc Kudisch – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as Baron Bomburst Matthew Morrison – The Light in the Piazza as Fabrizio Nacarelli Michael McGrath – Monty Python's Spamalot as Patsy Christopher Sieber – Monty Python's Spamalot as Sir Galahad | Sara Ramirez – Monty Python's Spamalot as Lady of the Lake Jan Maxwell – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as Baroness Bomburst Joanna Gleason – Dirty Rotten Scoundrels as Muriel Eubanks Kelli O'Hara – The Light in the Piazza as Clara Johnson Celia Keenan-Bolger – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as Olive Ostrovsky |
| Best Book of a Musical | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre |
| Rachel Sheinkin – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Jeffrey Lane – Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Craig Lucas – The Light in the Piazza Eric Idle – Monty Python's Spamalot | The Light in the Piazza – Adam Guettel (music and lyrics) Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – David Yazbek (music and lyrics) Monty Python's Spamalot – John Du Prez and Eric Idle (music) and Idle (lyrics) The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – William Finn (music and lyrics) |
| Best Scenic Design of a Play | Best Scenic Design of a Musical |
| Scott Pask – The Pillowman John Lee Beatty – Doubt David Gallo – Gem of the Ocean Santo Loquasto – Glengarry Glen Ross | Michael Yeargan – The Light in the Piazza Anthony Ward – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Tim Hatley – Monty Python's Spamalot Rumi Matsui – Pacific Overtures |
| Best Costume Design of a Play | Best Costume Design of a Musical |
| Jess Goldstein – The Rivals Constanza Romero – Gem of the Ocean William Ivey Long – A Streetcar Named Desire Jane Greenwood – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Catherine Zuber – The Light in the Piazza William Ivey Long – La Cage aux Folles Tim Hatley – Monty Python's Spamalot Junko Koshino – Pacific Overtures |
| Best Lighting Design of a Play | Best Lighting Design of a Musical |
| Brian MacDevitt – The Pillowman Pat Collins – Doubt Donald Holder – Gem of the Ocean Donald Holder – A Streetcar Named Desire | Christopher Akerlind – The Light in the Piazza Mark Henderson – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Kenneth Posner – Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Hugh Vanstone – Monty Python's Spamalot |
| Best Direction of a Play | Best Direction of a Musical |
| Doug Hughes – Doubt Joe Mantello – Glengarry Glen Ross John Crowley – The Pillowman Scott Ellis – Twelve Angry Men | Mike Nichols – Monty Python's Spamalot Jack O'Brien – Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Bartlett Sher – The Light in the Piazza James Lapine – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee |
| Best Choreography | Best Orchestrations |
| Jerry Mitchell – La Cage aux Folles Jerry Mitchell – Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Casey Nicholaw – Monty Python's Spamalot Wayne Cilento – Sweet Charity | Ted Sperling, Adam Guettel and Bruce Coughlin – The Light in the Piazza Harold Wheeler – Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Larry Hochman – Monty Python's Spamalot Jonathan Tunick – Pacific Overtures |

## Special Tony Awards

Best Special Theatrical Event
* Billy Crystal 700 Sundays
* Dame Edna: Back with a Vengeance
* Mario Cantone: Laugh Whore
* Whoopi: The 20th Anniversary Show
Regional Theatre Tony Award
* Theatre de la Jeune Lune
Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
* Edward Albee
Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre
* Peter Neufeld
* Theatre Communications Group