33rd Tony Awards

Eligibility

Shows that opened on Broadway during the 1978–1979 season before May 31, 1979 are eligible.

;Original plays

• Are You Now or Have You Ever Been
• Bedroom Farce
• Bosoms and Neglect
• Break a Leg
• The Crucifer of Blood
• The Elephant Man
• Faith Healer
• First Monday in October
• G. R. Point
• Gorey Stories
• The Kingfisher
• Knockout
• Manny
• A Meeting by the River
• Murder at the Howard Johnson's
• On Golden Pond
• The Playboy of the Weekend World
• Players
• Spokesong
• St. Mark's Gospel
• Strangers
• Taxi Tales
• Tribute
• Trick
• Whose Life Is It Anyway?
• Wings
• Zoot Suit ;Original musicals
• The American Dance Machine
• Ballroom
• The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
• A Broadway Musical
• Carmelina
• Eubie!
• The Grand Tour
• I Remember Mama
• King of Hearts
• My Old Friends
• Platinum
• Saravá
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
• They're Playing Our Song
• The Utter Glory of Morrissey Hall ;Play revivals
• The Goodbye People
• The Government Inspector
• Man and Superman
• Once in a Lifetime ;Musical revivals
• Stop the World - I Want to Get Off
• Whoopee!

The ceremony

The presenters were Tom Bosley, Barry Bostwick, Ellen Burstyn, Georgia Engel, Jane Fonda, Celeste Holm, John Houseman, Barnard Hughes, Angela Lansbury, Ron Leibman, Jack Lemmon, Hal Linden, Jean Marsh, Al Pacino and Dick Van Dyke.

The theme of the ceremony was theatrical superstitions, and various other showbusiness beliefs.

Henry Fonda received a Special Award, which was presented by his daughter Jane Fonda. Walter Cronkite presented Richard Rodgers with his Special Award.

Musicals represented:

• Ballroom ("Fifty Percent" - Dorothy Loudon)
• The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas ("The Aggie Song" - Company)
• Eubie ("Hot Feet" - Gregory Hines)
• I Remember Mama ("A Little Bit More" - Liv Ullmann, George Hearn and Company)
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street ("The Worst Pies in London" - Angela Lansbury)
• They're Playing Our Song ("They're Playing Our Song" - Robert Klein and Lucie Arnaz)

Winners and nominees

*Winners are in bold *

Special awards

• Lawrence Langner Memorial Award for Distinguished Lifetime Achievement in the American Theatre - Richard Rodgers
• Regional Theatre Award - American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco, California
• Henry Fonda
• Walter F. Diehl, International President of Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Picture Operators, has been an active force in advancing the well-being of the Broadway theatre and of theatre nationally.
• Eugene O'Neill Memorial Theatre Center, Waterford, Connecticut

Multiple nominations and awards

These productions had multiple nominations:

• 9 nominations: Sweeney Todd
• 8 nominations: Ballroom
• 7 nominations: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and The Elephant Man
• 5 nominations: Bedroom Farce
• 4 nominations: The Crucifer of Blood and They're Playing Our Song
• 3 nominations: Eubie!, The Grand Tour, Whose Life Is It Anyway? and Wings
• 2 nominations: Platinum

The following productions received multiple awards.

• 8 wins: Sweeney Todd
• 3 wins: The Elephant Man
• 2 wins: Bedroom Farce and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

References

References

1. Thomas, Robert Jr.''The New York Times'', "Tonys for Elephant, Sweeney Todd", June 4, 1979, p.C47