41st Tony Awards


The 41st Annual Tony Awards was held on June 7, 1987, at the Mark Hellinger Theatre and broadcast by CBS television. Angela Lansbury was the host for the third time. This broadcast was awarded the 1987 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series.

Ceremony

Presenters and performers: Jane Alexander, Bea Arthur, Richard Chamberlain, Glenn Close, Charles "Honi" Coles, Barbara Cook, Hume Cronyn, Bob Fosse, Mark Hamill, Helen Hayes, William Hurt, Bill Irwin, Judy Kuhn, Swoosie Kurtz, Dick Latessa, John Lithgow, Mary Martin, Walter Matthau, Andrea McArdle, Mary Tyler Moore, Bernadette Peters, Lynn Redgrave, Chita Rivera, George Rose, Jessica Tandy, Tommy Tune and Kathleen Turner.
Musicals and plays presented:
There were several special performances and tributes. The song "Bosom Buddies" from Mame was performed by former cast-mates Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur. There was a special salute to Robert Preston, who died in March 1987. Bernadette Peters sang "Time Heals Everything" from Mack and Mabel, Barbara Cook sang "Till There Was You" from The Music Man, and Mary Martin sang "This House" from I Do! I Do!. Finally, A tribute to George Abbott was introduced by Helen Hayes, with songs from Flora the Red Menace, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Boys from Syracuse, Damn Yankees, Where's Charley?, and The Pajama Game.

Winners and nominees

Winners are in bold
Best PlayBest Musical

  • Les Misérables
  • * Me and My Girl
  • * Rags
  • * Starlight Express
    • Best RevivalBest Book of a Musical
  • All My Sons
  • * The Front Page
  • * The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
  • * Pygmalion
  • Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg – Les Misérables
  • * L. Arthur Rose, Douglas Furber, Stephen Fry and Mike Ockrent – Me and My Girl
  • * Joseph Stein – Rags
  • * Howard Ashman – Smile
    • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
  • James Earl Jones – Fences as Troy Maxson
  • * Philip Bosco – You Never Can Tell as Waiter
  • * Richard Kiley – All My Sons as Joe Keller
  • * Alan Rickman – Les Liaisons Dangereuses as Le Vicomte de Valmont
  • Linda Lavin – Broadway Bound as Kate
  • * Lindsay Duncan – Les Liaisons Dangereuses as La Marquise de Merteuil
  • * Geraldine Page – Blithe Spirit as Madame Arcati
  • * Amanda Plummer – Pygmalion as Eliza Doolittle
    • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
  • Robert Lindsay – Me and My Girl as Bill Snibson
  • * Roderick Cook – Oh, Coward! as Performer
  • * Terrence Mann – Les Misérables as Inspector Javert
  • * Colm Wilkinson – Les Misérables as Jean Valjean
  • Maryann Plunkett – Me and My Girl as Sally Smith
  • * Catherine Cox – Oh, Coward! as Performer
  • * Teresa Stratas – Rags as Rebecca Hershkowitz
    • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
  • John Randolph – Broadway Bound as Ben
  • * Frankie R. Faison – Fences as Gabriel
  • * Jamey Sheridan – All My Sons as Chris Keller
  • * Courtney B. Vance – Fences as Corey
  • Mary Alice – Fences as Rose
  • * Annette Bening – Coastal Disturbances as Holly Dancer
  • * Phyllis Newman – Broadway Bound as Blanche
  • * Carole Shelley – Stepping Out as Maxine
    • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
  • Michael Maguire – Les Misérables as Enjolras
  • *George S. Irving – Me and My Girl as Sir John Tremayne
  • *Timothy Jerome – Me and My Girl as Herbert Parchester
  • * Robert Torti – Starlight Express as Greaseball
  • Frances Ruffelle – Les Misérables as Éponine
  • * Jane Connell – Me and My Girl as Maria
  • * Judy Kuhn – Les Misérables as Cosette
  • * Jane Summerhays – Me and My Girl as Lady Jaqueline Carstone
    • Best Original Score Written for the TheatreBest Choreography
  • Les Misérables – Claude-Michel Schönberg and Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil
  • * Me and My Girl – Noel Gay and L. Arthur Rose and Douglas Furber
  • * Rags – Charles Strouse and Stephen Schwartz
  • * Starlight Express – Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe
  • Gillian Gregory – Me and My Girl
  • * Ron Field – Rags
  • * Brian Macdonald – The Mikado
  • * Arlene Phillips – Starlight Express
    • Best Direction of a PlayBest Direction of a Musical
  • Lloyd Richards – Fences
  • * Howard Davies – Les Liaisons Dangereuses
  • * Mbongeni Ngema – Asinamali!
  • * Carole Rothman – Coastal Disturbances
  • Trevor Nunn and John Caird – Les Misérables
  • * Brian Macdonald – The Mikado
  • * Trevor Nunn – Starlight Express
  • * Mike Ockrent – Me and My Girl
    • Best Scenic DesignBest Costume Design
  • John Napier – Les Misérables
  • * Bob Crowley – Les Liaisons Dangereuses
  • * Martin Johns – Me and My Girl
  • * Tony Walton – The Front Page
  • John Napier – Starlight Express
  • * Bob Crowley – Les Liaisons Dangereuses
  • * Ann Curtis – Me and My Girl
  • * Andreane Neofitou – Les Misérables
    • Best Lighting Design-
  • David Hersey – Les Misérables
  • * Martin Aronstein – Wild Honey
  • * David Hersey – Starlight Express
  • * Beverly Emmons and Chris Parry – Les Liaisons Dangereuses
    		• -

    Special awards

  • Regional Theatre Award - San Francisco Mime Troupe
  • George Abbott, on the occasion of his 100th birthday
  • Jackie Mason, for The World According to Me
  • Lawrence Langner Award Winner - Robert Preston

    Multiple nominations and awards

    • These productions had multiple nominations:
    The following productions received multiple awards.