2011 Tony Awards

What was the most interesting thing about the 2011 Tony Awards ceremony? Perhaps Mark Rylance’s acceptance speech takes the cake. Rylance, who won for best leading actor in a play for his performance in Jerusalem, took to the microphone with a strange dialog about walking through walls. After an evening of heartfelt but long-winded acceptance speeches, Rylance was certainly refreshing albeit confusing. Unlike flying or astral projection, walking through walls is a totally earth-related craft, but a lot more interesting than pot-making or driftwood lamps," he said.

After much “google-ing” it seems this is not the first time Rylance gave an unconventional awards speech. In 2008 he spoke of carrying a fishing pole while accepting his award for Boeing-Boeing. Both time, Rylance was quoting works by Louis Jenkins, an obscure prose poet from Minnesota.

Now the REAL event of the evening was the win of War Horse for best play: A visually stunning piece that brings full scale horse puppets to the stage with life-like movements. With 5 tony wins, it should not be long before this exquisite play begins touring. Keep your fingers crossed!


The Winners:

Best Play
War Horse

Best Musical
The Book of Mormon

Best Book of a Musical
The Book of Mormon

Best Original Score
The Book of Mormon

Best Revival of a Play
The Normal Heart

Best Revival of a Musical
Anything Goes

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Frances McDormand, Good People

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon

Best Direction of a Play
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse

Best Direction of a Musical
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon

Best Choreography
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes

Best Orchestrations
Larry Hochman & Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Rae Smith, War Horse

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Scott Pask, The Book of Mormon

Best Costume Design of a Play
Desmond Heeley, The Importance of Being Earnest

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Also, check out the article "12 things you didn't know about the 2011 Tony Awards".