36th Tony Awards


The 36th Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS television on June 6, 1982, from the Imperial Theatre. The host was Tony Randall.

The ceremony

Presenters: Lucie Arnaz, Milton Berle, Victor Borge, Pam Dawber, Lillian Gish, Marvin Hamlisch, Lena Horne, Beth Howland, Robert Goulet, James Earl Jones, Swoosie Kurtz, Michele Lee, Hal Linden, Ann Miller, Robert Preston, Jason Robards, Ginger Rogers, Gary Sandy, Ben Vereen.
Some of Broadway's theatres were being demolished thus the theme was to celebrate a great Broadway theatre, the Imperial. "The Imperial Medley" featured songs from Rose Marie; Oh, Kay!; Jubilee; Leave It to Me; On Your Toes; Between the Devil; Annie Get Your Gun; Miss Liberty; Call Me Madam; The Most Happy Fella; Fiddler on the Roof; The New Moon; Silk Stockings; Wish You Were Here; The Laugh Parade; Carnival; They're Playing Our Song; Oliver!; and Pippin.
Musicals represented:
Winners are in bold
Best PlayBest Musical

  • Nine
  • * Dreamgirls
  • * Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
  • * Pump Boys and Dinettes
    • Best RevivalBest Book of a Musical
  • Othello
  • * A Taste of Honey
  • * Medea
  • * My Fair Lady
  • Tom Eyen – Dreamgirls
  • * Tim Rice – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
  • * Arthur Kopit – Nine
  • * Joel Siegel and Martin Charnin – The First
    • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
  • Roger Rees – The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby as Nicholas Nickleby
  • * Tom Courtenay – The Dresser as Norman
  • * Milo O'Shea – Mass Appeal as Father Tim Farley
  • * Christopher Plummer – Othello as Iago
  • Zoe Caldwell – Medea as Medea
  • * Katharine Hepburn – The West Side Waltz as Margaret Mary Elderdice
  • * Geraldine Page – Agnes of God as Mother Miriam Ruth
  • * Amanda Plummer – A Taste of Honey as Josephine
    • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
  • Ben Harney – Dreamgirls as Curtis Taylor Jr.
  • * Herschel Bernardi – Fiddler on the Roof as Tevye
  • * Victor Garber – Little Me as Various Characters
  • * Raúl Juliá – Nine as Guido Contini
  • Jennifer Holliday – Dreamgirls as Effie White
  • * Lisa Mordente – Marlowe as Emelia Bossano
  • * Mary Gordon Murray – Little Me as Belle Poitrine
  • * Sheryl Lee Ralph – Dreamgirls as Deena Jones
    • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
  • Zakes Mokae – "Master Harold"...and the Boys as Sam
  • * Richard Kavanaugh – The Hothouse as Gibbs
  • * Edward Petherbridge – The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby as Newman Noggs
  • * David Threlfall – The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby as Smike
  • Amanda Plummer – Agnes of God as Agnes
  • * Judith Anderson – Medea as Nurse
  • * Mia Dillon – Crimes of the Heart as Babe Botrelle
  • * Mary Beth Hurt – Crimes of the Heart as Meg MaGrath
    • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
  • Cleavant Derricks – Dreamgirls as James "Thunder" Early
  • * Obba Babatundé – Dreamgirls as C.C. White
  • * David Alan Grier – The First as Jackie Robinson
  • * Bill Hutton – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as Joseph
  • Liliane Montevecchi – Nine as Liliane La Fleur
  • * Karen Akers – Nine as Luisa Contini
  • * Laurie Beechman – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as Narrator
  • * Anita Morris – Nine as Carla Albanese
    • Best Original Score Written for the TheatreBest Choreography
  • Nine – Maury Yeston
  • * Dreamgirls – Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen
  • * Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice
  • * Merrily We Roll Along – Stephen Sondheim
  • Michael Bennett and Michael Peters – Dreamgirls
  • * Peter Gennaro – Little Me
  • * Tony Tanner – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
  • * Tommy Tune – Nine
    • Best Direction of a PlayBest Direction of a Musical
  • Trevor Nunn and John Caird – The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
  • * Melvin Bernhardt – Crimes of the Heart
  • * Geraldine Fitzgerald – Mass Appeal
  • * Athol Fugard – "Master Harold"...and the Boys
  • Tommy Tune – Nine
  • * Michael Bennett – Dreamgirls
  • * Martin Charnin – The First
  • * Tony Tanner – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
    • Best Scenic DesignBest Costume Design
  • John Napier and Dermot Hayes – The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
  • * Ben Edwards – Medea
  • * Lawrence Miller – Nine
  • * Robin Wagner – Dreamgirls
  • William Ivey Long – Nine
  • * Theoni V. Aldredge – Dreamgirls
  • * Jane Greenwood – Medea
  • * John Napier – The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
    • Best Lighting Design-
  • Tharon Musser – Dreamgirls
  • * Martin Aronstein – Medea
  • * David Hersey – The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
  • * Marcia Madeira – Nine
    		• -

    Special awards

  • Special Awards—The Actors' Fund of America
  • Theatre Award '82
  • Regional Theatre Award -- The Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota

    Multiple nominations and awards

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