# 52nd Tony Awards

The 52nd Annual Tony Awards ceremony was held on June 7, 1998, at Radio City Music Hall and was broadcast by CBS television. A documentaries segment was telecast on PBS television. The ceremony was hosted by Rosie O'Donnell, who hosted a total of three times (1997, 1998, and 2000).
This ceremony is notable for its Best Direction of a Play and Best Direction of a Musical winners both being female, the first time a female has won either award. The writer of the Best Play winner was also female, the second female winner of the award.
Ragtime had 13 nominations, the most of the night, and Ragtime, The Beauty Queen of Leenane and Cabaret each won four Tonys.

## Eligibility

Shows that opened on Broadway during the 1997–1998 season before April 30, 1998 are eligible.

## The ceremony

The opening number was "Broadway Divas", with Rosie O'Donnell and the Chicago dancers introducing: Patti LuPone ("Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from Evita); Jennifer Holliday ("And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls); and Betty Buckley ("Memory" from Cats).
Musicals represented:
* Ragtime ("Ragtime" – Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald and Company)
* The Sound of Music ("Wedding"/"Do-Re-Mi"/"The Sound of Music" Finale – Rebecca Luker and Company)
* 1776 ("Sit Down, John" – Richard Poe and Company)
* The Lion King ("Circle of Life" – Tsidii Le Loka and Company)
* Cabaret ("Willkommen" – Alan Cumming and Company)
* Side Show ("I Will Never Leave You" – Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner)
* The Scarlet Pimpernel ("Into the Fire" – Douglas Sills and Company)

## Winners and nominees

Winners are in bold
| Best Play | Best Musical |
| Art – Yasmina Reza The Beauty Queen of Leenane – Martin McDonagh Freak – John Leguizamo Golden Child – David Henry Hwang | The Lion King Ragtime Side Show The Scarlet Pimpernel |
| Best Revival of a Play | Best Revival of a Musical |
| A View from the Bridge Ah, Wilderness! The Chairs The Diary of Anne Frank | Cabaret 1776 The Sound of Music |
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play | Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play |
| Anthony LaPaglia – A View from the Bridge as Eddie Richard Briers – The Chairs as Old Man John Leguizamo – Freak as Himself Alfred Molina – Art as Yvan | Marie Mullen – The Beauty Queen of Leenane as Maureen Folan Jane Alexander – Honour as Honor Allison Janney – A View from the Bridge as Beatrice Carbone Geraldine McEwan – The Chairs as Old Woman |
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical |
| Alan Cumming – Cabaret as The Master of Ceremonies Peter Friedman – Ragtime as Tateh Brian Stokes Mitchell – Ragtime as Coalhouse Walker, Jr. Douglas Sills – The Scarlet Pimpernel as Percy Blakeney | Natasha Richardson – Cabaret as Sally Bowles Betty Buckley – Triumph of Love as Hesione Marin Mazzie – Ragtime as Mother Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner – Side Show as Violet and Daisy Hilton |
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play | Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play |
| Tom Murphy – The Beauty Queen of Leenane as Ray Dooley Brían F. O'Byrne – The Beauty Queen of Leenane as Pato Dooley Sam Trammell – Ah, Wilderness! as Richard Miller Max Wright – Ivanov as Pavel Lebedev | Anna Manahan – The Beauty Queen of Leenane as Mag Folan Enid Graham – Honour as Sophie Linda Lavin – The Diary of Anne Frank as Mrs. Van Daan Julyana Soelistyo – Golden Child as Eng Ahn |
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical |
| Ron Rifkin – Cabaret as Herr Schultz Gregg Edelman – 1776 as Edward Rutledge John McMartin – High Society as Uncle Willie Samuel E. Wright – The Lion King as Mufasa | Audra McDonald – Ragtime as Sarah Anna Kendrick – High Society as Dinah Lord Tsidii Le Loka – The Lion King as Rafiki Mary Louise Wilson – Cabaret as Fraulein Schneider |
| Best Book of a Musical | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre |
| Terrence McNally – Ragtime Bill Russell – Side Show Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi – The Lion King Nan Knighton – The Scarlet Pimpernel | Ragtime – Stephen Flaherty (music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics) Side Show – Henry Krieger (music) and Bill Russell (lyrics) The Capeman – Paul Simon (music) and Derek Walcott (lyrics) The Lion King – Elton John, Tim Rice, Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer (music and lyrics) |
| Best Scenic Design | Best Costume Design |
| Richard Hudson – The Lion King Bob Crowley – The Capeman Eugene Lee – Ragtime Quay Brothers – The Chairs | Julie Taymor – The Lion King William Ivey Long – Cabaret Santo Loquasto – Ragtime Martin Pakledinaz – Golden Child |
| Best Lighting Design | Best Orchestrations |
| Donald Holder – The Lion King Paul Anderson – The Chairs Peggy Eisenhauer and Mike Baldassari – Cabaret Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer – Ragtime | William David Brohn – Ragtime Robert Elhai, David Metzger and Bruce Fowler – The Lion King Michael Gibson – Cabaret Stanley Silverman – The Capeman |
| Best Direction of a Play | Best Direction of a Musical |
| Garry Hynes – The Beauty Queen of Leenane Michael Mayer – A View from the Bridge Simon McBurney – The Chairs Matthew Warchus – Art | Julie Taymor – The Lion King Scott Ellis – 1776 Frank Galati – Ragtime Sam Mendes with Rob Marshall – Cabaret |
| Best Choreography |
| Garth Fagan – The Lion King Graciela Daniele – Ragtime Forever Tango Dancers – Forever Tango Rob Marshall – Cabaret |

## Special awards

* Regional Theater Tony Award
** Denver Center Theatre Company
* Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
** Ben Edwards
** Edward E. Colton
* Tony Honor Winner
** The International Theatre Institute of the United States