25th Tony Awards

25th Tony Awards
Date	March 28, 1971
Location	Palace Theatre, New York City, New York
Hosted by	Lauren Bacall, Angela Lansbury, Anthony Quayle and Anthony Quinn
Television/Radio coverage
Network	ABC

The 25th Annual Tony Awards ceremony was held on March 28, 1971 at the Palace Theatre in New York City. The ceremony was broadcast by ABC television. Hosts were Lauren Bacall, Angela Lansbury, Anthony Quayle and Anthony Quinn.^[1]

The ceremony

The theme was to show highlights from 25 years of musicals that had won Tonys, and the stars who introduced them. The show opened with "What's Happening at the Palace". The presenters were Dick Cavett, Carol Channing and Ruby Keeler.^[1][2]

Saluting 25 Years of Tony Award-Winning Musicals:

Finian's Rainbow ("When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love" - David Wayne) High Button Shoes ("Papa, Wont You Dance with Me?" - Nanette Fabray) Kiss Me, Kate ("Where is the Life That Late I Led?" - Alfred Drake) South Pacific ("There Is Nothing Like a Dame" - Ray Walston and Company) Guys and Dolls ("Adelaide's Lament" - Vivian Blaine) The King and I ("Shall We Dance?" - Patricia Morrison and Yul Brynner) Wonderful Town ("It's Love" - Edie Adams) Kismet ("The Olive Tree" - Alfred Drake) Can-Can The Pajama Game ("Hey There" - John Raitt) Damn Yankees ("Whatever Lola Wants" - Gwen Verdon) My Fair Lady ("Get Me to the Church on Time" - Stanley Holloway and Company) The Music Man ("Ya Got Trouble" - Robert Preston and Company) Redhead

Fiorello! The Sound of Music Bye Bye Birdie How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Hello, Dolly! Fiddler on the Roof Mame Man of La Mancha Cabaret Hallelujah, Baby! 1776 Applause

The finale was "There's No Business Like Show Business" sung by the entire company.

The performers: Edie Adams, Lauren Bacall, Vivian Blaine, Tom Bosley, Yul Brynner, Carol Channing, William Daniels, Alfred Drake, Nanette Fabray, Jill Haworth, Florence Henderson, Stanley Holloway, Richard Kiley, Angela Lansbury, Paul Lynde, Patricia Morison, Robert Morse, Zero Mostel, Robert Preston, John Raitt, Leslie Uggams, Gwen Verdon, Virginia Vestoff, Ray Walston, David Wayne.^[1][2]

Winners and nominees

Winners are in bold

Best Play	Best Musical
Sleuth – Anthony Shaffer Home – David Storey The Philanthropist – Christopher Hampton Paul Sill's Story Theatre – Paul Sills	Company The Me Nobody Knows The Rothschilds
Best Book of a Musical	Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
George Furth – Company Robert H. Livingston and Herb Schapiro – The Me Nobody Knows Sherman Yellen – The Rothschilds	Company – Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) The Rothschilds – Jerry Bock (music) and Sheldon Harnick (lyrics) The Me Nobody Knows – Gary William Friedman (music) and Will Holt (lyrics)
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Brian Bedford – The School for Wives as Arnolphe John Gielgud – Home as Harry Alec McCowen – The Philanthropist as Philip Ralph Richardson – Home as Jack	Maureen Stapleton – The Gingerbread Lady as Evy Meara Estelle Parsons – And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little as Catherine Reardon Diana Rigg – Abelard and Heloise as Heloise Marian Seldes – Father's Day as Marian
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Hal Linden – The Rothschilds as Mayer Rothschild David Burns – Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen as Col. Wainwright Purdy III Larry Kert – Company as Bobby Bobby Van – No, No, Nanette as Billy Early	Helen Gallagher – No, No, Nanette as Lucille Early Susan Browning – Company as April Sandy Duncan – The Boy Friend as Maisie Elaine Stritch – Company as Joanne
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Paul Sand – Story Theatre as Various Characters Ronald Radd – Abelard and Heloise as Gilies de Vannes Donald Pickering – Conduct Unbecoming as Capt. Rupert Harper Ed Zimmermann – The Philanthropist as Donald	Rae Allen – And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little as Fleur Stein Lili Darvas – Les Blancs as Madame Neilsen Joan Van Ark – The School for Wives as Agnes Mona Washbourne – Home as Kathleen
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Keene Curtis – The Rothschilds as Various Characters Charles Kimbrough – Company as Harry Walter Willison – Two by Two as Japheth	Patsy Kelly – No, No, Nanette as Pauline Barbara Barrie – Company as Sarah Pamela Myers – Company as Marta
Best Direction of a Play	Best Direction of a Musical
Peter Brook – A Midsummer Night's Dream Lindsay Anderson – Home Stephen Porter – The School for Wives Clifford Williams – Sleuth	Harold Prince – Company Michael Kidd – The Rothschilds Robert H. Livingston – The Me Nobody Knows Burt Shevelove – No, No, Nanette
Best Choreography	Best Scenic Design
Donald Saddler – No, No, Nanette Michael Bennett – Company Michael Kidd – The Rothschilds	Boris Aronson – Company John Bury – The Rothschilds Sally Jacobs – A Midsummer Night's Dream Jo Mielziner – Father's Day
Best Costume Design	Best Lighting Design
Raoul Pene Du Bois – No, No, Nanette Jane Greenwood – Hay Fever and Les Blancs Freddy Wittop – Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen	R.H. Poindexter – Story Theatre Robert Ornbo – Company William Ritman – Sleuth

Special awards

• Elliot Norton, drama critic, for distinguished theatrical commentary.
• Ingram Ash, president of Blaine-Thompson Advertising, for decades of devoted service to the theatre.
• Playbill, for chronicling Broadway through the years.
• Roger L. Stevens

References

1. "Ceremony 1971" tonyawards.com, accessed May 30, 2016
2. "Tony Awards, The 1971 (TV)" paleycenter.org, accessed May 30, 2016

External links

• Tony Awards Official Site