32nd Tony Awards

Date

June 4, 1978

Location

Shubert Theatre, New York City, New York

Television/Radio coverage

Network

CBS

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The 32nd Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS television on June 4, 1978 from the Shubert Theatre in New York City. This was the first time that CBS broadcast the ceremony, which had previously been shown on the ABC television network.^[1]

The ceremony

Presenters were Ed Asner, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Carol Channing, Bonnie Franklin, Robert Guillaume, Julie Harris, Helen Hayes, Bob Hope, Gene Kelly, Linda Lavin, Jack Lemmon, Hal Linden, Roy Scheider, and Dick Van Patten.

Bonnie Franklin introduced each segment from her seat in the audience. Bob Hope presented the "Lawrence Langer" Special Award to Irving Berlin, who was not present at the ceremony.^[1] The theme of the ceremony was "footlights", with each presenter telling of the first time they saw live theatre.

Musicals represented:

The Act ("City Lights" – Liza Minnelli and Company)
Ain't Misbehavin' ("Ladies Who Sing with the Band"/"Off Time" – Company)
Dancin' ("Sing, Sing, Sing" – Company)
On the Twentieth Century ("On The Twentieth Century" – Company)
Runaways (Medley – Company)

Winners and nominees

Winners are in bold

Best Play	Best Musical
Da – Hugh Leonard Chapter Two – Neil Simon Deathtrap – Ira Levin The Gin Game – D. L. Coburn	Ain't Misbehavin' Dancin' On the Twentieth Century Runaways
style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Most Innovative Production of a Revival	style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Book of a Musical
Dracula Tartuffe Timbuktu! A Touch of the Poet	Betty Comden and Adolph Green – On the Twentieth Century Christopher Durang – A History of the American Film Elizabeth Swados – Runaways Stephen Schwartz – Working
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
Barnard Hughes – Da as Da Hume Cronyn – The Gin Game as Weller Martin Frank Langella – Dracula as Dracula Jason Robards – A Touch of the Poet as Cornelius Melody	*Jessica Tandy – The Gin Game* as Fonsia Dorsey** Anne Bancroft – Golda as Golda Meir Anita Gillette – Chapter Two as Jennie Maclaine Estelle Parsons – Miss Margarida's Way as Miss Margarida
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
*John Cullum – On the Twentieth Century* as Oscar Jaffee** Eddie Bracken – Hello, Dolly! as Horace Vandergelder Barry Nelson – The Act as Dan Conners Gilbert Price – Timbuktu! as The Mansa of Mali	*Liza Minnelli – The Act* as Michelle Craig** Madeline Kahn – On the Twentieth Century as Lily Garland/Mildred Plotka Eartha Kitt – Timbuktu! as Shaleem La Lume Frances Sternhagen – Angel as Eliza Gant
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
Lester Rawlins – Da as Drumm Morgan Freeman – The Mighty Gents as Zeke Victor Garber – Deathtrap as Clifford Anderson Cliff Gorman – Chapter Two as Leo Schneider	*Ann Wedgeworth – Chapter Two* as Faye Medwick** Starletta DuPois – The Mighty Gents as Rita Swoosie Kurtz – Tartuffe as Mariane Marian Seldes – Deathtrap as Myra Bruhl
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
*Kevin Kline – On the Twentieth Century* as Bruce Granit** Steven Boockvor – Working as John Fortune/Marco Camerone Wayne Cilento – Dancin' as Performer Rex Everhart – Working as Herb Rosen/Booker Page	*Nell Carter – Ain't Misbehavin'* as Nell** Imogene Coca – On the Twentieth Century as Letitia Primrose Ann Reinking – Dancin' as Various Characters Charlaine Woodard – Ain't Misbehavin' as Charlaine
style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Direction of a Play	style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Direction of a Musical
Melvin Bernhardt – Da Robert Moore – Deathtrap Mike Nichols – The Gin Game Dennis Rosa – Dracula	Richard Maltby, Jr. – Ain't Misbehavin' Bob Fosse – Dancin' Harold Prince – On the Twentieth Century Elizabeth Swados – Runaways
style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre	style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Choreography
On the Twentieth Century – Cy Coleman (music) and Betty Comden and Adolph Green (lyrics) The Act – John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb (lyrics) Runaways – Elizabeth Swados (music and lyrics) Working – Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Mary Rodgers, Susan Birkenhead, Stephen Schwartz and James Taylor (music and lyrics)	Bob Fosse – Dancin' Arthur Faria – Ain't Misbehavin' Ron Lewis – The Act Elizabeth Swados – Runaways
style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Scenic Design	style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Costume Design
Robin Wagner – On the Twentieth Century Zack Brown – The Importance of Being Earnest Edward Gorey – Dracula David Mitchell – Working	Edward Gorey – Dracula Halston – The Act Geoffrey Holder – Timbuktu! Willa Kim – Dancin'
style="background:#C0C0C0;" ! style="width="50%" \| Best Lighting Design
Jules Fisher – Dancin' Jules Fisher – Beatlemania Tharon Musser – The Act Ken Billington – Working

Special awards

Lawrence Langner Memorial Award for Distinguished Lifetime Achievement in the American Theatre – Irving Berlin
Theatre Award '78 – To the creators, Charles Moss and Stan Dragoti (of Wells, Rich, Greene, Inc.) of the I Love New York Broadway Show Tours and William S. Doyle, Deputy Commissioner, the New York State Department of Commerce
Regional Theatre Award – The Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 Thomas, Robert Jr.New York Times, "Ain't Misbehavin" and Da Win Tonys", June 5, 1978, p.C18

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