52nd Tony Awards


The 52nd Annual Tony Awards ceremony was held on June 7, 1998, at Radio City Music Hall and was broadcast by CBS television. A documentaries segment was telecast on PBS television. The ceremony was hosted by Rosie O'Donnell, who hosted a total of three times.
This ceremony is notable for its Best Direction of a Play and Best Direction of a Musical winners both being female, the first time a female has won either award. The writer of the Best Play winner was also female, the second female winner of the award.
The Lion King's win made it the first franchise to complete EGOT status.

The ceremony

The opening number was "Broadway Divas", with Rosie O'Donnell and the Chicago dancers introducing: Patti LuPone ; Jennifer Holliday ; and Betty Buckley.
Musicals represented:
Winners are in bold
Best PlayBest Musical

  • The Lion King
  • * Ragtime
  • * Side Show
  • * The Scarlet Pimpernel
    • Best Revival of a PlayBest Revival of a Musical
  • A View from the Bridge
  • * Ah, Wilderness!
  • * The Chairs
  • * The Diary of Anne Frank
  • Cabaret
  • * 1776
  • * The Sound of Music
    • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
  • Anthony LaPaglia – A View from the Bridge as Eddie
  • * Richard Briers – The Chairs as Old Man
  • * John Leguizamo – Freak as Himself
  • * Alfred Molina – Art as Yvan
  • Marie Mullen – The Beauty Queen of Leenane as Maureen Folan
  • * Jane Alexander – Honour as Honor
  • * Allison Janney – A View from the Bridge as Beatrice Carbone
  • * Geraldine McEwan – The Chairs as Old Woman
    • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
  • Alan Cumming – Cabaret as The Master of Ceremonies
  • * Peter Friedman – Ragtime as Tateh
  • * Brian Stokes Mitchell – Ragtime as Coalhouse Walker, Jr.
  • * Douglas Sills – The Scarlet Pimpernel as Percy Blakeney
  • Natasha Richardson – Cabaret as Sally Bowles
  • * Betty Buckley – Triumph of Love as Hesione
  • * Marin Mazzie – Ragtime as Mother
  • * Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner – Side Show as Violet and Daisy Hilton
    • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
  • Tom Murphy – The Beauty Queen of Leenane as Ray Dooley
  • * Brían F. O'Byrne – The Beauty Queen of Leenane as Pato Dooley
  • * Sam Trammell – Ah, Wilderness! as Richard Miller
  • * Max Wright – Ivanov as Pavel Lebedev
  • Anna Manahan – The Beauty Queen of Leenane as Mag Folan
  • * Enid Graham – Honour as Sophie
  • * Linda Lavin – The Diary of Anne Frank as Mrs. Van Daan
  • * Julyana Soelistyo – Golden Child as Eng Ahn
    • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
  • Ron Rifkin – Cabaret as Herr Schultz
  • * Gregg Edelman – 1776 as Edward Rutledge
  • * John McMartin – High Society as Uncle Willie
  • * Samuel E. Wright – The Lion King as Mufasa
  • Audra McDonald – Ragtime as Sarah
  • * Anna Kendrick – High Society as Dinah Lord
  • * Tsidii Le Loka – The Lion King as Rafiki
  • * Mary Louise Wilson – Cabaret as Fraulein Schneider
    • Best Book of a MusicalBest Original Score Written for the Theatre
  • Terrence McNally – Ragtime
  • * Bill Russell – Side Show
  • * Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi – The Lion King
  • * Nan Knighton – The Scarlet Pimpernel
  • Ragtime – Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens
  • * Side Show – Henry Krieger and Bill Russell
  • * The Capeman – Paul Simon and Derek Walcott
  • * The Lion King – Elton John, Tim Rice, Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer
    • Best Scenic DesignBest Costume Design
  • Richard Hudson – The Lion King
  • * Bob Crowley – The Capeman
  • * Eugene Lee – Ragtime
  • * Quay Brothers – The Chairs
  • Julie Taymor – The Lion King
  • * William Ivey Long – Cabaret
  • * Santo Loquasto – Ragtime
  • * Martin Pakledinaz – Golden Child
    • Best Lighting DesignBest Orchestrations
  • Donald Holder – The Lion King
  • * Paul Anderson – The Chairs
  • * Peggy Eisenhauer and Mike Baldassari – Cabaret
  • * Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer – Ragtime
  • William David Brohn – Ragtime
  • * Robert Elhai, David Metzger and Bruce Fowler – The Lion King
  • * Michael Gibson – Cabaret
  • * Stanley Silverman – The Capeman
    • Best Direction of a PlayBest Direction of a Musical
  • Garry Hynes – The Beauty Queen of Leenane
  • * Michael Mayer – A View from the Bridge
  • * Simon McBurney – The Chairs
  • * Matthew Warchus – Art
  • Julie Taymor – The Lion King
  • * Scott Ellis – 1776
  • * Frank Galati – Ragtime
  • * Sam Mendes with Rob Marshall – Cabaret
    • Best Choreography-
  • Garth Fagan – The Lion King
  • * Graciela Daniele – Ragtime
  • * Forever Tango Dancers – Forever Tango
  • * Rob Marshall – Cabaret
    		• -

    Special awards

  • Regional Theater Tony Award
  • *Denver Center Theatre Company
  • Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
  • * Ben Edwards
  • * Edward E. Colton
  • Tony Honor Winner
  • * The International Theatre Institute of the United States

    Multiple nominations and awards

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