A teary-eyed Audra McDonald accepted her record-breaking sixth Tony Award -- the most of any actor ever -- on Sunday night for her role as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill. The history-making moment was among the many highlights inside New York's Radio City Music Hall, broadcasted live on CBS.
Neil Patrick Harris, who during his Hedwig and the Angry Inch performance kissed his fiancé and licked Samual L. Jackson's glasses, took home the top prize for a leading role in a musical for his portrayal of a transgender woman in Hedwig.
"They weren't alerted to the fact that things were going to happen to them -- naughty, dirty things," Harris said backstage in the media room.
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Bryan Cranston's take as Lyndon B. Johnson in All the Way earned him the statuette for leading role in a play. Backstage, he compared the thrill of performing on Broadway to what Walter White doled out on Breaking Bad: "It's as strong as blue crystal meth."
Host Hugh Jackman had fun presenting awards, singing songs for some nominees.
And the winners are ...
WINNERS ARE BOLDED, BELOW
Best Musical
After Midnight
Aladdin
Beautiful -- The Carole King Musical
WINNER: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Ramin Karimloo, Les Miserables
Andy Karl, Rocky
Jefferson Mays, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Bryce Pinkham, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
WINNER: Neil Patrick Harris, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Mary Bridget Davies, A Night with Janis Joplin
Sutton Foster, Violet
Idina Menzel, If/Then
Kelly O'Hara, The Bridges of Madison County
WINNER: Jesse Mueller, Beautiful -- The Carole King Musical
Best Play
Act One
Casa Valentina
Mothers and Sons
Outside Mullingar
WINNER: All the Way
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Tyne Daly, Mothers and Sons
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, A Raisin in the Sun
Cherry Jones, The Glass Menagerie
Estelle Parsons, The Velocity of Autumn
WINNER: Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill
Audra McDonald made #TonyAwards history, winning her 6th award, the most of any actor ever http://t.co/SKKgKugGFU pic.twitter.com/0j2GJFd8uL— Brian A. Hernandez (@BAHjournalist) June 9, 2014
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Samuel Barnett, Twelfth Night
Chris O'Dowd, Of Mice and Men
Mark Rylance, Richard III
Tony Shalhoub, Act One
WINNER: Bryan Cranston, All the Way
Breaking Bad joke backstage at #TonyAwards: "It's as strong as blue crystal meth." @BryanCranston on how B'way feels pic.twitter.com/K9k5F4CO2O— Brian A. Hernandez (@BAHjournalist) June 9, 2014
Best Revival of a Musical
Les Miserables
Violet
WINNER: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Best Revival of a Play
The Cripple of Inishmaan
The Glass Menagerie
Twelfth Night
WINNER: A Raisin in the Sun
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Reed Birney, Casa Valentina
Paul Chahidi, Twelfth Night
Stephen Fry, Twelfth Night
Brian J. Smith, The Glass Menagerie
WINNER: Mark Rylance, Twelfth Night
"This one is very delightful because I'm not on my own," Rylance said backstage in the media room, referencing his cast mates who were also nominated in the category. "The whole group is being celebrated and that's joyous."
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Linda Emond, Cabaret
Anika Larson, Beautiful -- The Carole King Musical
Adriane Lenox, After Midnight
Lauren Worsham, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
WINNER: Lena Hall, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Best Book of a Musical
Chad Beguelin, Aladdin
Douglas McGrath, Beautiful -- The Carole King Musical
Woody Allen, Bullets Over Broadway
WINNER: Robert L. Friedman, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
"For anybody with a dream, don't give up," Friedman said. "It does come true."
Best Direction of a Musical
Warren Carlyle, After Midnight
Michael Mayer, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Leigh Silverman, Violet
WINNER: Darko Tresnjak, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Best Direction of a Play
Tim Carroll, Twelfth Night
Michael Grandage, The Cripple of Inishmaan
John Tiffany, The Glass Menagerie
WINNER: Kenny Leon, A Raisin in the Sun
"That was shocking and surprising but I felt the production was well-deserved," Leon said in the media room. He repeatedly yelled "yes" to press after watching Sophie Okonedo of A Raisin in the Sun win Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play.
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theater
Aladdin (Music: Alan Menkin; Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Begeulin)
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (Music: Steven Lutvak; Lyrics: Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak)
If/Then (Music: Tom Kitt; Lyrics: Brian Yorkey)
WINNER: The Bridges of Madison County (Music & Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Danny Burstein, Cabaret
Nick Codero, Bullets Over Broadway
Joshua Henry, Violet
Jarrod Specter, Bullets Over Broadway
WINNER: James M. Iglehart, Aladdin
Best Choreography
Steven Hoggett and Kelly Devine, Rocky
Casey Nicholaw, Aladdin
Susan Stroman, Bullets Over Broadway
WINNER: Warren Carlyle, After Midnight
Best Costume Design of a Musical
William Ivey Long, Bullets Over Broadway
Arianne Philips, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Isabel Toledo, After Midnight
WINNER: Linda Cho, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Best Costume Design of a Play
Jane Greenwood, Act One
Michael Krass, Machinal
Rita Ryack, Casa Valentina
WINNER: Jenny Tiramani, Twelfth Night
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Sarah Green, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Celia Keenan-Bolger, The Glass Menagerie
Anika Noni Rose, A Raisin in the Sun
Mare Winningham, Casa Valentina
WINNER: Sophie Okonedo, A Raisin in the Sun
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Christopher Akerlind, Rocky
Howell Binkley, After Midnight
Donald Holder, The Bridges of Madison County
WINNER: Kevin Adams, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Jane Cox, Machinal
Japhy Wideman, Of Mice and Men
WINNER: Natasha Katz, The Glass Menagerie
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Jane Greenwood
Regional Theatre Award
Signature Theatre
Isabelle Stevenson Award
Rosie O'Donnell
Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre
Joseph P. Benincasa
Joan Marcus
Charlotte Wilcox
BONUS: 10 Movie Stars With Surprising Musical Talents
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