Kevin Spacey took the 2017 Tony Awards by storm on Sunday night.
The “House of Cards” star took the stage as the host of the 71st Annual Tony Awards for the very first time.
He kicked off the show with a little help from his fellow Hollywood stars and joked that he wasn’t anywhere near the first choice to host the show. That’s when Stephen Colbert joined Spacey as the groundhog from the current production of “Groundhog Day,” to give him a little advice.
“Just read the prompter,” Colbert sang. “Hey, even Steve Harvey would be okay. You’re no dope. Never give up hope. Never let yourself be defeated.”
Next came Whoopi Goldberg: “If you want to learn, you got to go where some of the greatest hosts of all times have gotten their start: Carson, Letterman. You gotta go to the Rock.”
Then it was none other than Billy Crystal who joked that he had been asked to host but declined. “Billy Crystal gave advice from a remote location and said, “Kevin, if all else fails, put on a dress.”
Fans might not realize that Spacey has a theater background: He won a Tony Award in 1991 for his performance in “Lost in Yonkers.”
The one to watch this year is “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” based on Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” which leads the way with 12 Tony nominations. Singer Josh Groban made his Broadway debut in the musical.
One of the most coveted awards of the evening, Best Featured Actress in a play, went to Cynthia Nixon for her role as Regina in “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes.” When taking the stage she got political during her speech.
“Sixty years ago, [Hellman] wrote, ‘There are people who eat the earth and eat all the people on it and other people who just stand around and watch them do it,'” Nixon said. “My love, gratitude and undying respect go out to all the people in 2017 who are refusing to just stand and watch them do it.”
Kevin Kline won the award for Best Leading Actor in a Play for “Present Laughter” and Laurie Metcalf won her first ever Tony Award for “Best Leading Actress in a Play,” for “A Doll’s House, Part 2.”
James Earl Jones was honored with the 2017 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theater.
Here’s the full list of winners:
Best Musical
“Come From Away”
“Dear Evan Hansen”
“Groundhog Day”
“Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812”
Best Play
“A Doll’s House, Part 2”
“Indecent”
“Oslo”
“Sweat”
Best Revival of a Musical
“Falsettos”
“Hello, Dolly!”
“Miss Saigon”
Best Revival of a Play
“Jitney”
“The Little Foxes”
“Present Laughter”
“Six Degrees of Separation”
Best Book of a Musical
“Come From Away,” Irene Sankoff and David Hein
“Dear Evan Hansen,” Steven Levenson
“Groundhog Day,” Danny Rubin
“Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” Dave Malloy
Best Original Score
“Come From Away,” Music and Lyrics: Irene Sankoff and David Hein
“Dear Evan Hansen,” Music and Lyrics: Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
“Groundhog Day,” Music and Lyrics: Tim Minchin
“Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” Music and Lyrics: Dave Malloy
Best Leading Actor in a Play
Denis Arndt, “Heisenberg”
Chris Cooper, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Corey Hawkins, “Six Degrees of Separation”
Kevin Kline, “Present Laughter”
Jefferson Mays, “Oslo”
Best Leading Actress in a Play
Cate Blanchett, “The Present”
Jennifer Ehle, “Oslo”
Sally Field, “The Glass Menagerie”
Laura Linney, “The Little Foxes”
Laurie Metcalf, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Christian Borle, “Falsettos”
Josh Groban, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812”
Andy Karl, “Groundhog Day”
David Hyde Pierce, “Hello, Dolly!”
Ben Platt, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Denée Benton, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812”
Christine Ebersole, “War Paint”
Patti LuPone, “War Paint”
Bette Midler, “Hello, Dolly!”
Eva Noblezada, “Miss Saigonl
Best Featured Actor in a Play
Michael Aronov, “Oslo”
Danny DeVito, “The Price”
Nathan Lane, “The Front Page”
Richard Thomas, “The Little Foxes”
John Douglas Thompson, “Jitney”
Best Featured Actress in a Play
Johanna Day, “Sweat”
Jayne Houdyshell, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Cynthia Nixon, “The Little Foxes”
Condola Rashad, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Michelle Wilson, “Sweat”
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Gavin Creel, “Hello, Dolly!”
Mike Faist, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Andrew Rannells, “Falsettos”
Lucas Steele, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812”
Brandon Uranowitz, “Falsettos”
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin, “Hello, Dolly!”
Stephanie J. Block, “Falsettos”
Jenn Colella, “Come From Away”
Rachel Bay Jones, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Mary Beth Peil, “Anastasia”
Best Scenic Design of a Play
David Gallo, “Jitney”
Nigel Hook, “The Play That Goes Wrong”
Douglas W. Schmidt, “The Front Page”
Michael Yeargan, “Oslo”
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Rob Howell, “Groundhog Day”
David Korins, “War Paint”
Mimi Lien, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812”
Santo Loquasto, “Hello, Dolly!”
Best Costume Design of a Play
Jane Greenwood, “The Little Foxes”
Susan Hilferty, “Present Laughter”
Toni-Leslie James, “Jitney”
David Zinn, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Linda Cho, “Anastasia”
Santo Loquasto, “Hello, Dolly!”
Paloma Young, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812”
Catherine Zuber, “War Paint”
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Christopher Akerlind, “Indecent”
Jane Cox, “Jitney”
Donald Holder, “Oslo”
Jennifer Tipton, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Howell Binkley, “Come From Away”
Natasha Katz, “Hello, Dolly!”
Bradley King, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812”
Japhy Weideman, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Best Direction of a Play
Sam Gold, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, “Jitney”
Bartlett Sher, “Oslo”
Daniel Sullivan, “The Little Foxes”
Rebecca Taichman, “Indecent”
Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley, “Come From Away”
Rachel Chavkin, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812”
Michael Greif, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Matthew Warchus, “Groundhog Day”
Jerry Zaks, “Hello, Dolly!”
Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, “Bandstand”
Peter Darling and Ellen Kane, “Groundhog Day”
Kelly Devine, “Come From Away”
Denis Jones, “Holiday Inn”
Sam Pinkleton, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812”
Best Orchestrations
Bill Elliott and Greg Anthony Rassen, “Bandstand”
Larry Hochman, “Hello, Dolly!”
Alex Lacamoire, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Dave Malloy, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812”
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater
James Earl Jones
Special Tony Award
Gareth Fry and Pete Malkin, Sound Designers for “The Encounter”
Regional Theater Tony Award
Dallas Theater Center, Dallas
Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award
Baayork Lee
Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theater
Nina Lannan
Alan Wasser
