20 years after her first Tony Award win for Best Actress In a Play for David Auburn’s Proof, Mary-Louise Parker has won her second Tony while Moulin Rouge! The Musical was the biggest winner of the night.
The 57-year-old actress took home Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her performance in The Sound Inside, beating out Joaquina Kalukango (Slave Play), Laura Linney (My Name Is Lucy Barton) and Audra McDonald (Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune).
Moulin Rouge! The Musical was the biggest winner of the night, though, taking home 10 Tony Awards from its 14 nominations at the event, held at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City.
The Tony Awards recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre as they are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in Midtown Manhattan.
Tony Winner: 20 years after her first Tony Award win for Best Actress In a Play for David Auburn’s Proof, Mary-Louise Parker has won her second Tony
Parker said in a brief interview after winning her second Tony that she feels like, ‘they changed them,’ meaning the statuette.
‘My daughter broke my other Tony Award so I didn’t have it for a long time and then my friend Jeff went and got it fixed, so I actually haven’t held one in a long time,’ Parker said.
‘Nothing means more to me than the theater, only my kids. This means so much to me,’ the actress added.
Leading actress: The 57-year-old actress took home Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her performance in The Sound Inside, beating out Joaquina Kalukango (Slave Play), Laura Linney (My Name Is Lucy Barton) and Audra McDonald (Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune)
Changed: Parker said in a brief interview after winning her second Tony that she feels like, ‘they changed them,’ meaning the statuette
Theater: ‘Nothing means more to me than the theater, only my kids. This means so much to me,’ the actress added
Her play The Sound Inside, written by Adam Rapp, was also nominated for four other Tony Awards, including Best Play.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical took home 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, beating out Jagged Little Pill and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.
Aaron Tveit won his first Tony in his 15-year Broadway career, winning Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.
Nominees: Her play The Sound Inside, written by Adam Rapp, was also nominated for four other Tony Awards, including Best Play
First Tony: Aaron Tveit won his first Tony in his 15-year Broadway career, winning Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Proud: Tveit is seen with his award in the press room
‘We are so privileged to get to do this, to be on Broadway, to perform live theater,’ he said while holding back tears.
‘Let’s continue to strive to tell stories that represent the many and not the few, by the many and not the few, for the many and not the few,’ he added.
Tveit was the only actor nominated in the category, but he still needed to attain 60% of the Tony voters’ votes to win.
Privileged: ‘We are so privileged to get to do this, to be on Broadway, to perform live theater,’ he said while holding back tears.
2021 Tony Awards Winners and Nominations
Best Play
“Grand Horizons” – Bess Wohl
“The Inheritance” – Matthew Lopez – WINNER
“Sea Wall/A Life” – Simon Stephens and Nick Payne
“Slave Play” – Jeremy O. Harris
“The Sound Inside” – Adam Rapp
Best Musical
“Jagged Little Pill”
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” – WINNER
“Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”
Best Revival of a Play
“Betrayal”
“Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune”
“A Soldier’s Play” – WINNER
Best Book of a Musical
Diablo Cody – “Jagged Little Pill” – WINNER
John Logan – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”
Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, and Kees Prins – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Ian Barford – “Linda Vista”
Andrew Burnap – “The Inheritance” – WINNER
Jake Gyllenhaal – “Sea Wall/A Life”
Tom Hiddleston – “Betrayal”
Tom Sturridge – “Sea Wall/A Life”
Blair Underwood – “A Soldier’s Play”
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Joaquina Kalukango – “Slave Play”
Laura Linney – “My Name Is Lucy Barton”
Audra McDonald – “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune”
Mary-Louise Parker – “The Sound Inside” – WINNER
Earned it: Mary-Louise Parker won Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for The Sound Inside
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Aaron Tveit – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” – WINNER
Deserved it: Aaron Tveit was unopposed but still managed to win Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Karen Olivo – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”
Elizabeth Stanley – “Jagged Little Pill”
Adrienne Warren – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” – WINNER
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
David Alan Grier – “A Soldier’s Play” — WINNER
Ato Blankson-Wood – “Slave Play”
James Cusati-Moyer – “Slave Play”
John Benjamin Hickey – “The Inheritance”
Paul Hilton – “The Inheritance”
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Lois Smith – “The Inheritance” — WINNER
Jane Alexander – “Grand Horizons”
Chalia La Tour – “Slave Play”
Annie McNamara – “Slave Play”
Cora Vander Broek – “Linda Vista”
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Danny Burstein – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” — WINNER
Derek Klena – “Jagged Little Pill”
Sean Allan Krill – “Jagged Little Pill”
Sahr Ngaujah – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”
Daniel J. Watts – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Lauren Patten – “Jagged Little Pill” — WINNER
Kathryn Gallagher – “Jagged Little Pill”
Celia Rose Gooding – “Jagged Little Pill”
Robyn Hurder – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”
Myra Lucretia Taylor – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”
Best Direction of a Play
David Cromer – “The Sound Inside”
Stephen Daldry – “The Inheritance” – WINNER
Kenny Leon – “A Soldier’s Play”
Jamie Lloyd – “Betrayal”
Robert O’Hara – “Slave Play”
Best Direction of a Musical
Phyllida Lloyd – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”
Diane Paulus – “Jagged Little Pill”
Alex Timbers – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” – WINNER
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics Written for the Theatre)
Christopher Nightingale (music) – “A Christmas Carol” – WINNER
Paul Englishby (music) – “The Inheritance”
Fitz Patton and Jason Michael Webb (music) – “The Rose Tattoo”
Lindsay Jones (music) – “Slave Play”
Daniel Kluger (music) – “The Sound Inside”
Best Choreography
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui – “Jagged Little Pill”
Sonya Tayeh – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” – WINNER
Anthony Van Laast – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”
Amazing: Adrienne Warren earned the Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Scenic Design in a Play
Bob Crowley – “The Inheritance”
Soutra Gilmour – “Betrayal”
Rob Howell – “A Christmas Carol” – WINNER
Derek McLane – “A Soldier’s Play”
Clint Ramos – “Slave Play”
Best Scenic Design in a Musical
Riccardo Hernández and Lucy MacKinnon – “Jagged Little Pill”
Derek McLane – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” – WINNER
Mark Thompson and Jeff Sugg – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”
Best Costume Design in a Play
Dede Ayite – “Slave Play”
Dede Ayite – “A Soldier’s Play”
Bob Crowley – “The Inheritance”
Rob Howell – “A Christmas Carol” – WINNER
Clint Ramos – “The Rose Tattoo”
Best Costume Design in a Musical
Emily Rebholz – “Jagged Little Pill”
Mark Thompson – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”
Catherine Zuber – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” – WINNER
Best Lighting Design in a Play
Jiyoun Chang – “Slave Play”
Jon Clark – “The Inheritance”
Heather Gilbert – “The Sound Inside”
Allen Lee Hughes – “A Soldier’s Play”
Hugh Vanstone – “A Christmas Carol” – WINNER
Best Lightning Design in a Musical
Bruno Poet, “Tina — The Tina Turner Musical”
Justin Townsend, “Jagged Little Pill”
Justin Townsend – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical – WINNER
Best Sound Design of a Play
Paul Arditti and Christopher Reid – “The Inheritance”
Simon Baker – “A Christmas Carol” – WINNER
Lindsay Jones – “Slave Play”
Daniel Kluger – “Sea Wall/A Life”
Daniel Kluger – “The Sound Inside”
Shining star: Andrew Burnap took home Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for The Inheritance
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans – “Jagged Little Pill”
Peter Hylenski – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” – WINNER
Nevin Steinberg – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”
Best Orchestration
Tom Kitt – “Jagged Little Pill”
Katie Kresek, Charlie Rosen, Matt Stine and Justin Levine – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” – WINNER
Ethan Popp – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”
Moulin Rouge also won Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Danny Burstein), Best Direction for a Musical (Alex Timbers), Best Choreography (Sonya Tayeh), Best Scenic Design in a Musical (Derek McLane), Best Costume Design in a Musical (Catherine Zuber), Best Lighting Design in a Musical (Justin Townsend), Best Sound Design in a Musical (Peter Hylenski) and Best Orchestration (Katie Kresek, Charlie Rosen, Matt Stine and Justin Levine).
The Best Play award went to Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance, which also took home three more Tony’s.
The Inheritance also won Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play (Andrew Burnap), Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (Lois Smith) and Best Direction in a Play (Stephen Daldry).
Winners: Moulin Rouge also won Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Danny Burstein), Best Direction for a Musical (Alex Timbers), Best Choreography (Sonya Tayeh, above)
Matthew: The Best Play award went to Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance, which also took home three more Tony’s
Winner: The Inheritance also won Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play (Andrew Burnap, above), Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (Lois Smith) and Best Direction in a Play (Stephen Daldry)
Big win: Andrew later posed for this snap
David Alan Grier won his first Tony Award after three nominations for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for his role in A Soldier’s Play, which also won Best Revival of a Play.
Grier was nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 1982 for his performance in The First, and then in 2009 for Race and 2012 for Porgy and Bess.
Adrienne Warren won Best Performance from a Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Tina Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.
First Tony: David Alan Grier won his first Tony Award after three nominations for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for his role in A Soldier’s Play, which also won Best Revival of a Play
Tony nominee: Grier was nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 1982 for his performance in The First, and then in 2009 for Race and 2012 for Porgy and Bess
Adrienne wins: Adrienne Warren won Best Performance from a Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Tina Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Stunning: Adrienne showed off her Tony in the press room
Greatest city in the world: She later headed out on the streets of New York for a snap
Other winners included Lauren Patten for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for Jagged Little Pill, with Diablo Cody winning Best Book for a Musical.
A Christmas Carol won four Tony Awards, Best Original Score (Christopher Nightingale), Best Scenic Design in a Play (Rob Howell), Best Lighting Design in a Play (Hugh Vanstone) and Best Sound Design in a Play (Simon Baker).
The awards show recognized the plays and musicals of 2020, after being delayed more than a year due to COVID-19.
Lauren: Other winners included Lauren Patten for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for Jagged Little Pill
Diablo wins: Diablo Cody winning Best Book for a Musical for Jagged Little Pill