Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway phenomenon “Hamilton,” the hip-hop retelling of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton’s life, became the most nominated production in Tony history May 3 with a whopping 16 nods. While it’s deservedly the talk of the town, we mustn’t forget Broadway’s other record-holding musicals, plays, and the performers who made them great. We’ve rounded up some of the Great White Way’s reigning winners and record holders.
Musicals
It was certainly springtime for “The Producers” when it and Mel Brooks walked away with a record 12 Tonys in 2001, including best musical, best actor for Nathan Lane, and best direction and choreography for Susan Stroman. For most Tony nominations ever, “The Producers” and “Billy Elliot” are now tied for second place with a formidable 15 nods.
Plays
With a 2007 Broadway debut after a West End transfer, Tom Stoppard’s “The Coast of Utopia” was nominated for a record-tying 10 Tonys and took home seven, securing its position as both the most nominated and most winning play in Tony Awards history. The revival of August Wilson’s “Fences” in 2010 was also nominated for 10 trophies, winning three of them for best revival, best actor in a play (Denzel Washington), and best actress in a play (Viola Davis).
Actors
No Tony records roundup would be complete without the incomparable Audra McDonald, currently starring in “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed.” She has six wins across four different acting categories under her belt. Julie Harris also has six Tonys—five from competitive categories and one lifetime achievement honor. With four wins himself, actor Boyd Gaines holds the record for the men. Further, he and Raúl Esparza are cited as the only men to have been nominated across all four acting categories; for the women, McDonald, Angela Lansbury, and Jan Maxwell were also nominated across four.
Composers
Is it any surprise that the one and only Stephen Sondheim butchers the competition and bakes them into pies? (Too much?) The man behind “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” and “Into the Woods” has won seven statues for the aforementioned pair along with “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” (1963), “Company” (1971), “Follies” (1972), “A Little Night Music” (1973), and “Passion” (1994). He also received a lifetime achievement award in 2008.
Directors
As heralded for filmmaking as he was for stage directing—not to mention producing and acting—Mike Nichols holds the record for the most Tony wins for best direction of a play. The late visionary has nine Tonys to his name, six of which were for directing “Barefoot in the Park” (1964), “Luv” and “The Odd Couple” (1965), “Plaza Suite” (1968), “The Prisoner of Second Avenue” (1972), “The Real Thing” (1984), and “Death of a Salesman” (2012). Further honorable directorial mentions go to Michael Blakemore and Bob Fosse. Since 2000, Blakemore reigns as the single director to win a Tony for a play (“Copenhagen”) and a musical (“Kiss Me, Kate”) in the same year. Fosse stands as the only director to take home a Tony (for “Pippin”—two of them!), an Oscar (for “Cabaret”), and an Emmy (for “Liza With a Z”) in the same year: 1973.
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