26th Tony Awards

Date

April 23, 1972

Location

The Broadway Theatre, New York City, New York

Host

Henry Fonda, Deborah Kerr and Peter Ustinov

Television/Radio coverage

Network

ABC

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The 26th Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by ABC television on April 23, 1972 from The Broadway Theatre in New York City. Hosts were Henry Fonda, Deborah Kerr and Peter Ustinov.

The ceremony

Presenters were Richard Benjamin, Ingrid Bergman, Claire Bloom, Arlene Dahl, Sandy Duncan, Peter Falk, Lee Grant, Joel Grey, Arthur Hill, Hal Holbrook, Jean Stapleton, and Gwen Verdon.

Performers were Desi Arnaz, Janet Blair, Larry Blyden, Alfred Drake, Helen Gallagher, Lisa Kirk, Hal Linden, Barbara McNair, Ethel Merman, and Constance Towers.

Musicals represented:

Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death ("Put a Curse on You" - Company)
Jesus Christ Superstar (Medley - Jeff Fenholt, Yvonne Elliman and Company)
No, No, Nanette ("You Can Dance With Any Girl" - Helen Gallagher and Bobby Van / "I Want to Be Happy" - Ruby Keeler and Company)

Special Tony Awards were presented to Ethel Merman and Richard Rodgers. For Rodgers, there was a medley from his works, from Garrick Gaieties to Do I Hear A Waltz, with the composer accepting his award to the tune of "The Sound of Music." With the assistance of Hal Linden and Larry Blyden, Merman herself sang selections from her performances, including "I Got Rhythm" and "Everything's Comin' Up Roses."^[1]

Winners and nominees

Winners are in bold

Best Play	Best Musical
Sticks and Bones – David Rabe Old Times – Harold Pinter The Prisoner of Second Avenue – Neil Simon Vivat! Vivat Regina! – Robert Bolt	Two Gentlemen of Verona Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death Follies Grease
style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Book of a Musical	style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
John Guare and Mel Shapiro – Two Gentlemen of Verona Melvin Van Peebles – Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death James Goldman – Follies Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey – Grease	Follies – Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death – Melvin Van Peebles (music and lyrics) Jesus Christ Superstar – Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics) Two Gentlemen of Verona – Galt MacDermot (music) and John Guare (lyrics)
style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play	style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
*Cliff Gorman – Lenny* as Lenny Bruce** Tom Aldredge – Sticks and Bones as Ozzie Donald Pleasence – Wise Child as Mrs. Artminster Jason Robards – The Country Girl as Frank Elgin	*Sada Thompson – Twigs* as Various Characters** Eileen Atkins – Vivat! Vivat Regina! as Elizabeth I Colleen Dewhurst – All Over as The Mistress Rosemary Harris – Old Times as Anna
style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical	style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
*Phil Silvers – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum* as Pseudolus** Clifton Davis – Two Gentlemen of Verona as Valentine Barry Bostwick – Grease as Danny Zuko Raúl Juliá – Two Gentleman of Verona as Proteus	*Alexis Smith – Follies* as Phyllis Rogers Stone** Jonelle Allen – Two Gentlemen of Verona as Silvia Dorothy Collins – Follies as Sally Durant Plummer Mildred Natwick – 70, Girls, 70 as Ida Dodd
style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play	style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
*Vincent Gardenia – The Prisoner of Second Avenue* as Harry Edison** Douglas Rain – Vivat! Vivat Regina! as William Cecil Lee Richardson – Vivat! Vivat Regina! as Lord Bothwell Joe Silver – Lenny as Various Characters	*Elizabeth Wilson – Sticks and Bones* as Harriet** Cara Duff-MacCormick – Moonchildren as Shelly Mercedes McCambridge – The Love Suicide at Schofield Barracks as Lucy Lake Frances Sternhagen – The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window as Mavis Parodus Bryson
style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical	style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
*Larry Blyden – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum* as Hysterium** Timothy Meyers – Grease as Kenickie Gene Nelson – Follies as Buddy Plummer Ben Vereen – Jesus Christ Superstar as Judas Iscariot	*Linda Hopkins – Inner City* as Various Characters** Adrienne Barbeau – Grease as Betty Rizzo Bernadette Peters – On the Town as Hildy Esterhazy Beatrice Winde – Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death as Various Characters
style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Direction of a Play	style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Direction of a Musical
Mike Nichols – The Prisoner of Second Avenue Jeff Bleckner – Sticks and Bones Gordon Davidson – The Trial of the Catonsville Nine Peter Hall – Old Times	Harold Prince and Michael Bennett – Follies Gilbert Moses – Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death Mel Shapiro – Two Gentlemen of Verona Burt Shevelove – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Choreography	style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Scenic Design
Michael Bennett – Follies Patricia Birch – Grease Jean Erdman – Two Gentlemen of Verona	Boris Aronson – Follies John Bury – Old Times Kert Lundell – Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death Robin Wagner – Jesus Christ Superstar
style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Costume Design	style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Lighting Design
Florence Klotz – Follies Theoni V. Aldredge – Two Gentlemen of Verona Randy Barceló – Jesus Christ Superstar Carrie F. Robbins – Grease	Tharon Musser – Follies Martin Aronstein – Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death John Bury – Old Times Jules Fisher – Jesus Christ Superstar

Special awards

The Theatre Guild--American Theatre Society, for its many years of service to audiences for touring shows.
Fiddler on the Roof, on becoming the longest-running musical in Broadway history. Presented to Harold Prince
Ethel Merman
Richard Rodgers

References

↑ O'Connor, John.New York Times, April 25, 1972,p.86

External links

Tony Awards Official Site

Tony Awards

Play	Best Play Best Direction of a Play Best Leading Actor in a Play Best Leading Actress in a Play Best Featured Actor in a Play Best Featured Actress in a Play Best Costume Design of a Play Best Lighting Design of a Play Best Revival of a Play Best Scenic Design of a Play Best Sound Design of a Play

Musical	Best Musical Best Direction of a Musical Best Leading Actor in a Musical Best Leading Actress in a Musical Best Featured Actor in a Musical Best Featured Actress in a Musical Best Book of a Musical Best Choreography Best Costume Design of a Musical Best Lighting Design of a Musical Best Orchestrations Best Original Score Best Revival of a Musical Best Scenic Design of a Musical Best Sound Design of a Musical

Special (non-competitive)	Regional Theatre Tony Award Special Tony Award Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre Isabelle Stevenson Award

Retired	Best Author Best Conductor and Musical Director Best Director Best Revival Best Special Theatrical Event Best Stage Technician

Ceremonies	1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

List of people who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards