31st Tony Awards explained

31st Tony Awards
Date:	June 5, 1977
Location:	Shubert Theatre, New York City, New York
Host:	Jack Albertson, Beatrice Arthur, Buddy Ebsen, Damon Evans, Jean Stapleton, and Leslie Uggams
Network:	ABC
Previous:	30th
Main:	Tony Awards
Next:	32nd

The 31st Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by ABC television on June 5, 1977, from the Shubert Theatre in New York City.

The ceremony

Hosts-Performers-Presenters were Jack Albertson, Beatrice Arthur, Buddy Ebsen, Damon Evans, Jean Stapleton, and Leslie Uggams. Additional presenters-performers were Diana Ross, Jane Alexander, Alan Arkin, Lauren Bacall, Valerie Harper, Barry Manilow, Robert Preston, Tony Randall, and Lily Tomlin.

The theme of the show was survival; each host performed a solo, with songs of determination and perseverance, including "I'm Still Here", "Before the Parade Passes By", "Don't Rain On My Parade", "September Song", "You'll Never Walk Alone", "New York City Rhythm", "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and "Being Alive".

Musicals represented:

Annie ("You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile"/"Easy Street"/"Tomorrow" - Andrea McArdle, Dorothy Loudon and Company)
Happy End ("Bilbao Song" - Company)
I Love My Wife ("I Love My Wife"/"Married Couple Seeks Married Couple"/"Hey There, Good Times" - Company)
Side by Side by Sondheim ("I'm Still Here" - Millicent Martin)

Winners and nominees

Winners are in bold

Best Play	Best Musical
The Shadow Box – Michael Cristofer For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf – Ntozake Shange Otherwise Engaged – Simon Gray Streamers – David Rabe	*Annie* Happy End I Love My Wife Side by Side by Sondheim
Most Innovative Production of a Revival	Best Book of a Musical
*Porgy and Bess* Guys and Dolls The Cherry Orchard The Threepenny Opera	Thomas Meehan – Annie Elisabeth Hauptmann – Happy End Michael Stewart – I Love My Wife Vinnette Carroll – Your Arms Too Short to Box with God
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
*Al Pacino – The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel* as Pavlo Hummel** Tom Courtenay – Otherwise Engaged as Simon Ben Gazzara – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as George Ralph Richardson – No Man's Land as Hirst	*Julie Harris – The Belle of Amherst* as Various Characters** Colleen Dewhurst – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as Martha Liv Ullmann – Anna Christie as Anna Christopherson Irene Worth – The Cherry Orchard as Ranevskaya
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
*Barry Bostwick – The Robber Bridegroom* as Jamie Lockhart** Robert Guillaume – Guys and Dolls as Nathan Detroit Raul Julia – The Threepenny Opera as Macheath Reid Shelton – Annie as Oliver Warbucks	*Dorothy Loudon – Annie* as Miss Hannigan** Clamma Dale – Porgy and Bess as Bess Ernestine Jackson – Guys and Dolls as Sarah Brown Andrea McArdle – Annie as Annie
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
*Jonathan Pryce – Comedians* as Gethin Price** Bob Dishy – Sly Fox as Abner Truckle Joe Fields – The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel as First Sergeant Tower Laurence Luckinbill – The Shadow Box as Brian	*Trazana Beverley – For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf* as Lady in Red** Patricia Elliott – The Shadow Box as Beverly Rose Gregorio – The Shadow Box as Agnes Mary McCarty – Anna Christie as Marthy Owen
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
*Lenny Baker – I Love My Wife* as Alvin** David Kernan – Side by Side by Sondheim as Performer Larry Marshall – Porgy and Bess as Sportin' Life Ned Sherrin – Side by Side by Sondheim as Performer	*Delores Hall – Your Arms Too Short to Box with God* as Various Characters** Ellen Greene – The Threepenny Opera as Jenny Millicent Martin – Side by Side by Sondheim as Performer Julia McKenzie – Side by Side by Sondheim as Performer
Best Direction of a Play	Best Direction of a Musical
Gordon Davidson – The Shadow Box Ulu Grosbard – American Buffalo Mike Nichols – Comedians Mike Nichols – Streamers	Gene Saks – I Love My Wife Vinnette Carroll – Your Arms Too Short to Box with God Martin Charnin – Annie Jack O'Brien – Porgy and Bess
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre	Best Choreography
Annie – Charles Strouse (music) and Martin Charnin (lyrics) Godspell – Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics) I Love My Wife – Cy Coleman (music) and Michael Stewart (lyrics) Happy End – Kurt Weill (music) and Bertolt Brecht (lyrics)	Peter Gennaro – Annie Talley Beatty – Your Arms Too Short to Box with God Patricia Birch – Music Is Onna White – I Love My Wife
Best Scenic Design	Best Costume Design
David Mitchell – Annie Santo Loquasto – American Buffalo Santo Loquasto – The Cherry Orchard Robert Randolph – Porgy and Bess	Theoni V. Aldredge – Annie Santo Loquasto – The Cherry Orchard Theoni V. Aldredge – The Threepenny Opera Nancy Potts – Porgy and Bess
Best Lighting Design
Jennifer Tipton – The Cherry Orchard John Bury – No Man's Land Pat Collins – The Threepenny Opera Neil Peter Jampolis – The Innocents

Special awards

Regional Theatre Award – Mark Taper Forum
Lawrence Langner Award – Cheryl Crawford
Lily Tomlin
Barry Manilow
Diana Ross for An Evening with Diana Ross
National Theatre For the Deaf
Equity Library Theatre

Multiple nominations and awards

These productions had multiple nominations:

10 nominations: Annie
6 nominations: I Love My Wife and Porgy and Bess
5 nominations: The Cherry Orchard, The Shadow Box, Side by Side by Sondheim and The Threepenny Opera
4 nominations: Your Arms Too Short to Box with God
3 nominations: Guys and Dolls and Happy End
2 nominations: American Buffalo, Anna Christie, The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel, Comedians, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf, Otherwise Engaged, No Man's Land, Streamers and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

The following productions received multiple awards.

7 wins: Annie
2 wins: The Cherry Orchard, I Love My Wife and The Shadow Box

External links

Tony Awards Official Site