10th Tony Awards

Date

April 1, 1956

Location

Plaza Hotel
New York City

Hosted by

Jack Carter

Television/radio coverage

Network

DuMont Television Network

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The 10th Annual Tony Awards took place at the Plaza Hotel Grand Ballroom on April 1, 1956. The Master of Ceremonies was Jack Carter.

Ceremony

The presenter was Helen Hayes, who was President of the American Theatre Wing, and several of the nominees. Jack Carter was host for the first part of the ceremony, and Helen Hayes hosted the second part. More than 500 people attended the dinner dance. ^[1]

For the first time, the ceremony was broadcast on television, on the DuMont Channel 5 in New York City, in an effort to create "wider public interest in Broadway's most important award-giving ceremony". Also for the first time, the nominees were announced ahead of the ceremony.^[2]

Music for the dinner dance was by Meyer Davis and his Orchestra.

Winners and nominees

Sources:Infoplease;^[3] BroadwayWorld^[4]

Best Play	Best Musical
The Diary of Anne Frank – Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett Bus Stop – William Inge Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – Tennessee Williams The Chalk Garden – Enid Bagnold Tiger at the Gates – Jean Giraudoux with English version by Christopher Fry	Damn Yankees Pipe Dream
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
*Paul Muni – Inherit the Wind* as Henry Drummond** Ben Gazzara – A Hatful of Rain as Johnny Pope Boris Karloff – The Lark as Pierre Cauchon Michael Redgrave – Tiger at the Gates as Hector Edward G. Robinson – Middle of the Night as The Manufacturer	*Julie Harris – The Lark* as Joan of Arc** Barbara Bel Geddes – Cat on a Hot Tin Roof as Maggie Pollitt Gladys Cooper – The Chalk Garden as Mrs. St. Maugham Ruth Gordon – The Matchmaker as Dolly Gallagher Levi Siobhán McKenna – The Chalk Garden as Miss Madrigal Susan Strasberg – The Diary of Anne Frank as Anne Frank
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
*Ray Walston – Damn Yankees* as Mr. Applegate** Stephen Douglass – Damn Yankees as Joe Hardy William Johnson – Pipe Dream as Doc	*Gwen Verdon – Damn Yankees* as Lola** Carol Channing – The Vamp as Flora Weems Nancy Walker – Phoenix '55 as Various Characters
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
*Ed Begley – Inherit the Wind* as Matthew Harrison Brady** Anthony Franciosa – A Hatful of Rain as Polo Pope Andy Griffith – No Time for Sergeants as Will Stockdale Anthony Quayle – Tamburlaine the Great as Tamburlaine Fritz Weaver – The Chalk Garden as Maitland	*Una Merkel – The Ponder Heart* as Edna Earle Ponder** Diane Cilento – Tiger at the Gates as Helen of Troy Anne Jackson – Middle of the Night as The Daughter Elaine Stritch – Bus Stop as Grace Hoylard
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
*Russ Brown – Damn Yankees* as Benny Van Buren** Mike Kellin – Pipe Dream as Hazel Will Mahoney – Finian's Rainbow as Finian McLonergan Scott Merrill – The Threepenny Opera as Macheath	*Lotte Lenya – The Threepenny Opera* as Jenny** Rae Allen – Damn Yankees as Gloria Thorpe Pat Carroll – Catch a Star! as Various Characters Judy Tyler – Pipe Dream as Suzy
Best Director	Best Choreography
Tyrone Guthrie – The Matchmaker Joseph Anthony – The Lark Harold Clurman – Bus Stop / Pipe Dream / Tiger at the Gates Tyrone Guthrie – The Matchmaker / Six Characters in Search of an Author / Tamburlaine the Great Garson Kanin – The Diary of Anne Frank Elia Kazan – Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Albert Marre – The Chalk Garden Herman Shumlin – Inherit the Wind	Bob Fosse – Damn Yankees Robert Alton – The Vamp Boris Runanin – Phoenix '55 / Pipe Dream Anna Sokolow – Red Roses for Me
Best Scenic Design	Best Costume Design
Peter Larkin – Inherit the Wind / No Time for Sergeants Boris Aronson – The Diary of Anne Frank / Bus Stop / Once Upon a Tailor / A View from the Bridge Ben Edwards – The Honeys / The Ponder Heart / Someone Waiting Jo Mielziner - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof / The Lark / Middle of the Night / Pipe Dream Raymond Sovey – The Great Sebastians	Alvin Colt – Pipe Dream Alvin Colt – The Lark / Phoenix '55 / Pipe Dream Mainbocher – The Great Sebastians Helene Pons – The Diary of Anne Frank / Heavenly Twins / A View from the Bridge
Best Conductor and Musical Director	Best Stage Technician
Hal Hastings – Damn Yankees Salvatore Dell'Isola – Pipe Dream Milton Rosenstock – The Vamp	Harry Green, electrician and sound man – Damn Yankees / Middle of the Night Larry Bland, carpenter – Middle of the Night / The Ponder Heart / Porgy and Bess

Special awards

City Center
Fourth Street Chekov Theatre
The Shakespearewrights
The Threepenny Opera, distinguished Off-Broadway production
The Theatre Collection of the New York Public Library on its twenty-fifth anniversary, for its distinguished service to the theatre.

Multiple nominations and awards

These productions had multiple nominations:

9 nominations: Damn Yankees and Pipe Dream
5 nominations: The Chalk Garden, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Lark and Middle of the Night
4 nominations: Bus Stop, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Inherit the Wind and Tiger at the Gates
3 nominations: Phoenix '55, The Ponder Heart and The Vamp
2 nominations: The Great Sebastians, A Hatful of Rain, The Matchmaker, No Time for Sergeants, Tamburlaine the Great, The Threepenny Opera and A View from the Bridge

The following productions received multiple awards.

7 wins: Damn Yankees
3 wins: Inherit the Wind

Note: The Threepenny Opera also received a Special Tony Award.

References

External links

Tony Awards

Tony Awards
American Theatre Wing The Broadway League EGOT Triple Crown of Acting
Play	Best Play Best Revival of a Play Best Direction of a Play Best Leading Actor in a Play Best Leading Actress in a Play Best Featured Actor in a Play Best Featured Actress in a Play Best Costume Design in a Play Best Lighting Design in a Play Best Scenic Design in a Play Best Sound Design of a Play
Musical	Best Musical Best Revival of a Musical Best Direction of a Musical Best Leading Actor in a Musical Best Leading Actress in a Musical Best Featured Actor in a Musical Best Featured Actress in a Musical Best Book of a Musical Best Choreography Best Costume Design in a Musical Best Lighting Design in a Musical Best Orchestrations Best Original Score Best Scenic Design in a Musical Best Sound Design of a Musical
Special (non-competitive)	Regional Theatre Tony Award Special Tony Award Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre Isabelle Stevenson Award
Retired	Best Author Best Conductor and Musical Director Best Costume Design Best Director Best Lighting Design Best Newcomer Best Revival Best Scenic Design Best Special Theatrical Event Best Stage Technician
Ceremonies	1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 ~~2020~~ 2021 2022 2023 2024