The Tony Awards: A Celebration of Excellence in Theatre

by Eila Mell, Audra McDonald (Foreword), The American Theatre Wing

Commemorating over 75 years of Broadway greatness with never-before told stories, rare photos from the American Theatre Wings' archives, and interviews with major honorees like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Patti LuPone, and Hugh Jackman, The Tony Awards is the official, authorized guide to Broadway's biggest night.

The Tony A Celebration of Excellence in Theatre  pays tribute to the magic that happens when the curtain goes up and Broadway's best and brightest step onto center stage. Supported by the American Theatre Wing, the arts organization that founded the Tony Awards in 1947 and continues to produce the Tony Awards live telecast each year, author Eila Mell has interviewed a cavalcade of past and present Tony winners, including actors, producers, writers, costume designers, and many many others. Their voices fill the pages of this book with fascinating, behind-the-scenes stories about what it's like to win the theatre world's highest honor.

Featuring a foreword by Audra McDonald and over 400 color and black-and-white photographs, The Tony Awards also spotlights more than 130 captivating interviews with a parade of industry insiders,

Mel Brooks, Matthew Broderick, Carol Burnett, Kristin Chenoweth, Glenn Close, James Corden, Bryan Cranston, Neil Patrick Harris, Jennifer Holliday, Hugh Jackman, John Kander, Angela Lansbury, Judith Light, Hal Linden, Kenny Leon, Patti LuPone, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Rita Moreno, Bernadette Peters, Chita Rivera, Martin Short, Tom Stoppard, Julie Taymor, Leslie Uggams, and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Genres: Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

Published April 16, 2024

Reviews

[Rusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exhaustingly complete listing of the winners of Tony Awards since the inception in 1947. So far I have noticed one error...Patricia Neal won the Tony in 1947 for her featured role in Another Part of the Forest...which was a PLAY (precursor to the Little Foxes) - not a Musical, as stated here. Otherwise, an enthralling book that has me looking up many shows with which I'm not familiar.

More: I have finished the book. Never noticed any other errors. It was an entertaining history of the Awards, with some great stories and excerpts of Tony winners' speeches.

[Ian Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading this book, and yes continuously, as it's a book that you can put down and pick up from time to time. Lots of new stories that I've never heard, and photos I've never seen before. A true collector item for fans of both theatre and entertainment. I'm definitely gifting it to family members this Christmas.

[Michael Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the topic but the lack of more meaningful visuals and strong captions (to let you know whose speech you were reading and why they won) would have been more meaningful. It is a celebration of the Tony awards (which I love) but felt a tad underwhelmed.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book dedicated to the Tony Awards. I loved seeing all the winners, stories and accepted speeches. What a wonderful addition if you are a Broadway fan.