Part I – Overview.

MTI has a proud history of association with the Tony Awards. Over the last sixty-three years MTI shows and authors have amassed over two-hundred awards in Musical related categories (see below for a timeline). Classic shows such as GUYS AND DOLLS, DAMN YANKEES, THE MUSIC MAN to more recent offerings such as AVENUE Q and HAIRSPRAY have all won a Tony for Best Musical.

This year MTI is represented at the Tonys by authors such as Dick Scanlan (THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE), who has been nominated for Best Book of a Musical for EVERYDAY RAPTURE. In the same category Joe DiPietro is lauded for the foot-tapping MEMPHIS, written with fellow THE TOXIC AVENGER creator David Bryan. MEMPHIS is up for a whopping eight awards including Best Orchestrations, Best Musical and Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre. Also nominated in this latter category is esteemed MTI author Andrew Lippa whose large cannon of work includes the irreverent, WILD PARTY. His latest opus, THE ADDAMS FAMILY for which he wrote Music and Lyrics, has exceeded all box office expectations and earned two Tony nominations.

And then there’s Stephen Sondheim.

Although Sondheim has won more Tony awards than any other composer (eight) we’re ecstatic that the Broadway revival of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC has been nominated for four Tony Awards. Furthermore, the revue show SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM, conceived and directed by James Lapine (INTO THE WOODS, SUNDAY IN THE PARK..., PASSION), which charts the rise and success of Sondheim through original interview footage with the man himself, has been awarded two Tony nominations.

Similarly, the 2009 Broadway revival of RAGTIMEhas been nominated for six fabulous awards. Stephen Flaherty (Music) and Lynn Ahrens (Lyrics) are no strangers to the Tonys. Their tropical adaptation of The Little Mermaid fairy tale, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, was nominated for eight Tony awards and the original 1998 Production of RAGTIME was nominated for an astounding thirteen Tony Awards.

We wish to congratulate all nominees and we will have our fingers firmly crossed on the 13th.

In Part II we’ll take a more detailed look at the shows nominated this year.

MTI TONY Award-Winner’s Timeline:

1951 Guys and Dolls

Best Musical

1954 Kismet

Best Musical

1955 The Pajama Game

Best Musical

1956 Damn Yankees

Best Musical

1958 The Music Man

Best Musical

1959 Redhead

Best Musical

1960 Fiorello!

Best Musical

1962 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Musical

Best Author (Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, Willie Gilbert)

1963 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Best Musical

Best Author (Bert Shevelove, Larry Gelbart)

1965 Fiddler on the Roof

Best Musical

Best Book (Joseph Stein)

Best Composer and Lyricist (Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick)

1969 1776

Best Musical

1971 Company

Best Musical

Best Book (George Furth)

Best Lyrics (Stephen Sondheim)

Best Score (Stephen Sondheim)

1973 A Little Night Music

Best Musical

Best Book (Hugh Wheeler)

Best Score (Stephen Sondheim)

1977 Annie

Best Musical

Best Book (Thomas Meehan)

Best Score (Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin)

1978 Ain’t Misbehavin’

Best Musical

1979 Sweeney Todd

Best Musical

Best Book (Hugh Wheeler)

Best Score (Stephen Sondheim)

1981 The Pirates of Penzance

Best Revival

1987 Les Misérables

Best Musical

Best Book (Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg)

Best Score (Alain Boublil, Herbert Kretzmer and Claude-Michel Schönberg)

1988 Into the Woods

Best Book (James Lapine)

Best Score (Stephen Sondheim)

1991Fiddler on the Roof

Best Revival

1992 Guys and Dolls

Best Revival

1993 The Who’s Tommy

Best Score (Pete Townshend)

1994 Passion

Best Musical

Best Book (James Lapine)

Best Original Music Score (Stephen Sondheim)

1996 Rent

Best Musical

Best Book (Jonathan Larson)

Best Original Musical Score (Jonathan Larson)

1998 Ragtime

Best Book (Terrence McNally)

Best Original Musical Score (Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty)

1999 Parade

Best Book (Alfred Uhry)

Best Original Musical Score (Jason Robert Brown)

2000 Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida

Best Original Musical Score (Elton John and Tim Rice)

2001 The Producers

Best Musical

Best Book (Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan)

Best Original Musical Score (Mel Brooks)

2002 Thoroughly Modern Millie

Best Musical

2002 Urinetown

Best Book (Greg Kotis)

Best Original Musical Score (Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis)

2003 Hairspray

Best Musical

Best Book (Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan)

Best Original Musical Score (Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman)

2004 Avenue Q

Best Musical

Best Book (Jeff Whitty)

Best Original Musical Score (Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx)

2004 Assassins

Best Revival

2005 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Best Book (Rachel Sheinkin)

2006 The Drowsy Chaperone

Best Book (Bob Martin and Don McKellar)

Best Score (Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison)

2006 The Pajama Game

Best Revival

2007 Spring Awakening

Best Musical

Best Book (Steven Sater)

Best Score (Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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