33rd Tony Awards

33rd Tony Awards
33rd Tony Awards
Date	June 3, 1979
Location	New York City, New York
Hosted by	Jane Alexander; Henry Fonda ; Liv Ullmann
Television/radio coverage
Network	CBS

The 33rd Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS television on June 3, 1979, from the Shubert Theatre in New York City.^[1] The hosts were Jane Alexander, Henry Fonda and Liv Ullmann.

The ceremony

The presenters were Tom Bosley, Barry Bostwick, Ellen Burstyn, Georgia Engel, Jane Fonda, Celeste Holm, John Houseman, Barnard Hughes, Angela Lansbury, Ron Leibman, Jack Lemmon, Hal Linden, Jean Marsh, Al Pacino and Dick Van Dyke.

The theme of the ceremony was theatrical superstitions, and various other showbusiness beliefs.

Henry Fonda received a Special Award, which was presented by his daughter Jane Fonda. Walter Cronkite presented Richard Rodgers with his Special Award.^[1]

Musicals represented:

Ballroom ("Fifty Percent" - Dorothy Loudon)
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas ("The Aggie Song" - Company)
Eubie ("Hot Feet" - Gregory Hines)
I Remember Mama ("A Little Bit More" - Liv Ullmann, George Hearn and Company)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street ("The Worst Pies in London" - Angela Lansbury)
They're Playing Our Song ("They're Playing Our Song" - Robert Klein and Lucie Arnaz)

Winners and nominees

Winners are in bold

Best Play	Best Musical
The Elephant Man – Bernard Pomerance Bedroom Farce – Alan Ayckbourn Whose Life Is It Anyway? – Brian Clark Wings – Arthur Kopit	Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Ballroom The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas They're Playing Our Song
Best Book of a Musical	Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Hugh Wheeler – Sweeney Todd Jerome Kass – Ballroom Larry L. King and Peter Masterson – The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Neil Simon – They're Playing Our Song	Sweeney Todd – Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) Carmelina – Burton Lane (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) Jim Europe (lyrics) The Grand Tour – Jerry Herman (music and lyrics)
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
*Tom Conti – Whose Life Is It Anyway?* as Ken Harrison** Philip Anglim – The Elephant Man as John Merrick Jack Lemmon – Tribute as Scottie Templeton Alec McCowen – St. Mark's Gospel as Mark	*Constance Cummings – Wings* as Emily Stilson Carole Shelley – The Elephant Man as Madge Kendal** Jane Alexander – First Monday in October as Ruth Loomis Frances Sternhagen – On Golden Pond as Ethel Thayer
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
*Len Cariou – Sweeney Todd* as Sweeney Todd** Vincent Gardenia – Ballroom as Alfred Rossi Joel Grey – The Grand Tour as S. L. Jacobowsky Robert Klein – They're Playing Our Song as Vernon Gersch	*Angela Lansbury – Sweeney Todd* as Mrs. Lovett** Tovah Feldshuh – Saravá as Flor Dorothy Loudon – Ballroom as Bea Asher Alexis Smith – Platinum as Lila Halliday
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
*Michael Gough – Bedroom Farce* as Ernest** Bob Balaban – The Inspector General as Óssip Joseph Maher – Spokesong as The Trick Cyclist Edward James Olmos – Zoot Suit as El Pachuco	*Joan Hickson – Bedroom Farce* as Delia** Laurie Kennedy – Man and Superman as Violet Robinson Susan Littler – Bedroom Farce as Kate Mary-Joan Negro – Wings as Amy
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
*Henderson Forsythe – The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas* as Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd** Richard Cox – Platinum as Dan Danger Gregory Hines – Eubie! as Performer Ron Holgate – The Grand Tour as Colonel Tadeusz Boleslav Stjerbinsky	*Carlin Glynn – The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas* as Mona Stangley** Joan Ellis – The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas as Shy Millicent Martin – King of Hearts as Madame Madeleine Maxine Sullivan – My Old Friends as Mrs. Cooper
Best Direction of a Play	Best Direction of a Musical
Jack Hofsiss – The Elephant Man Alan Ayckbourn and Peter Hall – Bedroom Farce Paul Giovanni – The Crucifer of Blood Michael Lindsay-Hogg – Whose Life Is It Anyway?	Harold Prince – Sweeney Todd Michael Bennett – Ballroom Peter Masterson and Tommy Tune – The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Robert Moore – They're Playing Our Song
Best Choreography	Best Scenic Design
Michael Bennett and Bob Avian – Ballroom Henry LeTang and Billy Wilson – Eubie! Dan Siretta – Whoopee! Tommy Tune – The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas	Eugene Lee – Sweeney Todd Karl Eigsti – Knockout David Jenkins – The Elephant Man John Wulp – The Crucifer of Blood
Best Costume Design	Best Lighting Design
Franne Lee – Sweeney Todd Theoni V. Aldredge – Ballroom Ann Roth – The Crucifer of Blood Julie Weiss – The Elephant Man	Roger Morgan – The Crucifer of Blood Ken Billington – Sweeney Todd Beverly Emmons – The Elephant Man Tharon Musser – Ballroom