15th Tony Awards

Date

April 16, 1961

Location

Waldorf-Astoria
New York City, New York

Hosted by

Phil Silvers

Television/radio coverage

Network

WCBS-TV

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The 15th Annual Tony Awards took place on April 16, 1961, in the Waldorf-Astoria Grand Ballroom in New York City. The ceremony was broadcast on local television station WCBS-TV (Channel 2) in New York City. The Master of Ceremonies was Phil Silvers.

The ceremony

Presenters: Anna Maria Alberghetti, Anne Bancroft, Ray Bolger, Carol Channing, Henry Fonda, Joan Fontaine, Robert Goulet, Helen Hayes, Celeste Holm, Fredric March, Mary Martin, Helen Menken, Patricia Neal, Paul Newman, Geraldine Page, Sidney Poitier, Robert Preston, Jason Robards, Gig Young.

The performer was Eleanor Steber.

Music was by Meyer Davis and his Orchestra.

Winners and nominees

Winners are in bold

Best Play	Best Musical
Becket – Jean Anouilh All the Way Home – Tad Mosel The Devil's Advocate – Dore Schary The Hostage – Brendan Behan	Bye Bye Birdie Do Re Mi Irma La Douce
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
*Zero Mostel – Rhinocéros* as John** Hume Cronyn – Big Fish, Little Fish as Jimmie Luton Sam Levene – The Devil's Advocate as Dr. Aldo Meyer Anthony Quinn – Becket as Henry II	*Joan Plowright – A Taste of Honey* as Josephine** Tallulah Bankhead – Midgie Purvis as Midgie Purvis Barbara Baxley – Period of Adjustment as Isabel Haverstick Barbara Bel Geddes – Mary, Mary as Mary McKellaway
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
*Richard Burton – Camelot* as Arthur** Phil Silvers – Do Re Mi as Hubert Cram Maurice Evans – Tenderloin as Reverend Brock	*Elizabeth Seal – Irma La Douce* as Irma La Douce** Julie Andrews – Camelot as Guenevere Carol Channing – Show Girl as Various Characters Nancy Walker – Do Re Mi as Kay Cram
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
*Martin Gabel – Big Fish, Little Fish* as Basil Smythe** Philip Bosco – Rape of the Belt as Heracles Eduardo Ciannelli – The Devil's Advocate as Aurelio George Grizzard – Big Fish, Little Fish as Ronnie Johnson	*Colleen Dewhurst – All the Way Home* as Mary Follet** Eileen Heckart – Invitation to a March as Deedee Grogan Tresa Hughes – The Devil's Advocate as Nina Sanduzzi Rosemary Murphy – Period of Adjustment as Dorothea Bates
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
*Dick Van Dyke – Bye Bye Birdie* as Albert Peterson** Clive Revill – Irma La Douce as Bob-Le-Hotu Dick Gautier – Bye Bye Birdie as Conrad Birdie Ron Husmann – Tenderloin as Tommy	*Tammy Grimes – The Unsinkable Molly Brown* as Molly Tobin** Nancy Dussault – Do Re Mi as Tilda Mullen Chita Rivera – Bye Bye Birdie as Rosie Alvarez
Best Direction of a Play	Best Direction of a Musical
John Gielgud – Big Fish, Little Fish Joseph Anthony – Rhinoceros Joan Littlewood – The Hostage Arthur Penn – All the Way Home	Gower Champion – Bye Bye Birdie Peter Brook – Irma La Douce Garson Kanin – Do Re Mi
Best Choreography	Best Conductor and Musical Director
Gower Champion – Bye Bye Birdie Onna White – Irma La Douce	Franz Allers – Camelot Pembrode Davenport – 13 Daughters Stanley Lebowsky – Irma La Douce Elliot Lawrence – Bye Bye Birdie
Best Scenic Design in a Play	Best Scenic Design in a Musical
Oliver Smith – Becket Roger Furse – Duel of Angels David Hays – All the Way Home Jo Mielziner – The Devil's Advocate Rouben Ter-Arutunian – Advise and Consent	Oliver Smith – Camelot George C. Jenkins – 13 Daughters Robert Randolph – Bye Bye Birdie
Best Costume Design in a Play	Best Costume Design in a Musical
Motley – Becket Theoni V. Aldredge – The Devil's Advocate Raymond Sovey – All the Way Home	Adrian and Tony Duquette – Camelot Rolf Gerard – Irma La Douce Cecil Beaton – Tenderloin
Best Stage Technician
Teddy Van Bemmel – Becket

Special awards

David Merrick, in recognition of a fabulous production record over the last seven years.
Theatre Guild, for organizing the first repertory to go abroad for the State Department.

Multiple nominations and awards

These productions had multiple nominations:

8 nominations: Bye Bye Birdie
7 nominations: Irma La Douce
6 nominations: The Devil's Advocate
5 nominations: All the Way Home, Becket, Camelot and Do Re Mi
4 nominations: Big Fish, Little Fish
3 nominations: Tenderloin
2 nominations: The Hostage, Period of Adjustment, Rhinocéros and 13 Daughters

The following productions received multiple awards.

4 wins: Becket, Bye Bye Birdie and Camelot
2 wins: Big Fish, Little Fish

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 2020/21 2022 2023 2024